Advanced Level Exam Results of 70 Female Muslim Students Suspended Over Hijab in Sri Lanka
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 Jun 2024
· Advanced Level Exam Results of 70 Female Muslim Students Suspended Over Hijab in Sri Lanka
· Dissident Female Iranian Director, BahareLelahi, Allegedly Killed by Iran’s Security Forces in Custody
· Iranian Journalist, Saba Azarpeik Suffers Two Miscarriages Amid Legal and Prison Ordeal
· Actress Sonakshi Sinha Marrying a Muslim Man, Zaheer Iqbal, Is Not Everybody’s Business
· Pakistan MPA Amina Hassan Sheikh Holds Meeting with Centre for Social Justice Delegation
· Saheli Offers College Scholarships for South Asian, Arab Women in Massachusetts
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/female-muslim-students-hijab-sri-lanka/d/132502
Advanced Level Exam Results of 70 Female Muslim Students Suspended Over Hijab in Sri Lanka
12 June 2024
(File photograph)
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The Advanced Level examination results of 70 female Muslim students at the Zahira College in Trincomalee have been suspended after invigilators complained their identities could not be confirmed as they were wearing hijabs – an Islamic headscarf.
Lawmaker M S Thowfeek told parliament that these students despite undergoing many hardships owing to the economic crisis and loss of livelihoods had studied well and sat for the exams with the hope that they could secure a good result.
“I request the Examinations Department to discuss this with the relevant authorities and ensure that their results are released,” Thowfeek continued.
It comes after another incident where the results of 13 Muslim candidates who sat for the Education administration service (principals’ service) were also withheld due to their wearing of hijabs during the examination.
SJB Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahman also demanded justice for those candidates in parliament last week, where he condemned the move and placed the blame on the Examinations Department. He criticised the department for allegedly failing to inform the candidates about the incompatibility of wearing hijabs during the exam, leading to the subsequent blocking of their results.
A report on religious freedom by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner Special Rapporteur said that there has been a rise in intolerance towards those who observe religious dress codes in Sri Lanka, especially among Muslim women in public institutions such as hospitals, schools and public transport.
“Some people stop Muslim women and girls simply with hijab or abaya from entering some hospitals or exam halls or make verbal insults at workplaces,” the report noted. “I also received reports that alleged violations of the ban on the face-veil were sometimes met with harsh reaction, including imprisonment, which is a draconian measure.”
Source: tamilguardian.com
https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/advanced-level-exam-results-muslim-students-suspended-over-hijab
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Dissident Female Iranian Director, Bahare Lelahi, Allegedly Killed by Iran’s Security Forces in Custody
06/12/2024
NiloufarGoudarzi
Dissident director and screenwriter
Bahare Lelahi
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Dissident director and screenwriter BahareLelahi was allegedly killed by Iran’s security forces and buried in secret.
A source close to her family informed Iran International that security forces demanded money to disclose her burial location and ordered them to keep her death private.
While the exact circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear, human rights activists believe it is a state-backed killing based on the actions of state agents, such as the cover-up and secret burial.
Lelahi, 40, who was briefly detained during the 2022 nationwide protest, went missing in March 2023. In September 2022, the death in police custody of MahsaAmini, which the UN’s fact-finding mission pinned on state authorities, ignited nationwide demonstrations, during which more than 550 protesters were killed.
Dissident journalist Masih Alinejad wrote on Instagram: “After extensive inquiries, her family was informed through the police that Lelahi had died and was interred at Bibi Sakineh Cemetery in Karaj, near Tehran.
“Despite having killed Bahareh and inscribing her name on the burial site, authorities withheld this information from her family for three months.”
The online Institute for Iranian Civil Society (Tavaana) also cited sources close to her family claiming they are trying to bring her body back to their hometown of Amol, in northern Iran, to bury her.
Tavaana also reported that security forces are summoning citizens via phone. When individuals comply without informing anyone, they can be held with no legal representation and nobody has knowledge of their whereabouts.
Amnesty International has highlighted the Iranian authorities have failed to provide accountability for tens of deaths in custody, despite credible reports that they resulted from torture or other ill-treatment or the lethal use of firearms and tear gas by officials when rounding up protestors.
Judiciary officials, who have consistently denied international investigations into Iranian prisons and detention centers, assert that conditions in these facilities are adequate. However, the experiences of numerous prisoners shared by rights groups reveal that prisons and detention centers operated by security forces have effectively become "killing grounds," particularly for dissidents.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202406120781
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Iranian Journalist, Saba AzarpeikSuffers Two Miscarriages Amid Legal and Prison Ordeal
The husband of imprisoned journalist Saba Azarpeik disclosed on X that his wife was hospitalized on Tuesday due to severe bleeding, resulting in the termination of her pregnancy.
