Record Number of Women Elected to Board of Saudi Journalists Association
New Age
Islam News Bureau
29 January 2024
Record Number of Women Elected to Board of Saudi Journalists Association
Afghan Women
Protesters Call for Non-Engagement with Taliban at Doha Conference
Nepotism
Preventing Lay Pakistani Women from Participating in Country’s Elections:
Report
Female Afghan
Refugees: HEC Invites Applications For DAAD-Funded Master’s Degree Scholarship
UNRWA Workers
Accused of Kidnapping Woman, Taking Part in Kibbutz Massacre – Report
PTI's Sanam
Javaid Arrested in New May 9 Arson Case
Human Rights
Watch Calls ForAfghan Women’s Consultation In New Representative Appointment
Iranian Clerics
Divided Over Hijab As Election Nears
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/elected-saudi-journalists-association/d/131611
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Record Number
of Women Elected to Board of Saudi Journalists Association
January 28,
2024
RIYADH: Nearly
half of the new Saudi Journalists Association board members elected on Sunday
were women, a first for the 21-year-old media professionals’ body.
All the
successful candidates were members of the recently formed “Future” coalition
that won by a landslide against competition from independent journalists and
other opposition lists. The coalition consists of Editors in Chief, Deputy
Editors and senior journalists of the kingdom’s top tier newspapers and media
outlets.
Twenty
candidates qualified and ended up competing in the election. Of the 13 winners,
six were women: Arab News Deputy Editor-in-Chief Noor Nugali, Thekra Al-Atyawi
of the Saudi Broadcast Authority, Sayyidaty Magazine Editor-in-Chief Lama
AlShethry, Saudi Ministry of Sports media head Fatima Aloufi, Bushra AlRabia
from the Saudi Government Communication Center, and Independent Arabia’s
Assistant Editor-in-Chief Mai Alsharif.
The other seven
winners were Independent Arabia Editor AdhwanAlahmari, Arab News Editor in
Chief Faisal J. Abbas, Al Arabiya General Manager Mamdouh AlMuhaini, Saudipedia
Editor Hamed AlShehri, Asharq AlAwsat deputy editor Zaid bin Kami, Sabq
Editor-in-Chief Ali AlHazimi, and Al-Eqtisadiya Editor Mohammed Albishi. All 13
board members will serve a four-year term
After the
election the newly elected board met at the association’s headquarters in
Riyadh and unanimously elected AdhwanAlahmari as chairman, Faisal J. Abbas as
vice-chairman, and Alrabiah as treasurer.
The coalition’s
mandate is to enhance the standing of Saudi journalists, lobby for better pay
and rights and equip them with the training and tools needed to enhance the
level of Saudi journalism.
The board will
present their vision at the next meeting to develop a strategy for their work
that reflects the association’s main objectives.
Launched in
2003, the association is an independently run union of media professionals.
The board’s
previous chairman, Khalid Al-Malik, is the longstanding editor-in-chief of
Al-Jazirah newspaper and considered the dean of Saudi journalists.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2449706/media
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Afghan Women
Protesters Call for Non-Engagement With Taliban At Doha Conference
Photo:
Khaama Press
---
Fidel Rahmati
January 28,
2024
The National
Unity Group of Afghanistan welcomed an announcement inviting women to the
United Nations session and called for avoiding any involvement with the
Taliban.
On Sunday,
January 28th, this group stated in an announcement that the Taliban must be
held accountable for their actions towards women and girls.
According to
this statement, participants in the Doha talks should be selected from
effective representatives of organizations.
The
announcement also emphasized the need for practical and definitive decisions to
address the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan, resulting from the Taliban’s
presence.
Women activists
also called for keeping the Taliban on the United Nations blacklist among the
participants of the Doha conference scheduled for 18-19 February.
The statement
includes the following: “We call on United Nations members not to engage with
the murderers of the people and women of Afghanistan, and to impose new and
stricter sanctions on recognizing them, isolating them, and exerting greater
pressure on the Taliban.”
Recently, the
United Nations spokesperson announced that Antonio Guterres, the
Secretary-General of the United Nations, will host a conference on Afghanistan
in Doha in 18-19 February.
Taliban
authorities stated that a representative of this group had been invited to the
Doha conference.
The initial
United Nations conference on Afghanistan in Doha, led by Antonio Guterres, did
not include representatives from the Taliban or opposing political groups.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-women-protesters-call-for-non-engagement-with-taliban-at-doha-conference/
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Nepotism
preventing lay Pakistani women from participating in country’s elections:
Report
29 January,
2024
Islamabad
[Pakistan], January 29 (ANI): The next-to-invisible women’s participation in
the Pakistan general elections has been a pertinent issue, and the reserved
seat criteria is merely a formality as they are only allocated on the basis of
nepotism, The Express Tribune reported on Monday.
