Muslim Women Around The World Celebrate World Hijab Day
New
Age Islam News Bureau
02 February
2022
• Afghan
Universities Reopen With Trickle Of Women Attending
• Saudi
Contemporary Artist’s Dior Lady Bag Highlights KSA
• Emancipated
Young Saudi Ladies Keen To Make ‘Pink Hydrogen’
• Twenty
Muslim Organisations Allege A “Sinister
Design” To Frustrate The Education Of Muslim Girl-Child In Nigeria
• Female
Muslims Must Not Be Harassed For Wearing Hijab – Governor Of Oyo State
• Six
Women’s Rights Activists Still Missing In Afghanistan
• Arab
Supermodels Congratulate Rihanna On Her Pregnancy
• Tanzanian
Charity Debunks Stereotypes Against Hijab-Wearing Muslim Women
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/celebrate-world-hijab-day/d/126285
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Muslim
Women Around The World Celebrate World Hijab Day
February
02, 2022
LONDON:
Some countries continue to deprive women of their right to choose to wear the
hijab, a traditional Muslim headscarf, whenever they want, and some women fear
they may not be allowed to wear it at all, according to the organizers of a
global hijab-awareness event.
Thousands
of women around the world, of all religions and backgrounds, marked the 10th
annual World Hijab Day on Tuesday by posting selfies on social media with the
hashtag #DressedNotOppressed.
“Unfortunately,
there are some countries that want to ban our religious garments across their
entire countries, (and this event) allows us to find more of the voices who are
against this oppression (in the form) of denying our right to wear our
religious garments,” a spokesperson for the World Hijab Day Organization told
Arab News.
This
year, organizers of the event are calling on teachers around the world to stand
in unity and solidarity with Fatemeh Anvari, a Canadian Muslim teacher who in
December was removed from her classroom in a school in Quebec because she wears
a hijab. Under a law passed in 2019, civil servants in “positions of authority”
in the province are barred from wearing visible religious symbols at work.
“Canada
appears to only be doing (this) in Quebec, where they have close ties with
France, (but) some countries are more aggressive as a whole and it can make it
more difficult for us to help our fellow Muslims to be able to live as they
wish,” the spokesperson added.
WHD
said support for the event and the “Teachers For Fatemeh” campaign from
non-Muslims has grown this year.
“When
people see the possibilities of what their Muslim friends go through, they jump
into action,” they said. “Muslims must also be willing to properly educate
their non-Muslim friends and family.”
As
part of the events marking the day, a global virtual conference was held at
which speakers and other participants discussed issues surrounding
“hijabophobia,” and offered perspectives on the issue related to youth, the
workplace and everyday life.
For
the first time, WHD this year collaborated with a number international organizations
and businesses — including American Airlines and Meta, the parent company of
Facebook — in an effort to step up the campaign, raise awareness and extend its
reach.
World
Hijab Day, celebrated each year on Feb. 1, and the non-profit organization behind
it were founded in 2013 by Bangladeshi American Nazma Khan with the aim of
educating people and raising awareness of why many Muslim women choose to wear
the hijab, and to encourage women to wear and experience it for a day. The
annual event, which originated in New York and was initially organized on
Facebook, has grown into a global phenomenon.
WHD
said that women who wear hijabs, who are known as hijabi, have to contend with
a number of stereotypes surrounding them, including the idea that Islam is a
violent religion, that the hijab is associated with terrorism, and that Muslim
women are oppressed and forced to wear it.
“Speaking
against these things because they are not true comes with criticism and
backlash,” WHD said. “All we want is our freedom to wear what we want and be
safe doing so.”
The
degrees to which hijabi women have integrated into society differ around the
world and each country or city presents its own particular challenges.
“If
we can set examples and have hijab-wearing women in one place, this can lead to
more acceptance in other places,” WHD said. “Television and journalism are
great fields for Muslim representation because we are often misrepresented by
the media.”
Ridwana
Wallace-Laher, a British Indian hijabi from Bradford in England, is breaking
down barriers in the Islamic charity sector in the UK, which has traditionally
been male-dominated. Recently promoted to senior director of growth at
international humanitarian charity Penny Appeal, she manages several of the
organization’s key departments, including marketing, communication, fundraising
and donor care.
