Bianca Censori Covers Up In Black Hijab At Movie Premiere With Kanye West Following Controversial Nude Stunts
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 February 2025
· Bianca Censori Covers Up In Black Hijab At Movie Premiere With Kanye West Following Controversial Nude Stunts
· Fatima Payman says Iranian women 'have a voice', accuses West of spreading 'propaganda'
· ‘Repentance room’ in Tehran metro station fans flames of hijab war
· Afghanistan’s women-only Radio Begum to resume broadcasts after Taliban lift suspension
· The Kenyans saying no to motherhood and yes to sterilisation
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Bianca Censori Covers Up In Black Hijab At Movie Premiere With Kanye West Following Controversial Nude Stunts
February 24, 2025
Did Bianca Censori choose to sport a black hijab for a movie premiere? (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Bianca Censori made a rare covered-up appearance alongside Kanye West at the Los Angeles premiere of her debut film, a project reportedly directed by Italian performance artist Vanessa Beecroft and produced by Kanye himself.
The 30-year-old Aussie model, dressed in a long black dress and hijab, contrasted sharply with the often-revealing looks she has worn in recent months, including the headline-making ensemble from the 2025 Grammy Awards. West, on the other hand, opted for an all-black outfit as well, pairing trousers with a leather jacket.
A Mysterious Film Backed By Kanye West
The couple, known for their controversy-laden public appearances, were joined at the screening by rapper The Game. The film, partially shot in Japan, is said to explore the female body as “something to showcase,” with Bianca taking center stage.
Even though the details about the movie remain under wraps, Kanye recently shared a promotional image on Instagram, featuring Bianca nude in a minimalist dance studio, showcasing her blonde hair
In his post, Kanye wrote, “IM SO PROUD OF MY WIFE FOR STARRING IN HER FIRST FEATURE FILM SHOT IN JAPAN DIRECTED BY VANESSA BEECROFT PRODUCED BY ME.” However, it quickly sparked backlash, with social media users criticizing him for once again showcasing his wife’s naked body so publicly.
One wrote, “I’ve seen this woman naked beyond my will more times than I can count.” Another said, “Kanye this isn’t cool.” A third added, “For once ye, I don’t care. Bring back Kanye west.”
The Film Was Funded By Kanye West and Bianca Censori
The project is reportedly entirely self-funded by Kanye and Bianca, with sources close to the couple describing the model, who has a background in architecture, as a “brilliant actress.” It has been claimed that while filming recently wrapped up in Japan, it was scheduled to continue at an undisclosed location.
Kanye West and Bianca Censori’s Recent Controversial Grammys Appearance
This latest public outing follows weeks of controversy surrounding the couple’s Grammys appearance, where Bianca dropped a floor-length coat on the red carpet to reveal a sheer slip dress that left little to the imagination.
The backlash only intensified after Kanye took to social media, delivering a now-infamous rant in which he claimed, “I HAVE DOMINION OVER MY WIFE,” insisting the naked stunt had nothing to do with “woke feminism.”
He continued, “PEOPLE SAY THE RED CARPET LOOK WAS HER DECISION YES I DONT MAKE HER DO NOTHING SHE DOESNT WANT TO BUT SHE DEFINITELY WOULDNT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT WITHOUT MY APPROVAL.” The rapper then said he has “no respect or empathy for any one living.” He fumed, “NO ONE LIVING CAN F— WITH ME BUT I DO LOVE SOME PEOPLE AND I GIVE THEM FAVOR.”
According to insiders, Bianca was deeply upset by Kanye’s comments, feeling disrespected by the way he spoke about her. Sources claim that West later apologized for the Grammys controversy, and while she reportedly appreciated the gesture, their dynamic continues to raise eyebrows.
Source:koimoi.com
https://www.koimoi.com/hollywood-news/bianca-censori-covers-up-in-black-hijab-at-movie-premiere-with-kanye-west-following-controversial-nude-stunts/
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Fatima Payman says Iranian women 'have a voice', accuses West of spreading 'propaganda'
24 February 2025
Fatima Payman has faced backlash for saying Westerners are not exposed to the "incredible place that Iran is, allowing for women to participate in the workforce, to ensure that they have a voice, and their voices are heard, they're involved in the democratic process". Source: Twitter / X / Press TV
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Independent senator Fatima Payman has defended her appearance at an event organisers described as "challenging the narrative of Iranian women in the West", at which she made a set of controversial comments.
