Bullying Muslim Women Has Become a Cheap Shot in the UK Election
New Age Islam News Bureau
02 July 2024
· Bullying Muslim Women Has Become a Cheap Shot in the UK Election
· Saudi Driving Influencer, Balqees, Urges Women to Get Behind the Wheel
· Intisar Foundation Champions Psychological Healing For Arab Women
· Transforming Women’s Health in Saudi Arabia with Holistic Wellness
· Shattering Stereotypes: Indonesia’s All-Women Metal Band Voice OfBaceprot Rocks Glastonbury
· The Taliban Tell the West to Look past Harsh Edicts on Afghan Women and Girls
· Israeli forces are detaining pregnant Palestinian women
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
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Bullying Muslim Women Has Become a Cheap Shot in the UK Election
01 Jul, 2024
In the lead up to the general election,
the UK's political climate has become increasingly dangerous for British Muslim
women, writes Nadeine Asbali [photo credit: Getty Images]
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On the unlikely chance that you needed a reminder that Islamophobia is alive and well in the UK, look no further than the media circus surrounding the upcoming general election on July 4.
Muslim voters participating in legitimate forms of political democracy have been accused of displaying more loyalty towards the Middle East than their constituencies.
Any form of protesting in support of Palestine or against our government’s aiding and abetting of genocide is automatically labelled anti-Semitic and Islamist in nature. Even something as innocuous as holding a placard depicting the Prime Minister next to a coconut can see you charged with a racially aggravated public order offence if you happen to be Muslim and pro-Palestine.
The ongoing genocide in Gaza, and British Muslims’ vocal opposition to our government’s role in these war crimes, had already caused hostility towards Muslims to increase.
In February, two women in east London were mowed down by a car which sped up when the driver noticed their hijabs. We have seen these same patterns replicated elsewhere, in other Western countries, like the USA, where there have been incidents of visible Muslims and Palestinians targeted with violence and abuse, like the Texas woman recently accused of trying to drown a Palestinian toddler after starting up a fight with the child’s mother in a swimming pool or Wadea Al-Fayoume, the Palestinian boy stabbed to death in Illinois shortly after October 7.
An Islamophobic election
But as the General Election in Britain grows closer, it seems that, as usual, Muslim women are facing the brunt of the nation’s disdain for all things Islam.
As I explored in my recently published book, Veiled Threat: On Being Visibly Muslim in Britain, visibly Muslim women like me exist at the intersection of gendered Islamophobia and violent misogyny.
The disdain society holds towards us as women in a patriarchal system, but also as covered women in a hypersexualised society in which anything but liberal feminism is deemed archaic and oppressive, is compounded by the deep-rooted and systemic hatred of Muslims that Britain is predicated upon.
The violence of the state, the white supremacy of mainstream feminism and the neoliberal military machine which sees Muslim lives around the world as collateral damage collide on the site of Muslim women’s bodies.
In the run-up to the election, this is manifesting in multiple ways, one of which is the wave of AI-produced images that have circulated online. These have included KeirStarmer depicted in a hijab and abaya by GB News presenter Darren Grimes or the sensationalist images widely shared amongst far-right social media accounts like Tommy Robinson’s portraying a fictional “future” of Britain in which morose-looking blonde girls are forced into wearing hijabs whilst brown, Muslim men look on, almost always laughing.
As polling day gets nearer, rightwing figures are attempting to stir up the nationalist paranoia of a subset of Britain who believes that their country is held up in an Islamist takeover plot and who buy into the fallacy of the Great Replacement Theory, which stipulates that immigrants, especially Muslims, are taking over the white native populations of Europe.
Ultimately, this feeds their political aims and funnels support towards extreme right parties such as Nigel Farage’s Reform UK or Britain First. It makes sure that migrants, Muslims and anything deemed anti-British are the villains of the election rather than the sort of rightwing politics that has wrought havoc upon the nation over the last decade and a half.
Either victim or villain
But notice how Muslim women are always the butt of this not-so-funny joke.