“I am
in a privileged position,” she said. “I can sort of establish myself as a role
model. We’ve got a lot of young females who volunteer with us, who come and
work for us, so I think it’s a very positive thing for them to see that with
the right attitude and the right passion, you can just be as good as male
counterparts.”
From
the charity’s perspective, Wallace-Laher said it is a positive sign for Penny
Appeal to show women that it offers equality when females are so heavily
outnumbered in the sector. She added that she is encouraged by the fact that
society is evolving and people are becoming more aware and more accommodating
of others.
The
mother-of-two said it is important that Muslim women do not allow themselves to
be affected by the stereotypes and stigmas attached to wearing the hijab. When
dealing with challenges, she added that it is a case of “having that confidence
to be able to stand up for yourself and show that you can be just as good as
other females, and the hijab shouldn’t be a barrier and it shouldn’t be
something that doesn’t allow you to fulfill your role or do your job to the
best of your ability.”
Describing
herself as confident in her British and Muslim roots, Wallace-Laher said that
wearing the hijab in the UK is regarded as normal and that Muslim women living
there are privileged because they have more opportunities and it is easier to
get promoted than is the case in other countries, such as France or the US.
“My
message would be just to be proud of who you are and your identity, and wear
your hijab with pride,” she added.
In a
message to women who have never worn a hijab, Wallace-Laher said: “You don’t
really understand somebody until you put yourself in their shoes … it might be
an opportunity to try it and see how you feel and, quite often, it’s actually
quite liberating.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2016626/world
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Afghan
Universities Reopen With Trickle Of Women Attending
Women
walk toward the main gate of Laghman University as Taliban fighters stand guard
in Laghman province on February 2, 2022.
-----
February
02, 2022
MIHTARLAM:
Some public universities opened in Afghanistan Wednesday for the first time
since the Taliban seized power in August, with a trickle of women attending
classes that officials said would be segregated by sex.
Most
secondary schools for girls and all public universities were shuttered when the
hard-line Islamist group stormed back to power, sparking fears women would
again be barred from education — as happened during the Taliban’s first rule,
from 1996-2001.
“It’s
a moment of joy for us that our classes have started,” said Zarlashta Haqmal,
who studies law and political science at Nangarhar University.
“But
we are still worried that the Taliban might stop them,” she told AFP.
Officials
said universities in Laghman, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Nimroz, Farah and Helmand
provinces opened Wednesday.
More
were scheduled to resume operations elsewhere in the country later this month.
An
AFP correspondent saw just six women — wearing the all-covering burqa — enter
Laghman University early Wednesday.
Taliban
fighters guarded the entrance, a tripod-mounted machine gun resting on a boom
gate.
One
employee said classes would be segregated, with women taught in the mornings
and men in the afternoon.
The
Taliban have said they have no objection to education for women, but want
classes to be segregated and the curriculum based on Islamic principles.
Wednesday’s
reopening of some universities comes a week after a Taliban delegation held
talks with Western officials in Norway, where they were pressed on improving
the rights of women to unlock billions of dollars in seized assets and frozen
foreign aid. The halting of aid has triggered a humanitarian crisis in
Afghanistan, which has already been devastated by decades of war.
No
country has yet recognized the new Taliban regime, which has promised a softer
version of the harsh rule that characterized their first stint in power.
The
regime has imposed several restrictions on women that have seen them banned
from many government jobs.
Source:
Arab News
The
Taliban say all girls’ schools will reopen by the end of March.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2016701/world
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Saudi
contemporary artist’s Dior Lady Bag highlights KSA
NADA
HAMEED
February
01, 2022
JEDDAH:
Saudi contemporary artist Manal Al-Dowayan was among the first Saudi, GCC and
Arab female designers to feature and represent their heritage in a handbag
collection for one of the famous French brands in fashion history, Dior.
“Dior
was cool enough to allow me to make a bag. You as an artist are supposed to
take on the bag and change it and add to it. But I told them, I just thought
I’d add something that is completely different, and they agreed to it. Now, we
have made it together. It’s supposed to be a bag slash sculpture,” said
Al-Dowayan.
Al-Dowayan
Lady Dior collection is made of materials and techniques using leather
stitching, 3D printing, calfskin leather, embroidered black feathers, and black
and white photographs. With the Dior design team, Al-Dowayan produced three
pieces — “The Boys,” “Landscape of the Mind,” and a mini minaudiere-style bag,
“Desert Rose — highlighting her Saudi heritage and nostalgic aspects of her
personal memories.
