Historic Occasion as Cape Town Open Mosque Prayers to Be Led By All-Women Group; Set To Be Streamed To A Worldwide Audience
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 August 2022
• Muslim Woman, Haifa, Denied Rental Home over Her
Religion in Bengaluru
• A Young French Woman, Elodle Moreno, Finds Islam on
Türkiye Holiday Trip
• Supermodel Bella Hadid Regrets Not Being Able To
Grow Up In A ‘Muslim Culture’
• Saudi Model Amira Al-Zuhair Talks Paris Catwalks and
London Student Life
• From Hyderabad to Riyadh: Women Trafficked Under
Pretext of Jobs
• Afghan Girl Appeals to PM Modi about Visas Being
Unavailable To Study in India
• UN Lauds Nigerian Women’s Drive for Economic
Development.
• Dubai-Based Chiara Noja Latest Name to Join Golf
Saudi as Ambassador
• Domestic Violence, Academic Failure Pushing
Chitral’s Young Women to Commit Suicide
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/historic-mosque-prayers-jumaah-women/d/127761
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Historic Occasion as Cape Town Open Mosque Prayers to
Be Led By All-Women Group; Set To Be Streamed To A Worldwide Audience
Jumuah Friday
congregational prayers by The Open Mosque will on Friday be led by an
all-female group. Picture: ANA Archives
----
By Chevon Booysen
Aug 19, 2022
Cape Town - In an unprecedented move, Juma’ah Friday
congregational prayers by The Open Mosque will on Friday be led by an
all-female group.
This will be held and hosted in conjunction with the
Oxford Institute for British Islam (OIBI) and is set to be streamed to a
worldwide audience.
In a statement, the Open Mosque – described as
autonomous, non-sectarian, gender-equal, inter-racial and unaffiliated to any
specific school of thought (Madhab) ideology or denomination – said they were
happy to co-host the historic open-air service.
“For the first time, the weekly Friday worship in
Islam will be led and performed exclusively by leading feminist Muslim scholars
for a non-segregated and entirely mixed-gendered congregation.
“Professor Elham Manea, from Zurich University, who
specialises in Shari'ah Law will deliver the Khutba (sermon) on Women and the
Mosque and also conduct the congregational prayers. Ani Osman-Zonneveld, a
noted Islamic activist and acclaimed singer, will melodically recite the Adhan
or call to prayer.
“This historic open-air religious service takes place
in the lovely tranquil gardens of St John's College, Oxford University at 1pm
UK time (2pm SA time)…It is a gigantic step in advancing genuine female empowerment
and gender parity in Islam,” the statement read.
Reacting to the planned event, the Muslim Judicial
Council (MJC) said they “reserve our comments on the matter at this time”.
Cape Town Ulama Board’s Mufti Sayed Haroon Al Azhari
said their views did not align with that of the Open Mosque.
“Islam has and will always hold diverse views, which
may or may not be accepted by other Muslim persuasions. The Cape Town Ulama
Board together with the vast majority of the South African Muslims do not align
with the views of the open mosque.
“Discussions of Islam, gender-politics and women (who
are also Muslim) form part of a greater and politically-charged discourse in
which Islam is largely described as archaic.”
According to the OIBI’s website, it conducts weekly
hybrid Friday prayers at 1pm with Cape Town’s Open Mosque, based in Wynberg.
Detailing what to expect from the event, the website
read: “These liberal and progressive prayers and forward-looking sermons are
derived from an exclusive Qur'anic-centric provenance. They combine the sacred
scripture's pertinent spirituality with topical worldly secularity.
“Original, solely scripturally-based,,
thought-provoking theological analyses are complemented by salient
philosophical input and intrepid politico-social commentary.
“With this bold and novel approach, OIBI's
trailblazing Friday congregational service embraces both uplifting spiritual
facets as well as conspicuous secular dimensions.”
Source: IOL
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Muslim Woman, Haifa, Denied Rental Home over Her
Religion in Bengaluru
© iStock/mensxp
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August 20, 2022
It appears that when William Shakespeare wrote in his
Romeo and Juliet “What’s in a name?” he definitely didn’t see 2022 coming,
wherein a name means a lot. Wondering why so? Well, a woman in Bengaluru was
denied a rental house, as soon as she revealed her name, through which owners
learned that she is Muslim. The woman named Haifa shared the screenshot of her
conversation with the house owners, who denied renting her the premises because
of her religious beliefs. The more saddening thing is that this comes while the
country was enthralled in the celebrations of 75th Independence Day.
