Caritas Pakistan Examines Forced Conversion, Child Marriage
New
Age Islam News Bureau
16
November 2020
• Female Breadwinner Crafters To Receive Support in Tehran
•
Movies From Iran Line Up For Herat Women’s Festival
•
Emily Kristine Pedersen wins Aramco Saudi Ladies International
•
Women’s Inclusion In Industries Vital For Progress: Pakistan First Lady
•
Turkey: Where Women Against Femicide Stand Trial
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Caritas Pakistan Examines Forced Conversion, Child Marriage
November
15, 2020
The
seminar held by Caritas Karachi and the Catholic Women’s Organization on Nov.
13. (Photo supplied)
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Caritas
Pakistan’s Karachi chapter and the Catholic Women’s Organization (CWO) jointly
organized an awareness seminar with women and girls on forced conversion, child
marriage and women’s rights.
The
event took place in Kausar Naizi Colony, a Christian neighborhood of St. Jude’s
Parish of the Archdiocese of Karachi, on Nov. 13.
The
objective of the seminar was to create awareness in the context of the Arzoo
Raja case.
Arzoo,
a 13-year-old resident of Karachi's Railway Colony, was abducted, married off
to a 44-year-old Muslim man and converted to Islam. Her family are fighting a
legal battle for her custody.
The
case sent shockwaves throughout Pakistan, prompting religious minorities,
particularly Christians, to hold nationwide protests.
"Mothers
play a very important role in family building to protect young girls from
falling into the trap of wolves who prey on young girls and change their
religion," said Sister Catherine Qasir, a CWO coordinator.
"We
must daily pray with all family members to spiritually strengthen and renew our
faith in Jesus Christ and to fight against the forces of evil."
Tabassum
Yousaf, a high court lawyer and counsel for Arzoo, shed light on the legal
rights of minority girls as per the constitution of Pakistan.
"Although
abduction of an individual for the purpose of forced marriage is a criminal
offense in Pakistan, it is one of, if not the most, widespread reported crimes
against women in the country," she said.
Yousaf
advised girls about how to keep themselves safe. She urged them to memorize the
cellphone numbers of their parents and siblings. She called on mothers to spend
time with their daughters, befriend them, patiently listen to their problems
and address them with love, care and respect.
"We
must reinforce our commitment to provide quality education and equal
opportunities to our young girls and children and start this from our
family," she added.
Mansha
Noor, executive secretary of Caritas Karachi, said the Arzoo Raja case provides
a useful opportunity for mothers and girls to learn about the menace of forced
conversion and child marriage and their negative impact on society.
"What
we learned from this seminar we must share with others and start implementation
from our family if we have to save and protect young girls and children,"
Noor said.
"We
must remember the most beautiful quote of St. Mother Teresa on the family that
‘the family that prays together stays together, and if they stay together they
will love one another as God loved each one of them.’"
https://www.ucanews.com/news/caritas-pakistan-examines-forced-conversion-child-marriage/90304#
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Female
Breadwinner Crafters To Receive Support in Tehran
November
15, 2020
The
ministry has secured an agreement with the Keramat Razavi Foundation to cater
to low-interest loans, grants, domestic markets, and online sales to
craftswoman in particular breadwinner ones.
A
memorandum of understanding was inked in this regard by the deputy tourism
minister Pouya Mahmoudian and the CEO of Keramat Razavi Foundation Mohammad
Hossein Ostadaqa on Saturday.
According
to deputy tourism minister Pouya Mahmoudian, establishing handicraft markets
will be one of the most important measures to create sustainable jobs for
artisans. “In this line, an online exhibition of handicrafts will be held in
which all artisans from across the country can offer their products without the
need to pay any fees.”
The
first phase of the plan will address women-headed households, whose jobs have
been affected by the coronavirus pandemic in the eight provinces of Khorasan
Razavi, South Khorasan, North Khorasan, Kordestan, Sistan-Baluchestan,
Khuzestan, Lorestan, and Golestan, CHTN reported.
It
aims to create and maintain jobs for 1,500 people through allocating 80 billion
rials (some $1.9 million) to around 400 women breadwinners, the report added.
Back
in May, Mahmoudian noted that due to the outbreak of coronavirus, suitcase
exports of handicrafts were completely stopped since the month of Esfand (the
last month of the year), and official exports of handicrafts experienced a
steep decline.
