Another Ex-Political Prisoner, Sara Tabrizi, Dies Mysteriously In Iran
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 March 2024
·
Another Ex-Political Prisoner, Sara
Tabrizi, Dies Mysteriously In Iran
·
Farzana, A 48-Year-Old Mother Of
Five Pursues Lifelong Dream Of Literacy In Kabul Outskirts
·
Israeli Soldiers Play With Gaza Women's
Underwear In Online Posts
·
Saudi Arabia To Chair UN Forum On
Women’s Rights And Gender Equality
·
Iran Continues Crackdown On Women
As Executions Approach 100 For The Year
·
Iran's First Female Olympic
Medalist Joins Bulgarian Team
·
The Muslim Women In College Ball
Who Are Changing American Sports
·
Muslim Woman Retracts Statements
Made About Jail’s Strip Search As Part Of Settlement Agreement
·
Al-Ahli Crowned Champions Of
Inaugural Saudi Women’s Cup
Compiled by New Age Islam News
Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/ex-political-prisoner-sara-tabrizi-iran/d/132032
------
Another
Ex-Political Prisoner, Sara Tabrizi, Dies Mysteriously In Iran
Sara
Tabrizi
----
Mar.
28, 2024
Information
received by Iran International indicates that Sara Tabrizi, a former political
prisoner in Iran, has died under suspicious circumstances.
The
body of the 20-year-old woman was found in her father’s house in the Iranian
capital Tehran on Sunday.
According
to the report, Tabrizi was subjected in the last weeks of her life to severe
psychological pressure by the security agents of the Iranian government and was
summoned to Iran’s infamous Ministry of Intelligence just one day before her
death.
On
November 16, Tabrizi was detained by security forces at Tehran’s International
Airport, along with another citizen, while on her way to England. She was sent
to Ward 29 of the Evin prison, belonging to the Ministry of Intelligence. After
around ten days of interrogation, she was released on a bail of 10 billion
rials ($20,000).
According
to the information received by Iran International, Tabrizi was forced to spend
the first three days of her detention in solitary confinement, a challenging
period for her which led to severe anxiety, high blood pressure and high heart
rate. She was later transferred to a three-person cell in Evin Prison.
“Sara
was threatened by the interrogators that if she fails to cooperate with them,
she will be sent back to solitary confinement and that the private content of
her cell phone would be made public so that it would reach her family,” a
source close to Tabrizi’s family revealed to Iran International.
Tabrizi
was once again summoned and detained on January 8, this time released on a bail
of 20 billion rials ($40,000).
Subsequently
tried by notorious Judge Iman Afshari in Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, she was
sentenced to suspended imprisonment over such charges as “insulting Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei, and using fake documents and someone else’s passport.”
In
an official report submitted to Tabrizi’s family in the presence of security
agents, Iran’s Legal Medicine Organization announced “taking pills” as the
cause of her death.
Referring
to people dying suspiciously in prisons or shortly after release, the Iranian
regime often claims they have committed suicide, though it is now widely
disregarded as propaganda.
“Her
family found no empty pill box near her corpse. They do not know whether she
committed suicide, had a stroke or was killed by the agents themselves,” the
source told Iran International.
Last
week, Alireza Khari, another former political prisoner, committed suicide under
continuous psychological pressure and torture, even after release from prison.
He was arrested during the nationwide uprising triggered by the death in
morality-police custody of Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Judiciary
officials who have always refused to allow international investigations into
Iranian prisons, claim conditions at these facilities are suitable. The
experience of many prisoners, however, proves that prisons and detention
centers run by security forces have become “killing grounds” for prisoners,
especially dissidents.
In
the past month alone, several political prisoners attempted or committed
suicide. These include MosayebYeganeh who was returned to Tehran’s Evin prison
from hospital before the completion of his treatment. Shahin Gallehdari, a
Kurdish political prisoner was another victim who died at the ultra-security
ward of the Central Prison of Orumieh in northwestern Iran, and Hasan Omarpour,
another Kurdish prisoner self-immolated at the same prison.
