France Presidential Candidate Le Pen Vows To Fine Muslim Women Who Wear Hijab
New
Age Islam News Bureau
12
April 2022
•
Indonesia Passes New Sexual Violence Law Amid Growing Cases
•
Balochistan Ombudsman Warns Strict Action Against Women Harassment
•
21-Year-Old Women's Basketball Coach Leaves Gaza To Train Saudi Team
•
Yazidi Woman Testifies About IS Leader's Treatment Of US Hostage Kayla Mueller,
An Aid Worker From Arizona
•
UNHCR Concerned over Women’s Situation in Afghanistan
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/france-le-pen-muslim-hijab/d/126782
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France
Presidential Candidate Le Pen Vows To Fine Muslim Women Who Wear Hijab
French Presidential candidate Marine Le Pen
Photograph:( WION )
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April
09, 2022
Le
Pen made the announcement during an interview with radio station RTL, where she
said that a majority of the French population "supports a ban on the hijab
in public", and compared the introduction of a penalty on the headscarf to
fining people for not putting a seat belt on.
"It's
a measure that the French people have been asking for, with 85 percent of the
population wishing to no longer see the wearing of the headscarf in the
streets," she said.
"[French
people] have understood that in the last two decades that the headscarf has
been used by Islamists as a uniform, as an advanced demonstration of
fundamental Islam," Le Pen claimed.
However,
the presidential candidate, who was recently photographed with a hijab-wearing
girl during her election campaign, insisted that no one would be arrested for
wearing the headscarf, despite her proposed ban.
Le
Pen is the leader of the National Rally, formally known as the National Front,
which was founded by her father Jean-Marie Le Pen.
The
party is known for its far-right and anti-immigration rhetoric.
Despite
her previous attempts to "de-demonise" the party, Marine Le Pen has
been accused of making racist statements over many years.
In
2010 she compared Muslims performing prayers in the street to the Nazi
occupation of France in the Second World War.
In
2021, she went on trial for breaking hate speech laws when she tweeted graphic
pictures of Islamic State atrocities, in response to the 2015 Paris attacks.
She was subsequently cleared of all charges.
France’s
election campaigns have been marked by increased Islamophobia from candidates
across most political parties, including far-right candidate Eric Zemmour.
Current
president Emmanuel Macron has also put forward several policies which target
religious freedom, with Muslims being the most affected.
The
first round of voting is scheduled to take place on Sunday, with Le Pen and the
incumbent Macron expected to make it to the second round.
Source:
IQNA
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3478421/le-pen-vows-to-fine-muslim-women-who-wear-hijab
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Indonesia
Passes New Sexual Violence Law Amid Growing Cases
This photo shows a woman under an Indonesian flag
holding a placard that reads "stop violence against women and
children" during a protest against sexual abuse. Credit: Reuters File
Photo
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April
12, 2022
By
NINIEK KARMINI
JAKARTA,
Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s parliament Tuesday approved a far-reaching law
setting punishments for sexual violence after being spurred into action by a
recent case in which an Islamic boarding school principal raped and impregnated
several students.
The
legislation had languished for years amid arguments it has a liberal feminist
ideology that contravenes religious and cultural values in the world’s biggest
Muslim-majority nation.
The
law recognizes men and children can be victims of sexual violence. Indonesia’s
Criminal Code, a legacy of the Dutch colonial era. recognizes only rape and
lewd crimes committed by men against women and doesn’t have provisions for
restitution or other remedies for victims and survivors.
Nine
forms of sexual violence are recognized in the law: physical and nonphysical
sexual harassment, sexual torture, forced contraception, forced sterilization,
forced marriage, sexual slavery, sexual exploitation and cyber sexual
harassment.
In
addition to acknowledging sexual violence as punishable criminal acts, the law
has provisions for protection and recovery for the victims.
Of
the House’s nine political parties, only the conservative Muslim-based Prosperous
Justice Party, known as PKS, rejected it as they wanted the bill to prohibit
extramarital sex and homosexual relations.
“Our
rejection is part of our struggle to fight for the prohibition and punishment
of perpetrators of adultery and sexual deviations which are ultimately not
include in the bill,” said Al Muzzamil Yusuf, a legislator from PKS.
The
law was passed a week after an Indonesian high court sentenced an Islamic
boarding school principal to death for raping at least 13 students over five years
and impregnating some of them. Several girls were 11 and 14 years old and were
raped over several years, drawing a public outcry over how he wasn’t caught
earlier.
President
Joko Widodo in January appealed to the House of Representatives to speed up deliberation
on the sexual violence bill as it has languished in the legislature since 2016
as critics lambasting lawmakers as having “no sense of crisis.”
“The
protection of sexual violence victims should be our common concern which should
be urgently addressed,” Widodo said.
Under
the new law, perpetrators of electronic-based sexual violence could face up to
4 years imprisonment and a 200 million rupiah ($13,920) fine, and up to 6 years
and a 300 million rupiah ($20,880) if it was carried out with the aim of
extorting, coercing, and even deceiving victims. Perpetrators of sexual
exploitation face up to 15 years in prison and fine of 1 billion rupiah
($69,600).