“Some
295 fields of handicrafts are currently practiced across Iran with more than
two million people engaging, majority of whom are women… Handicrafts also play
an important role in the economy in our rural villages,” she said.
In
Iran, there are 3 million women-headed households, out of a total of 22 million
families, and most of them can be found in less developed areas of the country.
The
country exported $523 million worth of handicrafts during the past calendar
year 1398 (ended March 19). Of the figure, some $273 million worth of
handicrafts were exported officially through customs, and about $250 million
was earned via suitcase trade (allowed for customs-free and tax-free transfer)
through various provinces, according to data provided by the Ministry of
Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.
Support
package approved for corona-affected tourism businesses
The
National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control has recently approved a new
support package to pay loans to businesses affected by the coronavirus
pandemic.
Depending
on the type and activity of the businesses, they could benefit from at least
160 million rials ($3,800 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) to nine billion
rials ($214,000) of bank loans with a 12-percent interest rate, deputy tourism
chief Vali Teymouri announced on late in October.
The
loans are planned to be allocated to tourist guides, travel agencies, tourism
transport companies, tourism educational institutions, eco-lodges and
traditional accommodations, hotels, apartment hotels, motels, and guesthouses
as well as traditional accommodation centers, tourism complexes, and
recreational centers.
In
September, Teymouri pointed to the 1.3 million tourism workers in the country,
who are facing several issues due to the coronavirus crisis and said “This
number, in addition to their households, includes a significant population that
makes a living through tourism, who are needed to be considered in ministry’s
decisions.”
Back
in April, the government announced it will support those which are grappling
with fiscal problems by offering loans with a 12-percent interest rate. The
Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts also suggested a rescue
package for tourism businesses. The government has also allocated a
750-trillion-rial (about $18 billion) package to help low-income households and
small- and medium-sized enterprises suffered by the coronavirus concerns.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/454674/Female-breadwinner-crafters-to-receive-support
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Movies
From Iran Line Up For Herat Women’s Festival
November
14, 2020
“Axing”
by Behruz Shoeibi will be screened in the International Narrative Feature Films
Competition. It is about Mahsa, an addicted woman who thinks that her girl is
dead but when she finds out that her daughter is alive and lives with her
father (Mahsa’s ex-husband), she decides to take her back. This forces her to
face her ex-husband and his new wife.
“Goodbye
Shirazi Girl” by Afshin Hashemi and “Just 6.5” by Saeid Rustai will also
compete in this section.
“Khatemeh”
by Hadi Zarei and Mehdi Zarei and “Wedding of Zinat’s Son” by Farhad Varahram
have been selected to be screened in the International Documentary Feature
Films Competition.
“Khatemeh”
is about a 14-year-old Afghan girl named Khatemeh living in Iran with her
family. She is forced to marry the husband of her late sister who died by
suicide, but after a while, she escapes from home to save her life from her
husband and her brother’s torture and takes refuge in the Welfare Organization
of Shiraz.
“Wedding
of Zinat’s Son” is the story of the wedding of Zinat’s son, which is held over
six days in Salkh Village on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf.
“Birthday”
by Atefeh Khademorreza, “A Trip to the Moon with High Heels” by Fatima Momeni,
“On Foot” by Shokufa Karimi, “Funfair” by Kaveh Mazaheri, “The Visit” by Azadeh
Musavi and “Beloved” by Yasser Talebi will be competing in the short film
category.
In
the animation film competition, “This Side, Other Side” by Lida Fazli and
“Tangle” by Maleha Gholamzadeh will be screened.
“Anahid”
by Hamidreza Alipur is the sole Iranian film selected to be screened in Special
Screenings, a non-competition section of the festival, which is an iconic and
the most prestigious women’s film event in the region.
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/454643/Movies-from-Iran-line-up-for-Herat-women-s-festival
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Emily
Kristine Pedersen wins Aramco Saudi Ladies International
CHITO
P. MANUEL
November
15, 2020
KING
ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY: Danish star Emily Kristine Pedersen won a playoff
against England’s Georgia Hall on Sunday in a fitting climax to the first-ever
women’s golf tournament staged in Saudi Arabia.
Pedersen
claimed the inaugural Aramco Saudi Ladies International at the Royal Greens
Golf & Country Club in style with a birdie on the extra hole after Hall
dumped her second shot into the water that led to a bogey on the par-5 No. 18.
