Iran: Female Student Who Stripped In Defiance Might Be Subjected To 'Torture' In Psychiatric Unit, Rights Groups Say
New Age Islam News Bureau
08 Nov 2024
· Iran: Female Student Who Stripped In Defiance Might Be Subjected To 'Torture' In Psychiatric Unit, Rights Groups Say
· I am shocked Indian ‘liberals’ aren’t supporting Iranian woman Ahoo Daryaei protesting hijab: Amana Begam
· She was “amma” to hundreds of Muslim women
· How The State ‘Rescues Muslim Sisters’ To Protect Its Majoritarian Nationalism
· As I live in exile, I watch in horror as the Taliban seeks to erase women
· Afghanistan: Woman shares impact of university ban
· UAE sends 80 tonnes of aid to women in Lebanon
· The campaign breaking stereotypes about Muslim women
· US and UK embassies host women’s health majlis in Riyadh
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/female-student-defiance-psychiatric-iran/d/133654
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Iran: Female student who stripped in defiance might be subjected to 'torture' in psychiatric unit, rights groups say
November 8, 2024,
Representational image. Reuters
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The female university student who stripped to her underwear in defiance is reportedly admitted to a psychiatric unit in Iran and human rights groups fear that she might be withstanding torture at the facility.
The woman, named AhooDaryaei on social media, has been declared mentally unfit and a “troubled individual” by the Iranian government after a video of her walking around half-naked at the Islamic Azad University in Tehran became viral.
The woman was detained by security guards at the university. A university spokesperson, Amir Mahjob, said on X on Saturday “At the police station, … it was found that she was under severe mental pressure and had a mental disorder.”
Tortured at mental institution
Government spokesperson FatemehMohajerani said that Daryaei had been transferred to a treatment centre after her detention, sparing details of the facility’s location.
Amnesty International on Friday said that it has evidence to prove that prisoners are subjected to electric shocks, torture, beatings and chemical substances when they are arrested under the pretext of mental instability.
The female student, who has not been formally identified yet, was reportedly protesting after she was physically assaulted by campus security guards at the university for not complying with its dress codes.
Terming her transfer to an unknown mental institution “kidnapping”, the Center for Human Rights in Iran, said, “Iranian authorities systematically use involuntary psychiatric hospitalisation as a tool to suppress dissent, branding protesters as mentally unstable to undermine their credibility.”
‘We don’t view it under a security lens’
Mohajerani said that the Iranian government is “not viewing this issue under a security lens, we are rather looking at it with a social lens and seek to solve the problems of this student as a troubled individual.”
“It is yet too soon to speak of this student’s return to university. According to a video published by her husband, she needs treatment and that needs to be completed before taking the next steps,” Mohajerani added on the government’s website.
Source:firstpost.com
https://www.firstpost.com/world/iran-female-student-who-stripped-in-defiance-might-be-subjected-to-torture-in-psychiatric-unit-rights-groups-say-13833363.html
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I am shocked Indian ‘liberals’ aren’t supporting Iranian woman Ahoo Daryaei protesting hijab: Amana Begam
08 November, 2024
Iranian women protesting after the death of 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini on 16 September | Reuters
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The Iranian regime’s enforcement of the hijab is once again in global headlines, with recent footage showing a Persian woman stripping in public as an act of protest. The memory of MahsaAmini’s death in custody, allegedly for wearing her hijab improperly, remains painfully fresh.
It’s quite saddening that in the 21st century, women in Iran are still fighting for personal agency. It’s not that the people of Iran don’t want change, according to a 2020 survey by the Group for Analysing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN) — 72 per cent of Iranians oppose compulsory hijab laws, with 58 per cent expressing that they do not believe in hijab altogether. However, the Iranian authority sees it as an act of defiance from the prism of politics.
The same old argument
Let’s be clear, the Iranian regime operates as an authoritarian system where the Supreme Leader and his loyalists firmly control the nation’s political and social landscape. As is typical with authoritarian rule, there exists an acute fear within the leadership that any shift, however small, might unravel the regime’s grip on power. In such a theocratic authoritarian regime, even slight adjustment can be seen as a vulnerability in the system, setting a precedent that could inspire further demands for reform or change. Therefore, to the Iranian authorities, relaxing hijab laws would not only weaken their religious and ideological stance but also risk signalling an openness to broader freedoms, a potential domino effect they are desperate to avoid.