Source:
iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403285860
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Farzana,
A 48-Year-Old Mother Of Five Pursues Lifelong Dream Of Literacy In Kabul
Outskirts
Farzana says that learning has nothing to do with
people’s age because, according to her, individuals at any age require the
skill of reading and writing/Image/Khaama press.
------
Fidel
Rahmati
March
28, 2024
Farzana,
a 48-year-old woman living on the outskirts of Kabul, pursues her lifelong wish
by going to the literacy center, where she hopes to learn reading and writing.
Farzana wants to read and write. She hasn’t forgotten this lifelong wish, and
even now, as a mother of five children, she eagerly walks the path from her
home to the literacy center every day.
According
to Farzana, humans need to read and write until the end of their lives, which
are now considered basic and essential skills for everyone, and there is no
age-based criterion for learning. In her opinion, only opportunity may deprive
someone of the chance to learn or circumstances, but neither has anything to do
with age.
However,
she has sometimes fallen victim to circumstances, and sometimes the lack of
sufficient opportunity has deprived her of learning. According to her, the
family circumstances and mindset prevalent in her family consider learning a
“shame”: “In the area where we lived (the first district of the Kapisa
province), even my uncles and their sons were illiterate due to opposition to
education.”
When
Farzana was young, she attended school with her sister Madina, the only local
school that allowed girls to attend. But going to school also had challenges,
from convincing family members to enduring the unusual behaviors of the local
people. Farzana and Madina were not alone on this journey. With the help of
their brother, they attended school for a while, where the dream of learning
flourished within these two sisters. This dream now compels Farzana to
disregard the prohibition on educating girls and women and eagerly walk the
path from her home to the literacy center daily.
Farzana’s
older sister managed to study until the seventh grade. She learned the skills
of reading and writing, but she fell behind after the third grade. These two
sisters studied at the Eshtergram Girls’ High School, where, until 1979, only
boys were allowed to attend.
She
says, “I remember I was in the third grade when they set fire to the school I
attended and shot the school principal. Our school principal was named
MasturaKohistani, and I still remember that after her death, other girls and I
personally did not dare to go to school and continue our education.”
What
Farzana recalls dates back to 1979 when a woman named “MasturaKohistani” was
serving as the principal of the Eshtergram Girls’ High School. The school was
set on fire by unknown individuals in the same year, and Mastura was also
murdered.
In
addition to the family and social constraints that limited Farzana’s education,
there were also political circumstances. According to her, her mother became a
victim of political upheavals during the rule of BabrakKarmal and, as a result
of the former Soviet bombings, lost her life. Following this event, Farzana was
forced into marriage, resulting in five children.
Many
years have passed since then, and the circumstances of the family and the new
family situation required Farzana to raise her children and care for their
health. However, this long hiatus hasn’t deterred her from her dream of
learning: “Some people think that our time for learning has passed, but that’s
not true. Learning has no specific time. Knowledge has no specific time. I
found the opportunity and enrolled myself in the nearest literacy course.”
She
is currently studying in a class primarily consisting of children. Initially,
it was challenging for her, but now that her reading and writing skills are
improving daily, it doesn’t matter much to her whether she studies with
children or adults. She only sees the end goal of learning, where, according to
her, she can pick up a book and read it without any difficulty.
Negin,
Farzana’s instructor at the literacy center, said in a phone conversation with
Khaama Press, “I have had many students, but Mrs. Farzana, despite being older,
makes a lot of effort for her education and acquisition of knowledge, and no
one can understand this better than me. It’s delightful here that her efforts
have yielded very good results.”
She
says, “Every morning, Farzana listens to me attentively. When I enter the
class, she’s the first to recap the previous day’s lessons and properly
fulfills her household duties.”
Farzana
can now use a smartphone, send text messages to her family and relatives, and
inquire about their well-being. Previously, she couldn’t use a smartphone and
only communicated with friends and family through phone calls.
She
says, “Previously, going to different places like the market, hospital,
restaurant, etc., was difficult, and I needed someone to accompany me. But now,
I can solve these problems on my own.”