“It’s
stressful being in playoff because it’s head to head but gives you opportunity
to go for everything. And I think I did and I’m really happy,” a beaming
Pedersen told the media after the awards ceremony for the tournament, presented
by Public Investment Fund (PIF).
The
event will segue to the Saudi Ladies Teams International on Tuesday, completing
a historic week for women’s golf in the Kingdom.
Hall,
who shot a course record 7-under 65 in the first round — matched by Sweden’s
Caroline Hedwall the following day — started the fourth round of the 72-hole
Ladies European Tour event in the last group with overnight co-leaders Lydia
Hall of Wales and Pedersen.
Georgia
hit the turn with the lead after back-to-back birdies from No. 6. She bogeyed
the 12th hole, but regained her edge with another birdie on the next, setting
the stage for a virtual match play the rest of the way with Pedersen, as her
Welsh namesake unraveled with a
triple-bogey seven and bogey on holes 14 and 15 for a 76.
Pedersen
and Georgia Hall both had chances of outright victory in regulation play, but
blew it. Under pressure, Pedersen flubbed a 12-footer for eagle and Hall a
6-footer for birdie. They finished 72
holes tied on 10-under 278, with final round cards of 71 for Hall and 72 for
Pedersen.
Pedersen
came back with greater resolve in the playoff.
“After
the eagle miss, my caddy and I decided to go for the win. It was a little right
(second shot), a difficult chip and I pulled it off,” said Pedersen.
After
hitting a perfectly executed chip shot from 20 yards, Pedersen was left with a
tap-in birdie putt and raised her arms
in triumph after sinking the winning three-footer.
“It’s
really great to come here, and people have been so helpful and nice. It has
been a great experience,” she added.
Hedwall
closed with a 68 for 8-under total of 280 in third place. Dutchwoman Anne Van
Dam was tied fourth with Stephanie Kyriacou of Austria on 7-under, followed by
a four-way logjam at 6-under that included Hall, Spain’s L. Sobron Galmes and
Charley Hull of England.
After
a day’s rest on Monday, the players will return to the premier championship
golf course at King Abdullah Economic City for the $500,000 Saudi Ladies Team
International (Nov. 17-19), a first-of-its-kind tournament where 36 team
captains recruit their players using a live NFL-style draft system, before
competing for a share of $500,000 prize money.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1763486/sport
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Women’s
Inclusion In Industries Vital For Progress: Pakistan First Lady
16
Nov 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah believed that the only way for Pakistan to
progress was to ensure participation of women in industrial activities along
with men.
This
was stated by First Lady Samina Arif Alvi while speaking at the opening
ceremony of a three-day craft exhibition titled ‘Embroidering Dreams’ organised
by Behbud Association.
She
also appreciated Serena Hotel’s management for supporting the non-profit
organisation, which has been providing employment to thousands of women
artisans for over 50 years at the grassroots level and also reaching out to
underprivileged women in the urban slums.
Handmade
products were displayed at the event which showcased traditional needlework,
embroidery and patchwork.
Craft
from different regions of the country, done in several styles including ralli,
kantha, chikankari, block printing, smocking, cutwork, cross stitch, taarkashi,
phulkari and crochet were exhibited.
Master
artisans were also present at the stalls to show off their skills and
techniques to visitors.
The
event was attended by notable members from the diplomatic corps along with
foreign dignitaries, people from the corporate and business sectors as well as
members from the civil society.
Stringent
compliance with Covid-19 standard operating procedures was observed.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1590568/womens-inclusion-in-industries-vital-for-progress-first-lady
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Turkey:
where women against femicide stand trial
Ceren
Karlıdağ
Nov
15 2020
"The
patriarchy is a judge
That
judges us for being born.
And
as women we are punished
By
the violence you don’t see."
Do
you remember these lyrics? They are from the song titled "A Rapist in Your
Path”, brought to life last fall by Chilean feminist collective Las Tesis. The
song has been replicated 367 times on every continent, except for Antarctica,
in 52 countries, including Turkey, as a stirring resistance act that is part of
a new global movement to address transnational violations of women’s rights,
sexual assault and femicide.
In
2019, some 440 women were murdered by men in Turkey, and six women are standing
trial for performing the Las Tesis dance, whose lyrics Turkish authorities
maintain constitute a crime.
