Painting of Hijabi Muslim Woman, with the Message "My Hijab Makes Me Powerful", Hung in US Capitol Building
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 June 2022
• No Muslim Girl Should Face A Choice between Faith
and Education — Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria
• "I Feel Bad About My Studies. I Was Not Allowed
To Sit In the Exam, With a Hijab: Afiya from Karnataka (Name Changed)
• Apsana Begum, British Muslim Labour MP, Signed Off
Sick after 'Misogynistic Abuse and Harassment'
• Naira Ashraf's Murder Must Be The Last: Egyptian
Women's Rights Activists
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hijabi-muslim-woman-capitol/d/127316
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Painting of Hijabi Muslim Woman, with the Message
"My Hijab Makes Me Powerful", Hung in US Capitol Building
US Congresswoman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Texas, US on 10 March 2019 [nrkbeta/Flickr]
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June 23, 2022
An American high school student has had her artwork
portraying a hijab-clad woman put on display at the US Capitol building, in a
choice made by Democrat representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Sally Almaklani, a freshman at Renaissance High School
for Musical Theatre & the Arts in the Bronx borough of New York City was,
this year, part of the annual Congressional Art Competition, which is sponsored
by the Members of the US House of Representatives, and is an opportunity to
encourage artistic talent in different congressional districts.
Following the selection of the winners, they are then
recognised at a reception in Washington DC later in June, with their artwork
displayed for one year in the US Capitol building. Almaklani's final submission
portrayed a Muslim woman wearing her hijab, with the message "my hijab
makes me powerful" written on top in Arabic.
Her artwork was selected as the winner for the 14th
District of New York by representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, commonly
referred to as AOC. In an Instagram post congratulating and announcing the
selection, AOC stated that the artwork "contains striking visuals and a
counter-narrative on hijab: that as a tool of self-expression, a hijab can
empower young women."
She added that "Sally's depiction of a radiant
young Muslim woman compellingly contrasts Islamophobic stereotypes against the
hijab. And, the beautiful aesthetic, coupled with the powerful message
certainly speaks to our district."
Speaking to the New York-based News 12 network,
Almaklani expressed her hope that the artwork can "send a message to a lot
of people" through its inclusive depiction of a hijab-clad Muslim woman.
"I hope that every Muslim girl feels comfortable, that them wearing their
hijab is what makes them protected and powerful in the future and in
society," she said.
Source: Middle East Monitor
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No Muslim Girl Should Face A Choice between Faith and
Education — Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria
Nigerian female students wearing Hijab
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By Saheed Salawu
Jun 24, 2022
Never again should a Muslim girl be told to choose
between her faith and education in Lagos State or elsewhere in Nigeria because
both are her constitutional rights.
The amir (president) of the Muslim Students’ Society
of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit, Miftahudeen Thanni, made this
declaration on Wednesday in Lagos at a press conference addressed by the body
and other stakeholders in respect of last week’s Supreme Court judgment
approving the use of hijab in the state’s schools.
Speaking at the event, Thanni urged the state
government to promptly implement the judgment and caution its officials against
harassing Muslim females wearing the hijab
He explained that the government issuing a circular in
this respect would prevent “overzealous” teachers and principals from
committing contempt of court.
The MSSN leader said: “This is not to castigate the
Lagos State government but to appeal for prompt implementation of the Supreme
Court judgment.
“We waited patiently to get the judgment and we were
lawful throughout. During the period, we consulted, collaborated, protested,
held rallies and sensitised government officials on why a willing Muslim female
should be allowed to put on the hijab.
“For no reason should a girl-child be denied education
again in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.
“The images of Muslim students sent out of the
examination hall for wearing hijab touch the heart and consistently bring tears
to the eyes. We do not want this to recur. The education of the girl-child is
very paramount in our hearts. No Muslim girl should ever be told to choose
between her faith and education. Both are her rights.
“We demand that the Lagos State government issue a
circular within 30 days of the delivery of the judgment allowing hijab. The
Lagos State government should sanction officials who go against the Supreme
Court judgment and hold a meeting with MSSN-Lagos, Muslim leaders and other
Islamic organisations on the size and modalities of using the hijab.”
On her part, Asiyat AbdulKareem, who sued the state
government, called for a stop to victimisation of Muslim students.
Also, the Ameerah (female head) of MSSN-Lagos,
Basheerah Majekodunmi, called on all Muslims to be lawful and report any
violation to the appropriate quarters.
The Executive Secretary of Hijab Rights Advocacy
Initiative, Shereefat Enessi, said the Supreme Court judgment “is not a victory
for the Muslims alone but also for civilisation, for democracy and for peace,”
Enessi said.
The National Amir of the MSSN, Uthman Abubakar, also
spoke at the event through the General Secretary of MSSN-Lagos, Hamzah
AbdulFattah.
He said: “The MSSN salutes the courage, understanding
and application of the constitutional law, as it is, by the panel of the
justices.