Source:
khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/mother-of-five-pursues-lifelong-dream-of-literacy-in-kabul-outskirts/
---
Israeli
Soldiers Play With Gaza Women's Underwear In Online Posts
Mar 29, 2024
NEW
DELHI: Israeli soldiers have sparked outrage by sharing photos and videos of
themselves handling lingerie found in Palestinian homes, further intensifying
scrutiny of Israel's offensive in Gaza amid a looming famine crisis, as
reported by Reuters.
In
one video, an Israeli soldier is seen sitting in a room in Gaza, holding
lingerie and grinning while dangling it over the open mouth of a comrade lying
on a sofa, who holds a gun in hand.
In
another instance, a soldier is depicted sitting on top of a tank, holding a
female mannequin wearing a black bra and helmet, jokingly referring to it as a
"beautiful wife" found in Gaza.
These
posts, shared by Israeli soldiers, depict them toying with lingerie and
mannequins in Palestinian homes. The images have garnered widespread attention,
with some being reposted by Palestinian reporter Younis Tirawi to his more than
100,000 followers on X.
Meanwhile,
the IDF said that it investigates incidents deviating from expected soldier
behavior and values, and opens investigations into criminal offenses as
necessary.
While
some cases were found to involve inappropriate behavior, the IDF did not
specify whether any of the highlighted posts were included.
These
posts come amid accusations of war crimes against both Hamas and Israel. While
Hamas is accused of sexual violence during the October 7 attack on Israel,
Israel is accused of similar offenses against Palestinians in Gaza.
Source:
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/israeli-soldiers-play-with-gaza-womens-underwear-in-online-posts/articleshow/108868883.cms
---
Saudi
Arabia to chair UN forum on women’s rights and gender equality
March
28, 2024
Jennifer
Hauser
(CNN)
— A decision by the United Nations to appoint Saudi Arabia as the chair of a
gender equality forum has been criticized by women’s rights advocates.
The
UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) unanimously appointed Saudi Arabia
to chair its 69th session in 2025, according to the Saudi Arabia Mission to the
UN. Saudi ambassador to the UN, Abdulaziz Alwasil, was elected as chair
Wednesday.
Ahead
of the decision, Amnesty International Deputy Director for Advocacy
SherineTadros called out Saudi Arabia for its notorious treatment of women.
“The
Commission on the Status of Women has a clear mandate to promote women’s rights
and gender equality and it is vital for the chair of the commission to uphold
this. Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting
the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality
for women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the commission,”
Tadros said Friday.
“Saudi
Arabia cannot prove its commitment to women’s rights merely by securing a
leadership role in the commission. It must demonstrate its commitment through
concrete actions domestically,” Tadros added.
Human
Rights Watch also warned about the UN decision, saying last week that “Saudi
Arabia systematically discriminates against women and persecutes women’s rights
activists.”
But
Saudi Arabia says it is eager to help women by working with the CSW as part of
its new vision for the kingdom.
“The
kingdom’s chairmanship of the committee comes as an affirmation of its interest
in cooperation within the framework of the international community in enhancing
women’s rights and empowerment, and it is also in line with the qualitative
achievements achieved by the kingdom in this field, thanks to the special
attention and care the kingdom’s leadership pays to (women’s) empowerment and
rights,” state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Wednesday.
The
Saudi government website “Saudi Vision 2030” says it aims for “a strong,
thriving, and stable Saudi Arabia that provides opportunity for all.”
The
Saudi Press Agency added, “The Saudi Vision 2030 also included priorities and
targets that focused on women’s full participation at all levels and investing
their energies in a manner consistent with their enormous capabilities.”
Source:
keyt.com
https://keyt.com/news/national-world/cnn-world/2024/03/28/saudi-arabia-to-chair-un-forum-on-womens-rights-and-gender-equality/
---
Iran
Continues Crackdown On Women As Executions Approach 100 For The Year
Mar.
28, 2024
Beatrice
Farhat
An
Iranian court this week sentenced 11 women's rights advocates to prison terms
totaling 60 years, as authorities in the Islamic Republic continue their
crackdown against any type of dissent.