In an
exclusive interview with Arab News, Al-Dowayan said that the first bag, “The
Boys,” was inspired by an artwork collection she made in 2016.
“I
had developed this one through reusing Kodak film slides that my father had
taken in 1962 in Saudi Arabia, more specifically in Qassim,” she said.
“I
was thinking about the identity of this bag, and what I was trying to say
through it, which was basically the huge transformative moment we are going
through in Saudi Arabia. As people in the culture, I think we are reconnecting
to who we are, what and how we dress and how we look and how we speak in a
very, very different unique way that is much more centralized to who we are,
rather than looking outwards and trying to imitate outside,” she said.
The
second bag, “Landscapes of the Mind,” was inspired by a collection that she
made in 2009, of an old artwork where Al-Dowayan questions many aspects about
the experience of Saudi women in the past couple of years.
“When
I had developed landscapes of the mind, I was looking at the concept of does
this landscape belong to me? Or do I belong to it? So, it was really a question
of belonging, and whether I was invited to stay on this landscape or, you know,
women in public space was my question. So, we have to exist in private spaces.
I think, with this bag, I am actually introducing this idea, but in a very
different way. I think that the explosion of women in the public space, their
open invitation to participate, and building and cooperating alongside their
fellow men is a wonderful moment in our history. And I wanted it to be
documented in the spec,” she said.
Al-Dowayan
expressed hers feelings about when the pandemic was at its peak in 2020. She
wrote a statement in Arabic that translates to “I live and die for the moment”
and applied it to the bag design. “The idea behind that was really a statement
of where we are in our pandemic days in 2020, where we don’t know what will
happen tomorrow to our house, to our country, to our planet, and I encourage
you to live and die for the moment,” she said.
Commenting
on “Desert Rose,” Al-Dowayan said: “It is a form I’ve been exploring throughout
my artistic practice in the past four years as a recent addition to my work and
I’m very much interested in its ephemeral existence.” The bag represents a
crystal-like rose that exists in only a few deserts in the world, including the
desert outside of Al-Dowayan mother’s home. It also exists in Qatar and UAE,
because Saudi Arabia shares the same desert in the Eastern region.
Al-Dowayan
said: “This crystal form does not exist for all eternity because it dissolves
at some point, it only has a lifespan of 10 years. And given that, in the past
few years, I’ve been very much focusing on the ideas of disability and
disappearance, especially in my trampolines that were developed in AlUla.”
Al-Dowayan
joined a Lady Dior Art program themed around the sixth edition of the Dior Lady
Bag, which was held in Riyadh in 2020 where 12 other international artists
participated to represent their art and designs through these bags. The iconic
classic medium-size leather bag has been reinvented and reconstructed
throughout the years in many different colors, editions and collections. The
art program was a cross-cultural collaboration that gave each artist a chance
to add their inspiring story to every piece they produce.
In
line with this art project, Dior has launched a podcast to go along with the
Lady Dior Art bag, so the new round of talented artists share the stories
behind the artworks and designs applied to the handbags. The limited edition of
the bags with Al-Dowayan art was released at the end of December 2021 when Dior
tweeted @Dior: “Recasting its charms in Arabic lettering, Manal Al-Dowayan
reinvented the #LadyDior for #DiorLadyArt 6 through references to her Saudi
heritage and desert rose crystal inspiration.” Al-Dowayan talked about how
elegant women like to look in the Gulf through their appearance and exotic
fashion. “Saudi women and actually women of the Gulf, in general, are some of
the most stylish women on the planet. They are people who have supported these
global brands by buying from them and wearing them in the most interesting
ways. Customizing something that comes from Europe, to look absolutely
beautiful in the setting that is our countries,” she said.
Commenting
on emerging Saudi talents, Al-Dowayan said: “I’m constantly inspired, it’s very
exciting. I enjoy looking at art and I love having interesting conversations
with creatives across the country who are expressing themselves in multiple
mediums that were very lonely, as when I first started as an artist. It was
just me and a handful of other contemporary artists.”
“I’m
not talking about modern art, but contemporary art. There are just very few
people doing contemporary art and now the scene is full; it’s a great time to
be an artist,” she said.