It reported
that this tradition of promoting the family members and children of prominent
political leaders has made it impossible for the common Pakistani woman to
fight elections at the forefront.
For instance,
Heer Soho from Thatta, who was recently put on the Pakistan People’s Party’s
(PPP) reserved seats’ allocation list, has been receiving the nod for a
reserved seat since the 2008 general election.
The Express
Tribune reported quoting a journalist, Muhammad Fayyaz, who hails from Thatta,
Heer has been successful in securing the reserved spot for the 4th consecutive
general election due to her father, Ismail Soho.
“Ismail Soho is
a friend of the PPP’s top leadership, therefore, his daughter has been getting
the reserved seat ticket repeatedly,” informed Muhammad.
In similar
fashion, Nida Khuhro, who happens to be the daughter of Pakistan Peoples Party
(PPP)’s President in Sindh, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, has managed to secure a
reserved seat ticket for the second election running. Likewise, Nafisa Shah,
the daughter of former chief minister of Sindh, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, has also
managed to secure a spot on the reserved seats’ allocation list of the PPP.
And just like
the PPP, the PML-N also rewards friends and family of their top leadership with
reserved seats. Tahira Aurangzeb, who is the mother of former federal minister
for information, Marriyum Aurangzeb, and was also a close confidant of Begum
Kulsoom Nawaz, has been given the nod for the reserved seats by the party since
2008.
Similarly,
Shaista Parvez Malik, the wife of former member of National Assembly, Parvez
Malik, received the party’s reserved seat ticket in the general elections of
2013 and 2018; and has been given one this time around as well, The Express
Tribune reported.
The same is the
case for Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), which has given its approval for a reserved
seat spot to its supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s sister-in-law, Shahida Akhtar,
who has served three times in the National Assembly. The party has also given a
reserved seat spot to Rehana Ismail, another sister-in-law of the party head.
The
Pakistan-based news daily reported that the Awami National Party (ANP), is no
different. For instance, it has consistently rewarded Samar Haroon Bilour, of
the influential Bilour family of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), who is also a
relative of former federal minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, consistently with a
reserved seat ticket to the K-P assembly.
In making these
reserved seats’ allocations on the basis of kinship or friendship, female
grassroot political workers are left behind, which as per some of these workers
is an insult to their sacrifices for their respective parties.
A senior
political worker of the PPP from Hyderabad, who spoke to The Express Tribune
under the condition of anonymity, remarked that the PPP has neglected most of
the women political activists who were close to Benazir Bhutto, despite them
having served jail time for the party in the past.
Concurring with
the PPP worker, Farzana Butt, a PML-N political worker, said that many other
women workers, including herself, made sacrifices for the party while they were
in opposition but did not receive any appreciation from the party, let alone a
reserved seat ticket. “It is disappointing that women from influential families
and good financial standing get tickets, whereas genuine grass root political
workers are sidelined,” a disgruntled Farzana said.
While the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) allocation of reserved seats is in the
doldrums due to the party not having an election symbol, Nabil Ghazanfar, a
long-term worker of the party from Peshawar, was of the view that the PTI was
not any different from other parties when it came to seats’ allocations.
This practice
of prioritising well-to-do women for reserved seat tickets strengthens the
prevalence of the stronghold that dynastic political parties and the existing
ruling class has on the rest of the populace. In this regard, Sanam Wagma
Khattak, a professor at the Department of Economics in the University of
Peshawar, opined that representation in the provincial or national assemblies
should not be mere tokenism but actually representative of the entire populace
Agreeing with
Sanam, Iram Khalid, Chairperson of the Political Science Department of the
Punjab University, said that the women who should be nominated for reserved
seats are often overlooked.
“Only family
relations, loved ones, and relatives are given priority, which results in
social classes that are meant to be represented in the provincial and national
assemblies by women, lacking a voice. Therefore, political parties should
establish a more democratic and performance based formula of allocating
reserved seat tickets,” suggested Iram. (ANI)
Source: theprint.in
https://theprint.in/world/nepotism-preventing-lay-pakistani-women-from-participating-in-countrys-elections-report/1943240/
-----
Female Afghan
refugees: HEC invites applications for DAAD-funded master’s degree scholarship
2024-01-29
ISLAMABAD:
Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan has invited applications for the
German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) fully funded Master’s scholarships for
the academic year 2024 from the female Afghan refugees to pursue two years
Master’s study in HEC recognized universities in Pakistan.
