Hadiya, Whose Conversion to Islam Was at Centre of Debate in Kerala, Says She Has Divorced, Remarried
New Age
Islam News Bureau
09 December 2023
·
Hadiya, Whose Conversion to
Islam Was at Centre of Debate in Kerala, Says She Has Divorced, Remarried
·
Kerala Doctor Dr Shahana's
Suicide: ‘BMW, Gold Demand Came After Marriage Was Fixed’
·
Auqaf Mosques in Sindh,
Pakistan, To Have Separate Prayer Space for Women
·
Inspired by Gaza’s Resilience,
30 Women in Australia’s Melbourne Embrace Islam
·
Iran's Parliament Returns Hijab
Bill to Guardians Council
·
More Than 70% Rape Victims in
Delhi Between Age 18 & 30: Report
·
Most Heinous Human Rights
Violations OccuringIn Afghanistan: Rina Amiri, U.S. Representative for Afghan
Women
·
Ministry Reacts to HRW Report
on Girls’ Education
·
Nurturing Community with Muslim
Women Awards Founder Suada Mohamoud
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hadiya-conversion-kerala-divorced/d/131284
-----
Hadiya, Whose Conversion to Islam Was at
Centre of Debate in Kerala, Says She Has Divorced, Remarried
A homeopathy
doctor, Hadiya said in a video on Saturday that she has separated from her
husband and remarried a person of her choice.
-----
December 9, 2023
Shaju Philip
Hadiya, whose conversion to Islam and
marriage to a man from the faith had created a furore in Kerala in 2017, has
got separated from Shefin Jahan and remarried.
A homeopathy doctor, Hadiya said in a
video on Saturday that she has separated from her husband and remarried a
person of her choice. “The Constitution has given the right for every person to
enter into marriage and get out of the relationship. It is a common thing in
society. I don’t understand why society is getting irritated in my case. I am a
grown-up who is capable of making decisions. When I could not continue the
marriage (with Jahan), I got out of it. Now, I have married another person of
my choice. I am happy and living as a Muslim. My parents are also aware about
the remarriage” she said.
She came out with the video a day after
her father K M Ashokan, a native of Vaikkom, moved a habeas corpus petition in
the Kerala High Court alleging that he could not trace his daughter. Ashokan
said they used to speak with Hadiya over the phone, but do not know about her
present whereabouts. The High Court will consider the plea next week.
In the video on Saturday, Hadiya said
she doesn’t know why her father moved the High Court. She refused to disclose
details about her new life partner saying such things need not be made public.
Hadiya had been running a clinic in
Malappuram district. After getting divorced, she has moved to
Thiruvananthapuram. When contacted, her family refused to comment on the issue.
Hadiya, who was born and brought as K M
Akhila in a Hindu family in Kottayam, was first drawn towards Islam while
studying medicine in Tamil Nadu. Later, she embraced the faith and married
Jahan, who then worked in the Middle East.
Trouble started when her father moved a
habeas corpus plea in the Kerala High Court challenging their marriage. The
court nullified the marriage and allowed parents her custody, triggering a
sensational debate in the state. For months, she lived in police protection.
In March, 2018, the Supreme Court
allowed her to live with her husband Jahan, setting aside the Kerala High Court
order that had annulled their marriage. The SC had acted upon a petition from
Jahan. Ashokan had also impleaded in the case, alleging that he cannot allow
his daughter to go along with “a terrorist”.
The National Investigation Agency had
also probed the incident to look into whether she was forced to convert to
Islam.The three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra
and comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, had however allowed
the NIA to continue its investigation into the case.
Source: indianexpress.com
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/thiruvananthapuram/hadiya-kerala-conversion-marriage-9060979/
-----
Kerala Doctor Dr Shahana's Suicide:
‘BMW, Gold Demand Came After Marriage Was Fixed’
Dec 9, 2023
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dr E A Ruwise had
put pressure on Dr Shahana to compel her family to provide the hefty dowry his
father demanded, Shahana's brother has said.BM
"The discussion of dowry came when
Ruwise's family visited our house. Then we told them that we would marry her
off in a decent manner by giving what we can afford. However, his father listed
their wealth and demanded a dowry on par with it. After going back, Ruwise
called my sister urging her to persuade us to agree to their demand," said
Shahana's brother Jazeem Naza.