Al-Dowayan
said that there was no specific style that she liked to follow in her art, as
her work expresses her current life and experiences as a human being and as a
woman. “I am an artist that lives in this region but travels the world. So, my
art will constantly reflect my personal journey as a human being.”
Dior
has now begun a new dialogue with women of the Arab region — simply saying “I
see you” she said. “I am not a fashion world girl but I really enjoyed this
journey.”
Al-Dowayan
will be participating in the “2139 exhibition” in Jeddah that opens on March 3.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2016486/saudi-arabia
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Emancipated
Young Saudi Ladies Keen To Make ‘Pink Hydrogen’
February
01, 2022
DAVOS
— Women in Saudi Arabia are happy to be working on pink hydrogen, the Kingdom’s
energy minister joked last week.
Prince
Abdulaziz Bin Salman’s comments were delivered during the World Economic Forum,
where he outlined the country’s ambition to be a world leader in hydrogen
production.
A
spectrum of colours describe the way the gas is extracted — with some much
cleaner than others. ‘Pink’ hydrogen uses nuclear power to electrolyze water,
thereby splitting hydrogen from oxygen for use as a fuel.
The
minister said that women are particularly pleased to see progress being made in
this industry.
“We
are recruiting, by the way, young Saudi ladies that are happy to see the pink
coming along,” Prince Abdulaziz said. “We have started being very conscious of
taking care of our female new recruits and new cadets. We’re becoming an
extremely well emancipated society.”
Saudi
Arabia is the biggest exporter of crude oil in the world, but the Gulf nation
is increasingly looking to hydrogen as the fuel of the future.
According
to the International Renewable Energy Agency’s calculations, the global trade
in hydrogen is expected to overtake oil by 2050.
Energy
analysts are torn over hydrogen’s potential to decarbonize the global economy
as it depends on the method used to make it and other factors.
Prince
Abdulaziz acknowledged the EU is interested in green hydrogen — made by using
renewable energy to split water molecules.
He
said he had discussed exporting the low-carbon fuel to the EU with the European
Commission’s Vice-President Frans Timmermans.
This
would be partly supplied by a new $5 billion (€4.4 billion) green hydrogen
plant in the new Saudi megacity of NEOM, due to start running by 2025.
However
it is with blue hydrogen that the energy minister feels the nation can really
excel. This is hydrogen extracted from fossil fuel gas like methane, with the
potential to capture and store greenhouse gas emissions underground.
“We
will have a field day with blue hydrogen because we’re the cheapest cost
producer of gas,” said Prince Abdulaziz.
“We’re
doing a huge investment in shale gas in Saudi Arabia and we will be dedicated
to having that gas to be used for producing blue hydrogen.”
It is
unlikely that hydrogen derived from fracked shale gas will be accepted under
the EU’s forthcoming guidelines on hydrogen exports, Climate Home News reports.
As
for pink hydrogen, Saudi Arabia is building up its nuclear power with two large
reactors planned and smaller ones to de-salt sea water.
It is
not such a natural choice of ‘color’ for the country to pursue, given its ideal
location for using solar power to produce green hydrogen.
Last
year, Saudi Arabia announced that it would generate 50 percent of its energy
from renewables by 2030, having suffered from the effects of desertification,
dust storms and air pollution that its oil-heavy economy is fueling. —Euronews
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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Twenty
Muslim Organisations Allege A “Sinister
Design” To Frustrate The Education Of Muslim Girl-Child In Nigeria
Feb
2, 2022
A
coalition of Muslim organisations yesterday alleged that there was a “sinister
design” to frustrate the education of Muslim girl-child.
The
coalition comprising 20 Muslim organisations at a briefing in Lagos, urged
President Muhammadu Buhari, state Governors, members of the National and state assemblies as well as the Judiciary
and all regulatory authorities “to uphold the provisions of the constitution
and also other relevant laws, to ensure that Hijab-wearing Muslim Women are not
harassed and discriminated against.”
Executive
Director, Hijab Rights Advocacy Initiative, Hajia Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, who
addressed reporters on behalf of the coalition, declared that they would not
back down in their advocacy against discriminating of Hijab-wearing Muslim
women.
She
lamented that 10 years after the commemoration of World Hijab Day commenced and
the various efforts made by the coalition, the discrimination still continues.
Hajia
Orolu-Balogun said as they resolve one case of Hijab, another case rears its
ugly head.