In a broadcast from Iranian state-owned news media Press TV, Payman is quoted as saying Westerners are not exposed to the "incredible place that Iran is, allowing for women to participate in the workforce, to ensure that they have a voice, and their voices are heard, they're involved in the democratic process".
The former Labor Party member said these were "realities that we're not privy to living here and listening to the propaganda we receive from very single-sided organisations with a specific agenda".
The statement — made at an event on 22 February at Western Sydney University — quickly attracted backlash from Australian United Solidarity for Iran (AUSIRAN), a community group supporting the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in Iran.
In a letter titled No Cover for Islamic Republic's Regime Gender Apartheid, AUSIRAN said it was "outraged" by the statements of Payman and NSW Minister for Women Jodie Elizabeth Harrison, who sent a video message that was played at the event.
"Their decision to attend an event in Sydney — which flagrantly supported the Islamic Republic regime's misrepresentation of women's rights and its propaganda — is a profound act of hypocrisy," the letter read.
"For decades, the regime has silenced Iranian people's voices, a cruelty most recently revealed during the uprising following the tragic death of MahsaJinaAmini, a woman whose life was unjustly taken by police violence."
Amini was a woman from Iran's Kurdish minority who died after being arrested by the so-called morality police for allegedly not observing the country's mandatory hijab laws in 2022.
Iranian authorities claim she suffered from an underlying health condition, but eyewitnesses say she was beaten inside the police van.
In reaction to her death, thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities all over Iran for months, chanting "Woman, Life Freedom" and calling for regime change.
The protests were met with a "brutal government crackdown that resulted in hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of arbitrary arrests," according to Human Rights Watch.
Kylie Moore-Gilbert — an Australian expert in Middle Eastern political science who was detained for two years in Iran on espionage charges — also criticised Payman's comments.
"Oh my God @SenatorPayman girl what are you doing!? What is this nonsense you are saying!?" she wrote on X.
"Iran has no 'democratic process,' least of all one which women are allowed to participate in. You should know this — I saw you sitting in the Senate enquiry into Iran's human rights abuses just 2 years ago.
"Why agree to be interviewed by Press TV, English language propaganda arm of the Islamic Republic known for broadcasting false confession videos and forced interviews with prisoners before they are executed?"
Fatima Payman responds
While not directly addressing her comments, Payman released a statement explaining her attendance at what she described as an "Iranian women's empowerment event to celebrate International Women's Day, where I heard first hand their experiences in Iran and the rights and opportunities afforded to them".
"The aim of this organisation was to correct the narrative they felt was single-sided by certain organisations. To which I advised they should create spaces to educate and share their version of events with politicians and representatives," she said.
"As a leader, it's important for me to keep an open mind and listen to both sides."
The senator from Western Australia left the Labor Party in July 2024 after she vowed to continue crossing the floor of parliament in support of Palestinian statehood.
Human Rights Watch reported in 2023 that "Iranian women experience discrimination in law and in practice in ways that deeply impact their lives, particularly with regard to marriage, divorce and custody issues.
"In today’s Iran, a woman’s access to employment, education, social benefits and proper health care — and even her mere public presence in society— depends on complying with compulsory hijab laws, which are routinely enforced through a web of rules and arbitrary interpretation by state agents as well as businesses," Human Rights Watch's Tara Sepehri Far wrote.
The organisation reported in 2024 that, under Iran's civil code, "a husband has the right to choose the place of living and can prevent his wife from having certain occupations if he deems them against "family values'".
It also reported that "cases of femicide are increasingly reported in media and social media, but Iran has no law on domestic violence to prevent abuse and protect survivors."
Source:sbs.com.au
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/fatima-payman-says-iranian-women-have-a-voice-accuses-west-of-spreading-propaganda/fnggq49gt
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‘Repentance room’ in Tehran metro station fans flames of hijab war
February 23, 2025
A screengrab from a video showcasing an exhibit to promote hijab at Tajrish subway station in Tehran (February 2025)
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A new high-tech public art display at a Tehran metro station aimed at cajoling women into wearing hijabs has been met with scorn by some Iranians describing the immersive exhibit as a state-backed "repentance room."
A video showcasing the interactive installation at Tajrish station established by the Tehran municipality and run by the Daughters of the Revolution group aired on state television Tuesday.
