Black Women Mobilize for Kamala Harris' Campaign but Brace for Backlash
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 July 2024
· Femicide Rates in Iran Up by 60% In Two Years, Report Says
·
Pakistan Raises Marriageable Age to 18 For Christian
Men and Women
· Black Women Mobilize for Kamala Harris' Campaign but Brace for Backlash
·
'Basketball Changed My Life as A Muslim; Now I
Help Other Women Play, Too’: Isra Mohamed
· Living in Exile, Afghan Sprinter Kimia Yousofi Ready to Run for Change In Paris 2024 Olympics
·
Nigerian Military Finds Chibok Schoolgirl with
Two Kids, 10 Years After Boko Haram Abduction
· Zoho and She Code Africa Join Forces to Empower African Women in Tech
· Exiled Afghanistan Women's National Team Say FIFA's Rules Hinder Participation After Taliban's Return to Power
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Black women mobilize for Kamala Harris' campaign but brace for backlash
23-07-24
Voice President Harris gains enough
delegate support to secure nomination
voice President Kamala Harris made Milwaukee, Wisconsin, her first spekaer Nancy Pelosi as top Democrats pledge their support for the Vice President.
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WASHINGTON ‒ On Sunday afternoon, GlyndaCarr's cellphone started buzzing and didn't stop. There was text after text heralding the growing likelihood that Kamala Harris would be the Democratic nominee for president.
Carr, whose organization she co-founded to support Black female candidates, wasn't surprised people would reach out as they heard the news.
But when she signed in to a Zoom call that evening to mobilize support for Harris, she was excited to learn there were tens of thousands of other Black women there as energized as she was.
More than 44,000 people, most of them women, joined Sunday’s video call, which lasted well past midnight and netted more than $1.5 million for the Harris campaign, organizers said. Some signed up to work in their communities and pledged to ramp up get-out-the-vote efforts in the wake of President Joe Biden’s decision to step down from his reelection bid and endorse Harris.
But they’re also bracing for attacks against the vice president, who would make history as the first woman of color to become a major party nominee.
“We celebrated (last night)," Carr said Monday, "but today we’re going to protect defend, fight, organize and mobilize."
A few social media sites already were brimming by Monday afternoon with criticisms about Harris' policies, her intelligence, her laugh and her accomplishments.
Carr and others also believe it was intentional that several speakers at the National Republican Convention earlier this month mispronounced Harris' first name. “That had coded undertones,” she said.
Freda Player, an elected Metro Nashville school board member and Tennessee Democratic delegate, expects Harris will face a barrage of criticism and skepticism because of her race and gender.
“It’s going to be a rocky road, especially where we are in this country,” Player said. “But we can appeal to our better angels and show the world that this is what democracy looks like."
The audacity of hope
Still, Harris' candidacy seemed to inspire the kind of hope not seen since Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, activists said. Obama was the nation’s first African American president, and his 2008 run for the presidency led to record Black voter turnout in many places.
On Monday, Tennessee state Sen. London Lamar choked up when reflecting on her own political path and the effect a Harris nomination, and a potential presidency, could have on other young Black women.
Lamar, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, recalled how she felt when she watched Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, take the stage after his nomination.
“I didn’t really think an African-American girl could pursue politics until I saw them on that stage,” Lamar said.
She’s now the youngest senator and youngest Black lawmaker to serve in Tennessee’s Senate, and last year she became the youngest senator in state history to give birth while in office.
“When I see Kamala on stage, I want to go hard for her, because I hope another young woman, whether she’s Black or any woman who cares about this country, feels the way I did in 2008,” Lamar said.
Black female activists and allies said Harris’ bid is reinvigorating the Democratic Party and particularly younger voters.
“There’s a new shot of energy,” said LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, which has launched get-out-the-vote efforts across the country. “I think she brings a fresh new level of hope.
“We’ve not seen that level of excitement since Obama.”
Melanie Campbell, chair of the Power of the Ballot Action Fund, called this campaign a seminal moment.
Campbell believes that the bid could boost Black voter turnout, particularly among women, and that the support may come beyond the fact that Harris is a woman of color. The country has had a Black president, but never a woman, Campbell said.
“You have an opportunity for a woman to become president,’’ she said. “That’s a big deal. It’s unchartered waters.’’
Black women have been at this for a long time
For years, Black women led groups have been ramping up get-out-the-vote campaigns and building infrastructure to support Black female candidates.
Black female voters helped Doug Jones pull off an upset in Alabama in 2017, making him the state’s first Democratic senator in 25 years.
“The magic of Black women organizing is that it is done organically,’’ said Carr, noting Sunday’s Zoom call. “That’s what you saw last night.''
Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat and former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was one of the guest speakers on that call. She’s a regular on the calls, organized by #WinWithBlackWomen, a collective of intergenerational, intersectional Black female leaders. She calls them “truth-to-power conversations.”
There are usually a couple of hundred attendees. She described Sunday’s turnout as amazing.
“It says to me not only is this the right moment in history (but) that people were there to learn what role they could play,’’ Beatty told USA TODAY. “It was a good sign. It was about showing that women are more than 50% of our voting base. Black women have certainly led the way. And it also said that we‘re ready because it’s go time and we have the receipts to prove it.’’