Modesty has long been used as the trope to defend the enforced hijab on women, claiming that it keeps women safe in public. It is the same age-old patriarchal argument suggesting that women’s safety depends on their attire rather than addressing the real issue: society’s attitude toward women. Actually, it’s a form of victim blaming that holds women accountable for crimes against them; that women must modify their behaviour and clothing to be ‘worthy’ of safety. This flawed logic fails to address the root causes of gender-based violence and instead burdens women with the responsibility to prevent it.
What ‘liberals’ say
As a woman, one might expect liberals to be natural allies in defending her right to choice and in condemning legally mandated dress codes. However, during a debate on Times Now, I was struck by the bizarre arguments I witnessed. Rather than addressing the core issue, some participants diverted attention or engaged in unnecessary whataboutery, sidestepping the real conversation on women’s freedom and autonomy. Some of them who fought for girls’ right to wear burka and hijab in classrooms argued that Iranian laws are based on sharia. As if that makes it okay to snatch away the women’s right to choose. Many said that stripping in public was indecency, and that even in India it would be unacceptable.
When people argue that hijab is a choice but fail to condemn its enforcement by authorities, it exposes a clear hypocrisy. Their concern seems to be with defending specific clothing rather than supporting a woman’s right to choose. ‘Choice’ is just a convenient argument for the moment and not a genuine commitment to principle.
Another questioned: What about Indian schools/colleges banning hijab and burka? While India has never imposed a national ban on any particular attire for women, institutions and colleges may have their own guidelines or uniforms. This form of whataboutery is both irrelevant and unnecessary when discussing the issue at hand, as it diverts attention from the core topic.
Gatekeeping support
The most striking aspect was witnessing the social media meltdown of some liberal Muslims over Iranian women protesting against the enforcement of hijab. Their outrage was directed not at the brutal enforcement but at perceived ‘Islamophobia’ in the portrayal of the morality police. The absurdity reached new heights when women protesting against the hijab was referred to as ‘sisters’. Not only this, some even had a problem with the kind of people supporting Iranian women. The argument was that if you don’t agree with or show solidarity with Muslim women in any part of the world, you have no right to speak for Iranian women. This reasoning is both illogical and dismissive as it creates unnecessary barriers to solidarity on an issue that transcends borders.
On the one side, there is the fight against patriarchal society and authoritarian forces; on the other, there are so-called liberal Muslim women who was supposed to be allies in fight for basic human rights, autonomy, and the freedom to choose. But sadly, attempts to dilute or redirect this conversation — whether through whataboutery, accusations of Islamophobia, or gatekeeping who can stand in solidarity — serve to distract one from the core issue: the right of women to live without oppression. At its heart, this debate is not just about the hijab.
Source:theprint.in
https://theprint.in/opinion/i-am-shocked-indian-liberals-arent-supporting-iranian-woman-ahoo-daryaei-protesting-hijab/2347287/
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She was “amma” to hundreds of Muslim women
Nov 08, 2024
Church leaders have mourned the death of a wellknown social worker and reformer, who had become “amma” (mother) to hundreds of women, mostly Muslims, in Kerala’s Malappuram district.
Apostolic Carmel Sister Marienie succumbed to cancer on October 21 at a private hospital in Kozhikode, Kerala. She was 58.
“Her passion for the people of Nilambur [Kerala] was palpable in everything she dreamt and did for them,” said Sr Maria Nirmalini, Apostolic Carmel. superior general.
SrMarienie was a crusader of women’s empowerment in Nilambur, a town in Kerala’s Malappuram district, as the director of Fatimagiri Social Service Centre since 2010. She had worked tirelessly for their welfare and brought several changes in their lives, SrNirmalini said.
SrMarienie was the recipient of awards for her social work from the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council, the Deepika League and several local and national organisations.
“Her empowerment of women, awareness programmes and relief and comfort during floods were well appreciated,” said SrNirmalini who termed SrMarienie’s “untimely death” as a big loss to their congregation as well as to the people of Kerala.
