Indian women protest against child marriage-related mass arrests of mostly Muslims in BJP -ruled Assam
New
Age Islam News Bureau
07
February 2023
•
Pashtuns in Afghanistan, Pakistan Have Been Victims of Terrorism: Malala
Yousafzai
•
Maintenance is a woman's legal right in India, but accessing it is arduous
•
NASFAT tasks Muslim women on wearing Hijab
•
Philippine Muslim women call for laws in local languages
•
Iranian female comedian sentenced to two years in prison for criticising hijab
imposition
•
Pakistani women educators learn leadership skills at UA
•
AlUla exhibits first known reconstruction of Nabataean woman Hinat
•
Look: Emirati woman with paralysed hands creates art with feet
•
Saudi Arabia continues investment in women’s football by launching new Under-17
team
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Indian
women protest against child marriage-related mass arrests of mostly Muslims in
BJP -ruled Assam
February
06, 2023
Relatives
of the arrested men have been protesting outside police stations
------------
NEW
DELHI — Hundreds of women are protesting in the north-eastern Indian state of
Assam after their male relatives were arrested as part of a crackdown on child
marriage.
State
police have arrested more than 2,400 people since Friday.
This
includes husbands and relatives of alleged child brides, as well as priests who
officiated the marriages.
Opposition
leaders have called the drive a "farce", alleging it
disproportionately targets Muslims.
But
Chief Minister HimantaBiswaSarma says that his government's "war" is
against child marriage and doesn't target one community.
It
is illegal for girls under the age of 18 to marry in India, but the practice
still continues in many parts, mainly due to patriarchal traditions and
poverty.
According
to government data, more than two out of 10 girls are married before the age of
18.
India's
parliament is considering a bill that could increase the minimum age of
marriage for women to 21 years.
But
among Muslims - who mostly get married under the Muslim personal law - girls
can get married once they attain puberty. The National Commission for Women has
also approached the Supreme Court, asking for the marriage age for Muslim women
to be made on par with that of other religions.
The
Bharatiya Janata Party, to which MrSarma belongs, has been pushing for a
uniform civil code, which will apply to all citizens.
Since
the arrests began on Friday, female relatives of the arrested men have been
protesting outside police stations. Many women say that the arrested men are
the primary breadwinners of their families and they are completely dependent on
them. The government has said it will give financial assistance to the affected
women, but that hasn't assuaged their fears.
"I
am worried about how I'm going to look after my child," one woman told The
Indian Express newspaper.
"My
husband works in the fields and I'm completely dependent on him," said
another woman, adding that she only had basic primary education and didn't know
how to access legal help.
On
Saturday, police in Dhubri district beat protesters and used teargas to
disperse them, the Times of India newspaper reported.
Police
have invoked the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act
against men accused of marrying girls below 14 years of age - punishment ranges
from seven years' imprisonment to a life sentence and the accused can't get
bail.
Those
who allegedly married girls between the ages of 14 and 18 are being charged
under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, which carries a maximum sentence
of two years' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 rupees ($1,213; £1,005).
MrSarma
said more than 8,100 people had been named in police complaints so far,
including the parents of grooms and priests who performed the marriage
ceremonies. He said he had asked the police to act with "zero
tolerance".
To
save thousands of girls from child marriages in the future, "one
generation will have to suffer", he said last week as the crackdown began.
But
opposition leaders say the government is making life more difficult for
ordinary people.
Ripun
Bora, leader of the Trinamool Congress party, called the crackdown
"whimsical" and said the state government was misusing the law.
Gaurav
Gogoi, a lawmaker from the Congress party, called the move a "[public
relations] exercise", saying police were investigating cases that were
"decades old without proper enquiry or adherence to procedure".
MrSarma,
however, has said the crackdown on child marriage will continue till 2026, when
the next state elections will be held. — BBC
Source:
Saudi Gazette
Pashtuns
in Afghanistan, Pakistan Have Been Victims of Terrorism: Malala Yousafzai
By
Nizamuddin Rezahi
February
6, 2023
Malala
Yousafzai
-------
Malala
Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winner says that Pashtuns across Afghanistan
and Pakistan have been the victims of ‘terrorism’, and have suffered
discrimination, displacement, and death for long enough.
Malala
says, as a Pakistani Pashtun Muslim woman, she seriously opposes the remarks of
Pakistan’s Representative to the United Nations about the Pashtuns.