According to
the HEC, this scholarship programme is open for all disciplines and is funded
by the DAAD, with funds from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development, Germany. The award of scholarships will be subject to the
provision of funds.
About the
eligibility criteria, the HEC said that female Afghan refugees residing in
Pakistan, with valid Proof of Registration (POR) Card from Ministry of States
and Frontier Regions (SAFRON).
The candidates
must have completed an HEC recognized undergraduate degree (16 years of
education) with at least 2.5 CGPA. The result awaiting students cannot apply.
The candidates
must have successfully completed undergraduate degree (16 years of education)
and HEC Pakistan will facilitate in admission or the candidate must be
currently enrolled in first semester in HEC recognized university, pursuing
two-year Master’s degree.
The candidate
must not be receiving any other academic scholarship or support while availing
this scholarship programme.
About the
selection process, the HEC conveyed that the selection will be merit-based and
factor-in academic credentials and selection interview.
Source: brecorder.com
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40286155/female-afghan-refugees-hec-invites-applications-for-daad-funded-masters-degree-scholarship
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UNRWA workers
accused of kidnapping woman, taking part in kibbutz massacre – report
2024-01-29
Employees of
the UN agency for Palestinian refugees kidnapped Israelis, transported
ammunition and the body of a dead soldier, and took part in a murderous assault
on a kibbutz on October 7, according to a report published late Sunday.
The details,
attributed by The New York Times to a dossier provided to the US government,
are behind the decision by the agency, UNRWA, to fire 12 workers and prompted
many countries to halt their funding for the body over the weekend.
The report said
that one UNRWA school counselor from Khan Younis in southern Gaza is “accused
of working with his son to abduct a woman from Israel.”
Furthermore, “a
social worker from Nuseirat, in central Gaza, is accused of helping to bring
the body of a dead Israeli soldier to Gaza, as well as distributing ammunition
and coordinating vehicles on the day of the attack,” the report added.
A third
employee was “described as taking part in the massacre at a kibbutz where 97
people died” — apparently Kibbutz Be’eri, one of the worst ravaged on October 7
in the Hamas-led onslaught.
The report said
the dossier describes the names, details and positions in UNRWA of the 12
workers, and contends that 10 of the workers in question are members of the
Hamas terror group while one belongs to Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The report said
Israel’s intelligence was gleaned from tracking the phones of six of the
people, monitoring phone calls by others who allegedly discussed their
involvement in the onslaught, and reading text messages received by three
others ordering them to show up at muster points ahead of the assault,
including one ordering him to bring RPGs stored at his home.
According to
the report, seven of the accused were teachers at UNRWA schools, and two worked
in schools in different capacities. The other three were described as a clerk,
a social worker and a storeroom manager.
The most
detailed accusations in the dossier concerned a school counselor from Khan
Younis, in southern Gaza, who is accused of working with his son to abduct a
woman from Israel.
Israel’s
Channel 13 reported Sunday night that two of the Israeli hostages released from
Gaza had testified that they were held in captivity separately by UNRWA
workers, sometimes in their homes.
In one case the
hostage said they were told by the captor’s daughter that he was an UNWRA
teacher, fed snacks labeled and distributed by the UN agency, and eventually
moved from place to place through UNWRA facilities to avoid detection as
Israeli troops closed in.
It was not
immediately clear if this was the same case detailed in the Times.
The report said
the US had not been able to verify the details or identities of those accused,
but said it found the allegations sufficiently credible and disturbing to order
the halt to funding.
The newspaper
said it had so far only been able to verify the identity of one of the accused,
whom it described as “a storeroom manager, whose social media profile lists him
as an UNRWA employee and shows him wearing UN-branded clothes.”
On October 7,
some 3,000 terrorists stormed across the border into Israel, overrunning
military bases and communities and killing some 1,200 people, most of them
civilians slaughtered in their homes and at a music festival. The attackers
also took 253 hostages to Gaza, where about half remain.
The accusations
are the latest in a long line of Israeli complaints about the UN agency, such
as that it allows anti-Israeli incitement to be taught in its hundreds of
schools and that some of its staff collaborate with Hamas. The Trump
administration suspended funding to the agency in 2018, but President Joe Biden
restored it.
The latest
accusations prompted donors, including the US, Germany, Britain, Italy,
Australia and Finland, to announce they had suspended additional funding to the
agency, and UNRWA said on Friday it had fired several employees over the
unspecified accusations.
The agency’s
supporters say the allegations against it aim to diminish the long-festering
refugee issue and called the cut in funding collective punishment. Last week,
UNRWA’s Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said he would appoint an
independent entity to look into the claims — both “what is true or untrue” and
“what is politically motivated.” He also said the accusations were hurting the
agency’s already strained operations.