Bishop Varghese Chakkalackal of Calicut, who presided over the funeral services at Apostolic Carmel provincialate on October 22, recalled that SrMarienie had touched people with her love and healing wherever she worked and whomever she served.
Carmelite Fr Roy Kannanchira, who interviewed SrMarienie for a TV programme, said the Catholic nun had brought a new phase of social empowerment to especially the Muslim women in Malappuram region. She had taken the ministry beyond social or religious differences, he added.
“She saw the needs of the people as needs of God and served them with passion and dedication,” said the priest.
SrMarienie had done her masters in Social Work at School of Social Work, RoshniNilaya, Mangalore. She took over Fatimagiri Social Service Centre in 2010 as its director.
“A great student and of course a great social worker and inspiration,” said Sr Juliet Joseph, who was RoshniNilaya director when Marienie was a student.
The Daughters of the Heart of Mary recalled that SrMarienie had “tremendous zeal for social work” as a student in her institution under her maiden name, Marykutty Joseph.
“I was privileged to teach and guide Markutty in her field work at Link De-addiction Centre. I had noticed her commitment that brought transformation in the lives of many persons suffering from the aftereffects of addiction,” said Sr Juliet, who is now the congregation’s South provincial.
Sr Juliet said she had witnessed SrMarienieorganising the self-help women’s group even when she had been suffering. “She was a mother to so many women whom she empowered,” she added.
Thousands of people from all walks of life, especially the members of her women’s self-help groups, attended SrMarienie’s funeral. --Matters India
Source:heraldmalaysia.com
https://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/she-was-amma-to-hundreds-of-muslim-women/79222/2
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How The State ‘Rescues Muslim Sisters’ To Protect Its Majoritarian Nationalism
Nov 8, 2024
By SyedaShua Zaidi
» Editors Note: #MoodOfTheMonth for November 2024 is Gender And Law. We invite submissions on this theme throughout the month until the 25th. If you would like to contribute, kindly refer to our submission guidelines and email your articles to shahinda@feminisminindia.com
The year 2016 witnessed ShayaraBano approaching the Apex Court, appealing the decision of her husband, who divorced her through the repetition of the word ‘talaq,’ three times.
Media houses formulated headlines highlighting the gruesome state of Muslim women, powerless and hopeless, subjected to the wrath of their husbands. They projected the act of Bano reaching out to the Court for redressal not as a step against her husband but as a challenge to all Muslim men, generalised to be patriarchal, and the deep-seated orthodox tendencies in their religion.
Islamic law, in their narrative, proved to be a disappointment, while the state was hailed as the messiah. However, one must not forget that this very state has been complicit in the violence against Muslim women, isolating them, without paying any head to their deteriorating mental health, as highlighted in “Social Suffering in a world without support” a report by the Bebaak Collective. For instance, in 2021, an app named “Sulli Deals” surfaced on X. The object of the app was to “teach Muslim women a lesson” putting them up for “auction” by circulating their photographs and presenting them as “deals” to be availed. Violence is not merely physical. An omnipresent and omnipotent tool like social media often becomes an instrument for degrading Muslim women.
Contextualising the case in terms of time and space
After over thirty years of the Shah Bano judgement of 1986, which ignored her material needs, disregarded her demand to lead a dignified life while adhering to her religion, and was hailed by the then opposition as a ruling to “appease” the orthodox Muslims for garnering votes, in 2016, ShayaraBano petitioned in the Supreme Court after being subjected to domestic abuse and unilateral divorce through triple talaq. Her legal battle was based on three concentric aspects: illegalising (a) polygamy, (b) nikahhalala, and (c) triple talaq in accordance with articles 14, 15, 21, and 25 of the Indian Constitution, thus stirring a tension between personal laws and secular laws.
The judiciary is entrusted to act as a mediator between religious personal laws and constitutional fundamental rights. While two judges out of the five-judge bench perceived triple talaq to be a crucial component of freedom of religion, the other three declared it to be a highly arbitrary tool that can be misused by a Muslim man.
The discussion culminated in the criminalisation of triple talaq through the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, although it was decreed that a valid alternative talaq procedure be formulated within the domain of civil rights. The Act granted a seal of approval, a sanction to the ruling party’s attempt to mark it’s presence in the functioning of the Muslim community to ensure the nation’s security, promoting the belief that if Muslim women (victims) seek the help of the state, they will be recognised as loyal Indian subjects.