Whether it’s the casting of hijab-wearing Muslim women as tyrannical and aggressive, threatening to subject innocent British girls to backwards ideas like modesty unless Muslims are kicked out, or the portrayal of us as the mute victims of an exceptional misogyny displayed only by Muslim men, the message is clear.
Muslims are the problem and the aesthetics of the Islamic veil — signifying both antagonistic extremism and ultimate victimhood all at once — are employed to frighten voters into choosing whichever candidates on July 4 are the least likely to make these AI images a reality.
Recent comments by Nigel Farage, whose platform has been built upon racism, Islamophobia and nationalism, fit this mould too. Speaking to Sky News Presenter Trevor Phillips, he spoke about a growing number of young Britons holding views that are “radical" and “anti-British” and claimed that Britain is moving towards “sectarian politics with women completely excluded”.
When prompted on whether he was speaking about Muslims, Farage confirmed he was. Here too we see an obsession with Muslim women that is less about genuine concern for the inclusion of Muslim women in civic life and more about pitting the Muslim community as a parallel world entirely at odds with the values of modern liberalism, ultimately to promote his electoral interests.
Visibly Muslim women are forced to wade through the muddy seas of Islamophobia and misogyny daily, with everything we do scrutinised, politicised and criminalised. Still, this atmosphere being whipped up for the election will have long-lasting effects beyond July 4.
As we are seeing in political trends across Europe, as the far-right rises to power, Muslims — and especially visibly Muslim women — will become increasingly dehumanised, securitised and subjugated.
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/opinion/bullying-muslim-women-has-become-cheap-shot-uk-election
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Saudi Driving Influencer, Balqees, Urges Women To Get Behind The Wheel
July 01, 2024
Balqees has not only become a
professional driver but an advocate for women’s empowerment on the road.
(Supplied)
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RIYADH: Balqees, a trailblazing Saudi female driving enthusiast, is channeling the power of social media to empower women to get their license to drive — and do it well.
“I began driving and developing a fascination for it as a teenager, seeing it as a way to make life easier and, honestly, an adventure,” she told Arab News.
Her love and enthusiasm for driving only grew stronger after she left the Kingdom to pursue her studies. Upon her return in 2010, Balqees became a vocal advocate for women’s empowerment on the road.
Recognizing the need for more accessible and engaging driving education for women, Balqees created a TikTok account to share her knowledge and expertise with the masses.
“My team was very supportive of me and insisted that I open a TikTok account, even though I was initially skeptical about whether that was my target audience,” she explained.
The decision proved to be a game-changer, as Balqees’ account on TikTok (@b9ths10) has since amassed nearly 600,000 followers, indicating a market for such content tailored toward women in the region.
Balqees’ videos are meticulously produced, tackling topics like safe driving, common driving mistakes and obstacles in an engaging and informative manner. She also demonstrates and explains what to do in tricky situations on the road.
“We work very hard on our videos as one video takes days to create and produce, but the team helps and supports me,” she noted.
Despite facing naysayers, Balqees has remained steadfast in her determination to contribute her perpsective on the skill.
“Not all people in my life were supportive, as many were asking me to stop having big dreams and give up on my passions, but I didn't listen to the negativity and continued doing what I like to do and didn’t give up,” she said with unwavering resolve.
Balqees’ perseverance has paid off in remarkable ways. Her compelling content and infectious enthusiasm for driving have attracted the attention of major brands, both in the automotive industry and beyond, making her a prominent voice in the community.
“Social media is a sea full of opportunities, and we should watch it to benefit from and exchange experiences and make a profit,” she added.
Balqees’ message to young women who are still hesitant to start driving is one of empowerment and self-belief: “Invest in yourself and learning experiences because you are the only one who will save yourself.”
Balqees stands as an example of what can be achieved when women are given the freedom to pursue their passions and dreams.
Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, resilience, and the transformative impact that women can have on society when they are empowered to take the wheel.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2541561/saudi-arabia
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Intisar Foundation champions psychological healing for Arab women
01/07/2024
KUWAIT CITY, July 1: The Intisar Foundation plays a crucial role in addressing the psychological trauma and violence faced by Arab women due to wars and unrest through specialized mental health programs. Supervised by Sheikha Intisar Salem Al-Ali, this non-profit organization is the first in the Arab world to aim for systematic social change, facilitating psychological recovery and empowering women affected by war and violence.
Recently, the Foundation provided a $200,000 grant to the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University. This grant will fund three specialized annual lectures starting next year, focusing on prioritizing women’s mental health in Arab society.
The grant aims to benefit women striving for their rights through programs offered by the Arab Institute on women’s rights issues and mental health. These programs seek to raise awareness and promote peace, emphasizing the importance of psychological support for women.
MyriamSfeir, Director of the Arab Institute for Women, expressed her appreciation for the Intisar Foundation’s significant role in supporting women’s issues and rights in the Arab world. She highlighted that the grant will enhance the institute’s programs, which aim to support women psychologically and help them address their mental health challenges. The institute’s work spans five main areas, including development programs, research, studies, and engagement with stakeholders across the Arab world.
Karima Anbar, Executive Director of the Intisar Foundation, emphasized that the Foundation is pioneering systematic social change to aid the psychological recovery of Arab women from war and violence. She noted that the Foundation is the first in the region to use drama therapy, a type of psychological treatment utilizing theater techniques to achieve therapeutic goals.
Anbar explained that drama therapy involves active and experiential exercises where participants can share their personal stories, set goals, and solve problems through expression. This approach is supported by drama therapy specialists in the Middle East, contributing their expertise to the “One Million Arab Women” initiative aimed at aiding women’s healing and recovery from psychological trauma.
Source: arabtimesonline.com
https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/intisar-foundation-champions-psychological-healing-for-arab-women/
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Transforming Women’s Health in Saudi Arabia with Holistic Wellness
July 02, 2024
DUBAI: Kayanee, a wellness collective in Saudi Arabia, is redefining women’s health with its blend of fitness, fashion, nutrition, personal care, healthy eating and learning experiences.
Driven by a mission to combat high diabetes and obesity rates in the Kingdom, Kayanee – located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic Quarter – inspires women to embrace a holistic approach to well-being.
“Kayanee is 100 percent designed, created and executed for the purposes of encouraging and inspiring women into physical activity,” said Mimi Fraser, the managing director of Kayanee.
“Being healthy is not diet and exercise alone,” she added. “Being healthy means you have to engage your mind. You have to engage your body. You have to engage your friends and family. You have to engage your environment.”
To achieve this, Fraser and her team built Kayanee on five pillars: Physical, mental, social, environmental and financial.
“Men like to go to the gym. They put their headphones on, and they just work out. Women are totally different. Women want something to do with friends. They call a friend. They’re like, ‘let’s go to a dance class. Let’s go on a walk.’ And why we designed Kayanee in this way is because you have to engage your mind, you have to engage your heart, you have to engage your body, all at the same time.”
In addition to regular Pilates, yoga, and high-intensity interval classes, the fitness facility offers the Kayanee Dance Fitness (KDF) class, created in collaboration with Zumba.
KDF combines energetic rhythms with unique music and choreography from the Arabian Peninsula. Kayanee offers special soundtracks for their dance classes, incorporating Khaleeji, darbuka (the primary drum used in belly dance music) and dabke rhythms, providing a high-cardio workout that celebrates Arab culture.
“We are a Saudi brand. We embrace Saudi culture and the Arabian culture,” Fraser said.
Besides their activewear, Kayanee’s fashion line – made in Italy from fully recycled fabrics – includes knit dresses, chiffon capes, pleated skirts, cashmere cardigans, formal blazers and more.
“One of the most important things a consumer said to us from day one – it was so interesting – was they weren’t as worried about what they wore in the gym as what they wore going to the gym and leaving the gym,” she said.