The group, known for promoting an Islamic lifestyle and championing the Islamic veil is headed by BaharehJangravi, who said the project was a means of spreading the importance of wearing the hijab, in the wake of a national mass rebellion against the Islamic Republic's mandatory dress code.
The video shows women whose attire violates hijab rules weeping in the room. They are then offered headscarves by metro officials and encouraged to comply with the theocracy's strict regulations.
Concerns have also been raised on social media platforms about the authenticity of the video, with some suggesting that the women depicted either paid actors or women acting under duress.
Jangravi explained that her group's name, "Daughters of the Revolution," was chosen in response to the "Girls of Enghelab (Revolution) Street" movement, a wave of symbolic protests against mandatory hijab inspired by activist Vida Movahed's 2017 public act of defiance.
The interactive installation also features images of slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders and other figures revered by the Islamic Republic.
They include the slain commander of the IRGC foreign operations arm QassemSoleimani and Hamas leader YahyaSinwar. The two figures revered by Iran's military-clerical establishment were killed by the United States and Israel, respectively.
The exhibit is a scaled model of the shrine of Imam Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shia Muslim Imam. Through VR goggles, visitors can explore a lifelike virtual rendering of the actual shrine and its surroundings in Karbala, Iraq.
The initiative has drawn widespread criticism, with many viewing the room as an inappropriate use of public space to enforce the government's ideological agenda.
Critics question the municipality's involvement, arguing it oversteps its mandate and diverts resources from pressing urban issues.
Similar controversies have surrounded previous actions by the municipality, such as the deployment of "hijab guards" in metro stations and the burial of "unknown martyrs" at universities and recreational sites, along with the construction of mosques in parks.
The controversy highlights the ongoing struggle over hijab enforcement in Iran since the nationwide Woman Life Freedom protest movement following the death of 22-year-old MahsaAmini in the custody of morality police in September 2022.
A large number of women in Tehran and other major cities continue to defy the mandatory hijab, a trend that began with the 2022 protests.
The widespread non-compliance has strained police enforcement efforts, prompting the government to explore alternative methods, including a controversial new bill that emphasizes fines, deprivation of public services and the so-called cultural initiatives over direct confrontation.
Source:iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202502203432
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Afghanistan’s women-only Radio Begum to resume broadcasts after Taliban lift suspension
23 February 2025
An Afghan women's radio station will resume broadcasts after the Taliban lifted their suspension over alleged cooperation with an overseas TV channel.
Radio Begum launched on International Women's Day in March 2021, five months before the Taliban seized power amid the chaotic withdrawal of US and NATO troops.
The station's content is produced entirely by Afghan women. Its sister satellite channel, Begum TV, operates from France and broadcasts programs that cover the Afghan school curriculum from seventh to 12th grade.
The Taliban have banned education for women and girls in the country beyond grade six. In a statement issued Saturday night, the Taliban Information and Culture Ministry said Radio Begum had "repeatedly requested" to restart operations and that the suspension was lifted after the station made commitments to authorities.
The station pledged to conduct broadcasts "in accordance with the principles of journalism and the regulations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, and to avoid any violations in the future", it added.
The ministry did not elaborate what those principles and regulations were. Radio Begum confirmed the ministry had granted permission to resume broadcasting. It did not give further details. Since their takeover, the Taliban have excluded women from education, many kinds of work, and public spaces.
Journalists, especially women, have lost their jobs as the Taliban tighten their grip on the media.In the 2024 press freedom index from Reporters without Borders, Afghanistan ranks 178 out of 180 countries.
The year before that it ranked 152.The Information Ministry did not initially identify the TV channel it alleged Radio Begum had been working with. But the Saturday statement mentioned collaboration with "foreign sanctioned media outlets".
Source:independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/afghanistan-womens-radio-begum-station-taliban-b2703072.html
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The Kenyans saying no to motherhood and yes to sterilisation
February 24, 2025
For as long as Nelly NaisulaSironka can remember she has never wanted children - and with one irreversible decision the 28-year-old Kenyan has ensured she never will get pregnant.
Last October, she took the definitive step of undergoing a sterilisation procedure known as tubal ligation - permanently closing the door on motherhood.
"I feel liberated," the organisational development expert tells the BBC, adding that it has ensured her future is now entirely her own.