In this case, the relation between the woman’s needs and her community’s desires was sidelined, and the hypervisibility of the handful of women who approached the court led to the invisibility of the remaining Muslim women, who perhaps may have employed numerous other means to overcome similar situations of domestic violence and dowry harassment, “khula” (the islamic practice permitting a woman to divorce her husband) being one among such means. In the case of Shah Bano, however, a contradictory approach was adopted, which declared that her interests conflicted with the Congress’s vision for unity emerging from the diversity.
“Rescuing” Muslim women
“Rescuing women” is a phrase that establishes the state as the protector while simultaneously tying women down to and justifying their oppression. Referring to Muslim women as victims can be traced back to the colonial endeavour of rescuing brown women from brown men, establishing their “paternalistic domination.”
Why did the idea of protecting Muslim women suddenly strike the state? The government successfully manipulated ShayaraBano’s personal experience to support the Muslim othering phenomenon. The Muslims are perceived as a security threat to the populace, not capable of being assimilated within the national fold. From a feminist geopolitical lens, the territorial politics involved in the process of nation-building has gendered implications, with “femonationalist” state projects portraying one section of the community as a threat and the other as a victim, based on their “naturally occurring” attributes- men being aggressive, women being weak and requiring help. This also sheds light on the state’s representation of Muslim women as “damsels in distress” awaiting a saviour to relieve them of their dire circumstances.
Sara R. Farris, in “In the name of women’s rights, The rise of femonationalism” argues that “femonationalism is the exploitation of feminist theories by nationalists and neoliberals in anti-Islam campaigns and to the participation of certain feminists and femocrats in the stigmatization of Muslim men under the banner of gender equality.“
A powerful state and powerless women of the Muslim minority
Today, the central government’s vision for ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat,’ involves not only an emphasis on unity of the population but also the segregation of the otherised Muslim. The case is a stark example of how politics is gendered, how the law is not neutral but is influenced by the geopolitics within the country- between the majoritarian state and the Muslim minority. In the name of liberating its “Muslim sisters“, the ruling party, posits Muslim men as a threat to internal security and to women, further subordinating the position of women and furthering the government’s vision of a Hindu nation.
The law minister claimed that the Act was only aimed at ensuring empowerment, redressing the injustice, and restoring the dignity of Muslim women and not tied to religion. This statement is a gross under-representation of the electoral landscape of the country, wherein religion and politics are intertwined. Underlying this effort by the state and its organs to rescue and save Muslim women is a political manoeuvre to include the “good” Muslims (women who need to be “rescued”) and exclude the “bad” section of the community (men who are abusive and violent) who pose a threat to the idea of the nation as envisioned by the state. This effort was also in line with the ruling party’s electoral promise to implement a Uniform Civil Code.
The state intended to further the narrative that by escaping the clutches of triple talaq, women could be liberated from oppressive customs and steer themselves towards a progressive life, doing their bit for nation building. This highlights how feminism is used as an instrument for promoting the vision of “Akhand Bharat”. This case illustrates how the Court selectively protects and unprotected members of the same community, placing the women in relation to the state in a way that stresses upon their religious difference- treating marriage and divorce cases of Muslim women as a legal problem.
Sometimes a protector, other times a persecutor
In one instance, we see an effort to “protect” Muslim women, while in another, men wearing saffron clothing and shouting praises for Lord Ram surrounded women wearing the hijab in Karnataka as a means of expressing resentment against Muslims in the state. This masculinist approach has been propagated by the ruling party in the state as the defining feature of a Hindu nation. When we speak of the making of a masculinist state and furthering of hindu nationalism, it becomes crucial to discuss the hijab ban. JyotiBania, in “Hijab Row as the Reflection of a ‘Hegemonic Hindu Masculinity‘ in the Service of Hindu Nationalism,” argues that the incessant protests to implement the ban exposed a “hegemonic hindu masculinity,” institutionalised and authorised by the state as an instrument of nationalism. This so-called false masculinity is an attempt to strengthen Hindu nationalism, which has as its basis the will to marginalise and suppress Muslims, particularly women.