In addition to Beatty, speakers on the off-the-record call included heads of national civic engagement organizations, faith leaders, congressional lawmakers and well-known community activists.
Carr's group, Higher Heights of America, which supports Black female candidates and more Black political involvement, hosted its own call Monday night.
Another call, this time for Black men, also took place Monday evening. “They have not had a call of this nature as Black men, and they have organized one in less than 24 hours,” said Stefanie Brown James, founder and senior adviser at Collective PAC, which aims to build Black political power. “That just goes to show you that folks are ready."
Some Black sororities and fraternities also have pledged to help. Harris is scheduled to speak Wednesday in Indianapolis at a conference of Zeta Phi Beta, a Black sorority and one of the nine elite Black Greek organizations.
Beatty said people want to be engaged and support Harris not just because she's a Black woman, but because she's a Black woman who has the experience, skills and knowledge to be a great president.
"People are all in because she is battle-tested.”
Hesitations and fears of backlash
But not everyone is optimistic about a Harris run.
Oneika Tinsley of Pleasant Hill, California, said she plans to vote for Harris by default and disgust. Tinsley is a mother of five who doesn't think the Biden-Harris administration has done enough to improve the economy.
Harris "is a beautiful woman with style and flair and I see everyone is aligned with her, but what about a mother who already knows she likely can’t afford to send her youngest daughter to college?” Tinsley said. “When is she going to speak to me and others like me?”
Tinsley said Harris has played it too safe addressing topics for the past four years.
“I’m not voting for Kamala because she’s a Black woman like me,” said Tinsley, a registered Democrat. “I’m just voting for Kamala because she’s the lesser of two evils.”
Some Black women worried that a Black woman wouldn't make the best candidate against Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has long been known for politically incorrect, racially charged stances.
“While I personally would love to see a Black female president in my lifetime, I don’t think we should have a woman of color against Trump,” said Olivia Jones, 22, a senior at Central Michigan University from Lansing, Michigan. “It’s unsafe territory. Of course I’m going to support her, but it’s not the smart pick. This is such an important election. This is not the time to chance it.”
Female activists said that while racist and sexist attacks aren’t new, they’re alarmed at how overt they are even in the first 24 hours of Harris' candidacy.
Trump himself posted to his social media website Truth Social on Monday afternoon and evening accusing Harris of being a terrible vice president, imcompetent, a liar, dumb, and way behind him in polls, which isn't accurate, according to the most recent surveys.
Carr said Black women expect that Trump and his fellow Republican leaders will aggressively target Harris on social media and in advertising campaigns.
“We expect not only that he will go after her … it’s going to be rooted in misinformation and disinformation and negativity,’’ Carr said.
They plan to counter Trump attacks with information campaigns, including on social media, about Harris and her record.
Black women will “push back against unfair attacks,’’ Campbell said.
Ange-Marie Hancock, executive director of the Kirwan Institute at The Ohio State University and curator of the Kamala Harris Project, a consortium of scholars from the country studying the vice president, said Harris' historic bid will be challenging.
“This will still be a test for the United States,’’ Hancock said. “Even though she's had these almost four years and even though she's clearly capable, women elected officials are much less popular when they’re running for office than when they’re in office.”
The campaign would also have to figure out how to counteract attacks against her as a woman of color.
“They can't just pretend like that doesn't exist,’’ Hancock said.
Freda Player, vice chai of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education, said she sees Kamala Harris' bid for the U.S. presidency as validating the work of Black activists.
With less than four months until Election Day, some activists vow to double down on get-out-the-vote efforts and share information about Harris’ policies and plans.
Player, the Nashville school board member and executive director of Emerge Tennessee, which helps recruit and train Democratic women for office, called Harris’ nomination “validating” for Black women, who have been the “backbone of the Democratic Party for decades."
“It’s refreshing. It’s motivating. It’s inspiring that we finally have our fair chance,” she said. “I think that’s what her nomination does for a lot of women of color. We’re not overlooked, we’re not invisible, and our support is not taken for granted or in vain.”
Source: usatoday.com
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/23/black-women-support-kamala-harris-campaign/74503348007/
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Femicide rates in Iran up by 60% in two years, report says
Azadeh Akbari
A combo picture of victims of femicide
in Iran
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A new report has highlighted an alarming trend of increasing femicide cases amid an ongoing pattern of violence against women and girls in Iran.
According to the report by Etemad Daily, in the first three months of the Iranian calendar in 2024 alone (March 20 to June 21), at least 35 women and girls were murdered by their close male relatives, particularly their husbands.
The number is a 25 percent increase from the 28 recorded during the same period in 2023 and a 59% rise from the 22 deaths in 2022.
A massive 85 percent of the murders were committed by the victims' husbands and cases were spread across the country. In 2022, 16 women were killed by their husbands, followed by 15 in 2023, with a sharp increase to 27 in 2024 amid the climate of state crackdowns on women and girls.
Rights activists point to Iran’s laws and patriarchal society based on Islamic law as the primary cause of femicide which has worsened since 2022.
Conditions for women have become so bad that the United Nations branded Iran's policy as "gender apartheid" as state policy legitimizes violence against women.
Honor killings can be carried out for as little as not wearing the mandatory hijab, bringing shame on the family.