AtaollahHafezi further revealed that in February, she lost another fetus at around two months old following a grueling nine-hour court session.
According to Hafezi, conservative presidential candidate and Parliament Speaker Mohammed BagherGhalibaf, alongside former MP Mohsen Dehnavi, ordered a legal case against the whistleblower.
Hafezi shared a video of Ghalibaf during a televised interview, in which he assured whistleblowers would be protected from repercussions under his presidency, to demonstrate the irony.
Azarpeik has been a vocal critic of the Iranian establishment, uncovering financial misconduct within its ranks. She is facing charges in two separate cases involving 15 private accusers.
The journalist has already been convicted in one case, receiving a three-year prison sentence and a fine for defamation and spreading false information. The legal proceedings of the other case, with eight private accusers, are ongoing.
Azarpeik's investigative journalism has exposed various corruption scandals, including those within the Tehran Municipality under Ghalibaf and the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Trade under the administrations of both Hassan Rouhani and EbrahimRaisi.
In 2009, she faced legal repercussions for reporting on police brutality and has been subjected to multiple arrests. In June 2014, she was detained on vague national security charges, enduring 40 days of solitary confinement before being released on bail in August 2014.
According to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Iran is one of the world's largest jailers of journalists, cementing itself as one of the most repressive countries for press freedom. The Islamic Republic's targeted repression of journalists has resulted in the country's dismal ranking in the RSF Index, placing it 176th out of 180 countries assessed.
The pervasive censorship surrounding allegations of corruption has reached such heights that even presidential candidates in this month’s snap elections have been cautioned against disclosing each other's misdeeds. The elections follow the sudden death of EbrahimRaisi and his delegation last month in a helicopter crash.
Each of the Guardian Council's approved presidential candidates, most of whom are close allies of the Supreme Leader, has been granted specific slots for their promotional campaigns on state television. Additionally, the forthcoming week will witness the live broadcasting of presidential debates.
Under the auspices of the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), presidential candidates have received warnings to prevent the tarnishing of the nation's image through their campaign broadcasts.
These warnings include the threat of broadcast suspension. This directive arrives amidst a broader crackdown on media content preceding the elections, emphasizing the imperative for candidates to abstain from defamation and behaviors detrimental to national unity and civic engagement.
The Press Supervisory Board of Iran issued a stern warning, declaring that those found guilty would face a penalty of 74 lashes for violations.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202406126045
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Actress Sonakshi Sinha Marrying a Muslim Man, Zaheer Iqbal, Is Not Everybody’s Business
TINA DAS
12 June, 2024
SwaraBhaskar, RichaChaddha, Kareena Kapoor and now Sonakshi Sinha. Fame has not protected these Bollywood stars from Hindu men who cannot accept the fact that they’ve chosen Muslims as life partners and husbands. But it’s more than just religion that’s at play here. It’s the moral policing of adult women.
What started as media speculation about Sonakshi’s marriage to boyfriend Zaheer Iqbal on 23 June quickly escalated into unsolicited opinion-giving on social media. Honestly, who asked them? And even more importantly, who cares what they have to say?
Khamosh—Sonakshi Sinha marrying a Muslim man is not everybody’s business.
The saviour complex is a peculiar concept. Save someone, whether or not they need your saving. This complex becomes even more pronounced – and vengeful – when a ‘poor woman’, probably ‘lost spiritually’, falls in love with a Muslim man. It’s always the women who are subject to this scrutiny. How dare their love transcend religion?
Women don’t exactly get to choose in our country. This is especially true for romantic partners – they can’t be from a different caste, and certainly not a different religion. Mutual consent? It’s a concept lost in the din of tradition and societal expectations.
Don’t infantilise women
Questioning a woman’s choice to be with a Muslim – choice being the key word here – is rooted in more than just Islamophobia. It’s patriarchy in its purest form. It assumes that women are simply incapable of making the right decisions for themselves.
Take this X (formerly Twitter) user, who went on to question Shatrughan Sinha’s leadership skills. A man who couldn’t ‘control’ his own daughter cannot be expected to control his constituency, he said about the actor-turned-politician.
But he missed a crucial fact – being a father is about supporting one’s children, not controlling them. The X user doesn’t seem to have much knowledge of our democracy either—an MLA ‘serves’ his constituency. He does not ‘control’ it. But then, not much can be expected of Indian men who assume the role of expert gyan-givers on sanskar and sanskriti on social media.
With the viciousness of the comments gaining ground, Shatrughan Sinha shared his views on his daughter’s choices.
“All I can say is, these days, children don’t seek permission from parents, they just inform. We are waiting to be informed,” he said. Many immediately read between the lines to conclude that he was a helpless and hapless father. They conveniently skipped the rest of his comments.
“We trust her judgement completely. She would never make an extra-constitutional or illegal decision. As a consenting adult, she has the right to make her own decisions.”