Jazeem also said that Ruwise started
talking about dowry only after the marriage was fixed. "I realised that
their intention was money and told this to my sister. I advised her to focus on
studies and said they would come back to us later. But she was devastated and
had to get medical support to overcome it," said Jazeem.
After Ruwise had backed out from the
marriage, Shahana sent him a message stating that she was unable to bear the
pain and was going to end life. However, he blocked her after seeing the
message and she ended her life by administering an overdose of anaesthetic
drugs intravenously.
Mobile phone sent for forensic
examination
When police examined Ruwise's mobile
phone, all the chats with Shahana were found deleted. Police then handed over
the phone to the forensic team to retrieve the data. Shahana's mobile phone was
also taken into custody.
Meanwhile, the medical college police
denied reports that the name of Ruwise was mentioned in the suicide note.
"All she stated in the note was her worries about dowry practices and the
greed of people for money. It was indirectly aimed at Ruwise and we later found
that he had proposed to marry her and then backed out. We cannot take someone
into custody without verifying it as we were in the process of gathering
evidence and the arrest was recorded on time," said police. Ruwise is in
judicial custody, but the police have not yet moved any custody application for
questioning him.
Ruwise's father absconding
Ruwise's father was not at home when a
police team reached his house in Karunagappally. The police are likely to
include Ruwise's father and other relatives as accused in the case.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/dowry-demand-came-after-marriage-was-fixed/articleshow/105852155.cms
----
Auqaf Mosques in Sindh, Pakistan, To
Have Separate Prayer Space for Women
2023-12-09
KARACHI: Sindh government has decided to
allocate separate spaces in all mosques administered by the Department of Auqaf
for women to offer prayers.
Caretaker Minister for Law and Auqaf,
Mohammad Omar Soomro, chaired a significant meeting held by the Department of
Auqaf. Secretary Auqaf Munwar Mahesar, Additional Secretary Auqaf, and other
officials participated.
During the meeting, officers were
briefed on the registration of mosques and schools, and the allocation of
separate spaces for women to pray.
Mohammad Omar Soomro directed the
Secretary Auqaf to designate separate areas for women's prayers in 77 mosques
of the Department of Auqaf Sindh.
He was also instructed to issue a
circular and launch an awareness campaign in English, Urdu, Sindhi, and
Gujarati regarding this initiative.
Soomro emphasised the need to expedite
the process of gathering data for all registered and unregistered mosques in
Sindh. The Auqaf Department is to collaborate with relevant authorities to
register mosques and schools.
Minister for Auqaf highlighted the
initiation of consultative processes with stakeholders in religious affairs,
urging consultations with religious scholars to introduce technical skill
programs and IT courses in schools.
During the meeting, Secretary Auqaf,
Munwar Ali Mahesar, mentioned that 8,903 schools are registered across Sindh,
and efforts are ongoing to register more mosques and schools."
Source: brecorder.com
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40277608/auqaf-mosques-in-sindh-to-have-separate-prayer-space-for-women
------
Inspired by Gaza’s Resilience, 30 Women
in Australia’s Melbourne Embrace Islam
2023-12-08
A group of women in Australia has
embraced Islam at the Meadow Heights Mosque in Melbourne, moved by ‘the spirit
of Gaza residents’ amid recent Israeli attacks.
The touching scenes, captured in a video
circulating on social media and partially available on YouTube, showcase the
impact of the events in Gaza on individuals halfway across the world.
The Turkish newspaper, Yeni Şafak, has
verified the conversions, highlighting that these women were deeply moved by
the resilience and faith exhibited by Palestinians in the face of adversity.
The group expressed admiration for the steadfastness of the people in Gaza,
prompting them to explore and ultimately embrace the Islamic faith.
Jacqueline Retzack, a woman who accepted
Islam recently said, “I reverted because of what’s happening in Gaza and I
wanted to be closer to Islam and Allah.”
Christine Crnogonac said that the idea
of one God in Islam touched her heart and Palestinian struggle inspired her.
“The issues in Palestine… it just makes
me cry on a daily basis,” said Christine.
Renowned American blogger, Abby Hafez,
also shared her conversion to Islam, citing the determination of the people in
Gaza as a pivotal moment in her life. Hafez said that witnessing the resolve of
the Palestinians led her to delve into the Quran, ultimately influencing her
decision to embrace Islam.
