Pakistani Designer, Mahpara Khan, Creates Beautiful Dress for Netherlands' Queen Maxima
New Age
Islam News Bureau
07
June 2023
• Pakistani Designer, Mahpara Khan, Creates Beautiful Dress for
Netherlands' Queen Maxima
• Bushra Bibi Wife of Imran Khan Ex- PM Pakistan Seeks Court Protection to
Avoid Possible Arrest
• Major Aid Group’s Women Staff Partially Resume Work In Afghanistan
• Iran’s Women-Led Uprisings: European Parliament Conference
• Unveiling the Intellectual Legacy of Women InIslamic Scripture
• ‘Better Late Than Never’: Salwa Al-Omani Graduates At 70
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/designer-mahpara-netherlands-maxima/d/129942
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Queen
Maxima of the Netherlands (left) wearing Pakistani fashion designer Mahpara
Khan's (right) dress at Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah's wedding. —
Instagram//www.mahparakhan.com
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June 06, 2023
Pakistani designer
Mahpara Khan made the nation proud as she had the opportunity to design a dress
for Queen Maxima of the Netherlands who wore it at a Jordanian royal wedding.
The queen of the
Netherlands opted to wear the beautiful dress at the royal wedding of Jordan's
Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah and Saudi citizen Rajwa Khalid Al-Saif.
The Embassy of
Pakistan in the Netherlands, on its official Twitter handle, wrote: "Glad
to know HRH Queen Maxima of the Netherlands chose Pakistani designer Mahpara
khan to craft her dress for wedding of Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan!"
"[Pakistani]
creative industry is reaching a global audience for its attention to detail,
creativity and intricacy of work," the embassy wrote on the microblogging
site.
Meanwhile, Khan
also shared pictures of the Queen on her Instagram account, saying she had the
privilege of designing a custom-crafted formal for Queen Maxima.
"The design
features Mughal patterns fused with traditional dapka, naqshi, resham and gota
work," she added.
Feeling proud of
herself and her achievement, the designer further wrote: "I take immense
pride in the fact that the craftsmanship and creativity of Pakistan and its
artisans was represented on a global scale alongside of the likes of fashion
giants such as Elie Saab, Jenny Packham, Prada and others."
She hoped that more
artists in the South Asian country are featured globally. The designer garnered
a lot of appreciation and praise for her work from social media users.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1077688-pakistani-designer-creates-beautiful-dress-for-netherlands-queen-maxima
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Bushra Bibi Wife of
Imran Khan Ex- PM Pakistan Seeks Court Protection to Avoid Possible Arrest
Former
PM Imran Khan with his wife Bushra Bibi (Photo: Twitter)
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June 06, 2023
In a bid to avoid
her possible arrest, Bushra Bibi — the wife of former prime minister and
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan — on Tuesday moved the
Lahore High Court, seeking a blanket cover in all cases registered against her
across the country.
The move came amid
the ongoing crackdown against the party leadership following May 9 attacks on
civil and military installations, a day the army dubbed as “Black Day”.
In her petition,
the former first lady feared she could be arrested in any case and sought
details of all the disclosed and undisclosed cases registered against her in
the country.
The ex-prime
minister’s wife pleaded with the court to issue an order restraining the police
and law enforcers from arresting her in any undisclosed case.
She made federal
and provincial governments, IGs, FIA and other bodies parties in her case.
Bushra Bibi
summoned on June 7
It is pertinent to
mention here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Rawalpindi, had
summoned the ex-first lady on Wednesday (tomorrow) to record her statement as a
trustee of the Al-Qadir University Trust in the £190 million National Crime
Agency (NCA) UK settlement case.
According to
sources, Bushra Bibi’s statement would be recorded as a witness. NAB, under the
new law, is bound to tell a person whether he is being summoned as an accused
or a witness to record the statement.
Following the
procedure, the NAB’s CIT has already recorded the statements of ministers of
the previous government. NAB also asked for the records of all the donations
received from Al-Qadir University and those who donated to the trust.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1077683-bushra-bibi-seeks-court-protection-to-avoid-possible-arrest
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Major aid group’s
women staff partially resume work in Afghanistan
June 06, 2023
KABUL: A leading
international NGO’s Afghan women staff have resumed their work in some
provinces, months after the Taliban government banned them from working.