While sharing the screenshots of her WhatsApp
interactions with two different house owners on Twitter, Haifa wrote in the
caption, “If everyone is done celebrating the 75th anniversary of independence,
here is how I spent my August 15.” And, ended with the hashtags, “Bangalore and
house hunting.” The first picture revealed that the conversation begins with
the owner asking Haifa her “good name”. After Haifa told her name, the owner
asked her if she belonged to a “Hindu family”, to which she responded “No” and
asked “is that a problem?” The owner said, “Yes” and added, “Property is
available but the owner wants a Hindu family.”
Similarly, the second picture also shows that as soon
as Haifa tells the owner her name, he was quick enough to point out that she is
Muslim. Now, the screenshots of the conversation are making rounds on the
internet, triggering chatter. The comments section was swamped under the
comments from users feeling sorry for Haifa. While several shared their own
incidents, many supported and advocated for the owners. One user commented,
“This is so disheartening. I am sorry you are going through this.” Another
commented, “I was denied a property after paying the full amount, owner told me
that he has pressure from neighbours not to keep a Muslim in the locality!
India after 75yrs.”
A third user wrote, “It's their home, they have some
beliefs which one should follow if they want to live there. I know a lot of
these peeps, encountered them when I was in college, be it Hindus, Muslims,
strict families, peeps living in a society with different rules and norms, etc.
Nothing wrong.” A fourth user commented, “It happened to me many times. I don't
know why people judge the basics of religion. Why don't they understand we all
are Indians? It's disgusting.” What are your views on the incident?
Source: Firstpost
https://www.firstpost.com/india/muslim-woman-denied-rental-home-over-her-religion-11085581.html
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A Young French Woman, Elodle Moreno, Finds Islam on
Türkiye Holiday Trip
Firat Cakir
19.08.2022
A young French woman, who visited Türkiye’s
northwestern Tekirdag province for a holiday, converted to Islam on Friday.
Impressed by her friend, Elodle Moreno, 24, started searching
about Islam.
After reaching the decision to become Muslim, she
applied to the provincial mufti.
Mufti Ismail Ipek gave information about the basic
principles of Islam at the conversion ceremony.
Elodle, who recited the kalima shahadah -- the declaration
of belief in the oneness of Allah and the acceptance of Prophet Muhammad as His
messenger, was renamed "Sibel."
Ipek gave Sibel a "conversion certificate,"
the Muslim holy book of Quran and various books on Islam.
Source: Anadolu Agency
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/life/french-woman-finds-islam-on-turkiye-trip/2664761
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Supermodel Bella Hadid Regrets Not Being Able To Grow
Up In A ‘Muslim Culture’
August 19, 2022
Bella Hadid has headlined major fashion events and
weeks around the world and has also walked the ramp for many leading luxury
brands. But she admits that the one thing she misses the most is being closer
to her Muslim roots.
In a new interview with GQ magazine, the supermodel —
who is of Palestinian descent — talked about making her acting debut in the
Emmy-nominated show ‘Ramy‘, saying that when she arrived on set on the first
day, she wept as she was gifted a t-shirt by the crew that read, ‘Free
Palestine’.
“I couldn’t handle my emotions. Growing up and being
Arab, it was the first time that I’d ever been with like-minded people. I was
able to see myself,” the 25-year-old said.
Bella is the daughter of a Palestinian real estate
developer Mohamed Hadid and Dutch model Yolanda Hadid. She is also the younger
sister of supermodel Gigi Hadid. In the past, she has spoken about Palestinian
causes and continues to raise awareness about the citizens there and the state
of affairs in the country, which has long been in conflict with the
neighbouring Israel.
The GQ article called Bella “the most outspoken
American celebrity advocating on behalf of the Palestinian people”. She told
the magazine that one of her “bigger regrets” is that she was not raised around
“Muslim people”, especially after her parents separated.
“I would have loved to grow up and be with my dad
every day and studying and really being able to practise, just in general being
able to live in a Muslim culture,” she was quoted as saying. “But I wasn’t
given that,” she added.