“Muslims in the United States support
and pray for Gaza, and God will grant them freedom, hope, and security soon,
God willing.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s resumption of
military operations against the Gaza Strip on December 1, 2023, has led to a
grim toll, with hundreds of casualties and injuries reported by the Palestinian
Ministry of Health. The ongoing conflict, which began on October 7, has
inflicted extensive damage to Gaza’s infrastructure and resulted in tens of
thousands of civilian casualties, predominantly among children and women.
Despite the brutality of the conflict
and the humanitarian crisis it has triggered, the people of Gaza, including
Palestinain fighters, continue to exhibit resilience against all forms of
aggression.
Source: muslimmirror.com
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/inspired-by-gazas-resilience-30-women-in-australias-melbourne-embrace-islam/
-----
Iran's Parliament Returns Hijab Bill to
Guardians Council
DECEMBER 8, 2023
The Iranian parliament submitted a
revised version of the controversial Chastity and Hijab bill to the Guardians
Council for review.
Mousa Ghazanfarabadi, the head of the
legislature’s Judiciary and Legal Commission, said the lawmakers had addressed
the objections raised by the Guardians Council and the Supreme Supervisory
Board of the Expediency Council concerning the proposed law.
In October, the Guardians Council
returned the bill to parliament due to "ambiguities" in the
legislation, which proposes extensive penalties for women opposing wearing the
mandatory hijab.
The lawmakers had approved the first
draft of the bill on September 20.
All women in Iran must conceal their
hair with a hijab and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats while in
public, but many have flouted the rule over the years and pushed the boundaries
of what officials say is acceptable clothing.
The September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini,
who died while in custody for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly,
sparked monthslong protests and a new wave of defiance among women across the
country.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/news/123317-irans-parliament-returns-hijab-bill-to-guardians-council/
-----
More than 70% rape victims in Delhi
between age 18 & 30: Report
8th December 2023
Marziya Sharif
New Delhi: A majority of the women rape
victims in Delhi in 2021 was in the 18-30 age group, accounting for more than
72 per cent, a state government report released on Friday said.
The Directorate of Economics and
Statistics in its report stated that in 2021, of a total of 1,251 rape victims
in Delhi, the most, at 905, were in the age bracket 18-30, followed by 328 in
the 30-45 age group.
The pattern bears out at national level
too, with 20,065 rape victims, the highest, coming from those between age 18
and 30, followed by 7,627 in the age group 30-45.
There were a total of 31,878 rape
victims across the country in 2021, the report said.
The report revealed there were more male
victims of suicides than female over the years.
In 2021, out of 2,840 victims of suicide
in Delhi, 2,093 were men and 746 women.
In 2020, of 3,142 such acts, 2,247 were
committed by men and 895 by women, it said.
According to the data, during 2017-2021,
unemployed and married men were more susceptible to die by suicide, and in case
of women, housewives constituted the highest of the lot.
In 2021, a total of 73,715 cases of
crime against women went to trial, out of which, 274 cases resulted in
conviction and 355 in acquittal.
In 2020, 403 such cases resulted in
conviction and 388 in acquittal out of 65,437 cases that went to trial, the
report said.
Source: siasat.com
https://www.siasat.com/more-than-70-rape-victims-in-delhi-between-age-18-30-report-2930859/
------
Most Heinous Human Rights Violations
OccuringInAfghanistan: Rina Amiri, U.S.Representative for Afghan Women
Fidel Rahmati
December 9, 2023
Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special
Representative for Afghan Women, has expressed deep concern over the severe
human rights violations taking place in Afghanistan, labeling them as some of
the most egregious violations of human rights in the country.
On Friday, Ms. Amiri wrote in her social
media platform X, that the United States has imposed sanctions on two officials
from the Taliban administration in connection with their involvement in women’s
rights violations.
She emphasized that “The Taliban’s
discriminatory edicts targeting women & girls are some of the most heinous
human rights abuses in the world.”
She added that “Today, the US has issued
sanctions related to restricting access to secondary education on Khalid Hanafi
& Fariduddin Mahmoud. We must continue to hold accountable those involved
in repressing the women & girls of Afghanistan.”
In another note released on the occasion
of Human Rights Day on December 10th, the U.S. Special Representative stated,
“I once again call on the Taliban to release Zhulia Parsi, Manizha Sadat, Neda
Parwani, Parisa Azada, and all human rights defenders who have been detained
solely for their courageous defense of the rights of the Afghan people.”