“The judgment is manifestly credible and guarantees
hijab as one of the fundamental human hights granted to Muslims and any other
adherents of a religion.”
Source: Tribune Online Nigeria
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"I Feel Bad About My Studies. I Was Not Allowed
To Sit In the Exam, With a Hijab: Afiya from Karnataka (Name Changed)
Ahmad Adil
24.06.2022
NEW DELHI
For many months, 18-year-old Afiya (name changed) from
the southern Indian province of Karnataka was burning the midnight oil to
appear in the 12th-grade exam and then appear in the competitive test to seek
admission to a medical college.
But she could not appear in the test, as the school
did not allow her to enter the examination hall wearing the hijab or headscarf.
After the Karnataka High Court on March 15, upheld the
ban imposed by educational institutions on wearing headscarves inside the
premises, many Muslim female students have either opted out from the
examinations or are finding alternative means to pursue education.
The court ruled that "wearing of hijab by Muslim
women doesn't form a part of essential religious practice in the Islamic
faith."
"I feel bad about my studies. I was not allowed
to sit in the exam, with a hijab...I won't be able to even sit in the NEET
(National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for admission to medical
college," said Afiya.
She is now looking to seek admission to another
school, where she is allowed to wear a hijab.
"I don't know about my future. I feel my dreams
are getting shattered every day," said Afiya, adding that she stopped
going to school in February this year.
Like Afiya, dreams of many Muslim girls have come
crashing, who had been left to choose between their identity, freedom, dress,
and their education.
The issue started in January when female Muslim
students were barred to enter their classrooms in a government college in the
Udupi district in Karnataka for wearing hijab. Subsequently, other institutions
also followed the diktat.
The students have now pinned their hopes on the
Supreme Court which is hearing the case.
"We are wearing hijab since childhood and not
recently. They (college) should allow us to write exams in hijab. Earlier they
had no problems, but they were banned after the court order came," said
Hiba Sheikh another student who is also not attending college since March.
Not allowed to enter premises
She has already missed one college semester.
"These days fourth-semester classes are going on.
We don't go because they are not allowing us to enter the premises," she
said.
Sheikh said she was hopeful that the apex court will
dispense justice.
"Students are mentally traumatized. Everyone is
tensed about what is going to happen in the future,” she added.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Kidiyoor Nihal, national
secretary of Students Islamic Organization of India – the students' wing of
socio-religious organization Jamaat-e-Islami said the issue has put the future
of thousands of female students at stake.
"This deliberate, vengeful, hateful agenda to
deny access to students to education is a calamitous situation which would
result in loss of trust in public institutions which have far-reaching
consequences," he said.
Nihal said that the situation could have been amicably
resolved at an early stage and level if there was ever an intention to do it.
"At every instance, the situation was politicized
from college level to district to state boards to courts. We feel that dialogue
and deliberations are the cornerstones of our society and Indian
constitution," he said.
He said since it was an issue of personal choice and
autonomy, he hoped that the apex court will deliver justice.
"This is an important landmark for our
institutions to show spine and stand up for the citizens of this country,"
he said.
Government defends ban
The former top bureaucrat and now an educationist Syed
Zafar Mahmood told Anadolu Agency that the matter needs to be resolved by the
elders and learned persons of the Muslim community and representatives of other
communities.
"Yes, the hijab gets its accreditation from the
Holy Quran. But simultaneously, Islam also requires the believers to obey the
law of the land where they live. An order of a High Court in India is final
unless and until overruled by the Supreme Court. Hence, as of date, the
Karnataka High Court’s order on Hijab has to be necessarily complied with. Such
adherence is mandated by the Constitution of India as well as by the Quranic
injunction...," he said.
Defending the hijab ban, Ganesh Karnik, a spokesman
for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) told Anadolu Agency that the
students much follow the rules and regulations governing educational
institutions.
"Any responsible student should understand their
responsibility and accountability and follow the rules of the institutions,” he
said.
Karnik said the "institutions have their rules
and regulations" which need to be followed like "one individual has
own rights and choices."
"All these students if they are responsible
students and citizens, must understand that the first duty as a citizen is to
follow the rules. If they are not doing, they are not irresponsible. If they
want to break the rules or attend the schools, it is their decision,” he said.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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Apsana Begum, British Muslim Labour MP, Signed Off
Sick after 'Misogynistic Abuse and Harassment'
23 June, 2022
A British Muslim Labour MP said Wednesday that she had
been signed off sick after being subjected to a "sustained campaign of
misogynistic abuse and harassment".
Apsana Begum, MP for the Poplar and Limehouse
constituency in east London, said she was signed off sick by her doctor earlier
this month because the abuse she had received had a "significant
effect" on her mental and physical health.
"It is hard to have to take time off from my work
representing the constituency in which I grew up and live," Begum said in
a statement released Wednesday.
Begum said the abuse had been "particularly
painful and difficult… as a survivor of domestic abuse".