UN Women says these gender-related killings are the “most brutal and extreme manifestation of violence against women and girls. According to the latest UN Women report, globally on average, more than 133 women or girls are killed every day by someone in their own family.
Speaking to Iran International, Iranian feminist and human rights activist, Mina Khani, highlighted the lack of accurate statistics in Iran amid heavy censorship and corruption, and the state's own involvement in committing femicide.
Official figures suggest numbers even lower than Germany, she said, with massive discrepancies in both the reporting and recording of such crimes.
"In this context, human rights statistics are crucial," she said. "Organizations like Hengaw report femicide statistics in Iran based on the cases they document, as there is no official statistical reference for human rights organizations to rely on,” Khani stated.
Norway-based rights organization, Hengaw, identified that "at least 50 cases of femicide have been recorded in various cities of Iran since the beginning of 2024.
Khani noted "the state's failure to take legal measures to protect women from domestic violence".
She said, "Instead, the regime has legalized violence attributed to honor and gender-based violence against women, and it also engages in state-sponsored femicides".
High profile cases such as Mahsa Amini and ArmitaGeravand, who both died in morality police custody, exemplify the role of the state, she said, which "has never been held accountable".
Soraya Fallah, an Iranian researcher and women’s rights activist touched on the surge and prevalence of femicide in Iran adding that the situation highlights an “urgent need for serious measures to change laws and address cultural issues in Iran.”
Fallah echoed Khani’s statements, blaming Iran's discriminatory laws for fueling the femicide crisis.
“The Islamic government of Iran has institutionalized unequal laws and their implementation, enabling crimes like honor killings. These laws, such as Article 630, provide legal grounds for such acts, fueling patriarchal violence," she said.
Article 630 of the Islamic Penal Code allows a man to kill his wife and her partner if he catches them in the act of consensual adultery, without facing any punishment. This law exclusively targets women. Additionally, a father or paternal grandfather who kills their child is exempt from the retribution sentence, known as Qesas.
"The Islamic Republic uses these laws to maintain power and perpetuate these issues within society. Comprehensive legal and cultural changes are crucial to address these deep-rooted problems and protect women's rights in Iran," she added.
The state’s crackdown on charities dedicated to supporting women experiencing domestic violence further add to the crisis with the UN calling for legal reform to empower women in Iran.
Amnesty International last year said, "The Iranian authorities’ oppressive methods of policing women and girls and punishes those who dare to stand up for their rights".
"To this day, not a single Iranian official has been held accountable for ordering, planning and committing widespread and systematic human rights violations against women and girls through the implementation of compulsory veiling," it added.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202407212168
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Pakistan Raises Marriageable Age To 18 For Christian Men and Women
July 23, 2024
President Asif Ali Zardari signing the
Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024 into law in a special ceremony held at
Aiwan-e-Sadr on July 23, 2024. — APP/File
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ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has signed into law the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024, raising the marriageable age for minority Christian community to 18 years.
Addressing a special ceremony after signing the Act at the President House on Tuesday, the president said that all minorities are equal citizens of Pakistan who have equal rights, according to the press release issued on Tuesday by the President's Secretariat Press Wing.
Underscoring the need to further enhance the employment quota for minorities in all government jobs, he said, “I will definitely write to the government and ask them for this."
Highlighting equal rights for all minorities in Pakistan, he stressed that minorities should not be disheartened by some isolated incidents, saying that they had equal ownership over the homeland as much as anybody else.
The president accorded approval to the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024 under Article 75 of the Constitution. The act amends Section 60 of the Christian Marriage Act of 1872.
Previously, the age of Christian men and women intending to be married was 16 and 13 years respectively.
The ceremony was attended by the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony (MORA), Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zulfiquar Haider, members of the Christian community and senior government officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Bishop Abraham Daniel expressed his gratitude to the President for signing the Act into law, saying that raising the age of marriage for men and women had been a long-standing demand of the Christian community.
He also thanked President Zardari for his role in his previous tenure in reserving a 5% quota for minorities in government jobs, besides allocating special seats for minorities in the Senate as well as declaring 11th August as Minorities' Day in Pakistan.
Secretary MORA Zulfiquar Haider said that the government was committed to safeguarding the rights of minorities in accordance with the Constitution of Pakistan, and the vision and values of the country’s founding fathers.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1212590-pakistan-raises-marriageable-age-to-18-for-christians
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'Basketball Changed My Life as A Muslim; Now I Help Other Women Play, Too’: Isra Mohamed
23 JULY 2024
Stepping on to the basketball court, I feel my shoulders slacken. In that moment, it’s just me, my basketball and a hoop; nothing else matters. I couldn’t risk losing that feeling when I first started playing at college, aged 16, so basketball became my secret.
Growing up in Leicester’s Somali community, Muslim girls like me were encouraged to prioritise our studies over hobbies. Modesty is important, too: we must cover up. For these reasons, the older generation isn’t used to girls playing sport, but my goal is to change that.
My love for basketball blossomed while watching videos of the sport’s greats, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan. I taught myself the rules and would practise drills with a ball at school. Then, at my college open day, I practised shooting in the sports hall with the coach, Karl; he told me that he saw potential in me. It was then that I signed up to Gateway College girls’ basketball team.