According
to her, while the organisation had written to several agencies of government
and parastatals, some of them would not respond to their letters.
She
said: “It is common knowledge that when Muslim women are found at the lower
strata of the society, or are uneducated, no one pays attention to how they are
dressed. “However, we find most opposition to when Muslim women and girls want
to get an education, employment or public services open to all citizens, their
Hijab is in question. I cannot but agree with quote that “The consistent denial
of Muslim girls’ Right to Hijab seems to follow a sinister design to discourage
Muslim girls from education by those who wanted them permanently at the
background so as not to contribute positively to family, community, national
and global development’.
“This
can be the only logical conclusion one can reach when some Federal Government
colleges like Queens College and many government-owned schools still ask Muslim
girls to choose between their faith and getting educated; both of which are not
mutually exclusive.
“The
principals of these schools have ascribed unholy power unto themselves and have
defied law, court judgments and good conscience and even the laws setting them
up, by denying the right to wear the Hijab by these students. Despite all these
challenges, Muslim women and girls have worked hard, shown resilience and are
now trailblazing in their chosen fields.”
The
coalition called for a re-orientation of Nigerians on their rights and that of
other citizens as a matter of urgency.
They
also asked the President to compel all regulatory authorities and bodies to
prevent their staff and agents from discriminating against Hijab-wearing Muslim
women and refusing them services because of the Hijab and adding punitive
measures in order to forestall this issue from recurring exponentially.
“We
must build an all-inclusive society and not require a Muslim girl or Woman to
choose between her faith and education or positive contribution to the
society,” the coalition added.
The
organisations are Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT); Muslim
Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN) Lagos state Area Unit; Federation of Muslim
Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Lagos State chapter; Muslim Public
Affairs Centre (MPAC); Lagos Secretariat Community Central Mosque (LSCCM); Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC);
Pristine Cactus Foundation; The Criterion; Al Muminaat (The Believing Women)
Organisation; Guild of Muslim Professionals (GMP); International Muslim Women
Union (IMWU); Pure Heart Islamic Foundation (PHF) Lagos State chapter; National
Council of Muslim Youths Organisations (NACOMYO); Muslim Media Practitioners of
Nigeria (MMPN); Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association
(UNIFEMGA); Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria (IMAN) and Women in Dawah
Source:
The Nation Online
https://thenationonlineng.net/group-urges-buhari-governors-to-uphold-muslim-womens-rights/
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Female
Muslims Must Not Be Harassed For Wearing Hijab – Governor Of Oyo State
February
1, 2022
By
Musliudeen Adebayo
Governor
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has warned residents against harassing any female
Muslim for wearing Hijab.
The
Hijab is a veil or scarf usually worn by female Muslims to cover their heads
and other parts of their body in public.
DAILY
POST reports that some Muslim women and students had been molested by authorities
of their schools or agencies on the basis of their Hijab.
A
recent case is that of a female student who was harassed in class at the Ladoke
Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso.
Makinde
has, however, sent a strong message to heads of government agencies and
institutions in the state, warning them not to harass anyone for wearing Hijab.
Makinde
issued the warning in a message he released as part of activities to mark 2022
World Hijab Day.
The
governor while congratulating the Muslim Ummah in the state, especially the
female Muslims on the 2022 World Hijab Day, further assured that the present
administration in the state will not trample on the religious rights of anyone.
Makinde,
in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Islamic Affairs, Imam
AbdRasheed AbdAzeez, insisted that his administration will not oppose
activities and practices that will promote godliness and modesty.
He
maintained that the hijab is a covering that not only beautifies the wearer but
also helps in advancing decency in society.
He
said his government will not tolerate any act of intimidation or molestation of
female Muslims because of their Hijab.
“I
want to congratulate the Muslims on the 2022 World Hijab Day. If the Quran says
female Muslims should wear hijabs, our government will not oppose it. Since our
constitution guarantees freedom of religion, my administration will not prevent
anyone from following his/her religious dictates.
“I
have instructed those in positions of authority in the state’s public service
and across all our public schools not to intimidate or harass anyone because of
their religious beliefs or practices.
“Our
government is god-fearing and we will continue to preach religious tolerance,
equality and justice, which will further engender peaceful coexistence, love
and togetherness.
“As
the theme of this year’s celebration suggests, hijab is the pride of every
female Muslim and it remains sacrosanct.”