Women’s rights activists point out that
Human Rights Day is being commemorated at a time when women and girls in
Afghanistan have been deprived of their most fundamental rights, and this
tragedy has been systematically enforced with such intensity over the past two
years that there is little hope for improvement in the remaining circumstances.
One of the women protesters who is
living in hiding in Kabul due to increasing threats spoke to Khaama Press: “For
two years, I stood alongside those who demanded their rights and tried to
defend my own human rights as someone who breathes and has a right to live, but
I have only faced isolation in this path.”
According to her, securing women’s
rights has no economic benefit for the global community or regional countries,
and human rights organizations also lack the practical ability to take action.
This protesting woman is concerned about
her friends who are imprisoned by the Taliban administration: “My friends are
suffering in Taliban prisons, and no one knows what they are experiencing
there. It is heartbreaking because no country is helping in this regard, and no
institution has the capability to do so.”
The grassroots women’s protest movement
in Afghanistan has issued a statement regarding the “severe torture of women
protesters” in the prisons of the Taliban administration. They stated that
three members of this movement, who have been in prison for almost a month,
have been subjected to severe psychological, mental, and physical torture.
According to this movement, none of the
individuals or legal entities, from international organizations to Richard
Bennet (the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan), who are
responsible for investigating such cases, have taken effective and practical
steps to secure the freedom of these women protesters.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/most-heinous-human-rights-violations-occuring-in-afghanistan-rina-amiri/
-----
Ministry Reacts to HRW Report on Girls’
Education
Naweed Samadi
2023-12-08
The Ministry of Education denied the
claims of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report, saying that the ministry pays
serious attention to the quality of education and its growth throughout
Afghanistan.
The MoE’s spokesman, Mansour Ahmad
Hamza, said that the education sector is active across the country without any
favoritism based on ethnicity, language and area.
The ministry said that no female teacher
has been fired so far and legal action will be taken against the perpetrators
of corporal punishment of students in schools.
Previously, Human Rights Watch
criticized the policies applied to the education sector in Afghanistan in a
report and said that the "wrong" policy of the Islamic Emirate is
harming the boys, girls and women of this country.
“The ministry has taken some steps. We
can say that some of these steps are to provide facilities for the students,”
Hamza said.
According to the MoE, nearly 2 million
children have been enrolled and provided with educational opportunities within
the last year.
“When we draw such [talented] teachers,
we in fact present experts, engineers and doctors for the future of our
country,” said Mohammad Jahid Mushtaq, a university lecturer.
Meanwhile, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the
leader of Jamiat Ulama e Islam, a Pakistani political party, met with Jane
Marriott, the British High Commissioner and they discussed the stability of
Afghanistan and the status of girls' education there.
Jamiat Ulama e Islam Pakistan said in a
statement that Maulana Fazlur Rehman called for attention to be paid to the
educational situation of "women and children '' in Afghanistan.
“A legal path solution should be found
for this issue because this is the issue that affects the recognition. Over the
past two-years, this issue has not been paid very much attention,” said
Mohammad Ajmal Zurmati, a political analyst.
Earlier, the Human Rights Watch in a
statement said the “Taliban’s abusive educational policies in Afghanistan are
harming boys as well as girls and women," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in
a report on Wednesday, adding that the departure of qualified teachers has led
to regressive curriculum changes.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-186402
------
Nurturing community with Muslim Women
Awards founder Suada Mohamoud
08 December, 2023
Aisha Aldris
Making people feel seen, empowered, and
celebrated, can strengthen their sense of community spirit, as environments
dedicated to the nourishment of its members, through uplifting means of support
and encouragement, help them to flourish.
We see it from our smallest circles to
our wider communities and beyond, that not only do people thrive when immersed
in such environments, but individuals are often inspired by the successes of
those they feel somewhat represented by.
Muslim Woman Awards Founder Suada
Mohamoud made it her mission to nurture such a community when she founded the
awards just three years ago, bringing together “inspiring” Muslim women to
connect and celebrate each other’s “talents and contributions” to society.
The awards ran for their third
consecutive year this November, in the heart of the British capital at London’s
Caledonian Club, wrapping up a brilliant year for Muslim women across the UK.