Munir
Akram, Pakistan’s Special Representative to the United Nations on Wednesday in
a meeting of the organization in Geneva said, “restrictions being imposed by
the Afghan interim government flow not so much from a religious perspective as
from a particular cultural perspective of the Pashtun culture.” “And this is a
strange, and distinctive cultural reality of Afghanistan which has not changed
for hundreds of years,” he added.
After
his remarks prompted massive criticism, Mr. Akram took back his opinion and
apologized to all those affected by his rather harsh and discriminatory
comments.
Meanwhile,
Malala Yousafzai in a letter sent to Pakistani Newspaper Dawn on Sunday said
that the Taliban are responsible for violating women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Malala
has highlighted in her letter that Pashtun men and women and other ethnic
groups including Tajiks, Hazaras, Uzbeks, and others have worked together for
decades to build girls’ schools and women’s rights advocacy organizations in
their country.
The
Nobel Peace Prize winner says she does not claim justice is fully maintained in
Pashtun communities. However, like most parts of the world, Pashtun women and
girls are faced with serious restrictions. The number of girls not attending
schools exceeds their male counterparts. Many girls are forced into early
marriage, and mostly, women are considered second-class citizens, whose rights
and values are prioritized over those of their male counterparts.
She
has emphasized that we can see cultural change in men and women
enthusiastically fighting for gender equality throughout Afghanistan and
Pakistan. “We are evolving, even when the Taliban and other extremist groups
are trying to push us back, we are moving forward,” She said.
Source:
Khaama Press
--------
Maintenance
is a woman's legal right in India, but accessing it is arduous
FEBRUARY
07, 2023
IMAGE
FOR REPRESENTATION
--------
In
India, ending a marriage is traumatic for most individuals. The situation
becomes worse for women who must navigate settlement terms and follow up on
maintenance money for their and their children’s wellbeing, adding to the complexity
of the stigma of divorce. Nihala was 24 years old, with a toddler, when she
decided to walk out of her marriage. “I had already suffered in a turbulent
marriage and had no emotional energy to fight my ex-husband for maintenance. I
just wanted out,” she says, recalling the entire ordeal.
Maintenance
is the allowance a spouse must pay the other spouse when they are unable to
meet their monthly expenses. Maintenance also applies to children, if any, so
that caregiving expenses for the child are not disproportionately borne by one
parent alone. In India, maintenance can be claimed under personal laws like the
Hindu Marriage Act 1955, Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act 1956, Muslim
Personal Law, Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986, etc. Under
some personal laws like the Hindu Marriage Act, the husband is also entitled to
maintenance. But these laws only permit individuals belonging to the specified
religions to file for maintenance. Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code
(CrPC) also provides for maintenance. This is a secular provision under which
women of all religions can file for maintenance.
“The
main objective of Section 125 CrPC is to prevent the destitution of the woman
after divorce. So when a woman approaches the court for maintenance, it is with
a lot of hope, and one must underline that the courts have been supportive in
most cases. But the effective implementation of a maintenance order always
depends on the man who is supposed to pay,” says senior lawyer and human rights
litigant Sandhya Raju.
Though
maintenance, in the broad sense, is a legal right designed to ensure that women
have some financial support after a divorce, very few women are able to
successfully claim this right and access the money. “My lawyers explained to me
that maintenance is my legal right. I was aware of that. But my ex-husband said
that if I claim maintenance, he would not give me a divorce. I was stressed
about the divorce itself being prolonged, as it was affecting my child’s
emotional well-being also. It was excruciating,” recalls Nihala, who hails from
Kannur in Kerala, elaborates.
Under
the CrPC, a wife who is unable to maintain herself is legally entitled to
maintenance in all scenarios. However, there are a few exceptions — if she is
living with another man, if she refuses to live with the husband without any
reason, if she remarries, or if the husband and wife are living separately by
mutual consent. The law also provides for women in live-in relationships to
claim maintenance.
In
Rajnesh vs Neha, the Supreme Court listed some broad guidelines with respect to
maintenance — before determining the amount of maintenance to be paid, the
court should assess the financial status of both parties. The SC also said the
court should also evaluate their educational backgrounds, and order both
parties to file an affidavit detailing their assets and liabilities.