Invisibilisation of women’s interests and demands
Bebaak Collective, in “Stop TheCriminalisation of Triple Talaq,” referred to the Act as “arbitrary, excessive and violative of fundamental rights in the Constitution“, floating the possibility of women being subjected to increased violence and threatening their household and economic security. Selectively attributing their attention to legal cases wherein women can be projected as victims, the ruling party unintentionally reveals how in a Hindu nationalist state, “Muslimness” is only a law and order problem.
Addressing the state, Bebaak Collective, in ‘Criminalizing Muslim Men‘ (2019), argued that “You cannot pretend to save Muslim women, while seeking to bring the Muslim community to its knees.” Underlying the banner of protecting Muslim women is the state’s attempt to declare that only those women who constitute the minority religions need protection, for the Hindus have long granted women “equal” rights.
It is evident how the government becomes a flagbearer of preserving women’s rights and promoting gender equality, only to further its own ends. As a consequence, the concerned women are rendered invisible, their desires and interests are not attended to, as the case acquires a new focus, that of locating the place of Indian Muslims within the state. Therefore, women’s legal demands for justice and gender equity are suppressed within this broader framework of nationalism.
Source:feminisminindia.com
https://feminisminindia.com/2024/11/08/how-the-state-rescues-muslim-sisters-to-protect-its-majoritarian-nationalism/
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As I live in exile, I watch in horror as the Taliban seeks to erase women
by Lai G
November 8, 2024
It was 6:30 in the morning. Dark, heavy clouds obscured the blue sky, and as I searched for the morning birds, all I found were shadows. I stood in front of a popular juice shop in the narrow alleys around Malviya Nagar, New Delhi. It was usually bustling with auto rickshaws, but today it was eerily quiet.
Across the alley, a girl, perhaps 14 or 15 years old, waited for her school bus with her mother. As I watched her, my mind drifted to a place where girls her age are denied the right to education, silenced and invisible. Where now, even their voices are banned to each other.
I recalled my own childhood in Kabul, where at the age of five, I was desperate to go to school. My male cousin, just two years older, would show me his school bag every morning, and I couldn’t understand why I was left behind. In Kabul, children typically start school at 6 years of age, but my mother insisted I was too young and I cried, demanding to know why he could go while I could not.
It was a snowy day when my mother finally took my hand and led me to Zarghona High School, one of the oldest and largest girls’ schools in Kabul. To our dismay, when we arrived, the guard informed us that the school was closed. My mother assured me we would return the next day, but that never happened. When I asked why, she replied, “The Taliban have shut the school’s doors for girls.”
That sentence made no sense to me. Why were my male cousins allowed to go to school while I was not? I felt like a prisoner in my own life. An older male cousin took it upon himself to teach me and my best friend, who was also denied schooling. He used our drive, with a wooden gate as a makeshift blackboard, writing with a piece of coal since we had no chalk.
I think back to a girl in our neighbourhood who was in her second year of medical studies. After the Taliban took over in 1996, she confined herself to a dark room, unable to face the world. I remember everyone in her family believed she was possessed by a spirit, so they took her to mosques or shrines for treatment. No one understood that she wasn’t possessed or affected by any spirit, she had simply lost her dream of becoming a doctor, a dream she had nurtured for years.
My aunt was in the 8th grade at that time. She used to play with me, but after the government forced women to wear a chadari (veil), she became fearful of stepping out. Once, she fell down on the street, and some boys laughed at her. Since that day, she has stayed at home.
My mother, once an independent woman and a teacher, had to rely on my father’s income. That year, she had a miscarriage due to deep depression. She had always been kind and calm, but during those years, she was constantly yelling over small things.
Another aunt, who was forced to wear a chadari, developed migraines and always had a bad headache from wearing it. I could go on with these memories, and share story after story of the women in my family, each of whom had their dreams curtailed by oppressive forces.
Now, as I live in exile and witness the Taliban taking control of my homeland once again, I watch in horror as they seek to erase women from society, isolating them not only from the world at large but even from each other.
The ban on girls and women praying or speaking aloud in public by the Taliban and the requirement of coverings are more than an infringement on their rights. It is designed to obliterate a social structure within which women view and draw strength from one another. Where women are exploited and alienated, and where simply talking to each other about issues, aspirations or strategies becomes out of the question. The lack of such connections among women means it is harder to work collectively against injustice. Which is what the oppressive forces want.