The
law also mandates that a trust fund and recovery services to help victims
recover be established and regulated by the government.
The
bill was initiated by the National Commission on Violence Against Women in
2012, and calls for it to be fast-tracked followed the shocking gang rape and
murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl by 14 drunken men in Bengkulu in 2016. It
soon stalled due to the resistance from PKS and Islamic groups.
The
latest draft won majority support when provisions on rape and coerced abortions
were removed from the bill to avoid overlapping with proposals to amend the
Criminal Code.
Government
data showed at least 797 children became sexual violence victims in January
alone, or 9.13% of the total child victims in 2021 which reached 8,730, rising
25% from 2020. As of 2020, it recorded 45,069 cases of sexual violence against
girls and women since the drafting of the bill in 2012.
Source:
Seattle Times
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Balochistan
ombudsman warns strict action against women harassment
APRIL
11, 2022
QUETTA:
Sabira Islam Advocate, Balochistan Ombudsman for the protection against
Harassment of women on Monday said that the rising incidence of harassment and
violent attitudes in the society is a cause for grave concern.
“
No matter how influential they are, action will be taken against those involved
in harassment of women,” she said while talking to Regional Director Aurat
Foundation Allaud-din Khilji here at the Ombudsman’s secretariat.
Provincial
Ombudsman on the occasion said that due to the prompt action taken by the
Balochistan Ombudsman office, registration of such cases has risen manifold.
People are sensitised that harassment is a cognizable offence.
“
Influential accused involved in harassment try to influence the pending cases
by using various tactics, However, the provincial ombudsman secretariat decides
the cases on the basis of facts and solid evidence without taking into account
any kind of pressure,” she maintained.
Expressing
dismay over the response of the accused, she said that due to the no leniency
by the ombudsman office, the mafias and their operatives not only resort to
bullying threats but also launch baseless propaganda against us.
Sabira
Islam, the provincial ombudsman, said that in cases of harassment, it is
necessary to spread awareness in the society in order to eradicate such
situations which lead to violent attitudes.
In
this regard, She said people from all walks of life, including civil society,
lawyers’ organisations, media organisations, must support us.
Earlier,
Regional Director Aurat Foundation apprised Provincial Women Ombudsman about
the steps taken for curbing violation against women.
Source:
Daily Times
https://dailytimes.com.pk/917631/balochistan-ombudsman-warns-strict-action-against-women-harassment/
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21-year-old
women's basketball coach leaves Gaza to train Saudi team
Mervat
Ouf
April
9, 2022
When
Dalia Nasr, a 21-year-old Palestinian basketball player and coach at the Gaza
Sports and Community Club, tried to leave the Gaza Strip in 2019 for a coaching
course supervised by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia in the
West Bank, she was stopped at the border. Nasr, then 19, was greatly saddened
to miss her first chance to join a foreign tournament.
Two
years later, Nasr had obtained a basketball arbitration certificate from the
Palestinian Basketball Federation and registered with FIBA. The Saudi Flaij
Basketball Club for Women reached out to her to train the Saudi women’s
basketball team and she finally obtained a permit to travel for Saudi Arabia.
Nasr
thus became the first Palestinian professional basketball player to practice
this sport in Saudi Arabia.
Nasr
told Al-Monitor, “The Flaij Club is very interested in women’s sports and
supports its women’s basketball team both morally and financially.”
Nasr
started playing at the age of 14, and her passion for basketball began when her
family noticed that she preferred watching basketball games instead of cartoons
like her brothers.
“I
always thought that my goal was just a dream, but with a supportive family and
with perseverance and determination, I realized that nothing was impossible,”
Nasr added.
Asked
how her parents felt about the negative social views that affected Nasr
wherever she went, she said, “Bullying would get to me at first, and it even
made me approach my favorite sport as just a hobby for a long time.”
Nasr
explained that during the Israeli military operation in 2014, she found out
about an opportunity for women to play basketball at the Gaza Sports and
Community Club.
It
was not long before she realized how badly she wanted to make her dream come
true. The turning point came in 2017 when her coach, Mohamed Ashour, told her
that she had a great future in basketball.
His
words “filled me with joy and ambition," she said. "And I discovered
how strong-willed I was in the Tokyo Basketball Championship, which I won,” she
added. The annual tournament has been held in Gaza in cooperation between the
Japanese government and the United Nations Development Programme since 2017.
At
the Gaza Sports and Community Club, 15-year-old Maryam observed Nasr's
demonstrations and listened to her instructions. Impressed, Maryam decided to
join the team. She told Al-Monitor that Nasr has contributed to changing
stereotypes surrounding girls and sports.
“Basketball
requires high skills, intelligence, endurance and speed, and I found all of
these capabilities in Captain Nasr,” Maryam told Al-Monitor.