Before long, I was working on my shooting or post moves whenever I could. When I worked out that improving my overall fitness would improve my game, I started going to the gym, too. At first, I’d tell my parents I was staying behind at school for extra tutoring. But as basketball began to take up more space in my life, I decided to share my secret. To my relief, they were just happy that I’d found something I cared about so deeply; something that was helping me both physically and mentally. I didn’t know it then, but my love for the game was about to become even more public.
I was playing in my first season post-pandemic at Leicester’s DeMontfort University when my student union announced that it was organising a photo shoot to promote our next game, featuring just one team member – and they asked me. I thought the photos would be used on the university’s social media page. So when, the following year, I saw my face on a floor-to-ceiling poster on the court, I was stunned.
It’s hard to put into words what that meant to me. Not only was I the first Muslim hijabi girl to be photographed as the face of the university’s basketball team, my image was blown up on the wall for all to see. Knowing what it would have meant to my younger self to have seen a fellow Muslim Somali or hijabi sister playing the sport with pride, it felt significant. It made me all the more determined to use my voice to teach young Muslim girls that we can play sport, we can compete – and we can win.
Now, my friends and family are delighted for me. Girls in my community approach me to ask how I started playing, where they can sign up and if we can play together. Not all Somali communities have embraced the idea of girls playing sport, but for mine, it only took witnessing two or three girls having fun (while following modesty etiquette – I wear leggings undershorts, long-sleeved tops under jerseys and either a sports hijab or a regular hijab, tucked in, while playing) to see the freedom and joy it brings us. We are the movement, and this is just the beginning.
Source: womenshealthmag.com
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/a61672657/muslim-somali-women-sport-basketball/
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Living in Exile, Afghan Sprinter Kimia YousofiReady to Run for Change In Paris 2024 Olympics
Jul 23, 2024
The Olympics is not just a sporting extravaganza, it’s a melting pot of culture, tradition and style. But for Kimia Yousofi, the Paris Olympics is also a platform to represent the ‘stolen dreams and aspirations’ of Afghan women, who face formidable hurdles under Taliban rule.
Kimia, among the six athletes from Afghanistan, competing under the national flag despite the Taliban’s seizure of power, wants to be the flag-bearer of change.
Three years ago, when she was, indeed, the official flag-bearer of Afghanistan at the Tokyo Games, little did Kimia know that it was her last flight from home. While she was running in the Olympics, the Taliban took over Afghanistan and as the country was in turmoil, Kimia, like many of her compatriots, could not head back home.
For a long period of time, she could not establish any contact with her folks back home, and with the situation deteriorating in Afghanistan with each passing day, Kimia decided to fly to Iran with the help of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Iran was not a new country for her since she trained there before the Tokyo Games. But this time around, it was a different experience.
As uncertainty loomed large over her career, the IOC looked at Canada as her possible destination, but that’s when the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) showed keenness in bringing her to Sydney. Athletics Australia asked its coach John Quinn if he would be able to take care of the athlete and after the seasoned coach gave his consent, Kimia travelled to Australia in August, 2022, to start her new journey.
It was not easy to settle down in a country with a different culture and language, and by her own admission, Kimia felt alienated in the beginning. She could neither understand nor speak English, but with the help of the AOC and the Australian government, she eventually settled down in a quaint Sydney suburb, along with her mother and brother.
For Quinn, who has worked with refugee athletes in the past, the first challenge was to establish communication with Kimia and then get her back into shape.
“It all came about when I received a call through the IOC about whether I would be prepared to coach this athlete who was living in exile from Afghanistan. I already had several refugees from different countries - predominantly Africans - in my squad. And that’s how the IOC, through the AOC, knew about my coaching. So it seemed a pretty good fit. And it has been a good fit,” Quinn tells Sportstar from the Games village in Paris, where he is working with Kimia and five other Afghan athletes.
While Quinn admits that Kimia has ‘grown enormously from this process’, the sprinter does miss her home. “When Kimia first arrived in Australia, she could not speak English and I couldn’t speak Farsi. And, that was challenge number one. And thank goodness for Google translation apps. And so all of our initial coaching was done on an app,” Quinn says.
“But now we have progressed to the point where we don’t need Google anymore. Kimia is very fluent in English and I’ve held my low level of Farsi, but she has come a long way. Whilst she still feels separated from her homeland, she’s got a new home in Australia for now…”
Over the last couple of years, Kimia has followed a rigorous routine to chase her dreams of participating in what’s going to be her third Olympics. For that, she has had to battle the odds, be vocal against the injustice faced by the women back home and give her all on the track.
Every 100m sprint seemed like a fight against the system, and crossing every hurdle, Kimia provided several Afghan women with a ray of hope. The Taliban does not recognise this six-member Afghanistan contingent in the Paris Games, and the team has been chosen by the exiled Afghan National Olympic Committee with full support from the IOC.
DrYonusPopalzay, the exiled president of the Afghanistan Olympic Committee, who played a key role in ensuring the participation of three Afghan women athletes for the first time in the Games, was grateful to the IOC and the Australian federation for backing Kimia. “We highly appreciate AOC for the support extended to Kimia. On behalf of Afghanistan NOC please convey our message of gratitude and appreciation to the Australian nation and government for their support to the Afghans in a difficult time,” Popalzay says.