An
Islamic Revolutionary Court in Rasht, the capital of northwestern Gilan
province, handed down the sentences, which ranged from one year to nine years
in prison, local media reported. According to IranWire, the activists, 10 women
and 1 man, were tried collectively in proceedings that began Feb. 29. They had
been released on bail pending sentencing.
With
the Iranian judiciary yet to report the sentences, the lawyers of the activists
revealed them to the Tehran-based Shargh news network on Wednesday.
The
activists were identified as AzadehChavoshian, Zahra Dadras, ZohrehDadras,
YasaminHashdari, JelvehJavaheri, NeginRezaie, ForoughSaminia, Shiva Shah Sia,
MatinYazdani and a married couple, Sara Jahani and Hooman Taheri.
The
charges leveled against them, according to their lawyers, included “forming a
group to act against national security,” “assembly and collusion to act against
national security,” and “propaganda against the system.”
The
11 activists were among 12 others detained across Gilan province during raids
of their home by security forces in August 2023, a month before the one-year
anniversary of the nationwide protests that erupted in response to the death of
Mahsa Amini while in custody in September 2022.
According
to reporting by several media outlets, including IranWire and Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, the activists were subjected to physical abuse and
beatings while in detention.
The
2022 protests initially centered on women’s rights but subsequently broadened
to encompass calls for the fall of the Islamic government. Iranian security
authorities responded by launching a violent crackdown against protesters and
activists, killing more than 500 people and arresting thousands of others,
according to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.
Many
of those arrested were sentenced to death, with executions continuing into this
year. Iran Human Rights, an Oslo-based group, recorded at least 604 executions
in 2023 and has documented 98 executions so far this year.
In
an October report, Amnesty International said Iran had executed more than 5,000
people for a range of offenses over the course of a decade, between Jan. 1,
2012, and July 31, 2023. Those put to death included religious minorities,
protesters and activists and members of the LGBTQ community. Fifty-seven of
them were minors.
Iran
ranks second, behind only China, in the number of executions carried out per
year. Exact figures were not possible to obtain, but Amnesty estimated in a
2022 report that China had executed more than 1,000 people, while Iran
conducted 576 executions that year.
On
Wednesday, three people, including a woman, were executed at a prison in the
city of Tabriz, in northwestern East Azerbaijan province. Iran Human Rights
said the three, identified as Abbas Aghayi and Yasin Zolfaghari and his
(unidentified) wife, were put to death for drug-related offenses.
Iran
has faced growing criticism for its clampdown on civil and political activists.
Rights groups have repeatedly condemned Tehran's use of the death penalty as a
tool to instill fear among the population and repress any form of dissent. They
have also called out most death sentences, asserting that they were issued
after unfair trials and confessions extracted under torture.
Source:
al-monitor.com
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2024/03/iran-continues-crackdown-women-executions-approach-100-year
---
Iran's
First Female Olympic Medalist Joins Bulgarian Team
MARCH
28, 2024
Kimia
Alizadeh, the first Iranian woman to win an Olympic medal, has joined the
Bulgarian national taekwondo team after leaving Iran.
Bulgarian
Taekwondo Federation President SlavtchoBinev praised Alizadeh's potential,
calling her "a potential gold medalist."
"We
are in contact with the government to expedite the paperwork and expect their
full support in the coming days," Binev said.
According
to Binev, the deadline to finalize Alizadeh's participation with Bulgaria or
the Refugee Team is April 15.
Alizadeh
boasts six historic achievements in taekwondo and Iranian women's sports.
Her
defection has garnered significant national and international attention.
In
a previous Instagram post, Alizadeh said, "I am not a history maker, nor
the flag bearer of Iran."
"I
am one of millions of oppressed Iranian women who have been dictated to for
years. They controlled my every move, my clothing, and even my words. They used
my medals to promote their own agenda," she added.
Source:
iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/sports/126773-irans-first-female-olympic-medalist-joins-bulgarian-team/
---
The
Muslim women in college ball who are changing American sports
March
28, 2024
Dilshad
Ali
(RNS)
— The thrill of it will never get old for me: seeing Muslim women, especially
Muslim women wearing hijab, playing sports, in school, amateur level or professionally.