Chennai-based
advocate Manoj, who deals extensively with family law cases, elaborates that
the law favours maintenance for women because it takes into account what really
happens in the lives of most women. “Typically, women are married off when they
attain a socially accepted marriageable age. Especially women from rural and
semi-urban settings may not have the opportunity to complete their education
and be financially independent before marriage. In the marriage, they do all
the housework and care work – which is invisible labour – for which they
receive no compensation. When such a woman decides to end her marriage, she
finds herself in a situation where she has nobody and nothing to rely on. This
is why the husband is legally required to pay maintenance, because the woman
has spent her time and labour in the marriage, building the family, with
nothing else to cushion her. There has to be some support when she decides to
separate,” Manoj says.
Getting
a court order vs getting the maintenance money
Many
factors contribute to why women are unable to access maintenance money even
when there is a court order directing the man to pay a specific amount to his
ex-wife and children. Advocate Sandhya feels that the root cause is definitely
our patriarchal mindset which stigmatises divorce to such an extent that when
women walk out of marriages, the society believes they deserve no aid.
Shylaja
(name changed), who has been married for 10 years with two children, says that
her family was not in support of her decision to file for divorce. “I walked
away from the marriage and lived with my parents right after the separation.
But I received no support, I had to seek the help of a social support group for
accommodation. And my divorce proceedings are still going on. Filing for the
divorce itself has been so turbulent. It took me a year to file a petition
because I did not have access to the required documents. Fighting for
maintenance has been doubly hard for me given my situation,” says the
29-year-old from Chennai.
Sandhya
attests that the courts have been sensitive to women who seek divorce and
maintenance. “Getting a maintenance order from a court is not the difficult
part usually. It is getting the ex-husband to pay up that is tedious. Most
women have a court order allowing maintenance, but not many actually get the
money,” she says.
“My
ex-husband did not sign the papers for nearly two years after I decided to get
a divorce, only because I asked for maintenance. Later, he agreed to pay only
for my child’s expenses but said he would not pay me anything. I had to
compromise because otherwise, it would only prolong the process,” says Nihala.
She
also feels that the restitution of conjugal rights — a legal provision where
one spouse can approach the court citing that their spouse left them without
cause and that their right to cohabitation is violated — is abused by men who
have no intention to pay maintenance. “When I filed for maintenance, my ex
filed for restitution of conjugal rights, claiming that if I lived with him he
was willing to look after me. That made it look as if I was asking for a
divorce for no serious reason. He knew I would not go back, so he used the law
to have me run around in circles,” Nihala adds.
Manoj
says that procedurally, the court can pass an order for the attachment of
property or salary of the ex-husband if he refuses to make payment. “If that
also does not work, the court can further order civil imprisonment and have the
man taken into custody for non-payment. But what usually happens is that when a
man does not want to pay, he absconds. Some men also make up excuses about
losing their jobs or not being paid salaries, to evade payment of maintenance,”
he adds. He also notes that in situations where the ex-husband is absconding,
an ex-parte divorce (divorce in the absence of one spouse) is granted by the
court. This further complicates the process of getting maintenance and women
then have the additional onus of tracing their absconding spouses, in which
they are often unsuccessful.
While
looking at the legality of maintenance, alimony is one term that often seems
similar. Alimony is a lump sum amount paid as a final settlement during a divorce
proceeding, whereas maintenance is a monthly amount paid for the daily
sustenance of a divorced woman who is unable to look after herself. “In many
cases, people also use settlement as a loophole to delay payment. They insist
that they are willing to pay a lump sum to their ex-wife instead of a monthly
allowance and keep dragging the negotiation procedure to push the payment. What
happens here is that the woman suffers, especially when she has no other income
and has children to look after,” says Sandhya.
Shylaja
also says that women who decide to push for maintenance face a lot of
gaslighting. “Everyone told me that men
are bound to be problematic and that we women must compromise. They tried to
water down my efforts to get a divorce and maintenance by emotionally confusing
me with questions like ‘how will you survive with two kids and no other support
in the absence of a husband’. These things sometimes get to us, making us
doubtful about our own rights,” she says.
Domestic
violence and accusations of false case for money
The
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PDV), 2005 is another
legislation in India that provides for maintenance. “Women who suffer domestic
violence and dowry harassment are entitled to claim maintenance. But when such
a case is filed, the husband immediately campaigns that the woman is making a
false claim of abuse just to extort money,” says Sandhya.
“There
are different forms of domestic violence that women experience. When we look at
Dalit women, in the case of marriage with men from other religions or dominant
castes, there is caste-based violence as well. But the key problem with
domestic violence is that by the time the woman files a case, there is barely
any physical evidence to prove it,” observes Manoj.