When Bella was a toddler, her family relocated to
California and she was plucked from the Palestinian side of her family in
Washington DC. “I speak about [this stuff] for the elderly that are still
living there that have never been able to see Palestine free, and for the
children that can still grow up and have a beautiful life,” the model said.
She told the publication that while she realises being
this vocal about such causes can impact her career, she remains unfazed. “I realised
I’m not on this earth to be a model. I’m so lucky and blessed that I’m in a
position where I can speak out the way that I do. And really, the downfall is
what? That I lose my job?”
She added that some things remain more important than
her career.
Source: Indian Express
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Saudi model Amira Al-Zuhair talks Paris catwalks and
London student life
HANADI MERCHANT-HABIB
August 19, 2022
DUBAI: It’s been a breakout year for 21-year-old Saudi
model Amira Al-Zuhair. At last month’s Paris Haute Couture Week, she walked the
runway for some of the world’s most renowned couturiers, including Lebanese
designer Georges Hobeika and Giorgio Armani, attracting international
headlines. A couple of weeks before that, she picked up her Bachelor’s degree
(with first-class honors) in philosophy, politics, and economics from King’s
College, London.
Al-Zuhair signed to the prestigious Elite Model
Management agency aged just 15. “I was having lunch with my family at a
restaurant in Paris, and I was spotted by a former Elite agent who told me I
should go to the agency and that they’d really like me. So I went, and within
10 minutes I got a contract, which was pretty surreal,” Al-Zuhair tells Arab
News.
But she didn’t become a model full-time until she was
18. Instead, she had a gradual introduction to the industry with test shoots
and editorials.
“School and my education have been a top priority,”
she explains. “I’ve always been a bit of a nerd — I represented my school in
national math competitions, I was head of the math team, and a member of the
UK’s Youth Parliament. And then I focused on my degree. It’s still my goal
today to become a lawyer.”
Al-Zuhair was born in Paris to a French mother and
Saudi father. She was raised in London, however (“My father wanted me to follow
his steps and graduate from a UK university,” she says). The family traveled
frequently between the UK and Riyadh, so Al-Zuhair feels a strong cultural and
emotional attachment to the Kingdom.
“I love Saudi. It’s a big part of who I am and I
really appreciate everything that’s going on at the moment — the advancements
in culture, education, economy, and infrastructure,” she says. “The current
leadership has done an amazing job at putting the country at the forefront of
the global stage, and I’m really proud to see these changes.”
Although Al-Zuhair grew up in Europe, she says she was
raised with “traditional values” and that her religion is very dear to her.
From the get-go, she was clear about what she would, or wouldn’t, be prepared
to do as a model.
“I think the industry is very accommodating,” she
says. “It’s all about what boundaries you set. My agency is amazing – and these
boundaries have been respected with all aspects of my work and with all my
clients. I’ve been very fortunate to have a very good experience.”
Paris Haute Couture Week was a triumph for Al-Zuhair —
if you ignore the time that some guy on a bike tried unsuccessfully to steal
her vintage purse. In the same month, she was also part of Dolce &
Gabbana’s monumental show in Sicily, where the label celebrated 10 years of its
Alta Moda line. Wearing a black habit and black dress with sheer panels, she
was an absolute vision on the runway situated in the historic Piazza Duomo in
Siracusa.
Al-Zuhair has also worked with some of the industry’s
biggest names in the form of ad campaigns and editorials, including Tiffany
& Co, Burberry, and Carolina Herrera. In 2020, she landed her first Vogue
Arabia cover, attracting widespread praise.
“It was shot in NEOM, and we were the first group to
shoot there,” she says. “It was such an exhilarating experience because I
discovered a whole new side of Saudi Arabia. It’s just one of the most
beautiful landscapes I’ve ever seen — the sea, the mountains, the land — you
cannot get sick of the views. We had lots of trailers in the middle of the
desert; it kind of felt like a movie set. I also got to meet lots of local
Saudi production members and stylists. It was so nice to have that
representation.”
Juggling a demanding modeling career and a full-time
university course was no easy feat. “That that was one of the most difficult
aspects — the balance. It requires a lot of discipline and good time-management
because every second counts. Every day I had to study, exercise, eat, go to university
and see my family. There weren’t enough hours. Once, I went to Milan for work,
and within 48 hours I’d been in five different cities and four countries.”
Al-Zuhair shows no signs of slowing down, though.