As the NCAA and WNIT women’s basketball tournaments come down to their final
days, women are out there doing their thing while visibly Muslim, like it’s no
big thing.
Except
that it kind of is.
While
many fans are focused on the elite-level skills of college players such as the
University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark or Louisiana State University’s Angel Reese,
I’ve loved seeing five Muslim women basketballers (that I know of) join the Big
Dance this year (during Ramadan, no less) and leave it all out there on the
court.
DiabaKonaté
is a 23-year-old senior at University of California, Irvine, whose No. 13 seed
team lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to No. 4 seed Gonzaga,
ending her college basketball career. Konaté, who hails from France, cannot
play basketball in her home country due to French laws banning hijab in sport
and other sectors of French life. But she will return home having helped take
UCI to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the program’s history and as a
Big West tournament champion.
On
Friday (March 29), in the NCAA women’s round of 16, Amina Muhammad, a sophomore
from DeSoto, Texas, at the top-seeded University of Texas at Austin, will be
meeting Gonzaga, while Jannah Eissa, a hijab-wearing freshman with the No. 3
seed North Carolina State Wolfpack, will be playing against No. 2 seed Stanford
University. Eissa, who hails from Cairo, is the first hijab-wearing competitor
to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Over
in the WNIT tournament, the University of Buffalo, where senior Rana Elhusseini
plays, lost to Monmouth in the first round. Monmouth then lost to Duquesne in a
nail-biting game that saw a few minutes’ action from senior Kiandra Browne. The
Canadian Browne transferred to Duquesne last year from Indiana University,
where she had converted to Islam in her freshman year and started wearing hijab
as a sophomore.
I
managed to catch Browne before her second of two daily practices this week and
asked her how it was to play in hijab at such a fast-paced tournament level.
“Honestly, it’s no big deal for me,” she said. “This is who I am, a
take-it-or-leave-it kind of thing. My team is used to it, my coaching staff is
used to it. I don’t get any pushback from my team.”
These
matter-of-fact statements are exactly what thrills former college player Bilqis
Abdul-Qaadir, who had her eyes on entering the WNBA in 2014. But when she
didn’t make it in, she decided to aim for international play, only to be barred
from that due to International Basketball Federation’s then-rule that didn’t
allow for headgear. “I had to reidentify who I was after the ban,” she said.
Abdul-Qaadir
joined the #FIBAAllowHijab campaign, and by 2017 the federation had changed its
rules to allow head coverings in international competition. Along with her
husband, she now serves as athletic director at the Islamic Association of
Greater Memphis, while acting as a mentor and friend to any Muslim hoopster or
athlete seeking support.
“I
know all (of these players) except for Amina,” Abdul-Qaadir told me. Browne
played for Abdul-Qaadir’s old coach at Indiana, who reached out to Abdul-Qaadir
after Browne converted to Islam so she could have some support. Abdul-Qaadir
knows how important it is for these athletes to have someone who understands
their lives and their love of the sport. “I randomly reach out to Muslim
athletes … to check in on them. I’m tired of fighting rules; I’m trying to
create our own spaces. We need to be supporting each other.”
Like
me, Abdul-Qaadir is beyond excited to see five Muslims playing in these
postseason tournaments. “When I played, I was the only one (in hijab). I never
made it to the NCAA Tournament, but I made it to the WNIT twice. It may seem
like a small thing, but it’s not.”
I
wondered if there would ever come a time when Muslim women (wearing hijab or
not) playing college or professional hoops would be a nonstory, a no-big-deal
kind of a thing.
Abdul-Qaadir,
who has been ensconced in basketball life for years, doesn’t think so. “I
honestly don’t. … It’s still so new to anyone outside of Muslim communities. I
don’t think it’ll ever be normalized until we see teams full of Muslim women,
wrapped or otherwise.”
And
while players who wear hijab are most visibly Muslim, Abdul-Qaadir was quick to
remind me that “we don’t know everyone’s stories. You don’t know about women
who don’t wear hijab but are Muslim. Their stories are also important to tell.
It literally brings me to tears when I see my sisters out there playing, and
they’re winning.”