Both
Manoj and Sandhya assert that the normalisation of violence in marriages
encourages women to cover it up and suffer generationally, due to which there
is no recorded evidence of the violence. “Women who seek medical attention
because of domestic abuse also seldom tell doctors the real reason behind their
injuries. Besides, families and society urge them to stay in the marriage. When
such women finally decide to claim maintenance under the PDV Act, there is no
evidence of the abuse. There are no witnesses also since these things happen in
private. It then becomes easy for the husband to say that the woman is making a
fake claim to extort money from him,” says Manoj.
Josephine
(name changed), a mother of two who has been married for seven years, says that
she faced severe domestic abuse and that her husband would not provide for her
and their children. “He filed for divorce, but nobody appeared from his end at
the court, and consequently, the case got dismissed. I approached the court
later for maintenance, but there was no representation from my husband’s side
and he was not willing to accept the court notice either. I did not know his
address or where he was working to make sure that he received the notice since
I had moved to my parents’ place by then. So, I was not able to file for
maintenance,” she says.
Shaming
women who claim maintenance
Manoj
notes that women who claim maintenance are seen as capitalising on the
breakdown of their marriage. “To address the issue of shaming women who claim
maintenance, we must first understand why the law provides for maintenance,” he
says.
Many
people feel that maintenance is an ‘undue advantage’ sanctioned to women
through the law to ‘loot’ their ex-husbands. Therefore, when a maintenance
petition is filed, the woman is accused of wanting her ex-husband’s money
despite not wanting to live with him anymore. “My ex-husband said ‘You don’t
want me, but you want my money?’” recalls Shylaja. “Everyone accused me of
wanting to access my ex’s wealth. Nobody even felt that maintenance is my
right, that I would need help to raise my kids and sustain myself. The comments
got so painful that at one point I thought about dropping the attempt to claim
maintenance. I’m still processing my thoughts,” she says.
“It
is a double-edged sword in any case. If the woman has any source of income, the
defence will cite that to not pay maintenance. We do not look at marriage in
terms of the years spent and the labour invested in it, which deserves
compensation. We think maintenance is quick, easy money that women claim so
they can live off their ex-husband’s money. Even women internalise it sometimes
and shame themselves, or feel reluctant to ask for maintenance, slogging every
day with whatever they can manage,” says Sandhya.
The
attitude of shaming women who seek divorce or maintenance exists even within
the judiciary, notes 31-year-old Meenakshi. “When I was in court for my divorce
proceeding, I witnessed a young woman being reprimanded by the judge for even
filing for a divorce. She shamed the woman for being financially independent,
saying that when women earn for themselves they do not want to ‘adjust’ in
marriages. It is an attitude problem,” she says, adding that she is ‘fortunate
enough’ to have had the emotional support to walk out of a troubled marriage.
Most
women seem to want the ordeal to end, and choose to settle for whatever they
can get after a divorce despite having to rebuild emotionally and financially.
“I’m educated, and I can try to build a life for myself and my child even
though my ex refused to pay me any money. But what about women who are not like
me? Even in my case, it is my right to get maintenance but I was forced to
accept a divorce without it because I just wanted the process to end. I wanted
peace,” recalls Nihala.
“A
woman I knew, who was a domestic worker, put together everything she had and
got her daughter married. The son-in-law abused her daughter and took away all
her gold and money. But the woman and daughter were so traumatised and
exhausted that they did not have the strength or the resources to pursue the
case legally,” recalls Sandhya.
In
the absence of facilitating mechanisms and community support, most women just
drop their claim for maintenance, accepting defeat against a system that simply
fails to help them access a legal right. “I don’t have a job but I need to
raise my kids, sustain myself, and fight the case in court. Whether my husband
appears in court or not, if I want to file a maintenance case I need to hire a
lawyer, which is a financial burden on me. So I dropped the idea of getting
maintenance. I am making myself believe that I won’t get anything anyway, so I
remain silent about it and focus on looking after my kids,” says Josephine.
Sandhya
says that financial independence is the key to ensuring that women do not get
entangled in judicial red tape. “I always encourage young women to try to be
financially stable before they get married. Money makes decision-making easier
if the marriage falters. Even working women face divorce stigma, but at least
while they fight the system they have something that is their own to fall back
on,” she says.
“It
is surely unfair to put the burden of an ineffective justice system on women by
suggesting that they must look out for themselves, especially those who have no
privilege, but this is how we can ensure that women are better placed at this
point, while we continue to interrogate and reform the system,” she adds.