“So we went into this thinking we were only going to do activewear. Then when we went into understanding the consumer and understanding what the consumer wanted, the consumer wanted a whole line of things that they could wear, almost like ready-to-wear, but made with activewear materials. Four times a year we bring out collections of what looks like ready to wear,” she added.
The Kayanee beauty line features shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, body creams, facial mists, scrubs, hair oils, hair sprays, and deodorant, all made with natural ingredients like shea butter, sweet almond oil, rose water, argan oil, seaweed, caffeine, coconut, rosehip oil and more.
They also sell supplements that improve overall health, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, omega-3, black seed oil, iron, zinc and organic apple cider vinegar.
“We have ambitions to grow this brand regionally and internationally. We want people to look at Saudi women anywhere in the world and go like ‘wow, is this really what Saudi women look like? Is this how they live? Is this what they like?’ Because it’s normal. We’re proud of it,” Fraser said.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2541861/lifestyle
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Shattering stereotypes: Indonesia’s all-women metal band Voice of Baceprot rocks Glastonbury
30 Jun 2024
An all-female heavy metal band from Indonesia made history on Friday, becoming the country’s first musical act to perform on Britain’s iconic Glastonbury stage.
Sporting their signature Vans trainers and hijabs, Voice of Baceprot’s three members rocked the famed festival, which draws around 200,000 fans annually, with their electrifying metal anthems.
Indonesia’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno congratulated the trio, calling their performance a “proud achievement for Indonesia”.
“They are not only the first band from Indonesia, but also the first Indonesian band of young women wearing headscarves playing heavy metal,” he said earlier this week.
Yet the journey to performing at one of the world’s largest music events has not been a smooth ride for the band members, who grew up in a conservative farming town in Garut, West Java.
For years, the trio had to battle deep-rooted stereotypes and prejudices to carve out a space for themselves in Indonesia’s male-dominated metal scene.
“At first, our community did not really support what we were doing,” said lead singer Firda “Marsya” Kurnia, 24.
“People from our village thought heavy metal was the music of the devil. It has taken them some time to understand us and our music, and that playing metal does not make us inherently bad people. Now, at least, people don’t pass their judgment to our face.”
The band was formed in 2014 and the “Baceprot” in its name means “noisy” in the regional Sundanese language spoken in West Java.
In an interview with This Week in Asia, Marsya recounted meeting her bandmates – 24-year-old drummer EuisSitiAisyah, and 23-year-old bassist WidiRahmawati – in school when they were all still aged 14.
Marsya said they found their true calling when a teacher suggested they channel their energies into an extracurricular activity such as music.
Heeding the advice, the girls joined an after-school programme. They went through their music teacher’s laptop one day and discovered the bands that would become their musical heroes and influences – System of a Down, Rage Against the Machine, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
But unfortunately, the trio’s new-found passion hit a sour note with their parents.
“Our parents are all from very simple ordinary backgrounds … they work as farmers,” Marsya said. “None of us have any musicians in our bloodline.”
Siti said her parents were initially opposed to her interest in music. Attending after-school classes to play in the band meant she would return home late, which was frowned upon by those in her conservative village.
“I think my parents felt influenced by our neighbours … I would return home around 5pm, so I could attend music lessons, and it was considered wrong for girls in the village to come home that late, close to the evening,” Siti said.
As for Widi, her parents were happy that music brought her out of her shell, but grew concerned when it seemed like “music was the only thing I wanted to do”, she said.
The trio persevered despite the opposition, and Marsya said their parents relented after realising they “could not keep us away from the music”.
The group began sharing their work on Facebook and YouTube, winning over fans with their raucous Rage Against the Machine covers, as well as their original material.
Then came wider international attention, including plaudits from some superstars. Red Hot Chilli Peppers bassist Flea once tweeted that he was “so down with Voice of Baceprot”.
“I think when we started getting popular, there were opportunities to go on TV and perform at shows … that is when our parents began to support us more,” Siti said.
Fighting the critics
All three band members are practising Muslims and make it a point to pray together before they go on stage.