She’s already applying to universities to continue her education and it’s clear
that her modeling career is on a steep upward trajectory, with labels and
brands clamoring to work with her. It seems that she’ll grab as many
opportunities as possible.
“With each show you get a different atmosphere, mood
and energy. There’s a different inspiration behind each collection, and that’s
reflected in the clothes and the we way act and walk. I’m very grateful for all
the opportunities that I’ve been given and to all of these designers for
trusting me. It’s a big responsibility,” she says. “I see the work that goes
into it behind the scenes, and it’s a very emotional experience. To me, fashion
is an art and a form of self-expression. I’m honored to be able to present
these collections and their designers’ works of art to the world.”
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2146001/lifestyle
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From Hyderabad to Riyadh: Women trafficked under
pretext of jobs
Irfan Mohammed
19th August 2022
Jeddah: Hyderabad is known as the Information
Technology (IT) hub and offers a large pool of talent that contributes to the
rapid growth of the city and attracts the attention of national and global
players.
However, the dark side of the city is the increasing
poverty in some parts of Hyderabad which is becoming a top breeding ground for
job recruitment fraud. Every day dozens of poverty-stricken women are sent to
Gulf countries by fraudulent agents, falsely promising them remunerative
salaries.
Whether it is Muscat or Dubai or Riyadh in the Gulf
region Indian Missions have been regularly receiving appeals from Hyderabadi
women for rescue and repatriation, in fact, one can find Hyderabadi women in
destitute women’s shelter houses that are being operated by Indian embassies.
Despite repeated cautions by officials, Hyderabadi
women still fall into the traps of local agents in desperate attempts to secure
a decent future for their families. In fact, most women are aware of hardships
abroad yet they are ready to take the risk to get rid of poverty.
The latest case of a 26-year-old young lady, from
Aghapura of Hyderabad, in Saudi Arabia illustrates how financial compulsions
can make victims of circumstances.
Excelled in studies and a self-esteemed yet poverty-afflicted
Hyderabadi young lady was fraudulently brought into Saudi Arabia on the false
promise of a lucrative administrative job only to discover that she was duped.
The lady, whose name has been withheld, was a topper
in a college and graduated in MA English literature with distinction.
She was wedded last year and within six months of her
marriage, her husband was diagnosed with renal failure, as both of his kidneys
no longer functioned on their own. In a desperate bid to provide funds for her
husband’s treatment, the young educated lady decided to try her luck in the
Arabian deserts.
An acquaintance promised her an administrative job in
a firm in Riyadh where sizable women work in various capacities and by
believing in him she arrived in Saudi Arabia only to discover that the job of a
house help for a family awaited her.
She was allegedly forced to longer hours and even
deprived of proper food, shocked by cheating, the lady tactically ran away from
the employer’s house on the pretext of disposing of garbage, and reached Hara,
the Hyderabadi neighbourhood in heart of the city, from where she escaped to
the Indian Embassy. She was later shifted to the Indian women’s shelter house
run by the embassy.
The story of another woman, Mehrunnisa (31), is not
different from the 26-year-old woman.
A native of Musheerabad in Hyderabad, a skilled
beautician who arrived in Saudi to be employed in a beauty parlour but was
forced to work as a maid, that too without remuneration for eight months,
according to her complaint.
It was not her choice of job, but due to poverty and
her responsibilities towards her family, she choose to keep the job. However,
with the nonpayment of her salary, in addition to harsh working conditions, she
was forced to escape.
These young ladies were part of six destitute Indian
women from Telugu states, lodged in the Indian Embassy shelter house in Riyadh,
desperate to return home.
Their employers had filed cases against them that
hindered their departure from Saudi Arabia, however, after a long pursuit by
the Indian Embassy’s diplomat S. R. Sajeev, coordinated by noted community
worker Nass Vokkam of Kerala, the women were allowed to return home from Dammam
and repatriated by the embassy on Wednesday.
Only a few cases are being brought to light whereas
the majority of cases go unnoticed in the city.
The Telangana police are known for their best
performance in investigating, however, when it comes to women being trafficked
into Gulf countries, it fails to display its investigating track record. Loopholes
in legal and witness modalities also cause inaction.
The Hyderabadi community is known for its passion for
poetry and religious beliefs at home and abroad but when it comes to this dark
side it preferred to keep mum.