And, these efforts have, indeed, come as a shot in the arm for Kimia and her colleagues.
“The athletes here represent the hopes and the dreams of the people of Afghanistan, and they look forward with hope and optimism to what the future may bring to them and return Afghanistan to them.
Many of the athletes that are here in the village are getting ready to compete. It’s not about timings, it’s not about distances, it’s not about heights. It’s about hope, it’s about belief, it’s about optimism. And I think it’s actually about the justice of people being allowed to live the life that they choose rather than a life that’s been forced or thrust upon them,” Quinn says.
During his conversations with the Afghan athletes in Paris a couple of days ago, Quinn got to know their stories and according to him, each of those journeys is equally inspiring as Kimia’s. “Some of them live in Germany, some train back home, and they all have their different journeys,” Quinn says.
For instance, swimmer Fahim Anwari fled to Germany after the Taliban took over the reins in Afghanistan and ever since he has been training there with limited resources. Even sprinter Shah Mahmud Noorzai, who’s considered Afghanistan’s fastest man, moved to Iran. And despite challenging conditions, he never gave up.
While five of the athletes are based outside their home country, judoka Mohammad Samim is the only one who still lives in Afghanistan and has managed to chase his dreams.
“They have all got their own stories and their own challenges. It’s not the purpose of being here to be the counsellor. My job here is to coach them and give them support in the areas that they need,” Quinn says.
Ever since landing in Paris, following a long journey from Sydney, Quinn and Kimia have had long sessions on the track and her focus has been to better the Afghan national record of 13.29 seconds, which she set in the 100 metres in Tokyo. “She can be an example for those people who need inspiration, who need to be lifted. And, that’s the greater responsibility that she has coming into the Games,” Quinn says. “But then after that, we have to sit down and understand where do we go from here and what does she want to do from here?
Kimia turned 28 in May and having seen her closely for a couple of years now, Quinn says that not for once did he have to ‘inspire or motivate’ Kimia. “I’ve never had to motivate her. She’s a highly driven, self-motivated individual. I’m sure she gets very frustrated with me and there’s no doubt that there are some cultural differences and things get lost in translation from time to time. But at the end of the day, I would look after this girl as if she was one of my own and get her to where she needs to be,” Quinn says.
“So, she’s part of my athletic family and she’s in a squad of athletes who come from all parts of the globe. I’ve never heard her indicate or suggest in any way, shape or form that it’s all too hard and that she’ll have to give it away….”
With favourable conditions, Quinn expects Kimia to do better in Paris, but he does not want her to be under pressure. Rather, Kimia has been allowed to have time to unwind and eventually get into the groove at her own pace. A couple of days ago, she met her idol Allyson Felix - the legendary American track and field athlete - and it was, indeed, a dream come true. “They had photos taken together and were engaged in quite meaningful discussions and conversations. It’ll be up to Kimia to tell me what that might have been. But she certainly had a spring in her steps when we trained this afternoon because she got to meet the Allyson Felix,” Quinn says with a smile.
Just like for Kimia, the last couple of years have been quite a journey for Quinn as well, and as the teacher and his student gear up for the biggest sporting extravaganza, the Aussie coach is happy with how his ward has battled the odds and come so far.
“Look, she’s already got the medal. The medal is actually getting there [Paris Olympics]. And, the bonus will be that she runs her best,” Quinn says.
“But at the end of the day, she’s representing the people of Afghanistan and she’s representing all people around the world that no matter how challenging things may be, you’ve got to stand up (for your rights). And she’s doing that. And she’s moving in the right direction…”
“(The Olympics) is really the Disneyland of sport, where the whole world is one. Everybody’s safe, money is irrelevant. Everything’s just here for everyone to perform at their best. It’s the world in a precious special space for just two weeks where anything is possible. Dreams do come true,” Quinn says with a smile, before adding: “That’s what the Olympics is. And if anyone represents that better than Kimia, I’d love to meet them…”
Source: sportstar.thehindu.com
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/olympics/paris-2024/interviews/paris-2024-olympics-news-afghanistan-kimia-yousofi-feature-taliban/article68436375.ece
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Nigerian Military Finds Chibok Schoolgirl With Two Kids, 10 Years After Boko Haram Abduction
July 23, 2024
Abdu, with her two children were on Monday handed over to the Borno State Government, alongside 330 women who were rescued earlier in several operations in the state.
Another Chibok schoolgirl kidnapped in 2014, Ihyi Abdu, has been rescued with two children by the Nigerian military in Borno State, Northeast, Nigeria.
Abdu, with her two children were on Monday handed over to the Borno State Government, alongside 330 women who were rescued earlier in several operations in the state.
This was disclosed on Tuesday during a press briefing by the theatre commander of Operation 'Hadin Kai', Major General WaidiShaibu, in Maiduguri, the state capital.
General Shuaibu noted that the plight of the remaining Chibok girls in Boko Haram captivity compelled the military to incurse deep into the Sambisa forest to carry out the rescue operation.
He further disclosed that the key mandate of the operation was to restore normalcy in the entire North-East for socioeconomic activities to resume in full swing.
The Theatre Commander assured that the operation will continue in the rescue mission, to bring home the remaining Chibok girls in line with the strategic guidance of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General TaoreedLagbaja.