I witnessed this growing up around my mother, my aunts and other women in Kabul, whose lives were dislocated by the Taliban’s rule in the 1990s. They were silenced, their aspirations were dashed, and the very notion of sisterhood was undermined. These women were cut off from one another. They forgot how to support each other and how to share their resilient shoulders. This fundamental connection that made some of them feel visible, comforted and some powerful— was taken away. The present ban also seeks to do this with the present generation of women in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, this ban gives men the opportunity to view women in their families as insignificant or subordinate. Women are not only “seen” as empty cocoon-like bodies, but their very ability to actively participate in their environment is diminished. This disconnection makes oppression seem so tangible, it feels like an inescapable chokehold. However, it is also this very disconnection, that once mended, becomes the strongest motivation in seeking justice.
The significance of women’s voices arouses fear in many due to an ingrained awareness that women do not speak for themselves alone when they raise their voices; they speak for communities, for causes, for justice, for equality. Women’s voices have the potential to disrupt the status quo and alter the existing power dynamics which unnerves a plethora of oppressive regimes such as the Taliban.
One of the most remarkable forms of resistance has been the audacious protests in the streets of Kabul led by fearless activists, along with many more women of Afghanistan rising up in other parts of the world. These women have fought for their rights and have paid the price even in oppression. As they confidently march to the front lines, many men choose to stay passive. It is these women who have remained undeterred, and are waging the war with a ferocity that is admirable.
Source:indianexpress.com
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/taliban-women-afghan-refugee-india-exile-9659710/
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Afghanistan: Woman shares impact of university ban
By HasibaAtakpal
November 8, 2024
A young woman, among thousands affected by the Taliban’s ban on higher education for women, describes the profound impacts of the continued closure of universities. The lack of access to education, she said, has driven many, including herself, into depression and forced marriages.
For Banafsheh, 22, the trajectory of her life shifted dramatically when the Taliban barred Afghan women from attending university. Once determined to pursue a career in medicine, she now faces a future marked by despair and an arranged marriage.
Banafsheh, who spoke under a pseudonym for her safety, completed high school but saw her ambitions collapse when the Taliban prohibited her from taking the national university entrance examination last year. The psychological strain was immense. “I watched my brother and cousin register for university entrance exams, while I couldn’t even consider it,” she said. “The pressure was unbearable. I took several of my father’s pills. My sister found me in time and rushed me to the hospital. When I woke up, it felt like my world had crumbled.”
Following her recovery, Banafsheh was compelled by her family to marry. Her story reflects the broader struggle faced by many young Afghan women contending with the Taliban’s strict policies that have sharply curtailed their rights. “These restrictions have turned our lives into a nightmare, fostering domestic violence and stealing our futures,” she said.
Banafsheh had long dreamed of becoming a doctor and serving her community. “Those dreams are now buried,” she said. “The government’s decisions have destroyed the aspirations of millions of girls like me.”
The impact of the education ban is widespread. Marsal, another high school graduate, expressed similar sentiments. “Without access to education, we are trapped and vulnerable to forced marriages and domestic abuse,” she said.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Education recently announced the registration for the 2024 university entrance examination for high school and madrasa graduates. Yet, for the third consecutive year, it remains silent on whether girls will be permitted to participate.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), around 2.5 million girls in Afghanistan have been denied their right to education, representing 80 percent of school-aged girls in the country.
The Taliban’s policies have drawn widespread condemnation from international organizations, exacerbating the plight of Afghan women and girls who now face not only educational barriers but also the threat of forced marriages and social marginalization.
Source:amu.tv
https://amu.tv/135839/
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UAE sends 80 tonnes of aid to women in Lebanon
8 November 2024
Two planes carrying 80 tonnes of humanitarian supplies have arrived in Beirut, marking the second contribution from Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, the Mother of the Nation.
The first delivery was in October, bringing the total aid to 160 tonnes to support Lebanese women suffering from the ongoing conflict.
The supplies, which include essential items for women and families, are part of the UAE's broader humanitarian efforts in Lebanon.