The operation prevents pregnancy by blocking a woman's fallopian tubes and is sometimes referred to as "getting your tubes tied".
Between 2020 and 2023, roughly 16,000 women in the East African country underwent tubal ligation, according to Kenya's health ministry.
It is unclear, however, how many of these women were childless at the time of the procedure.
Yet Dr Nelly Bosire says the kinds of women coming forward seeking sterilisation in Kenya is changing.
"Traditionally, the most common candidates for tubal ligation were women who already had multiple children," the Nairobi-based gynaecologist told the BBC.
"But now, we are seeing more women with fewer children opting for the procedure."
Sterilisation is only recommended for women who are certain they do not want to have biological children in the future, as reversal is difficult.
"Doctors don't typically encourage tubal ligation because the success rate of a reversal is very poor," said Dr Bosire.
Despite coming from a large family, Ms Sironka said she never felt pressured to start her own - though societal norms in Kenya do place an expectation on women to have children.
She credits her father with her stance as he encouraged her to focus on education - and gave her a love of reading.
Books by US feminist authors like Toni Morrison, Angela Davis and bell hooks were a revelation.
"I interacted with women's life stories that didn't feature children at all," said Ms Sironka, who is now the chief of operations at Feminists in Kenya, an organisation which works to end gender violence.
"It made me realise that a life like this was possible."
She had contemplated sterilisation for years, but decided to go ahead after saving up the money for the operation and finding herself in a stable job that allowed her to take time off.
It cost her 30,000 Kenyan shillings (£190; $230) at a private hospital.
Ms Sironka felt that women's rights were being eroded around the world - especially as women in the US lost the constitutional right to abortion in 2022, which also influenced her decision.
It made her fear that a woman's right to control her own body might be eroded elsewhere - and that she should do the procedure while she still could.
"Within Africa and in America, there has been a rise in fascism and authoritarian regimes, a perfect example of such is Kenya," she argued.
When she told her family, it did not come as a surprise to them, as she had always been very vocal about her desire for a child-free life.
And as for dating and relationships?
"I'm still thinking about it," she said with a shrug.
And Ms Sironka is not alone in choosing a child-free life, challenging traditional expectations of womanhood.
Across social media, there are those speaking openly about their choice not to have children and undergo sterilisation.
Among them is MuthoniGitau, an interior designer and podcaster.
She shared her tubal ligation journey in a 30-minute YouTube video last March, explaining her decision to have the procedure.
"I think the first time I ever articulated... [that] I did not want to have children, I was about 10," she told the BBC.
Her mother was heavily pregnant at the time, and a random question about her future popped into the conversation.
"I saw a possible partner. I saw travelling. I just never saw children," she said.
Like Ms Sironka, Ms Gitau's decision was driven by a strong conviction to live life on her own terms.
After trying birth control pills, which she said made her nauseous, she sought a more permanent solution.
When she first approached a doctor about tubal ligation at the age of 23, she was met with resistance.
She was given what felt like a sermon about how children were a blessing from God.
"He asked me, 'What if I meet someone who wants kids?'" she said.
The doctor seemed to have more consideration for an "imaginary person" rather than the actual patient sitting in front of him, she said.
Ms Gitau said the dismissal was "heart breaking". It was another decade before her wish was finally granted.
Dr Bosire points out that a significant challenge in Kenya is getting medics to shift their mindset and truly appreciate a patient's right to make decisions about their health.
"This ties in with our culture, where people believe it isn't normal for women to want a tubal ligation," she said.
Another Kenyan gynaecologist, Dr KirekiOmanwa, admitted the issue was a matter of debate amongst colleagues and in medical circles.
"It remains inconclusive," he told the BBC.
But Ms Gitau was not deterred and last year approached another doctor - this time at a non-governmental organisation that provides family planning services.
She was armed with a bullet-point list of reasons to support her decision and was relieved to find there there was no pushback: "The doctor was very kind."
Currently single, she is living happily with her decision, which she feels gives her control over her own life.
The 34-year-old is also happy with the reaction to her video - and relieved that there has been no major backlash.
She says most people online have been cheering her on, which has seen her confidence grow.
"Women can contribute to the world in so many other ways," she said.
"It does not have to be through raising a whole human being. I am grateful to live in a generation where choice is a thing."
Source:bbc.com
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70q5wjjl4yo
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