There are today
58 designated refugee camps where UNRWA operates, in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria,
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Despite
Israel’s long-running objections to UNWRA, it also continues to cooperate with
the agency, reflecting a split in policy in Jerusalem.
On Saturday,
Foreign Minister Israel Katz said the body “must be replaced with agencies
dedicated to genuine peace and development” after the Gaza war and called for
the resignation of the agency’s head Lazzarini.
At the same
time, Chanel 13 published documentation showing that Israel was directly
supplying flour and other goods to UNWRA in Gaza.
Meanwhile,
three diplomatic sources told the Israel Hayom daily that Jerusalem had the
information on the UNRWA workers for weeks but had held back on distributing
publicly it because “there was an understanding in the Israeli political system
that UNWRA must be preserved in Gaza, because it is the only functioning body
in Gaza and without it, the chaos would be even greater.”
The paper
claimed that it was not clear why UNWRA had suddenly announced the
investigation into its workers and speculated that it was because it was due to
be publicly exposed in an upcoming US congressional hearing.
Source: timesofisrael.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/unrwa-workers-accused-of-kidnapping-woman-taking-part-in-kibbutz-massacre-report/
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PTI's Sanam
Javaid arrested in new May 9 arson case
January 29,
2024
Soon after an
anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore approved the bail plea of Pakistan
Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sanam Javaid Khan on Monday in a case
pertaining to arson on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) office, she was
arrested by the investigation police in a different case.
According to
the police, the case against Sanam was registered in the Shadman Police Station
of Lahore on charges of arson during the May 9 riots, which were triggered last
year following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan in a graft case.
The PTI
politician, who was earlier popular as a social media activist of the party,
will now be transferred to the Shadman police station.
Earlier today,
the court announced its reserved verdict after the completion of arguments by
counsels following a bail plea filed by Sanam against the case registered by
the Model Town police for burning the Shehbaz Sharif-led party's office.
PTI's
incarcerated candidate announced to compete in the upcoming February 8 polls
against PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz and former National Assembly
speaker Ayaz Sadiq from Lahore. On December 19, she submitted her nomination
papers to contest polls for a provincial assembly seat, PP-150. She also
announced to contest polls on two National Assembly seats, NA-120 and NA-119.
She will be up
against Maryam for NA-119 and PP-150, and against Sadiq for NA-120.
However, her
papers were rejected by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) — a decision
she challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) Appellate Tribunal against the
returning officer (RO). But the tribunal upheld the RO's decision to reject
Sanam’s nomination papers for all the seats.
The PTI
politician then filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, which was approved
allowing Sanam including other PTI leaders such as Parvez Elahi and Shuakat
Basra to also contest polls.
Following the
SC verdict, announced last Friday, she has been allowed to contest polls from
NA-119, NA-120, and PP-150.
Sanam is among
dozens of PTI workers and leaders who are in custody for over eight months in
connection with the May 9 riots that broke out following the arrest of PTI
founder Imran Khan in a graft case.
She was booked
in multiple cases including an attack on the Corps Commander House in Lahore
and torching of police vehicles in the Cantonment area during the violent
protests last year.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1152454-ptis-sanam-javaid-arrested-in-new-may-9-arson-case
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Human Rights
Watch calls for Afghan women’s consultation in new representative appointment
Fidel Rahmati
January 28,
2024
Heather Barr,
Deputy Head of the Women’s Rights Watch of the United Nations, has called for
the consideration of women’s demands in Afghanistan when appointing a Special
Representative for the organization. He has urged consultations with women in
this regard.
He also
emphasized that the Special Representative appointed for Afghanistan must
possess “expertise and credibility” in women’s rights, as stated in a message
posted on the Women’s Rights Activists’ page.
The Deputy Head
of the Women’s Rights Watch of the United Nations added that this
representative should continuously engage with women in their work.
Taranam Saeedi,
the leader of the Afghan Women’s Political Participation Network, expressed
hope in a conversation with Khaama Press that the representative appointed for
Afghanistan must pay attention to the voices of women. She also stressed that
the international community should respect the efforts of Afghan women and
recognize them as credible and trustworthy representatives.
She emphasized
that this representative should possess qualities such as a deep understanding
of Afghan issues, recognition of gender apartheid, strong communication and
interaction abilities, conflict resolution skills, ethics, justice, and
flexibility.
Previously, the
United Nations Security Council had called for the appointment of a Special
Representative for Afghanistan to assess the proposals made by the
Secretary-General of the United Nations regarding the situation in Afghanistan
through a resolution.