This "UAE Stands with Lebanon" campaign is being carried out under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Development and International Organisations, Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, highlighted the UAE's enduring commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to those affected by conflicts and disasters.
He praised Her Highness Sheikha Fatima for her continuous efforts to empower women, especially during times of crisis, and for her leadership in ensuring that women in Lebanon receive vital supplies.
Al Shamsi also reaffirmed the UAE's determination to continue offering support to the people of Lebanon, including the wounded and displaced, through collaboration with international organizations to deliver timely aid in the form of food, medical supplies, and shelter.
The UAE's charity organisations are working closely with international partners to aid Lebanon's early recovery and contribute to long-term stability.
Source:arnnewscentre.ae
https://www.arnnewscentre.ae/en/news/uae/uae-sends-160-tonnes-of-aid-to-women-in-lebanon/
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The campaign breaking stereotypes about Muslim women
Nov 8, 2024
Before Ugeshni Khan converted to Islam at the age of 25, everything she knew about being a Muslim woman was based on what she saw in the media.
"It was not a positive reference at all. I too held all these ideas that Muslim women are oppressed. They're not allowed to be educated; they're not allowed to drive; their only role in life is to be a wife and a mother… They don't have freedom," the 36-year-old says.
"After I came into Islam — after I actually started meeting Muslim women — I immediately realised all of this is completely false."
This is why, she says, she was so passionate about being part of a campaign dedicated to uplift New Zealand Muslim women and break those harmful stereotypes.
'Just CHILL NZ, we've got this'
Ugeshni is one of eight New Zealand Muslim women featured on the CHILL campaign, which means Challenge Islamophobic Language and Loathing, and focuses on their joy, strength, community belonging and leadership.
It's a social media campaign launched by the Islamic Women's Council (IWCNZ) in June, where each video ends with the women saying "Just CHILL New Zealand, we've got this".
The CHILL campaign is a finalist in two categories, gender equality and immigration and refugees, in the Shorty Impact Awards – a yearly international competition honouring the best and most impactful work by brands, nonprofits and individuals across digital and social platforms.
Changing the narrative of Muslim women
Ugeshni, who is an operations engineer, outdoor enthusiast and YouTuber, says she's looked for a connection with God ever since she was little.
"I was raised in a Hindu household, but a lot of my family had converted to Christianity so I started going to church trying to find that connection with God there but I still didn't feel like it was right for me."
Her first exposure to Islam was through Muslim students at her university and she says their dedication to their religion intrigued her, like when they fast for the month of Ramadan.
When she understood what the religion was about, she says she finally found the connection with God she's been looking for.
"The thing that I love the most is literally just the peace and tranquility I feel… I love being a Muslim person… the connection that I feel with God, I can't compare it to anything else."
She says she's been overwhelmed by positive responses from people within and outside of the community since the campaign launched.
"[People] are telling me [they're] just grateful that for once, they are being represented by their own community rather than somebody else holding that narrative."
A US study in 2022 showed only 1% of TV and film characters were Muslim — yet Muslims made up 25% of the world's population.
The study also found Muslim women were often portrayed as fearful, vulnerable and endangered from predatory behaviour or violence.
Because of the media's portrayal of Muslim women, Ugeshni says people associate them as someone covered in a black hijab or niqab with no freedom.
"I do wear a headscarf, so I'm very much openly Muslim. Whilst some people might not like that, I love that because I feel like I'm identifying with one of the biggest parts of who I am."
Ugeshni says wearing different clothes or being covered with a hijab doesn't people them any different.
"People have seen us in this way for so long and I understand why but we have the opportunity now to finally change that narrative.
"I want them to know that no, we're not oppressed. We do this by choice. Some of us are super intelligent… We do sports, we do everything.
"We're no different to any other woman on this planet."
'A deeper understanding of a Muslim woman'
Rand Alomar, the IWCNZ community development lead and a core team member of the campaign, says they didn't even expect to get global attention so being finalists in two categories is a huge win in itself.
Statistics from IWCNZ shows 30-35% of reported hate crimes or incidents involve a Muslim woman, which is a lot since Muslim women are only 1% of the population, Rand says.
She says these hate crimes include online, physical and verbal harm.