Giving details of the rescue, the Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC)7 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 1, Brigadier General AbubakarHaruna, said, "Ihyi and her 2 children, were rescued by troops of 21 Special Armoured Brigade Bama, during an offensive operations conducted within Sambisa forest in June 2024.
"Ihyi, 27 years old and Kibaku by tribe, hails from Kubur-Mbula village in Chibok LGA. While she was in captivity, she was married to one Abu Darda, an indigene of Plateau state in Gwoza town in 2014, after which he relocated to Senegal."
Since her rescue according to the GOC, Abdu and her children had undergone detailed medical examinations.
During the handover, the Theatre Commander who was represented by the officer in charge of Civil Military Affairs, Navy Captain Mohammed Abdullahi, stated that the rescue was as a result of the wet season operations in the Theatre.
He said the rescue was an indication that the logistics strangulation strategy in the conduct of the operations had been successful.
The Borno State Director Social Welfare, AishatuShettima, received the rescued persons on behalf of the government.
Source: saharareporters.com
https://saharareporters.com/2024/07/23/nigerian-military-finds-chibok-schoolgirl-two-kids-10-years-after-boko-haram-abduction
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Zoho and She Code Africa Join Forces to Empower African Women in Tech
Zoho, a global technology company, has partnered with She Code Africa (SCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering African women in technology. This collaboration aims to enhance the skills of female tech professionals and students across the continent.
The partnership centers around Zoho’s “Train the Trainer” sessions, which will introduce SCA Academy trainers to Zoho Creator, a low-code app development platform. These sessions will equip trainers with the necessary skills to effectively use Zoho Creator. The trained instructors will then pass on their knowledge to SCA students, enabling them to build impactful applications using low-code technology to address real business challenges.
These upskilling sessions are part of Zoho Creator’s ‘Young Creators Program’ (YCP), a global initiative launched in 2022. The YCP aims to prepare future business leaders by providing them with advanced digital skills and encouraging technological innovation. It serves as a training platform to develop the next generation of tech-savvy leaders and innovators.
As part of the YCP, Zoho will host 30 female trainers from the SCA Academy for a three-day intensive training session in Lagos, Nigeria. These sessions will focus on enterprise-grade application development using low-code technology. Participants will receive comprehensive training materials and enjoy free access to the Creator platform for one year.
KehindeOgundare, Country Head of Zoho Nigeria, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting local communities. Zoho’s growth strategy, known as transnational localism, involves upskilling and hiring local talent, empowering local businesses with their technology, and promoting responsible and sustainable development.
The YCP has already empowered over 2,000 students worldwide with hands-on training in Zoho Creator. Participants receive completion certificates and attractive rewards. Beyond skill development, the program aims to boost confidence, foster personal growth, and create new opportunities in the technology industry.
Zoho’s investment in young minds is designed to spark creativity and innovation. The company is dedicated to making essential tools accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or resources. By bridging the technical skill gap, Zoho aims to support talent-building for the next generation of leaders and professionals.
MaryblessingOkolie, Community Manager at She Code Africa, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership. She highlighted the importance of equipping their trainers with the latest advancements in low-code technology, which will then be passed on to other students.
She Code Africa has established itself as a prominent non-profit organization in the tech sector. It focuses on celebrating and empowering young girls and women in technology across Africa. Through various initiatives including training, workshops, scholarships, and mentorship programs, SCA supports a vibrant community of over 51,000 members. The organization has set an ambitious goal of empowering 100,000 girls by 2030.
This collaboration between Zoho and She Code Africa represents a significant step towards addressing the gender gap in the tech industry. By providing targeted training and resources to women in technology, the partnership aims to create a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce in Africa. As the program progresses, it has the potential to significantly impact the technology landscape in Africa, fostering innovation and economic growth through the empowerment of women in tech.
Source: techinafrica.com
https://www.techinafrica.com/zoho-and-she-code-africa-join-forces-to-empower-african-women-in-tech/#google_vignette
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Exiled Afghanistan women's national team say FIFA's rules hinder participation after Taliban's return to power
Australia hosting the Women's World Cup last year was remarkably convenient for Mursal Sadat, a resident of the host nation for roughly two years. She and her teammates were invited to tour the locker rooms at one of the stadiums hosting the tournament, something she was naturally excited about.
The visit to the locker rooms was more emotional than she anticipated, though.
"I couldn't stop myself from feeling that once upon a time, I was in this locker room," she said. "There was my name, there was my jersey, there was my national flag and 'Afghanistan' written in the back of the locker room. We were able to compete and play and the stress and anxiety that we got from stepping onto the pitch, specifically when we were playing against good teams … I cried a lot that day."
Sadat was once a center back who played at the youth and senior levels for the Afghanistan women's national team but fled the country when the Taliban returned to power as U.S. troops pulled out in Aug. 2021. Women were quickly banned from most public-facing activities, including sports. Upon the advice of KhalidaPopal, the founder of the women's national team who already lived in exile in Denmark for several years, female soccer players in Afghanistan deleted their social media accounts and made high-risk treks elsewhere.
Though Sadat and her teammates were not banned from actually kicking a ball around post-exile, the return of the Taliban has stripped them of their ability to represent the national team. It is why the trip to the Women's World Cup elicited such a strong reaction.