Source:TheNewsMinute
NASFAT
tasks Muslim women on wearing Hijab
06
February 2023
The
Nasrul-lahi-li Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) has urged Muslim women to
adhere strictly to the religious directive on the wearing of Hijab.
BashiratSaidu,
the NASFAT Women Affairs Coordinator in Doka, Kaduna, gave the advice on Sunday
in an interview with newsmen on the World Hijab Day.
According
to her, wearing Hijab by women is to sanctify their body by covering it from
public view.
“Wearing
the hijab is an instruction from God Almighty as contained in the Quran that as
women, we should cover our head, our body from head to toe,” she said
The
coordinator expressed concern over the level of indecent dressing in the
society and urged parents to caution their words against trespassing the law of
the Almighty.
HauwaAbdulkarim,
the deputy Amirah, NASFAT Kaduna Branch, said Muslim women should wear non
transparent, loose dresses and hijab and avoid heavy makeup while going out of
their homes.
“Wearing
the hijab is a sign of a good believer,” she said, adding that women who wear
the Hijab
Source:Guardian Nigeria
https://guardian.ng/news/nasfat-tasks-muslim-women-on-wearing-hijab/
--------
Philippine
Muslim women call for laws in local languages
February
07, 2023
Women
in the Philippines' autonomous Muslim majority region urged its lawmakers on
Feb. 6 to translate bills and laws from English into local languages so that
they can be understood better.
Many
women see crafting local laws in English, as is the norm, as a form of
discrimination since many women in the southern region have not been to college
and learned English, a women's group said.
“We
would appreciate it if members of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao have a translation of the bills that they sponsor. This will help us
in consultations with our people, especially women,” FaijaTaalil of the
Bangsamoro Women's Commission told reporters.
The
80-member local legislative body is mandated to legislate laws that are
“culturally” sensitive to Islam under the peace agreement.
“Sad
to say many women cannot understand English, the language used during
consultations, and because of that, they are not interested,” Taalil said.
The
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was established in 2014
following the end of a long-running conflict between Moro Islamic Liberation
Front rebels and the Philippine government.
Under
the peace deal, the BARMM was created comprising five provinces in the southern
Philippines. Its population is 4,404,288, based on a 2020 census, and accounts
for about 4.04 percent of the Philippines’ 110.2 million population.
The
Mindanao region is known for a low literacy rate among women compared with men,
according to a 2011 report by the Philippine Statistics Authority. The literacy
rate among Muslim women is 80.3 percent compared with 82.8 for men, according
to the authority.
Few
Muslim women attend consultation meetings regarding laws because of the
language barrier, Taalil said.
The
women’s commission said untranslated pieces of legislation, together with the
non-use of the vernacular, do not empower Muslim women.
“We
have to admit there exists a communication gap.… There is a difference between
what’s written and what’s explained and understood,” Taalil added.
“Legislators
use technical terms and ordinary folks in the countryside do not understand …
if these are translated, people will surely show interest and will participate
in governance,” Ranisa Salahuddin of Tawi-Tawi province told reporters.
Taalil
and Salahudin were referring to laws and bills which are gender sensitive.
Archbishop
Martin Jumoad of Ozamiz, a local prelate has asked lawmakers to agree to the
women's request to make democracy “more alive” in the region.
“By
translating laws and bills into vernacular languages, we are empowering those
who are directly affected by them. Language also bridges the gap in a diverse
region that practices the same faith [Islam],” the archbishop told reporters.
BARMM
lawmaker, LausaAlamia, however, was skeptical about translating bills due to
the large number of dialects and local languages in the region.
“Mindanao
is composed of seven regions with many linguistic groups, like Danao, Manobo,
and Subanon languages. Besides, there are several dialects. This is the real
challenge,” Alamia told reporters.
Source:UCANews
https://www.ucanews.com/news/philippine-muslim-women-call-for-laws-in-local-languages/100298
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Iranian
female comedian sentenced to two years in prison for criticising hijab
imposition
February
06, 2023
Using
an iron fist to cull dissent, an Iranian court on Monday upheld a two year
prison sentence against a well-known female Iranian comedian who dared to
criticise the archaic Islamic laws.
33-year-old
Zeinab Mousavi, who goes by an online alias of “Empress of Kuzcoo” and has
nearly half-a-million followers on Instagram was arrested in October last year
from her home in Qoms.
After
being arrested, Mousavi spent 25 days in solitary confinement before being let
out on bail.
However,
in December, using an arbitrary judicial process, she was handed a two-year
prison sentence according to the Iranian NGO Human Rights Activists News Agency
(HRANA).