She did not specify who had been targeting her.
Begum – Britain's first hijab-wearing MP – was elected
to parliament in 2019. She is a fierce critic of Islamophobia and
anti-Semitism, and is staunchly pro-Palestine.
She said her experience of abuse and harassment was
far from exceptional.
"The treatment I have faced will be all too
familiar to women, socialists and those from minority ethnic backgrounds… if
the Labour party is to be the party of equality, it must do all it can to
ensure that such behaviour is never tolerated," she said.
The MP thanked those who had shown her solidarity,
promising:" I will see you all once I am better”.
Begum has previously warned that Islamophobia is on
the rise in Britain, and shared her personal experiences during a debate for
Islamophobia Awareness Month last November.
"Every single day people from Muslim backgrounds
like me face discrimination and prejudice… I myself am never allowed to forget
that my presence in parliament… makes many uncomfortable," Begum said at
the time.
Other Muslim MPs have said that have suffered
harassment and discrimination due to their religious background.
Nusrat Ghani, who was sacked as a transport minister
in 2020, said that her "Muslimness" had been "raised as an
issue" by a government whip.
Source: The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/muslim-labour-mp-signed-sick-after-misogynistic-abuse
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Naira Ashraf's murder must be the last: Egyptian
women's rights activists
23 June, 2022
The gruesome murder of an Egyptian university student
in daylight must be the last straw in a toxic male-dominated society where
violence against women is not fully criminalised, a number of high-profile
women's rights advocates in Egypt have said.
Earlier this week, a university student stabbed his
classmate, Naira Ashraf, to death and
then slit her throat in broad daylight outside Mansoura University, located
northwest of the Egyptian capital of Cairo. The victim was in her early
twenties.
The perpetrator confessed to the murder to authorities
and said the reason was that Ashraf had repeatedly turned down his marriage
proposal.
"It may seem a crime of passion on the surface.
But it, actually, revealed societal endemic ills," prominent political
sociologist Said Sadek told The New Arab.
"The incident spotlighted the violence and
injustice women are subjected to in the absence of deterring laws or religious
and social awareness that could confront regressive thoughts," said Sadek,
who is also a feminist.
Seham Ali, lawyer and board member of the Center for
Egyptian Women's Legal Assistance, agrees with Sadek.
"We witnessed some reactions to the murder that
nobody could've ever imagined. This crime is the law straw, a warning that
there must be a decisive action to protect women in the society," Ali told
The New Arab.
"It is time for a law to be enacted to confront
violence against women, socially and family-wise. There is no definite law on
this purpose, only some articles within some laws," she added.
In the few days following the incident, a further
debate erupted on social media regarding the victim not abiding by the Islamic
hijab, whether she does not deserve God's mercy and whether those unveiled
could meet the same fate for wearing ordinary or revealing outfits.
Mabrouk Attia, a preacher and professor of Islamic
Sharia at Al-Azhar University, said in a video released on social media
demanding women "to fully cover up" or else "meet the same
fate" as the Mansoura University victim.
"The horrific incident highlighted the
dreadfulness of the religious discourse of extremists and the masculine
obsession of covering women up. So it's not OK to seek mercy for an unveiled
woman, while at the same time, advocating for the culture of suppressing women
in the name of religion," Sadek remarked about the preacher's comments.
A number of women's rights supporters as well as the
National Council for Women were quick to condemn Attia's statements and filed
official complaints before the prosecutor general, accusing him of several
legal offences, among them were "inciting hate speech and violence against
women."
"There is a citizen named Mabrouk Attia, who
claims to be a sheikh, asking girls to wear 'tents' in order to preserve
themselves. He justifies the murder of the Mansoura University girl that this
is the nature of the Egyptian society," renowned lawyer Nehad Aboul-Komsan
said in a video shared online addressing the prosecutor general and her
followers.
"If women are required to protect themselves [as
he said in the video], then there are no laws or a constitution," she
said.
"We won't wear 'tents' or live in ones…I speak as
a mother of two daughters and in my capacity as the head of the Egyptian Centre
for Women's Rights," she added.
After being faced with widespread criticism, Attia, a
common face on TV, appeared in another video and declared he will take an
indefinite time off and may not even appear publicly ever again.
Azhar institution released a fatwa (religious edict)
on Facebook in what seems to be a response to the ongoing debate in which it
denounced any justification for killing women.
In the written fatwa, Azhar noted that "it is
religiously prohibited to underestimate a woman, whether veiled or unveiled,
and taking that as an excuse to assault her is a heinous crime."
"After this wake-up call, now what? Will laws be
amended? Will those in charge consider threats ahead of women and work on the
ailing male-dominated culture? Will TV channels quit hosting extremist Islamic
preachers who talk about women for some time until fatwas against women are
purged?" Sadek wondered.
Source: The New Arab
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/naira-ashrafs-murder-must-be-last-egyptian-feminists
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/hijabi-muslim-woman-capitol/d/127316