Source:
Daily Post Nigeria
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Six
women’s rights activists still missing in Afghanistan
February
02, 2022
GENEVA
— The UN human rights office OHCHR, has said it is very alarmed over the
continued disappearance of six people who were abducted in the Afghan capital
Kabul, in connection with recent women’s rights protests.
“We are
gravely concerned for their well-being and safety”, Ravina Shamdasani,
spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told journalists at a regular press
briefing in Geneva.
Despite
the de
facto authorities’
announcement on Saturday of an investigation into the disappearance two weeks
ago of these individuals, “there is still no confirmed information on their
whereabouts”, she added.
In
the early evening of 19 January, Parwana Ibrahim Khil and her brother-in-law
were abducted while traveling in Kabul.
Later
that same evening, Tamana Paryani and her three sisters were taken from a house
in the city.
On 16
January, both Ms. Khil and Ms. Paryani had taken part in peaceful
demonstrations calling for the rights of women to be respected by the Taliban,
who swept back into power last August.
Since
then, there have been reports coming in of house searches of other women who
participated in protests.
“The
lack of clear information on the location and well-being of these and other
individuals, perpetuates a climate of fear and uncertainty”, stressed Ms.
Shamdasani.
These
reports have also brought into focus what appears to be “a pattern of arbitrary
arrests and detentions”, as well as torture and ill-treatment of civil society
activists, journalists, and media workers, as well as former Government and
security forces personnel in Afghanistan, she said.
Moreover,
as control over dissent appears to be tightening, OHCHR continues to receive
credible allegations of other gross human rights violations.
“We
call on the de
facto authorities
to publicly report on the findings of their investigation into the abduction
and disappearance of these women activists and their relatives, to take all
possible measures to
ensure their safe and immediate release, and to hold those responsible to
account”, said Ms. Shamdasani.
She
also urged Taliban officials to “guarantee that all reports of this nature” are
investigated promptly and effectively, and that those responsible for
abductions and arbitrary arrests be held accountable, in line with
international human rights law.
“All
those who may be arbitrarily detained for exercising their rights must be promptly
released”, she spelled out.
“We
also urge the Taliban leadership to send clear messages to their rank-and-file
that there must be no reprisals against people who demonstrate peacefully and
exercise their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly”. — UN
News
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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Arab
supermodels congratulate Rihanna on her pregnancy
February
01, 2022
DUBAI:
Arab models Bella Hadid and Imaan Hammam on Monday congratulated parents-to-be
Barbadian singer Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky after their announcement that
they were expecting their first child together.
The
couple took a stroll over the weekend in snowy New York to reveal the news.
Despite
the cold weather, the 33-year-old “Diamonds” singer and fashion mogul showed
off her bump in a long open pink coat and ripped jeans as her partner beamed by
her side in Harlem, which is A$AP Rocky’s home neighborhood.
In
one photo, the pair are seen smiling and holding hands while in another, he
kisses her forehead. Rihanna’s bump was well-adorned with a long-jeweled necklace.
Photographer
Miles Diggs posted on his Instagram account an image with the caption, “SHE
IS!”
Hammam,
who is Moroccan-Egyptian, shared the photos to her Instagram Stories, and said:
“Congratulations Ri.” Meanwhile, Palestinian-Dutch model Hadid said:
“Congratulations to the holy duo.”
British-Pakistani-Indian
actress and activist, Jameela Jamil, who also posted the couple’s picture on
her Instagram feed, said: “GAH! RIHANNA!!! Best and chicest pregnancy reveal
ever! Shout out to @diggzy for always making everyone feel safe. People always
look happy in his pics.”
However,
a few hours later, Jamil took it upon herself to comfort women who are
struggling to get pregnant.
“Sending
a bit of love to those who are struggling to conceive, etc… who find celebrity
pregnancy announcements a little hard personally. You’re not a bad person for
feeling sad,” she told her 3.5 million followers.
Other
celebrities including Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, JT, BIA, Paris Hilton, Zara
Larsson, and Camila Cabello took to social media to express their excitement
and to congratulate the stars.
Trinidadian
rapper Minaj said: “So happy for you mama. Conquered the world already. Given
so much. Nothing left to prove. You deserve your own little gift now. Different
level of joy that money can’t buy.”