Several aid groups
suspended operations in protest at the order that was announced at the end of
December, and later extended to include Afghan women working for the United
Nations.
“I am glad to
confirm that we have been able to resume most of our humanitarian operations in
Kandahar as well as a number of other regions in Afghanistan,” Jan Egeland,
secretary-general of the independent Norwegian Refugee Council said on Monday.
“All our work is
for women and men, girls and boys alike, and with equal participation of our
female and male humanitarian colleagues,” he said in a tweet.
It comes after
Egeland traveled to Kandahar — the Taliban government’s traditional stronghold
— last month where he announced that officials had said they would consider a
“temporary agreement” to allow women to return to work.
“This arrangement
ensures the delivery of much-needed assistance while the authorities finalize
national guidelines to facilitate women’s participation in humanitarian
efforts,” Christian Jepsen, a spokesperson for the NRC, said on Tuesday.
The UN has
previously also reported that the Taliban is working on guidelines that will
provide more clarity.
The Taliban
authorities have not commented.
Government
officials claim the ban was imposed because women were not observing rules on
wearing the hijab, an allegation denied by aid workers. The Taliban government
is not officially recognized by any country or world body, and only a handful
of nations have a presence in Afghanistan.
UNAMA, the UN’s
mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement last month that the ban “seriously
undermines our work” and that lifting restrictions was essential.
“We must remain
focused on our objective to support the people of Afghanistan. We cannot
disengage despite the challenges,” the statement said.
UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that funding for aid operations
“remains at worryingly low levels and the ban is exacerbating this trend.”
Since the ban,
UNAMA has asked all of its Afghan staff — men and women — to work from home,
but other agencies in the country “have had different ways of handling the
situation,” he noted.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2317136/world
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Iran’s women-led
uprisings: European Parliament conference
06/06/2023
A high-profile
conference entitled “The Women-Led Uprising in Iran: Iran at the Crossroads
Between Repression or Revolution?” is currently underway in Brussels.
Organised in
cooperation with the Kurdish Institute of Brussels, the conference aims to
amplify the voices of Iranian women and explore the role of Kurdish
perspectives in Iran’s democratisation process.
The conference
began with an opening session featuring notable speakers, including Progressive
Alliance of Socialists and Democrats MEP Costas Mavrides, Democratic Platform
of Iran spokesperson Azad Karimi, and an Iranian Women’s Movement activist, Ellahe
Sadr. Their speeches set the stage for engaging discussions on pressing issues
faced by Iran.
The first panel,
“Historical Roots of the Current Crisis,” delved into the underlying factors
contributing to the current situation in Iran. Moderated by RojinMukriyan, the
panel featured esteemed speakers such as Greens/European Free Alliance MEP
François Alfonsi, Professor Abbas Vali, BehruzBuçani, MeysamBeitSeyed,
ShimaSilavi, and FaribaBalouch. Their discussions provided historical context
and explored the multifaceted dimensions of the crisis.
The upcoming panels
will delve into Kurdish perspectives and responsibilities in the
democratisation of Iran, as well as propose solutions for a way forward. The
second panel, moderated by DimanSohrabi, will highlight the crucial role of
Kurdish perspectives and feature speakers such as Progressive Alliance of
Socialists and Democrats MEP Evinİncir, Komala Kurdistan’s Organisation of the
Communist Party of Iran (Komalah) spokesperson Ebrahim Alizadeh, Democratic Party
of Iranian Kurdistan (KDPI) leader Mustafa Hijri, and the joint leader of
Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), SiamandMoeini.
The third panel,
moderated by SoheilaShariari, will focus on proposing solutions for a
democratic Iran. Speakers, including Behreme Rehmani, Nasser Boladai, Said
Hamidan, and Maryam Fathi, will share insights and recommendations for
overcoming the crisis. The panel will highlight the importance of international
support and solidarity in the struggle for freedom and human rights in Iran.
Source: medyanews.net
https://medyanews.net/irans-women-led-uprisings-european-parliament-conference/
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Unveiling the
intellectual legacy of women in Islamic scripture
June 7, 2023
Exploring the
concept of womanhood can be approached from various angles, one of which
involves delving into the personalities portrayed in Qur’anic stories. In all
sincerity, one asks “How does God depict women, and how does God communicate
with them?”