What Iqbal and Sinha choose to do is nobody’s business but their respective families.
In this dance of rumours, even comedian Sunil Pal criticised Sonakshi for not informing her father about the upcoming nuptials. There is a concept called eloping, and many do it for romantic reasons. Sinha and Iqbal might also want to.
Also, Shatrughan may simply be wanting to protect his daughter’s privacy. Wouldn’t it be better to just take his statement with a pinch of salt?
Never mind provisions like the Special Marriage Act, which safeguard the rights of individuals from different faiths who choose to marry. Vitriolic comments simply show how much men love infantilising women.
Apart from Bhaskar, Chaddha and Kapoor, prominent TV personalities like Mini Mathur, who married director Kabir Khan, and actor Shruti Seth, who married filmmaker Danish Aslam, have also been criticised for their choices. TV actor DevoleenaBhattacharjee also faced backlash for marrying her Muslim fitness trainer.
India’s most popular interfaith couple, Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Khan, have often spoken about the need to respect each other’s faith in a marriage. “I think everybody is an individual and follows their religion. But obviously, there should be no disrespect,” Gauri had said on Koffee with Karan in 2005.
Maybe the popular adage, Miya BiwiRaazi, Toh Kya KaregaQazi should be listened to. It really means that if two consulting adults want to marry, nothing can stop them.
Marriage is a choice. Simple.
But it is often the simplest of things that perplex people the most.
Views are personal.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)
Source: theprint.in
https://theprint.in/opinion/pov/khamosh-sonakshi-sinha-marrying-a-muslim-man-is-not-everybodys-business/2128249/
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Pakistan MPA Amina Hassan Sheikh Holds Meeting with Centre for Social Justice Delegation
June 13, 2024
Lahore: MPA Amina Hassan Sheikh visited the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) office, where she was warmly welcomed by the CSJ team and presented with a bouquet.
The meeting with MPA Amina Hassan Sheikh and the civil society delegation led by Peter Jacob discussed several critical issues facing religious minorities. They included the lack of: policy decisions approving jail remission for minority prisoners, implementation of a 5% job quota, the inclusion of Jinnah’s speech in textbooks, etc. CSJ’s representatives present at the meeting included Suneel Malik, TayyabaRafiq, YasarTalib, Nasir William, and Iqra Tabassum.
MPA Amina Hassan assured the delegation that the Punjab government is committed to addressing human rights issues. She expressed her intent to consult with minority legislators on policy proposals related to minorities, and pledged her full support for reforms aimed at safeguarding minorities' rights.
Peter Jacob, executive director of CSJ stressed the need for the government to introduce and strengthen affirmative measures to address the marginalization and inclusion of citizens, irrespective of discrimination. He expressed deep concerns over the incidents of religion-based hatred and violence in Punjab, and emphasized the need for decisive action of the Punjab government to prevent attacks against minorities.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to continue working together towards contributing to the goal of equality of rights and citizenship in Pakistan.
Source: nation.com.pk
https://www.nation.com.pk/13-Jun-2024/mpa-amina-hassan-sheikh-holds-meeting-with-csj-delegation
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Saheli Offers College Scholarships for South Asian, Arab Women in Massachusetts
June 12, 2024
BURLINGTON, MA–Saheli, a nonprofit organization focused on domestic violence prevention, empowerment, and education for South Asian and Arab families, is currently accepting applications for its annual scholarship program.
The organization will award scholarships of $1000-$2000 to three young women from South Asian and Arab communities in Massachusetts to support their pursuit of higher education.
The scholarships are open to high school seniors of South Asian or Arab origin who are residents of Massachusetts and have been accepted into college for the upcoming academic year. Eligible countries of origin include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and any Arabic-speaking nation.
To apply, students must submit a college acceptance letter, official high school transcript, two references (one from an educator), and a personal statement of approximately 600 words. Participation in Saheli’s Fellowship Program is also required.
Saheli recognizes that some young women of color may hesitate to apply unless they meet every qualification perfectly. However, the organization encourages all interested candidates to apply, as they are committed to evaluating applicants holistically.
Applications are available at saheliboston.org/scholarship and must be submitted by June 30, 2024 to priya.murali@saheliboston.org, aditisoni@saheliboston.org, or mailed to Saheli, P.O. Box 1345, Burlington, MA 01803.
This scholarship presents a great opportunity for South Asian and Arab young women in Massachusetts to receive financial support towards their college education goals. Interested students are encouraged to review the eligibility criteria and application requirements
If you would like to support our scholarship initiative for next year, you can join Saheli at Nirbhaya on December 1st, 2024.
Source: indianewengland.com
https://indianewengland.com/saheli-offers-college-scholarships-for-south-asian-arab-women-in-massachusetts/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/female-muslim-students-hijab-sri-lanka/d/132502