Following the Christchurch mosque attacks, where a terrorist killed 51 people, online hate towards Muslim people has increased, according to a 2019 NetSafe survey.
In 2022, an Otago Girls' High School student ended up in hospital with a concussion after three fellow students ripped off her hijab and beat her.
Rand says Islamophobia thrives on negative assumptions so they wanted to show people real stories and real talents "to understand who we are as Muslim women".
She says they wanted to take a positive approach with the CHILL campaign and build bridges rather than walls.
"We wanted [people] to walk away with a deeper understanding of a Muslim woman and what our contributions as Muslim women are to today's society.
"We just want people to realise that we're just like any other woman with hopes and dreams."
An unexpected outpouring of support
Because online hate towards Muslim women is rampant, the team has had clear processes from the start to ensure the participants were supported if they encountered any abuse.
"Unfortunately, it's something that we do consider in everything we do. We value these wonderful women who have given us their time to be part of this campaign," Rand says.
But they didn't have many negative comments, and instead received an outpouring of support.
"We managed to reach over 300,000 people in New Zealand and we received thousands and thousands of comments and less than 10 of these were hate comments.
"The feedback received is that [it] was so uplifting and we've provided the right resources, so to see those statistics is just amazing."
Source:1news.co.nz
https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/11/08/the-campaign-breaking-stereotypes-about-muslim-women/
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US and UK embassies host women’s health majlis in Riyadh
LAMA ALHAMAWI
November 07, 2024
RIYADH: The British and US embassies hosted a women’s majlis at the residence of the UK ambassador in Riyadh featuring a panel discussion and advice from doctors and other medical specialists.
“When we gather together as professionals in the industry, we share best practices,” Alison Dilworth, the deputy chief of mission at the US embassy, told Arab News.
“To be able to have that connection with other countries is invaluable, and the expertise on this panel was incredible. To see what is happening in Saudi Arabia in the field of women’s health was just extraordinary.”
The event was the latest in a series of monthly gatherings organized by the US embassy in partnership with other embassies in Saudi Arabia to celebrate the experiences and accomplishments of women, and encourage them to share their expertise in a private and relaxed setting. Previous gatherings explored topics such as literature, poetry, science and art.
The latest majlis focused on the mental and physical health of women and included a panel discussion featuring expert speakers Dr. WafaAlkhayal, a breast and endocrine surgeon; Dr. Norah Alissa, a clinical psychologist; and Kathleen Stroia, senior vice president of performance health with the Women’s Tennis Association. It was chaired by Alice Burt, the UK’s deputy ambassador to the Kingdom.
“It is always so inspiring to get women together who are absolutely on top of their game,” Burt said. This is particularly important when considering women’s health, she continued, because “it helps us to identify the solutions and not just dwell on the problems.”
She added: “We are all very firm friends and I think it is in conversation with friends that you tend to come up with the best outcomes and have the most honest conversations, too.
“I was really struck by the openness and the honesty, and through that, in the spirit of friendship, how you can discuss the tough issues but get to the good outcomes, too.”
Specific topics that were discussed include breast cancer awareness and the importance of mammograms, and the health challenges women face at every stage of their lives, from adolescence to menopause.
Alissa, the clinical psychologist, offered some insights into the important need for people to make time for tranquility in their daily lives, and to perform a wellness checks through techniques such as meditation and breathing exercises.
“Find your moment of stillness in your busy day, even if it is just five minutes, any moment of stillness that can make you feel grounded in your busy day,” she told Arab News.
“We are overly stimulated by everything and we have to be on it all the time. Having that moment of stillness keeps you in check with your body and with your emotions and mind; you know that you are doing okay, and if you are not doing okay, what do I need to do to make myself get okay?”
The panel members also discussed the importance of looking after one’s health through good nutrition and detoxing, as well as building physical health and endurance through activities such as cardio exercises, tennis and pilates.
They highlighted the need to “invest in your future self by taking care of your needs,” and create a support network that helps to make you feel connected. It is also important that people know professional help is available and when to seek it.
“Therapy is not intervention-based it’s prevention-based as well,” Alissa said. “Therapy is for anyone at any time; it isn’t just when crises hit.”
Source:arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2578435/saudi-arabia
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/female-student-defiance-psychiatric-iran/d/133654