"It just felt like everything was stolen from us," she said. "We had no longer our right to represent the country that we were born in and we do not have the right to go to any other team because we were playing for Afghanistan. We do not want to play for another team, either, because that's our country. That's what we want to do. It's never just about us playing for ourselves. It's about all those women who do not have a voice and we want to be their voice."
Stuck in limbo
The Afghanistan women's national team has not played since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, limited by an oppressive variety of red tape.
The Taliban's extreme restrictions placed on girls and women are naturally the starting point. The women's national team have not played since the Taliban's return in Oct. 2021, but in 2023, they were placed in the draw to qualify for this summer's Olympics in Paris. A strange series of events unfolded with that announcement from the International Olympic Committee. First, the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) issued a statement announcing the formation of a new women's national team and inviting players living abroad to participate, a plan that reportedly had FIFA's support. The statement, as it turned out, was issued by the person who was listed as the AFF's media director at the time, but lived in Albania.
The AFF cleared things up soon enough -- not only would they forbid players in exile to play for the national team, they were unwilling to even set up a women's national team considering the laws of the Taliban.
FIFA has not been much help, either, the players argue. World soccer's governing body has deferred to the AFF, citing their rule that member associations need to greenlight any and all national teams. As Popal notes, that sanctioning will not come from the AFF as long as the Taliban remain in charge of Afghanistan.
"The Taliban says that women should not belong anywhere, women should not be active in society so by putting that responsibility to our football federation that is controlled by [the] Taliban, it will not be possible," she said.
FIFA has not backed down from its stance that they will go through the AFF to seek a solution.
"FIFA has been closely following the situation of the Afghan football community within the country and abroad, especially the situation of female players," a FIFA spokesperson told CBS Sports in a statement. "FIFA believes that dialogue through the member association in Afghanistan is the best way to advance women's football and the interest of women there, and we are in regular dialogue with them on this matter. The selection of players and teams representing a Member Association is considered as an internal affair of the Member Association. Therefore, FIFA does not have the right to officially recognise any team unless it is first recognised by the concerned Member Association. However, ensuring access to football for both female and male players without discrimination and in safety is a key priority for FIFA. FIFA is therefore continuing to monitor the situation very closely and, as mentioned, FIFA remains in close contact with the Afghan Football Federation and other stakeholders with the aim to promote access to football in Afghanistan. FIFA has also been supporting the evacuation of over 150 Afghan sports persons and human rights defenders at risk in November 2021 and continues its support for this group."
The players also argue that FIFA's refusal to challenge the AFF is a violation of its own anti-discrimination policies. The governing body says its human rights mission includes "working with its member associations on the development and implementation of anti-discrimination action plans, as well as the promotion of disability football," though it seems like FIFA have done little work with the AFF in that regard. The United Nations, for example, has warned that the Taliban's persecution of girls and women could be a "crime against humanity," while the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the Taliban's ban on women's sports could lead to "gender apartheid."
"What they keep saying, FIFA, is that, 'We are monitoring the situation of Afghanistan,'" Popal said. "This 'monitoring' will never change anything. When they communicate with the media that they are monitoring the situation of Afghanistan, what does that mean? Are they talking, having a conversation with [the] Taliban?"
The exiled players, as a result, have been resigned to playing on their own in their new homes. A youth team played a friendly against non-FIFA team Surrey in May 2022, while a large number of players who found refuge in Australia play for Melbourne Victory FC AWT, a brand-new team formed in March 2022 under the umbrella of the Melbourne Victory. While it has been a source of joy for the players, Sada said it has also stunted the women's team growth as athletes.
"It was like a dream came true because we always dreamed of playing for a professional team but unfortunately because of the rules, we have to start from scratch, from State League 4 which was pretty easy for us," Sadat said. "Then we got promoted to State League 3 and then we got promoted to State League 2. We still do not find these games challenging for us but it is better. It's good that we have the team playing together."
To escape this sporting purgatory, the Afghanistan women's national team are making a pitch to FIFA -- collaborate with them on an exception to their rules and allow the team to return to play.
Inaction at the top
In each pocket of the world the exiled Afghanistan women's national team find themselves in, the players have advocated for a plan to return to play. Popal has been the campaign's figurehead, most noticeably in public statements of support from U.S. lawmakers and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai alike. Popal, though, also engaged in conversations with some of the sport's higher-ups. Though the contents of those discussions remain confidential, the inaction from officials at FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) speaks volumes.
"Unfortunately, they have all the time ignored this but [when] we tried to meet them face-to-face, they have ignored us," Popal said.
She acutely feels the way FIFA passes the buck by calling the matter of reinstating the Afghanistan women's national team an "internal" matter and claims that AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa's friendship with the head of the AFF, Mohammad YosufKargar, does not help things. Popal said she asked the AFF to tell FIFA they cannot bear the responsibility of sanctioning the women's national team because of the Taliban's laws, hoping it would force FIFA's hand to act.