Some of their detractors have used their religion to attack them, calling their music “haram” or forbidden by Islam. The band hits back at such attacks by questioning why Indonesian male musicians do not face the same criticisms. “Why only the women?” they ask.
Heavy metal and rock music is hugely popular in Muslim-majority Indonesia. The capital city of Jakarta hosts Southeast Asia’s largest annual metal festival, Hammersonic, and the country’s outgoing president, JokoWidodo, has proudly declared his love for popular bands like Metallica and Megadeth.
“At the start, we definitely received a lot of hate and attacks, both online and offline. People would even come to our shows to criticise us,” Marsya said. “Online, we used to get comments from people saying they were going to buy our albums just to burn them all.”
She recounted an experience where a stranger threw a rock at her while she was heading to band practice in Garut, a stark reminder of the physical danger they potentially face for pursuing their passion.
One of their biggest hit songs, God Allow Me (Please) to Play Music, is a direct response to the criticism and attacks they have faced.
“Why today, many people wear religion to kill the music?” ask the lyrics. “I’m not the corruptor. I’m not the enemy. I just wanna sing a song to show my soul.”
“We were so tired of having to respond to the haters and the threats every day,” Marsya said. “So we decided to make a song about it. That way, anyone who has a problem with us can just listen to our response in our song.”
The band is also keen to use their music to help shatter the image of Indonesia as an ultraconservative Islamic nation, a misconception that they say is held by many in the West.
“Sometimes they will compare it to a place like Afghanistan,” Marsya said. “But Indonesia is not like that. As women, we are still able to play music … there might be some people who disagree with what we do as young female musicians, but we can still go on stage and keep doing this.”
Looking ahead
The band has played festivals and toured cities across the United States, Europe and Asia. But they describe landing the gig at Glastonbury as a truly “surreal moment” in their career.
“Glastonbury was massive news for us. We still feel very surprised, nervous and excited,” Marsya told This Week in Asia days before their performance.
“It’s a big pressure when we’re told we’re representing Indonesia on this stage, so sometimes that is hard to think about … but we feel proud to do that.”
The Glastonbury appearance has stirred up the band’s Indonesian fans, including Surabaya resident EkoDharmawan, who said it was surreal to see them perform at such a “huge festival”.
Eko, 27, became a fan of the band after watching a video of them covering a System of the Down song a few years ago.
“I think they are so creative and unique … I hope they become even more popular around the world,” he said.
As Voice of Baceprot gains fame and acceptance globally, the band members say they have big plans for the future. Widi says she would love for them to have their own studio in Garut so they could record their original music closer to home. They recently left their record label to go independent, after realising that being part of a label was putting too many constraints on their public image.
They have already played at local festivals in Jakarta, Bandung and Yogyakarta, but say they hope to tour more cities across Indonesia. Siti says they are also looking forward to more gigs around the world, and recording more albums.
The group put out their first full-length record, “Retas”, in 2023, to “show the world that we are more than just a cover band”, said Marsya, adding that their original music gave them a chance to discuss issues they cared about, including women’s rights and environmental protection.
“Music is a bridge that we can use to connect with people from different backgrounds and different ages,” she said. “We hope we can keep doing that.”
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse
Source: scmp.com
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3268492/shattering-stereotypes-indonesias-all-women-metal-band-voice-baceprot-rocks-glastonbury
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The Taliban tell the West to look past harsh edicts on Afghan women and girls
01 July, 2024
The Taliban on Sunday told the West to look past the measures they have imposed on Afghan women and girls for the sake of improving foreign relations.
Their chief spokesman, ZabihullahMujahid, said the Taliban uphold certain religious and cultural values and public aspirations that "must be acknowledged" to facilitate progressive bilateral relations rather than encountering disputes and stagnation.
Mujahid demanded on the opening day of a United Nations-led meeting in Qatar to increase engagement with Afghanistan and to have a more coordinated response to the country's issues.
It's the third such UN-sponsored gathering in Doha. The Taliban were not invited to the first meeting, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said they set unacceptable conditions for attending the second one in February, including demands that Afghan civil society members be excluded from the talks and that the Taliban be treated as the country's legitimate rulers.