Mousavi
had been using her online platform to criticise the imposition of hijab on
Muslim women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Her online alias was the parody
of an old villager who wears a hijab that only shows her nose.
It
was a clever commentary on how women are supposed to look under the medieval
rules imposed by highly misogynistic Islamic men.
However,
this is not the first instance where the Iranian regime has exposed itself for
going to dire lengths to quash voices of reason.
Last
month, Amir Mohammad Ahmadi and AstiyazhHaghighi - an Iranian couple in their
20s was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison after they posted a video of
themselves dancing.
As
Haghighi was seen without a scarf or a hijab in the video, dancing alongside a
male figure, alone at night in front of a prominent landmark, the authorities
considered it an attempt to show rebellion against the strict Islamic laws of
the country.
Ever
since the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish woman named MahsaAmini allegedly at
the hands of Iran's morality police in September last year, the country has
plunged into a sea of demonstrations.
The
Iranian government has come down heavily upon the protesters and is now
imprisoning and executing them with the judiciary firmly sitting in its corner.
Source:MSN
--------
Pakistani
women educators learn leadership skills at UA
By
Kelvin Reynolds
Feb.
6, 2023
TUSCALOOSA,
Ala. (WBRC) - The University of Alabama is hosting a two-week higher education
training experience for women educators from universities in Pakistan.
More
than two dozen are in Tuscaloosa learning teaching and leadership techniques
they can use when the return home. This is part of an ongoing effort to address
a mismatch in supply and demand of workforce development by increasing the employability
of Pakistan’s workforce. Organizers want to accomplish that through programs
like this to improve higher education graduate capacity and inclusivity.
“They
are meeting with faculty members. They’re doing a public speaking workshop
today to polish their skills in effective presentations and also confidence
building,” said Dr. Susan Carvalho, Associate Provost and Dean of University of
Alabama Graduate School.
“I
want to learn about different models and strategies the University of Alabama
has in place to strengthen women’s leadership in areas of teaching, research
and management,” explained Shabana Nisar, one of 28 visiting Pakistani
educators.
This
is the second consecutive year UA has hosted a group of women educators from
Pakistan. It’s part of a 5-year, $19 million project by the US Agency for
International Development and a collaboration with The University of Utah.
Get
news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our
email newsletter here.
Source:WBRC
https://www.wbrc.com/2023/02/06/pakistani-women-educators-learn-leadership-skills-ua/
--------
AlUla exhibits first known reconstruction of Nabataean woman Hinat
February
06, 2023
ALULA
— A team of archaeologists, academics, and specialists in the fields of
forensic science and model-making has completed the first known digital and
physical reconstruction of a Nabataean woman discovered at Hegra. The Nabataean
woman, known as Hinat, is thought to have been a prominent woman who died
around the first century BC and lay for over 2,000 years in a Hegra tomb.
The
reconstruction of Hinat is now being displayed at the Hegra Welcome Centre in
AlUla. Hegra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was once a vibrant city for
this north Arabian kingdom which dominated the historic Incense Road.
Hinat’s
return comes in the 15th year since Hegra was inscribed as the first UNESCO
World Heritage Site in Saudi Arabia. UNESCO’s citation at the time said the
site “bears outstanding witness to important cultural exchanges in
architecture, decoration, language use, and the caravan trade.”
In
addition to the Hinat reconstruction, the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU)
expects many more important advances in the coming years as the painstaking
work of archaeology across the AlUla area diligently uncovers the secrets of
the past. AlUla has at its heart an oasis and valley that has hosted successive
communities and civilizations from its earliest occupants to its residents
today.
An
important hub on epic routes of trade – including invaluable incense, spices,
and other luxury commodities – it has vestiges from virtually every major
period from prehistory to the present day including the site of Hegra, a
significant city of the Nabataean Kingdom.
By
the first century BC, Hegra under the Nabataeans had eclipsed nearby Dadan as
the key stopping point on trade routes linking southern Arabia to Egypt and the
Mediterranean. The Mada’in Saleh Archaeological Project began its
archaeological work at the Hegra site in 2002.
Hinat,
as she is affectionately known by the archaeologists who discovered her, was
excavated from one of Hegra’s monumental tombs in 2008. Excavations of the tomb
revealed around 80 individuals interred there, and the pathology suggests at
least some were blood relations.