This report was
prepared by Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the Special Coordinator of the United Nations
for Afghanistan, with a forward-looking approach.
Additionally,
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban, had
stated during a meeting with the Charge d’Affaires of the British Embassy for
Afghanistan that the proposal for the appointment of a specific representative
by the United Nations for Afghanistan is not suitable.
It is worth
mentioning that the United Nations, women’s rights advocacy organizations, and
various countries worldwide have consistently emphasized the presence and
participation of women in various sectors in Afghanistan.
The United
Nations Security Council had also stated in a statement that entrusting the
seat of representation of Afghanistan in the United Nations and other
international interactions to the Taliban without the presence of Afghan women
in the leadership of the government in this country is not possible.
In their
statement, the organization noted that the fundamental rights of women and
girls, including the right to education, work, and representation in public and
political life, are not only fundamental obligations of a government but are
also essential for the long-term capacity of governments and continued economic
growth.
Meanwhile,
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United
Nations, announced that representatives from Afghan women, civil society, and
some countries would participate in a consultative UN meeting on Afghanistan in
Doha.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/human-rights-watch-calls-for-afghan-womens-consultation-in-new-representative-appointment/
----
Iranian Clerics
Divided Over Hijab As Election Nears
2024-01-29
As the hijab
issue divides the people and the government in Iran, politicians also debate
its impact on the regime’s legitimacy and the upcoming elections in March.
While hardline
clerics take advantage of every opportunity to condemn women who defy
compulsory hijab, other more pragmatic or opportunistic figures, including
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are attempting to court women's support in the
lead-up to the parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections.
Khamenei,
without specifically addressing the hijab issue, said in a recent speech that
"Not adhering to religious obligations in maintaining one’s appearance
does not necessarily reflect a lack of belief in the regime."
However, in a
meeting with a selected group of veiled women, Khamenei defined women's
political participation as "encouraging” their husbands and children to
actively take part in the election. The vernacular word Khamenei used for
"encouraging" was "vadarkardan" which also implies obliging
someone to take a specific action. He added that "women can play a part in
this area both at their homes and in the streets."
Iran's ruler
Ali Khamenei during a meeting with a selected group of women in Tehran
(December 2023)
Guardian
Council spokesman Tahan Nazif also implied that women without hijab may vote at
the polling stations. He said: "No one should be denied their right to
vote. The issue of hijab should not divide the people."
According to
Ayatollah Hossein Mousavi Tabrizi, the secretary of the association of seminary
teachers, the number of women who defy hijab in Qom, the home of the main
Shiite seminary and the most religious town in Iran is
"eye-catching".
Tabrizi said
that defying compulsory hijab is now a symbol of expressing opposition to the
government. The cleric added that women from both old and new generations defy
the compulsory hijab in the religious center.
He further
added that many people in Iran do not believe in the religious rules, adding
that on the other hand, religious propaganda in Iran is not consistent with the
people's beliefs and customs, although some of the people defy hijab only to
show their opposition to the system.
Recently, the
police chief in Qom revealed that approximately 74,000 warning text messages
had been issued to women defying compulsory hijab since the start of the
current Iranian year in March 2023. Additionally, 1,968 women were referred to
the court during this period to pay penalties for violating hijab rules,
marking a six-fold increase compared to the previous year.
Sociologist
Mohammad Reza Javadi Yeganeh expressed concerns that confiscating women's
vehicles as punishment for defying hijab could lead to desperation within
families, fueling hatred toward the system and potentially sparking civil
unrest.
The rise in
cases of hijab defiance in a religious city like Qom has been seen by some as a
failure of the government's hijab policy. This difference in perspective may
explain the disagreement between Mousavi Tabrizi, a former general prosecutor,
and hardliners regarding their treatment of women who defy hijab.
In another
development, the Friday Prayer Imam of Mashhad, firebrand cleric Ahmad
Alamolhoda said in his sermons on January 26, that defying hijab will be
eradicated only if the people want it. Meanwhile he called the defiance a
mischievous conspiracy by "the enemies." Many Iranian officials,
including in law enforcement, have blamed foreign enemies for women rejecting
the hijab. But they also blame an expected low turnout in the election on “the
enemy,” and not the regime’s economic failures and repression.
Last year,
Alamolhoda, who is President Ebrahim Raisi’s father-in-law, opined that the
fundamentalist hijab bill prepared by hardliners in the parliament was not good
enough to eradicate “the non-Islamic behavior” of Iranian women. Strongly
criticizing the bill, Alamolhoda said if it passed, it would promote unveiling
rather than prevent it.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202401286883
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/elected-saudi-journalists-association/d/131611