Women
who stand against femicide, abuse, harassment and rape are put on trial in
Turkey, where three women were killed in one day, on Oct. 27, because they were
looking to divorce their husbands or break up with their boyfriends.
Turkey
was the only country where police broke up Las Tesis demonstrations and now it
is the only country that pursues legal proceedings against women over the
protests.
And
riot police have broken groups of hundreds of women across the country
gathering to perform the song and dance “A Rapist in Your Path,” as part of
protest that have swept the world.
According
to Turkish media reports, a total of six women were killed by men this week
alone.
Last
September, a petty officer named Köksal Doğru killed his wife Handan Doğru, who
was in the process of getting divorced from him. Doğru also killed Alper
Rapuroğlu, who was delivering supplies to the beauty salon run by his wife in
Aegean city of Izmir, before committing suicide. Gizem Önal, who was in the
shop at the time of the incident, held on to her life for 55 days before losing
her life on Oct. 27.
In
the central province of Konya, Ömer İ. fatally shot his ex-fiancée Büşra Gizem
Güzelsoy and her mother Gülya Barutçu. Later, it was revealed that Büşra went
to the police station two hours before the attack to file a complaint about
Ömer and applied for a protection order. The state could not protect Büşra and
her mother, who had been worried about their lives and trusted the state and
the laws. We later found out that that Büşra died in her mother's arms.
On
Oct. 28, this time in the central province of Çankırı, a man named Mesut
Açıkgöz killed Gülay Güneş, a month after the couple was divorced. The couple
had three children. Açıkgöz, who returned to his hometown of Adana after the
killing, turned himself into the police there. Would we be surprised if we hear
the news that the perpetrator was offered a remission for surrendering to the
police?
Kübra
B., a 25-year-old art teacher, died suspiciously in the northern province of
Samsun on Oct. 29. She was found hanging on a gas pipeline in a house she went
to as a guest. The cause of her death is still being investigated.
We
heard the name Nuran Söğütlü on Oct. 31, in a news article where the words
"a husband suffering from insanity" were mentioned. However, the
perpetrator called his daughter and told her to "take the corpses"
before he shot Nuran and himself. Nuran was 52 years old.
"The
crime is femicide.
The
judges let the killers go.
They
make the women disappear,
The
crime is rape.
And
the fault it wasn’t mine,
Not
where I went or how I dressed.
And
the fault it wasn’t mine,
Not
where I went or how I dressed."
This
is how the song continues… A week of justice in Turkey that judges women:
Yağmur
Önüt was shot by Egemen Vardar with a hunting rifle in 2016. The allegation of
the perpetrator was they were merely "joking" and the rifle was
broken. However, in the forensic report, it was noted that the rifle was
functional, and no dispersion of buckshot was observed, as Vardar fired at
close range, creating a coin-sized hole in the neck of Önüt.
Despite
the report, Vardar was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison. Despite
all the objections made, this week the Supreme Court asked for the sentence to
be upheld.
"This
case is an illustration of women's problems in Turkey," her mother said
earlier in an interview.
The
indictment against Mehmet Kaplan, who was arrested in connection with the death
of 17-year-old Duygu Delen in the southeastern province of Antep, included an
aggravated life sentence on charges of "deliberate murder of a child",
while seeking various prison sentences for "sexual abuse of a child",
"harassment" and "house plundering" at various rates. The
indictment was sent to a High Criminal Court. A lawsuit will be filed against
the Kaplan if it is accepted after the examination of the court committee.
Casim
Ozan Çeltik, who seriously injured 19-year-old Berfin Özek in Iskenderun
district of the southern province of Hatay on Jan. 15 last year, faced life
imprisonment for "attempted premeditated murder," but was instead
sentenced to 13 years in prison for "deliberate injury". The ruling
was upheld by the Court of Appeals on Sept. 23, despite all objections.
Çeltik
threw sulphuric acid at Berfin, severely disfiguring her face and leaving her
partially blind.
Six
women who say, "You will never walk alone" and "We will stop
femicide" will be put on trial in Istanbul... The rest of the song will be
sung at the courthouse...
"We
know the rapist is you.
We
know the rapist is you.
It’s
the cops.
The
judges.
It’s
the state.
The
President."
https://ahvalnews.com/femicides/turkey-where-women-against-femicide-stand-trial
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