There is no woman activist from Hyderabad, or anywhere
in the Gulf who could counsel and coordinate with those distressed in their
hour of need.
Source: Siasat Daily
https://www.siasat.com/from-hyderabad-to-riyadh-women-trafficked-under-pretext-of-jobs-2393882/
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Afghan girl appeals to PM Modi about visas being
unavailable to study in India
Ashraf Wani
Kabul
August 19, 2022
Afghan girl Fatima, a college student, appealed PM
Narendra Modi regarding the unavailability of visa to study in India.
“I, college girl Fatima from Afghanistan, appeal to
the Prime Minister of India to give me a scholarship for studies in India. We
love India it is like our family,” she said in a video recorded by India Today.
AFGHAN STUDENTS WAIT FOR VISAS TO STUDY IN INDIA
About 5000 students in different cities of Afghanistan
studying in India are stuck in Afghanistan for the last year and are unable to
do their studies due to the non-availability of visa.
After the Taliban entered Afghanistan, Afghan students
enrolled in Indian institutes are still awaiting the issuance of visas to
continue their education.
In May 2022, the students protested outside the Indian
Embassy in Kabul and requested the Indian govt to issue e-visas at the
earliest.
Source: India Today
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UN lauds Nigerian women’s drive for economic
development.
19th August 2022
The UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS,
Beatrice Eyong, has commended Nigerian women for their drive in enhancing
empowerment for economic development.
Eyong gave the commendation on Friday, in Abuja when
she received a delegation from the National leadership of the Women Wing of the
Christian Association of Nigerian (WOWICAN)
According to her, involving non government agencies
and having other interreligious partnerships for women empowerment is a wise
decision to grow an association and the country at large.
She noted that interrelationships also promoted peace
in a nation and enhanced growth and development.
“Partnering traditional rulers and getting to the
grassroots is very necessary for effective and efficient services, child
education, challenges in capacity building and cooperative management, personal
hygiene are critical and would be looked into,” she said.
She urged the women not to allow their children and
wards get involved in electoral violence and malpractices such as rigging, vote
buying and selling which had a long term negative effects on the society.
She said that UN Women had developed a new five-year
plan from 2023 to 2027, known as “Our Strategic Notes,” adding that the plan
was done in a unique way.
“We went round the six geo political zones and had
town hall meetings; we met with the women and ensured they spoke out,
expressing themselves.
“They told us what they wanted, how they wanted it and
why. We seek to know the issues and how they could be curbed”.
She noted that a holistic involvement programme which
was multifaceted, multidimensional was developed as women’s needs were not the
same and thus should be captured as presented by affected persons.
Eyong also said that her office had collaboration with
the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other relevant agencies in how to
tackle gender issues.
She said that the UN women would partner them in all
they had listed for empowerment and curbing gender based issues as it concerned
national development.
She further told them
that the Federal Government had approved two major programmes initiated
by the UN Women with other UN donor in support.
Eyong listed the programmes as rural women economic
programme and the market women transformative initiative.
“The first which is the rural women economic programme,
as we all know agriculture is the
country’s backbone, we want to ensure
food security and reinforce women
capacity.
“We will inform and educate them of the market generally, hygiene and how to sell
their produce anywhere by stating the details, price, quantity and location as
companies and other countries will be involved in the trade.
“The second, which is the market women transformative
initiative, food wastage and storage is a key factor resulting to poverty and
all farmers should note and have a way to go around this.
“These farmers need to be transformed from informal to
formal ways of carrying out their activities,” she said.
She assured them that the UN Women was with them for
any women empowerment programme leading to national development.
“We are a credible partner and will like to work with you and the Nigeria
Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) including the Muslim women.
In his speech, Osalobo Osemhenjie, Programme
Specialist, Women’s Leadership and Participation, said women involvement and
participation was critical as the general elections approached.
“We are going to different institutions, strengthening
women leadership capacity. This will enable them observe elections to mitigate
Gender based violence and other election violence.
“We also collaborate with the media, political
candidates, political parties, traditional rulers and the National Centre for
Women Development,” she said.
Earlier, Deaconess Victoria Ihesiulor, National
President, Women Wing of the CAN commended that UN Women , stressing that they
had come to seek for partnership in women development programmes.
She sought for continuous assistance by the UN Women
in gender equality globally, women’s empowerment and the girl child education.