Afghan women have been excluded from the current Doha meeting.
No country officially recognises the Taliban, and the UN has said that recognition remains almost impossible while bans on female education and employment remain.
But Mujahid struck a defiant note Sunday, saying that the political understanding between the Taliban and other nations steadily improved.
He said Kazakhstan had removed the Taliban from its list of prohibited groups and that Russia would undertake a similar measure in the near future. Mujahid, who is meeting special envoys on the sidelines, said earlier that Saudi Arabia expressed its intention to reopen its embassy in Kabul.
The relationships with regional countries demonstrated that the Taliban have the commitment and capacity to establish and maintain relations, Mujahid said in his remarks.
"I do not deny that some countries may have problems with some measures of the Islamic Emirate," Mujahid said in his speech.
"I think that policy differences amid states are natural, and experienced diplomats must find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation."
Such differences should not escalate to the extent that powerful countries used their leverage to impose security, political, and economic pressures that affected Afghanistan in a significant way. He did not mention the harsh edicts on women and girls that have caused global outrage but has previously referred to them as an "internal matter."
The Taliban have rejected criticism of their treatment of Afghan women and girls, calling it interference.
"Consequently, other nations, particularly Western countries, can remove the obstacles hindering the development of relations with the Afghan government," said Mujahid.
The decision to exclude Afghan women from the meeting has drawn rebukes from rights groups, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, and Nobel laureate MalalaYousufzai.
Yousufzai, who was shot by a Taliban gunman for campaigning for girls' education, wrote on social media platform X last Thursday that she spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres about the Doha meeting.
She said she was "alarmed and disappointed" that the Taliban were invited to meet UN special envoys while Afghan women and rights defenders were excluded from the main conversation.
Convening the meeting without Afghan women sent "all the wrong" signals that the world was willing to accommodate the Taliban's demands.
She added that what the Taliban were doing in Afghanistan amounted to gender apartheid.
Earlier, the United Nations' top official in Afghanistan, RozaOtunbayeva, defended the failure to include Afghan women in the meeting in Doha, insisting that demands for women's rights are certain to be raised.
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/news/taliban-tell-west-look-past-harsh-edicts-afghan-women
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Israeli forces are detaining pregnant Palestinian women
01 July, 2024
The Israeli army has detained at least two pregnant women in Damoun prison since 7 October – according to The Palestinian Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners.
Writing on Telegram, the group stated that the two women, Jihad Nakhlah and AyshaGhidan, are among seven detainees currently under investigation by Israeli forces.
Overall, there are currently 78 female detainees held in Damoun prison, including three from the Gaza Strip.
The group also revealed that the women are subject to abuses including starvation and isolation.
“They have been completely isolated from the outside world, and deprived of their simplest rights such as clothes and medical care in spite of the seriousness of health conditions for those who have chronic diseases,” The Palestinian Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners said in its statement.
“Furthermore, they are subjected to physical abuse and suppression since the beginning of their arrest, in addition to sexual harassment during strip search and other threats,” adding the policy of abuse and punishments against female detainees has increased intensely since 7 October.
Experts for the United Nations called for an independent probe into Israeli abuses against Palestinian women and girls, including killings, rapes and sexual assault, pointing out the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls.
Palestinian women released from Israeli jails have told The New Arab that they were further deprived of water, electricity, sunlight and medical treatment after Israel launched its war on Gaza.
The Palestinian Commission for the Affairs of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners also noted that the army intends to “crack down on female detainees as summer approaches with soaring temperatures” by closing rooms with no ventilation and confiscating fans.
Rooms are also overcrowded, and the jailers intend to close the narrow window of each door to prevent air from passing through.
The Palestine Prisoner’s Society reported that there are almost 9,300 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centres, including approximately 250 child prisoners and 75 female prisoners.
While 3,400 Palestinians are placed under “administrative detention”, which allows Palestinians to be detained without charge or trial.
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-forces-are-detaining-pregnant-palestinian-women
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