The
majority was disarticulated but Hinat’s skeleton was near complete. The
inscription on the tomb reads: “This is the tomb that Hinat, daughter of Wahbu,
made for herself and her children and descendants forever”. This inscription
emphasizes the importance of women in Nabataean Hegra society, who owned
property and had the financial means to commission their own tombs.
Mada’in
Saleh Archaeological Project Co-Director LaïlaNehmé and project anthropologist
Nathalie Delhopital led the selection of an appropriate skull, with sufficient
preservation to ensure adequate information for successful reconstruction.
A
one-day scientific roundtable event, drawing together leading experts on Hegra,
the Nabataeans, and the archaeology of AlUla, saw a lively discussion around
the likely appearance of Hinat, her potential status in society, and what she
may have worn. This established the scientific boundaries and guidance for the
accuracy and character of the reconstruction and resulted in the writing of a
profile with reference imagery for clothing, hair, and jewelry. They were
joined by a multidisciplinary production team, bringing together expertise in
forensic anthropology and reconstruction, and physical model-making.
Heritage
Curatorial Expert at RCU Dr. Helen McGauran, who led the RCU-facilitated
initiative, said: “Through pioneering efforts such as this, which bring
together professional rigor and careful artistic interpretation, we are able to
deepen our understanding of the lives and culture of the Nabataeans – a
civilization that has gifted the world the extraordinary site of Hegra, and
continues to be a source of knowledge and inspiration.”
Narrative
Experience Expert at RCU Leila Chapman said: “The opportunity for our visitors
to come face to face with a Nabataean woman at the actual site of Hegra – where
she lived, and was honored by her family – is hugely exciting. We are
especially excited that AlUla’s people will see this recreation of their
ancient ancestor.”
RCU-supported
archaeological research and conservation teams continue to shed new light on
the history of the region and lay the intellectual foundation of the Kingdoms
Institute, a hub of archaeological knowledge being established at AlUla. The
‘Living Museum’ of these discoveries can be explored in person in AlUla and
online at livingmuseum.com.
It
is noteworthy that RCU was established in July 2017 to preserve and develop
AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in northwest
Saudi Arabia. the RCU’s long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and
sensitive approach to urban and economic development that preserves the area’s
natural and historic heritage while establishing AlUla as a desirable location
to live, work, and visit.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/629605
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Look:
Emirati woman with paralysed hands creates art with feet
by
Afkar Ali Ahmed
7
Feb 2023
Cerebral
palsy may have claimed her arms, but for Emirati artist Moza Abdullah Bin
Zeban, nothing can claim her spirit. The 45-year-old woman of determination
with paralysed arms uses her feet to tell her story — a story not only of
creativity and talent, but also of a spirit undaunted by what life has thrown
at her.
Moza
is supported by the Art for All Centre affiliated with Sharjah City of
Humanitarian Services (SCHS). Clasping brushes between her toes and replacing
her hands with her feet, she is harnessing what her body is capable of to its
fullest extent in order to give free reign to her talent.
Moza
uses her feet to bathe, dress, open doors, and do everything a person would do
with her hands. Moza's passion for art grew when she was nine years old. She
joined Art for All foundation Centre where she started using her feet to paint
just as she did to carry out her daily tasks.
Her
disability has not prevented her from revealing her story of challenge and
achievement, with her paintings ensuring that the struggles, trials and
triumphs of a woman with cerebral palsy are immortalised through art.
To
date, Moza has completed 60 wonderful paintings with her foot. She is
ambitious, dedicated and relentless. For the past few months she has given 12
hours of her time every day to art in order to prepare for a solo art
exhibition in the future.
It
may seem quite the task, but for Moza it's been a labour of love. When Khaleej
Times caught up with her at her atelier while she was busy finishing another
work with her foot, one look at her face was enough to understand the joy that
painting gives her. A beaming Moza was the picture of joy and hope.
Speaking
with the help of interpreter AkramAwad, she said that with her paintings she
wants to convey a message to the world: "Disability, even if it is
cerebral palsy, does not justify failure."
She
said she has participated in art exhibitions in 30 countries around the world
and her paintings have been shown in local and international events, where she
has also garnered awards.
Moza
hopes to be a world-famous artist to prove that there is no limitation;
everything is possible with belief in God and oneself.
In
this she has found a conducive environment in Sharjah. The emirate, which has
launched several first-of-their-kind initiatives in support of women of
determination from all over the world, has contributed to developing the
performance and consolidating the social presence of people of determination.
According
to a report issued by the Sharjah Government Media Office, Emirati women of
determination have made many outstanding achievements locally, regionally and
internationally.