“Our education programmes have helped out over 5,000
vulnerable families with educational materials, as well as adult literacy for
educationally disadvantaged single mothers who are victims of rapes or had been
abandoned.
“We have equally helped 3,500 educationally
disadvantaged mothers to read and write at the basic levels.
Other areas she listed included economic empowerment
to address challenges of capacity in business management for women.
The women also specially invited the UN Women
representative to their national convention coming up in October in Enugu.
She said WOWICAN had membership strength of over 48
million women and girls across Nigeria.(NAN)
Source: Sun News Online
https://www.sunnewsonline.com/951093-2/
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Dubai-based
Chiara Noja latest name to join Golf Saudi as ambassador
August
19, 2022
Sotogrande:
German professional golfer and Europe’s youngest golfer to win a professional
golf tour event, Chiara Noja, is the latest international ambassador to join
Golf Saudi in 2022, following on from icons of the women’s game including Anna
Nordqvist, Anne Van Dam and Carlota Ciganda.
One
of the in-form players of the past twelve months, Noja will not only feature in
Golf Saudi owned events going forward but more importantly will aid the
organistion in its ongoing journey to bring the great game of golf to new
audiences, particularly young girls and women, both globally and within the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
News
of Chiara’s ambassadorship was announced during this week’s Aramco Team Series
event in Sotogrande, which is taking place from August 18-20, inclusively. This
week’s field is packed full of global stars, with Chiara set to go up against
household names including Nelly and Jessica Korda, Anna Nordqvist, Carlota Ciganda
and last year’s winner Alison Lee.
On-course
lessons
Part
of Chiara’s new role with Golf Saudi will see her participate in on-course
lessons and clinics with female amateurs of the game, in order to not only
inspire those participating but more importantly encourage them to continue to
play the sport. Chiara will draw upon her own experiences of rising through the
amateur ranks and what it takes to become a professional as well as talking
about how golf can reach new audiences and ensure its future development.
“I
have always enjoyed fantastic support from the whole team at Golf Saudi, not
only via invites to their fantastic events but also in terms of providing
advice too. By turning professional, I have been able to concurrently continue
my academic career whilst still developing and improving as a golfer. I was
lucky enough to make my debut on the Ladies European Tour at the end of 2020
and the subsequent twelve months gave me the confidence to turn professional in
2021,” commented Chiara Noja, who became a scratch golfer at the age of 11,
before topping the European Rankings at both an Under-12 and Under-14 level,
maintaining her upward trajectory ever since.
She
added, “Golf Saudi is doing amazing things for the game whether it’s through
their Mass Participation programs to drive youth engagement and their efforts
to draw more people to our sport, particularly young girls and women. I am
delighted to be confirmed as the latest Golf Saudi ambassador and to not only
work alongside so many female superstars from women’s golf but to also support
such an ambitious organisation as Golf Saudi. Having come to prominence at a
similar time to Golf Saudi, I’d like to think that we’ll be able to share
insights mutually and both do our bit in terms of growing the game both in
Saudi Arabia and globally.”
Young
start
It
is fair to say that she has enjoyed a rather stellar first year as a debut
professional. Making the step up at just 15 years old in October 2021, she paid
back her early sponsor invites in full by not missing a single cut at the Dubai
Moonlight Classic, Aramco Saudi Ladies International, and the Aramco Team
Series – Jeddah. Just two months ago in June 2022, Chiara secured her maiden
professional victory at the Amundi Czech Ladies Challenge, nine strokes ahead
of Sára Kousková, and rose to the top of the LETAS Order of Merit.
Majed
Al-Sorour, the CEO and Deputy Chairman of both Golf Saudi and the Saudi Golf
Federation, commenting on her appointment said: “Chiara immediately impressed
me when I saw her play last year in Saudi Arabia. She put in two impressive
back-to-back performances at both of our tournaments. To make not only the cut
in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International presented by PIF and finish T40 but to
do so with a shoulder injury, before following this up with a T26 in the Aramco
Team Series belies her talent and bodes very well for both our new partnership
but also for the future of women’s golf on the Ladies European Tour. Having
also both lived and played in the Middle East, she has the potential to become
a role model for all young girls here in the region and help us with our
long-term aims at Golf Saudi of developing the women’s game in the Kingdom.”
