Indonesia Says Schools Can’t Make Girls Wear Head Scarves
New Age Islam News Bureau
05 March 2021
• Female Doctor Killed In Eastern Afghanistan after
Murder of Media Workers
• 'I've grown Tenfold': Zara Mohammed on Her Whirlwind
Start as Muslim Council of Britain Head
• Edmonton Racialised Muslim Women Rally in Solidarity
after Hate-Fuelled Attacks
• Women in Mosques: Fixating On the Number Of Female
Imams Overlooks The Progress That Has Been Made
• 30-Year-Old Woman On Trial In Norway Provides
Glimpse of Life under IS Captivity
• More People Talking about Rugby in Egypt Following
Women’s Arab Sevens Success
• Egyptian Singer Fatma Said Nominated For BBC Music
Magazine Award
• Canadian Govt Has Various Programs To Empower Women
In Pakistan: Wendy Gilmore
• Women Conference from Saturday
• 'Strong Women of Strong Turkey' Inspires Progress in
the Country
• Egypt Draft Law Condemned As Setback for Women's
Rights
• Egypt’s National Council for Women Launches
Awareness Campaign on Nutrition Education
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/indonesia-says-schools-cant-make/d/124466
--------
Indonesia Says Schools Can’t Make Girls Wear Head Scarves
Indonesia says public
schools can no longer force girls to wear the hijab headscarf. (File photo:
AFP/Adek Berry)
-----
By Richard C. Paddock and Muktita Suhartono
March 5, 2021
The father, a Christian, was upset that his
16-year-old daughter had been ordered to wear an Islamic head scarf at her
public school in Indonesia. He met with the school’s vice principal and
protested the rule. And he didn’t stop there: He streamed their conversation on
Facebook Live.
“This is a requirement,” the vice principal, Zakri
Zaini, sternly told the father, Elianu Hia, during their recorded conversation.
“It has been stated in the school regulations.”
The video of the two men’s January conversation, which
has been viewed more than 830,000 times, sparked a discussion across the
majority-Muslim nation about religious discrimination, and it brought a swift
declaration from the national government in support of religious freedom.
The government of President Joko Widodo last month
issued a decree, which took effect on Friday, ordering public schools to
respect religious freedom and prohibiting them from enforcing religious-based
dress codes.
Indonesia, whose population is nearly 90 percent
Muslim, officially recognizes half a dozen religions. But over the past two
decades, the country has increasingly embraced a conservative form of Islam,
giving rise to greater intolerance of minority groups.
The government’s decree, which declares that public
schools cannot “require, order, oblige, encourage or prohibit the use of
uniforms with attributes of specific religions,” was lauded by civil rights
groups. More significantly, it was held up by the minister of religious affairs
as a reaffirmation of Indonesia’s status as a tolerant nation.
The minister, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, called the head
scarf case “the tip of the iceberg” and said the decree was intended, in part,
to remind the public that Indonesia is a diverse nation built on pluralism.
“Indonesia is neither a religious state nor a secular
state,” said Mr. Yaqut, a leading Muslim cleric and former Member of
Parliament. “It unites and harmonizes national values and religious values.”
More than 60 local and provincial governments have
adopted rules requiring women and girls to wear Islamic clothing in Indonesia’s
public schools since 2001, according to Human Rights Watch. Those requirements
have remained in effect despite a regulation adopted by the education ministry
in 2014 banning such dress codes.
The new decree applies to religious wear for students,
teachers and school staff. The ministry of education can withhold funding and
other assistance from schools that refuse to comply.
The decree was an unusual move by the ministers of
education, home affairs and religious affairs to join together to defend
pluralism. But it remains to be seen how vigorously it will be enforced by the
central government, which sometimes struggles to implement its policies.
Indonesia is one of Southeast Asia’s leading
democracies, having had two decades of free elections and successful
presidential transitions since it emerged from military dictatorship. But under
its Constitution, the power of the national government is limited, and
provinces and cities frequently flout the laws and regulations it adopts.
Religious dress codes typically require girls and
female teachers and staff to wear a jilbab, as it is called in Indonesia, which
covers the head, neck and chest.
“For two decades many state schools have required
schoolgirls and female teachers to wear the jilbab, leading to bullying,
intimidation and even expulsion or forced resignation,” said Brad Adams, the
Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The new decree is a long overdue step to
end discriminatory dress codes for girls and women in state schools across
Indonesia.”