Inaction from those at the top, including FIFA, comes as little surprise to those who have been paying attention. FIFA has come a long way from selecting a president who once supported banning women from playing soccer, which Joao Havelange did in his native Brazil before leading world soccer's governing body from 1974 to 1998. Yet despite the organization's claims to support women's soccer in this period of rapid development, including at the FIFA-organized Women's World Cup, they seem to develop cold feet when things get complicated. There are 10 FIFA member associations that do not have women's national teams and a further nine that have neglected their women's side so much that they are unranked because they have not played in the last two years. One such example is the Qatar women's national team -- those responsible for Qatar's successful bid to host the men's World Cup in 2022 said developing the women's side would be a meaningful sign of the tournament's impact. A year and a half after the World Cup, though, the team essentially does not exist.
"The whole structure of football -- and that's how it's built -- it is built by man, for man and woman is just added on," Popal explained. "A great example is [the] Afghanistan football federation, right? They just remove the section that's for women. They've removed but the game continued. The men's national team is traveling in their national camps, they are playing friendly games. They're doing everything possible and they are getting the support, the funds, their budget from FIFA but you don't see from any of these organizations, anything about: 'What about women's football?'"
Pitching a return to play
The Afghanistan women's national team's request is simple to describe -- they would like to be reinstated in time to compete in qualifiers for upcoming tournaments, like the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and be recognized as a separate entity from the AFF. The players are aware that it is no small ask, but what they propose is teamwork.
"We are offering [to] work [in] collaboration," Popal said. "We are telling FIFA and organizations like FIFA, let's work together to make our game more beautiful and inclusive. … People like us are actually offering solutions because we have the know-how. We have life experiences. We are actually bringing a solution to you, you just need to stamp it."
Popal has held conversations with high-ranking officials in the game through a third party about organizing and funding a unique venture, though the details of those meetings remain confidential. She no doubt hopes to leverage her wide-ranging list of contacts. Retired Australian international and human rights activist Craig Foster helped a large number of Afghan players enter his native country, while Leeds United and Kim Kardashian assisted the members of the youth team who fled to England.
Popal has also stayed in touch with the 200-plus players and family members who she has helped escape Afghanistan, arming them with resources to become advocates for the team. Sadat has used some of those learnings to ask Australian officials if they can be the players' representatives in sporting forums, continuing the advocacy she started at 15 with UNICEF.
"I see my role as a bridge between grassroots and structure." Popal said. "Or I will call it the well-developed world -- they are people with resources, either in sport but also in other sectors in the society."
She and the other exiled players understand the uphill battle of advocating to be an exception to a rule, but there is some precedent they can call upon. During the five decade long ban on women's soccer in the U.K. that was lifted in 1972, the Women's Football Association served as the governing body for the women's game in England.
Larger governing bodies have also stepped in. UEFA's order in late 1971 forced European soccer associations to organize women's national teams, while the International Olympic Committee actually barred Afghanistan from competing at the 2000 Games in Sydney during the Taliban's first period of rule. Even FIFA has been credited in recent years with applying enough pressure on Iran's soccer federation to lift a ban on women in stadiums, even if there remains room for improvement.
What Popal ultimately proposes is a happy medium of sorts.
"The purpose of our campaign is to first get FIFA on board to recognize the Afghanistan women's national team in exile," she said, and allow the Afghanistan women's national team from exile to represent Afghanistan from [the] diaspora and also just separate us from the Afghanistan Football Federation and not put the pressure on Afghanistan Football Federation that is governed by [the] Taliban."
'Reminding ourselves why we used football in the first place'
Fatima Foladi was a teenager when the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and remembers that her social media accounts were not the only identifying information she had to leave behind before she and her sister eventually fled for Massachusetts.
"Leaving Afghanistan was one of the most difficult periods of my life," the recent high school graduate said. "I had to abandon everything I've achieved, including my medals, jerseys and memories. My family burned them after I left the country."
She cites scoring her first goal while wearing the badge at a Central Asian Football Association tournament in Tajikistan as a fond memory, but the one she treasures the most is heartwarmingly ordinary.
"Making tea was my responsibility," she recalls of her time representing Afghanistan. "Sitting together and analyzing games over tea and giving each other feedback was incredibly cool and I will never forget that moment. It was so nice that we could talk to each other [about] how we can improve each other, how we can help each other or giving feedback to each other was nice. … That is my dream, to get back with my team."
Foladi is far from the only one who treasures those moments that have been snatched from them, but they chase not only camaraderie with their teammates. Since Popal founded the the team in 2007, the Afghanistan women's national team have always seen themselves as a symbol of resistance against the oppressive sexism in their home country, even during the years after the U.S.' invasion.
"Women's football in Afghanistan, the whole idea and purpose was to use the platform and to make changes for the women of Afghanistan and to be the voice for our voiceless sisters," Popal said. "The situation wasn't so great for women even before Taliban and now it got worse so it is important to keep reminding ourselves why we used football in the first place."
As Sadat describes it, it will also make their sacrifices worth it.
"For the women who are outside of Afghanistan and in exile," Sadat said about a potential return to play, "It will mean for them, another chance to represent their country, a pride moment and to be a stronger voice together for women who are still in [the] home country and they cannot raise their voice. They cannot do anything. It will be like giving a butterfly their wings again to fly and to spread their beauty everywhere and spread the message of peace so for us."
Source: cbssports.com
https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/exiled-afghanistan-womens-national-team-say-fifas-rules-hinder-participation-after-talibans-return-to-power/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/black-women-kamala-harris-backlash/d/132779