“I
aspire to be like her in the coming years to be able to take part in
international tournaments and become one of the most important representatives
of basketball teams in the Gaza Strip and Palestine in general,” she went on.
When
Ashour was first training Nasr, it did not take him long to notice that she had
exceptional abilities that improved very quickly. So the news of her joining a
club abroad as a professional player and coach came as no surprise. He is proud
of her and happy that he was part of her training and developing her skills as
a coach.
Ashour
told Al-Monitor, “I felt that Dalia would achieve remarkable success. When I
started coaching her as a schoolgirl, I noticed how unique she was among the
rest of the girls in the team as she had outstanding capabilities. I told her
this after two or three training sessions, and I motivated her to develop her
abilities to be able to take part in international competitions.”
Ashour
lamented the customs and traditions of Gazan society concerning women’s
participation in sports. He stressed that there are many other girls who could
achieve their sporting goals.
“Some
families believe sports are important and encourage their girls to make
achievements in accordance with their skills,” he added.
Source:
Al Monitor
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Yazidi
Woman Testifies About IS Leader's Treatment Of US Hostage Kayla Mueller, An Aid
Worker From Arizona
12/04/2022
Lia
Mulla, who was captured by Islamic State (IS) members in August 2014 as she
tried to flee Iraq's Mount Sinjar with her family, testified through a
translator on Monday at the trial of El Shafee Elsheikh, who was allegedly one
of Mueller's IS jailers.
Elsheikh,
a 33-year-old former British national, is accused of being a member of the
notorious IS kidnap-and-murder cell known as the "Beatles."
He
is charged with the murders of four Americans: Mueller, freelance journalists
James Foley and Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig, another relief worker.
Mueller,
an aid worker from Arizona, was captured by IS in August 2013 while
accompanying her Syrian boyfriend on a trip to a hospital in Aleppo, where he
was contracted to repair a satellite dish.
She
was initially held by the "Beatles" but then was allegedly turned
over to Baghdadi, the IS leader who died during a US special forces raid in
2019.
Mulla
said she was taken by IS to various locations with other young women after
being captured.
Eventually,
she ended up in a prison where Mueller was being detained.
They
communicated "mostly with their hands," she said, and a few words of
Arabic.
"One
day they took her and when they brought her back she was really afraid,"
Mulla said. "They had told her that IS wanted to marry us off, and if we
were to try to run away they would kill us."
A
couple of days later, Mulla said she was taken along with Mueller and another
Yazidi girl to the home of Abu Sayyaf, a top Baghdadi lieutenant, where they
would "treat us like slaves."
'Dirty
house'
After
a week there, she said they were taken to the "dirty house... the place
were they took young girls and raped them."
She
said Baghdadi came one night and took Mueller away.
When
Mueller returned the next morning, "she was very sad, she was very
nervous, she was crying," Mulla said. "She had been raped and
threatened that if she tried to run away he would kill her."
Mulla
said she decided to try to escape and asked Mueller to join her but she
declined. "She was afraid that if she was captured, she would be
beheaded," she said.
But
Mueller asked Mulla to "tell the world" about her if she managed to
make it to freedom.
Mulla
said she slipped out a window, climbed on a generator to get over a wall and
ran for a long time.
After
her escape, she said her brother put her in touch with a friend who was a
translator for the Americans and she told them about Mueller.
IS
announced Mueller's death in February 2015 and said she was killed in a
Jordanian airstrike, a claim that was disputed by US authorities.
Foley,
Sotloff and Kassig were murdered by IS and videos of their deaths released by
the group for propaganda purposes.
Elsheikh
and another "Beatle," Alexanda Amon Kotey, were captured in January
2018 by a Kurdish militia in Syria and turned over to US forces in Iraq.
They
were flown to Virginia in 2020 to face charges of hostage-taking, conspiracy to
murder US citizens and supporting a terrorist organization.
Kotey
pleaded guilty in September 2021 and is facing life in prison.
"Beatles"
executioner Mohamed Emwazi was killed by a US drone in Syria in 2015.
Prosecutors
are expected to wrap up their case against Elsheikh on Tuesday.
Elsheikh
has denied the charges and his lawyers claim his arrest is a case of mistaken
identity.
Source:
France24
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UNHCR
Concerned over Women’s Situation in Afghanistan
12
Apr 2022
United
Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed grave worry over
the closure of secondary schools for Afghan girls and the arrest of women in
central Bamyan province.
The
UN agency in a Tweet said, that Afghan women are not only allowed to work and
get an education but are also concerned about their safety.
The
Twitter post reads that Afghan girls are confronting restrictions on travel,
work, education, and safety in the country insisting protection of human values
and women and girls’ rights.
Earlier,
UN Human Right Council had said that Afghan women carry the brunt of the
Afghanistan crisis.
It
comes as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is yet to reopen schools for teenage
girls which has triggered backlash both inside and outside the country.
Source:
Khaama Press
https://www.khaama.com/unhcr-concerned-over-womens-situation-in-afghanistan-548756875/
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/france-le-pen-muslim-hijab/d/126782