Source:
religionnews.com
https://religionnews.com/2024/03/28/the-muslim-women-in-college-ball-who-are-changing-american-sports/
----
Muslim
Woman Retracts Statements Made About Jail’s Strip Search As Part Of Settlement
Agreement
Mar.
28, 2024
BOWLING
GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – A lawsuit brought against the Warren County Regional Jail
and certain staff members has been dismissed and settled outside of court.
The
legal action was brought by a Muslim woman, who claimed her religious rights
were taken away when she was asked to remove her hijab upon being booked at the
jail. She also claimed the jail livestreamed her strip search in the facility’s
lobby.
“My
attorneys and I have received verification that the strip search was never live
streamed or broadcasted,” said the woman in a statement provided to WBKO.
The
jail’s inmate dressing room is the room where the search happened, and it does
not contain any security cameras or recording devices, the statement said.
The
original complaint named several people, including Warren County
Judge/Executive Doug Gorman, Warren County Jailer Stephen Harmon, Deputy Jailer
Brooke L. Harp, a Bowling Green police officer, and two officers at the Warren
County Regional Jail.
The
woman, who filed the lawsuit anonymously, agreed to dismiss all of the claims
against most of the people except Harmon and Harp. The settlement also
dismissed the remaining claims against them.
As
a term of the settlement, the woman agreed to retract the claims about the
strip search since they were false. The other terms of the settlement called
for the destruction of the woman’s booking photograph, a $25,000 payout, and a
policy amendment at the jail regarding booking photographs and procedures.
The
woman was originally charged with second-degree assault (domestic violence),
which is considered a violent felony offense.
The
jail often conducts a strip search of incoming inmates with those charges to
screen them for weapons, drugs, and other contraband. The search was conducted
by a female officer and was legal, according to a statement from Jailer Harmon provided
to WBKO.
“From
the outset of the case, we vigorously defended Warren County, Jailer Harmon,
his staff, and their interests with a very strong motion to dismiss which
resulted in the Plaintiff voluntarily dropping nearly all of her claims,” said Matthew
Cook, the attorney representing the county and the jailer.
The
jail has also agreed to revise its booking photo policy, which will now allow
people booked into the jail to keep their religious head covering on as long as
their facial features are visible. Inmates wearing a religious head covering
will be informed of their right to continue wearing the covering as a part of
the booking process.
Incoming
inmates will be required to remove the head covering and allow the head to be
searched, the statement said, but will be allowed to wear it afterward. The
search will also be conducted outside the presence of members of the opposite
sex, according to the new policy.
“There
was no intentional religious discrimination in this case,” Harmon said. “Our
goal is to provide a safe environment for all persons in our facility.”
The
monetary terms of the settlement will be paid from Warren County’s liability
insurance and at no cost to tax payers. The settlement was made only after the
woman agreed to publicly retract her false allegations.
The
county also agreed to settle the lawsuit to avoid more litigation costs.
Source:
wbko.com/
https://www.wbko.com/2024/03/28/muslim-woman-retracts-statements-made-about-jails-strip-search-part-settlement-agreement/
----
Al-Ahli
Crowned Champions Of Inaugural Saudi Women’s Cup
March
29, 2024
RIYADH:
Al-Ahli have been crowned the inaugural Saudi Arabian Football Federation
Women’s Cup champions, after defeating Al-Shabab 3-2 in the final of the
competition at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on Thursday night.
Al-Ahli
forward IbtissamJraidi, who scored the first two of her team’s goals, in the
18th and 50th minutes, was named player of the match. Teammate NaomieKabakaba
added a third in the 53rd minute as Al-Ahli continued to dominate.
However,
Al-Shabab mounted a late comeback attempt, beginning with a penalty converted
in the 68th minute by Oriana Altuve. ChaimaAbbassi added a second in the 88th
minute. But in the short time remaining they could not get the third goal they
needed to pull level.
The
final marked the culmination of the new 16-team Women’s Cup’s inaugural
competition, which began in November. The federation introduced it to increase
the competitiveness of women’s football in the country, amid rapid development
of the women’s game worldwide.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2484646/sport
---
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/ex-political-prisoner-sara-tabrizi-iran/d/132032