With
the support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme
Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the emirate has granted women of
determination their full rights and pushed them to reach outstanding
international achievements.
But
in the end, it is the people of determination themselves who have shown the
mettle to grab these opportunities provided to them with both hands — or in the
case of the talented Moza, both feet.
Source:
Khaleej Times
--------
Saudi
Arabia continues investment in women’s football by launching new Under-17 team
February
06, 2023
Riyadh:
Saudi Arabia has launched its third women’s national team – the Under-17 squad
– with 28 players already underway for a training camp in Riyadh this weekend.
The
formation of the new team represents the latest sign of the rapid
transformation of the women’s game in Saudi Arabia since the inception of a
dedicated women’s football department at the Saudi Arabian Football Federation
(SAFF) in 2019. The squad will hope to follow in the footsteps of their senior
counterparts who were recently crowned champions on their international
friendly tournament debut and are well on their way to officially entering the
FIFA Rankings List next month.
Today,
there are two active professional leagues featuring 25 clubs and 523 players
representing over 20 different nationalities. On an amateur level, almost
50,000 schoolgirls took part in the inaugural schools’ league across 4,700
teams across Saudi Arabia. Off the pitch, over 49 referees are officially
registered and officiating league matches, with the first Saudi female referee
– Anoud Al Asmari – breaking into FIFA’s licensed list last month. 1,000
licensed coaches are also nurturing young female talent across clubs,
academies, schools and training centres in different cities across the country.
Healthy
lives
Marking
a further milestone in the women’s game, Yasser Al Misehal, President of the
Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) said, "Saudi Arabia has become an
ambitious supporter of sport to help inspire its young population to get active
and to lead healthy lives. Our investments, which include grassroot facilities,
partnerships and hosting global events, reflect the country’s rapid progress
and transformation. Women and girls are central to everything we do in sport,
and we are working to provide equal access to facilities, opportunities and
careers, both on and off the pitch."
He
added, "In football that means our national teams regardless of male or
female get equal pay in terms of daily allowance while on national duty, they
train on the same pitches, stay in the same type of accommodation, and use the
same equipment. The establishment of the U-17 team today is yet another sign of
our strong commitment to women’s sports, and football in specific. Having been
selected to host AFC Asian Cup 2027 in Saudi Arabia, our commitment now lies on
our bid to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup in 2026. We invite everyone to visit
our country to see for themselves how the country’s transformation is impacting
daily lives and the role sport is playing across all areas of society."
All
sports have benefitted under Vision 2030, the transformative economic and
social reform blueprint that is advancing Saudi Arabia, but sports for
schoolgirls specifically have seen a massive boost with thousands grasping new
opportunities that previously did not exist. As a result, today 37 federations
have a women’s national team, with four female presidents leading them. There
has also been a tremendous increase in sports participation across all levels,
with over 200,000 girls practicing sports every week.
Mirroring
much of the transformation happening across all areas in Saudi Arabia, the
strong women’s football movement stems from a long-term strategy and commitment
by the federation to grow interest and inspire participation at all levels of
the women’s game, with unprecedented investments in grassroots, player
development, coaching, refereeing and competitions.
Develop
skills
The
U-17 squad was chosen following try-outs across the country’s three Regional
Training Centres in the capital city, Jeddah and Dammam, that welcome girls as
young as 6-years-old, three times a week in an effort to increase participation
and develop skills at an early age. The centres saw more than 300 talented
players try out for the national selection. Some players were also chosen after
being spotted playing in the inaugural Schools’ League launched at the end of
last year.
In
a boost to future development, five players from the 28 selected are already
honing their skills in front of crowds every weekend in the Women’s Premier
League. The Under-17 national team’s first training camp has just been
completed, with the second confirm from the 9th - 11th February 2023.
Lamia
Bahaian, Supervisor of the Women’s Football Department and board member at the
Saudi Arabian Football Federation said, "We are fortunate to see such a
big turnout for the try-outs and it really shows the passion these girls have
for football. They want to play, watch and participate in any way – and while
that certainly makes our job easier, it also adds an additional responsibility
to give the women’s game the platform it deserves. We’ve been working towards
the establishment of the U-17 team for a couple of years now as it’s a very
important element in our mission to offer a 360 degrees women’s football
ecosystem. It’s great to see that five of the players are already earning
minutes in the Women’s Premier League, and is indicative of how the creation of
the league has benefited the all-round growth of the women’s game."
Source:GulfNews
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