What one discovers
is that women in the Qur’an appear in narratives that encompass conquest,
filial devotion, romantic attraction, and more. There is no singular standard
or archetypal female figure. When considered as a collective, Qur’anic women
embody piety and impiety, wisdom and ignorance, strength and timidity, old age
and youth, fame and obscurity, marriage and singleness, authority and
subordination, fertility and childlessness, and so forth. There is no single
mold for women.
In certain
instances, God praises specific female figures, while in others, God admonishes
them for their behavior. Although no woman in the Qur’an is explicitly
identified as a prophet or messenger, the Qur’an portrays women’s characters,
intelligence, and spiritual excellence. Countless times, the needs and desires
of women and girls are heard by God in the Qur’anic stories.
Women engage in
conversations with God’s angelic messengers, frequently pray to God, and one
woman, in particular, becomes the channel for delivering God’s “Word” into the
world. Maryam, for example, poignantly expresses the pain of childbirth in a
verse: “Would that I had died before this and were a thing forgotten, utterly
forgotten!” (Qur’an 19:23).
This verse
powerfully conveys the discomfort and agony often experienced by women during
childbirth, but it also captures Maryam’s struggle to bear the divine “Word.”
Exploring the trials and triumphs of female figures in the Qur’an allows us to
identify many parallels between male and female characters.
In fact, several
female figures are specifically highlighted for their qualities such as
discernment, sincere worship, conviction, courage, or their proximity to God.
They are singled out for special mention and serve as positive or negative
exemplars. Their stories guide us in cultivating virtues.
Reflecting on
Maryam’s birth experience, for instance, has the potential to increase empathy
towards women undertaking the extraordinary and physically and emotionally
demanding task of giving birth. While the embodied experience of childbirth is
uniquely female, even male reciters of the Qur’an express the distressed cries
of a woman in labor by reenacting Maryam’s words.
The affective
dimensions of Qur’anic stories hold great significance. Qur’anic scholar Karen
Bauer draws a comparison between Maryam’s labor pains and the anguish felt by
Moses’ mother when she had to cast her child away to protect him from Pharaoh’s
forces. Bauer highlights how both narratives evoke emotional responses within
the Qur’anic audience:
God is there to
relieve emotional and physical suffering, bringing these exemplary women into a
state of hope, relief, and, ultimately, knowledge of God’s justice and mercy.
They both prove their subservience to God and willingness to put aside all
worldly emotional attachments to do His bidding. The listener is brought along
on the emotional journey, and is able to empathise with the comfort they
receive.
In these
narratives, the immense trials faced by devout women are alleviated through
divine intervention. While pious women still endure hardships, their suffering
is met with God’s awareness and support.
Such Qur’anic
stories serve as illustrations of God’s attributes and provide assurance to the
audience that they too can receive this care. Regularly revisiting these female
figures within a devotional or ritual practice has the potential to transform
individuals who approach it conscientiously.
The verses of the
Qur’an elicit effects on readers, reciters, and listeners. For example,
contemplating a narrative about a mother’s emotional struggle when forcibly
separated from her child can generate empathy and motivate action, such as
advocating for children displaced from their families by governments. On
another level, God’s revelation to the mother of Moses assures her to have
faith and trust in God’s promise, offering a broader lesson about the
effectiveness of patient perseverance.
and transmitting
religious knowledge predates Western-styled modernity and the discourse on
women’s rights. However, historically, Muslim women scholars tended to
specialize in disciplines focused on transmission, such as hadith studies,
rather than disciplines that involve authorial creation. Consequently, aside
from contemporary women scholars, there is a limited number of works by women
religious scholars.
While historians
acknowledge the legacy of Muslim women scholars, their contributions have been
marginal compared to the extensive works authored by men. Social and political
struggles in the wake of European colonialism directly hindered institutions
supporting Islamic learning, including women’s teaching and transmission.