American
rapper Cardi B said: “OMG!!!! Congrats @badgalriri.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2016046/lifestyle
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Tanzanian
charity debunks stereotypes against hijab-wearing Muslim women
February
01, 2022
A
local charity in Tanzania is working to debunk stereotypes and discrimination
against hijab-wearing Muslim women in the job market, unleash their potential
without compromising their faith and promote a shared understanding of equal
treatment in a diverse society.
Many
Muslim women in Tanzania are often discriminated against in the job market for
simply wearing the hijab. In many cases, women’s rights campaigners say that
such women have to choose between their livelihood or hijab.
The
hijab, a veil that covers the head, mid-back and chest, is a symbol of modesty
that Islam requires.
On
World Hijab Day observed on Feb. 1 annually, Pink Hijab Initiative Tanzania has
invited women of all faiths to wear their head shawls to raise awareness about
the hijab in order to end stereotypes against head-covering Muslim women.
Khadija
Omari Kayanda, the founder of the Pink Hijab Initiative Tanzania, said wearing
the hijab has a negative effect on women’s employability, thus reducing the
chances of female Muslim applicants receiving job offers.
“Women
who wear the hijab may be rejected from more prestigious employment
opportunities due to the perceptions associated with it,” said Kayanda.
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Changing perceptions
The
organization is working to enlighten members of Tanzanian society and change
the negative perceptions on hijab wearing.
“We
need to have more women leaders in powerful positions and we need to promote
the culture of sisterhood which fosters freedom to speak up and support one
another,” Kayanda told Anadolu Agency.
Kayanda
said that throughout history, women have been oppressed and denied the right to
education due to harmful gender norms that accord more priority to men.
“We
encourage young women to hold their heads high … If you stand your ground long
enough, the impediments will slowly disappear,” she said.
According
to Kayanda, it is important for Muslim women to be professional and dress
appropriately and modestly. The hijab, she said, is not only a profession of
their faith but their professionalism.
On
World Hijab Day, Kayanda urged women to work hard, be honest, and stay
connected to successful people.
“Always
listen to your inner voice. The fire inside you should never stop burning,” she
stressed.
As a fashion-conscious
Muslim woman, Kayanda loves the color pink, which she says represents the
Islamic values of care, compassion and togetherness.
According
to her, women command great respect in Islam, as it is attested in a number of
verses.
“The
Prophet (Muhammad) states emphatically that the rights of the mother are
paramount … Abu Hurairah (a companion of the Prophet) reported that a man came
to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and asked: ‘Oh Messenger of
Allah, who is the person who has the greatest right on me with regards to
kindness and attention?’ He replied: ‘Your mother.’ ‘Then who?’ He replied:
‘Your mother.’ ‘Then who?’ He replied: ‘Your mother.’ ‘Then who?’ He replied:
‘Your father.’”
Kayanda
has developed the passion to inspire young women to assume leadership positions
and lift them from poverty and social marginalization.
Pink
Hijab Initiative Tanzania is a non-profit organization working to inspire,
educate and raise awareness in young women to unleash their economic potential.
Launched
in 2016, the organization is working to empower young women through capacity
building, research, health, and other related programs.
The
group is striving to equip young women with knowledge and transferable skills
to drive change in the country’s social economic spheres.
Lulu
Salumu Kherii, a Muslim woman who has been economically inactive for 15 years,
said it is common for women to surmount problems when trying to balance between
a career and their personal life, especially when dealing with their traditional
role of wife and mother.
“I
believe a woman can do everything under the sun whether it is related to
technology or the home,” she said.
Her
comment is echoed by Kayanda who said women are needed to occupy leadership
positions.
“We
need to promote the culture of sisterhood which foster freedom to speak up and
support one another,” she said.
Armed
with her impeccable academic credentials, Kayanda has in the past 16 years been
working in logistics and project management, and she has used her transferable
skills to promote women’s rights in many occasions.
She
has consulted and advised on several women empowerment and entrepreneurship
initiatives.
Kayanda
has for years channeled her energy to promote women-led community development
programs. She is currently working full time for REPOA, a policy think tank, as
events and partnership manager.
She
grew up in a family with great value over humanity and strict adherence to
religious teachings.
“I
realized that young girls, when raised up, are able to achieve their dreams and
have confidence in their vision,” said the mother of three.
Source:
Yenisafak
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/celebrate-world-hijab-day/d/126285