“I absolutely just love community… it
means everything to me. It’s like having different places where we can help
each other. The more people we know the better it is for us,” Suada told The
New Arab, emphasising that “having a space where we can [connect] is fantastic
and brings me so much joy”.
Rounding up 2023’s successes
The 2023 ceremony saw Muslim women from
across the UK gather in a space filled with positivity and unity, as those
excelling in their fields were presented with certificates and trophies.
Hosted by Presenter, Live Host and
Content Creator, Deana Hassanein, this year’s awards received more nominations
than ever before. Almost one thousand nominations were submitted, in contrast
to previous years where just a “couple of hundred” were received, Suada
reveals.
“At the awards the energy is fantastic…
It’s fantastic to see it’s becoming bigger… we’re growing and it’s becoming
more noticed,” Suada told The New Arab.
With nine award categories, from Women
in Media to Women in Sport, and Women in STEM to Community Spirit, Suada has
endeavoured to recognise the achievements of Muslim women across a diverse
range of fields at the annual, expanding event.
This year’s award winners included Aisha
Desai [Community Spirit], who founded the Ramadan Lights UK project which saw
Ramadan lights illuminate Piccadilly Circus for the first time earlier this
year.
Winners also included Zainab Jiwa [Woman
in Media], Presenter and Content Creator known for her fashionable, bubbly
appearances at some of the entertainment industry’s most prestigious events and
red carpets.
The importance of representation
Not only was diversity in talent
important to Suada when forming the structure of the awards, but including
representation for all types of Muslim women and the varying ways they choose
to present themselves, was paramount.
“Muslim women have been put in so many
boxes… I feel like we need to have our own space where we decide how we show
our diversity, how we come in different shapes, sizes, mindsets and
backgrounds,” Sauda told The New Arab.
She added that with such representation,
and in providing a platform for successful Muslim women, she hopes other
community members see that they are just as capable of achieving their goals.
“We need to see [representation] more.
Growing up, I didn’t see it with women that looked like me, that represented
me, that came from an ethnic background… now we can see it,” she told The New
Arab.
The dangers of not having spaces like
this, she says, include creating a sense of imposter syndrome, in which capable
individuals can feel like they are not worthy of their existing achievements,
nor capable of breaking barriers to success.
The birth of the awards
It was feeling a lack of representation
and recognising a gap in the celebration of Muslim women, which ultimately led
the organiser to take the plunge and begin the initiative in 2020, in
preparation for a 2021 debut.
“I’d go to events and I’d feel a little
left out and like there’s not a lot of sisters that look like myself, whether
it be colour wise, or how I was wearing my hijab… I didn’t feel like I fit in,”
Suada told The New Arab, adding “For me, it was like ok, why complain when you
can create your own?
“I love to create things where I want to be.
It was an idea for a while… until I did it. I was like enough… I’m going to put
all my eggs in this basket, I’m going to fund it and we’re going to see how it
goes… and here we are!” she said.
Not a popularity contest
Deciding she wanted the awards to be
“taken seriously”, and to steer away from them becoming a “popularity contest”,
Suada brought together a diverse panel of judges – also award winners in their
fields, or well experienced – to ensure “fairness” in the judging process.
The awards’ backend team typically
narrows nominees to five per category, before the judges pick their winner and
runners-up from the selection.
This year, Suada also invited previous
winners to judge and “pass on the flowers” to a new community member, as former
winners also presented new winners with their awards during the 2023 ceremony.
Aspirations of ‘going international’
Following a successful third consecutive
year of the Muslim Women Awards, Suada believes the annual ceremony has only
scratched the surface, that it’s just the beginning and that it's time to
expand.
“The response to it is fantastic. Now
it’s the time for more people to get involved and for us to take it to the next
level,” she told The New Arab, adding that she has received a large amount of
positive feedback that makes her feel “really happy to know I wasn’t crazy [to
start the initiative]… we did need this!”
Suada envisions the awards going
international, telling The New Arab she has received interest in the initiative
from abroad.
With unshakeable determination, it is
evident Suada is striving towards an upward trajectory, where the
manifestations of her hard work are always bigger and better.
“I dream big you know, I’m a dreamer
babe! My dream is to expand it for next year and make it go international… and
that we get to wear our dresses and do our own red carpet!” she says, full of
excitement.
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/features/meeting-suada-mohamoud-founder-muslim-women-awards
------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hadiya-conversion-kerala-divorced/d/131284