However, these
dynamics limiting women’s participation in the scholarly enterprise cannot be
solely attributed to colonialism. Even before European-styled modernity, women
rarely authored scholarly works, despite their learning and occasional
prominence as teachers. For example, it is challenging to name works of
Qur’anic exegesis authored by women. This pattern extends to other disciplines
of Islamic knowledge production.
After extensively
studying the Qur’anic depictions of women and exploring women’s contributions
to Islamic intellectual history, we recognize the societal factors that
constrained women’s scholarship. Simultaneously, we find the Qur’an to be affirming
of women’s intellect and spiritual aptitude, rather than demeaning or
discrediting. Not only we find validation for women’s capabilities, but we also
encounter women teachers within the Qur’anic narratives.
Engaging with the
speech of Allah about these women allows us to contemplate deeper questions
about womanhood, female worth, and women’s dignity. For example, “Does the
Qur’an affirm female faith, wisdom, and knowledge in ways that have not yet
been fully appreciated?” The answers to these questions hold implications for
contemporary Qur’anic scholarship and conceptions of gender within Muslim
communities. Most importantly, the stories of women in the Qur’an can impact
how women view themselves and their intellectual and spiritual potential.
(The author is a
student of Science, Philosophy and Theology)
Source: kashmirvision.in
https://kashmirvision.in/2023/06/07/unveiling-the-intellectual-legacy-of-women-in-islamic-scripture/
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‘Better Late Than
Never’: Salwa Al-Omani Graduates At 70
June 06, 2023
MAKKAH: At 70 years
old, Salwa Al-Omani is the oldest woman to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts
degree from Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam.
With a GPA of
4.75/5, Al-Omani ranked first in her class and received an excellence award at
the university’s 44th graduation ceremony attended by Princess Abeer bint
Faisal bin Turki.
Al-Omani returned
to her education after a 50-year gap, proving that nothing is impossible for
someone who has determination.
She told Arab News:
“I cannot describe my feelings, now that I have achieved my long-awaited
dream.” She added that she has received a huge number of calls from
well-wishers and thanked God for her success.
“The moment I was
honored by Princess Abeer bint Faisal bin Turki Al-Saud, wearing my graduation
gown and overwhelmed with feelings of joy for completing a journey that was
interrupted 50 years ago, is priceless.”
Al-Omani left high
school at the age of 18 in 1971, following which her family moved to Basra,
Iraq. She was accepted into the University of Basra to major in chemistry.
However, “due to family reasons, I accepted my cousin’s proposal to marry me.
“So I couldn’t
complete my university studies at that time. Later on, the family moved to
Kuwait, to finally settle in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Al-Omani has two
sons and three daughters who have graduated as doctors and engineers. She has
been living in Dammam since the 1980s.
When she was able
to resume her education, her lost high school diploma document posed an issue.
She explained, “As soon as I thought of completing my studies, I explained my
story to the senior high school director who said that, due to the long break
period, I had to take classes all over again.
“I went to meet
female educators in the eastern region. I was very confident of my educational
competence, given that our generation has been strongly acquainted with all
types of science.”
That meeting took
place nine years ago, and Al-Omani was granted the approval to complete her
studies. However, she had to start from the intermediate second grade, sitting
for exams at the education department, and later on obtaining the third
intermediate grade certificate in an intermediary school.
“The situation was
embarrassing that year, given that I was taking the test with girls the age of
my grandchildren who had clear looks of confusion on their face,” she said.
That did not deter
her. “Nothing has affected my determination, and I decided to show some
endurance and move forward. I obtained my certificate indeed and moved on to
completing senior high school studies. I attended regularly and excelled to
deserve my certificate.”
Al-Omani scored 82
on the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and 83 on the SAAT in preparation for her
university education.
“I enrolled in the
faculty of arts, department of sociology, at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal
University. I was accepted in the literary department despite me having a high
school diploma in science,” she said.
“I was accepted
into the sociology department in 2019. The dream came true.”
Al-Omani said that
“with determination, the word ‘impossible’ does not exist,” that hope should
not be lost, and that “it is better late than never.”
Determination and
persistence are key to success, and “what separates any of us from achieving
any goal in life is believing in ourselves and being confident in our
capacities. This is the purpose of existing.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2317111/saudi-arabia
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/designer-mahpara-netherlands-maxima/d/129942