Source:
Gulf News
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Domestic
violence, academic failure pushing Chitral’s young women to commit suicide
Manzoor
Ali
August
20, 2022
PESHAWAR:
More young women are committing suicide than men in Chitral region due to
domestic violence, academic failure and family pressure for marriage, shows a
recent study published by the Pakistan Journal of Criminology.
According
to the ‘Rising Trend of Suicides among Youth in Chitral: A Sociological
Analysis’ conducted by teachers Noor Sanauddin and Dr Imran Sajid of the
University of Peshawar and Zafar Ahmad of the Jehanzeb College Swat, 176 people
ended life in Chitral region from 2013 to 2019 and 58 per cent of them (102)
were women.
It
noted that the 15-30 age bracket was the most vulnerable to suicide as 144 of
176 cases fell in it.
The
study said women were more likely to end their life between 15 and 30 years of
age as 92 of the women, who committed suicide during the period, belonged to
that age bracket.
According
to it, 16 men, who had ended life, belonged to the 30-45 age group. It said the
suicide tendency decreased sharply for both men and women aged 40 and above.
Researcher
Zafar Ahmed told Dawn that he and other researchers analysed suicide cases in
Chitral in light of French sociologist Emile Durkheim’s Theory of Suicide.
He
said the study argued that the traditional culture of Chitral was subjected to
drastic social change in a very short time.
Mr
Ahmed said social change had made youth aware of their rights but their
aspirations from the current modern times were thwarted by centuries-old local
traditions.
“Culture,
traditions and festivals, which once used to give socio-cultural identity to
the individuals, have grown weak and so do the bonds and the meanings necessary
for keeping individuals into a cohesive whole.
“The
culture is in a state, where traditional norms tend to disappear yet are not
fully replaced by the new ones, what could be called anomie. The mind has
become split between tradition and modernity creating uncertainty regarding how
to live a balanced life which has increased vulnerability towards suicide,” he
said.
The
study listed the family disputes or mostly issues with in-laws, violence by
brothers or husbands, allegations of love affairs, cultural attitudes towards
women’s role in marriage, marriage against parent’s will, the burden of work,
high expectations and allegations for the bad socialisation, and academic
failure of children as reason for women’s suicides.
Besides,
it has also listed the academic pressure or craze for success as another reason
for the growing suicide incidence.
The
study noted that in the district, education was considered the ladder for
social mobility and there was much emphasis on it creating a culture where
success was worshipped and underachieving was demonised.
“A
local intellectual said congratulating those who gain success in the job market
or in academia is mandatory here. The local media and the social media glorify
the achievers as the proud Chitrali (Fakhr-i-Chitral)” it said.
The
study noted that family members instilled their dead aspirations into their
children and the result was intense stress on the youths and frustrations for
those who fail to secure good grades in exams.
“A
young boy, who had attempted suicide, said ‘too much’ expectation had resulted
in his academic failure and ultimately led him to attempt suicide. On one
occasion, six female students committed suicide less than a week after exam
results were declared,” it noted. Besides, it said that youths were also
committing suicide as a protest or an act of revenge.
“In
Chitral, the rapid social change has brought the aspirations of youth into a
clash with traditions creating an annoyance for the youths. The youths protest
by ending their own lives, perhaps they find no other option,” it said.
It
said threatening to commit suicide was quite a familiar dialogue in Chitral.
The
researchers noted that the traditional culture of Chitral was largely developed
and preserved in isolation and remained aloof from the rest of the country due
to the geographical isolation,
They
added that local culture used to provide socio-cultural identity and security
to the natives by binding them into a cohesive whole for centuries but that
security started to vanish after the region suddenly witnessed drastic social
change facilitated by the telecommunication revolution, education and
investment in the social sector. “This phenomenon disturbed the traditional
worldview which resulted in anomie,” the study said.
“Since
young people are the agents of this change, their aspirations clash with the
dominant traditions. A hostile environment is created for those who deviate
from the traditional ethos. The situation is more severe for young women as
socio-cultural taboos restrict their choices,” it added.
The
study said sympathetic response of the community towards the victims,
portraying them as the oppressed, condemning the potential perpetrators,
surrendering to the demands of suicide survivors and, of course, the cultural
unacceptability of homicide was creating a situation where anger internalised
by the youths was expressed in the form of suicide.
Source:
Dawn
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