The central government’s decree banning religious
dress codes applies to all of Indonesia’s 166,000 public schools except those
in Aceh Province, which is semiautonomous and operates under a modified form of
Islamic, or Shariah, law. Indonesia’s many religious schools are also exempt
from the decree.
Jenni Hia, the Christian girl whose father challenged
her school’s head scarf requirement, lives in Padang, the predominantly Muslim
but not particularly conservative capital of West Sumatra.
The origin of Padang’s head scarf rule came to light
when the former mayor, Fauzi Bahar, said he had implemented the policy in 2005.
Many people protested at first, he said in an interview, but eventually they
complied.
Non-Muslim students were not forced to wear a jilbab,
but it was “recommended” because of its “many benefits,” he said. “If
non-Muslim students do not wear the jilbab,” he said, “it will show them to be
a minority.”
Mr. Hia, 56, an air-conditioning installer, has lived
in Padang since 1986, and he and his family are part of a small Christian
community.
“I live in harmony in my neighborhood,” he said. “I
have good relations with my neighbors. They even support me on this issue and
they are Muslim.”
After previously attending Christian schools, Mr.
Hia’s daughter, Jenni, started attending classes at Padang Vocational Senior
Secondary School 2, a public high school, in early January.
The school had not informed the family of the head
scarf rule when she enrolled, Mr. Hia said, and she refused to wear one. She
received five warnings before the school summoned Mr. Hia to meet with the vice
principal.
Before the meeting, he searched for a provincial or
education ministry rule requiring religious attire. He found none.
The situation was so “bizarre,” he said, that he
decided to record the meeting and stream it live.
“This is the first time I encountered an incident like
this,” he said. “I put it on live so there would be no accusation that I was
making things up.”
During the meeting, Mr. Hia argued that it was a
violation of his daughter’s rights, and of Indonesian law, for a public school
to require her to wear the symbol of another religion.
For her to wear a head scarf, he said, was akin to
lying about her religious identity.
“Where are my religious rights?” he asked. “Where are
my human rights? This is a public school.”
But Mr. Zakri argued that the requirement was in the
rule book. “It becomes awkward for the teachers when there are children who do
not follow the rules,” he said.
After the meeting, father and daughter signed a
statement that she was not willing to wear a head scarf as dictated by school
regulations, and that they would await a decision from “a more authoritative
official.”
Two days later, after the video went viral, the
school’s principal, Rusmadi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name,
offered a public apology for the way the dress code had been applied. He
acknowledged that 23 non-Muslim students had been inappropriately required to
wear jilbabs.
“I apologize for any mistakes of the staff,” he said.
“It is obligatory to obey the rules. It is not obligatory for non-Muslims to
wear Muslim clothes.”
He added, “I guarantee that Jenni can still go to
school as usual.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/world/asia/indonesia-schools-head-scarves.html
--------
Female Doctor Killed In Eastern Afghanistan after Murder
of Media Workers
Relatives move the body of
the doctor killed in the bomb blast in Jalalabad. Photograph: Ghulamullah
Habibi/EPA
-----
March 04, 2021
JALALABAD, Afghanistan: A female doctor was killed in
a bomb blast in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad in what appeared to be
another targeted hit, officials said Thursday, just days after three women
media workers were gunned down in the area.
Journalists, religious scholars, activists and judges
have all been victims of a recent wave of political assassinations across
Afghanistan, forcing many into hiding — with some fleeing the country.
In the latest incident, the doctor was killed after a
magnetic bomb was attached to the vehicle she was traveling in, according to a
spokesman from the provincial governor’s office. A child was also injured by
the explosion.
“She was commuting in a rickshaw when the bomb went
off,” the spokesman told AFP.
Another spokesman from a provincial hospital also
confirmed the incident and toll.
The blast was later claimed by the local affiliate of
Daesh, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, with the extremist group
saying the victim was “working as an apostate Afghan intelligence element.”
The attack comes two days after three female media
workers were gunned down in Jalalabad in separate attacks that were just
minutes apart.
That attack was also claimed by Daesh.
Afghan and US officials have blamed the Taliban for
the wave of violence in the past, but the group has repeatedly denied the
charges.
The assassinations have been acutely felt by women,
whose rights were crushed under the Taliban’s five-year rule, including being
banned from working.
Intelligence officials have previously linked the
renewed threat against female professionals to demands at the peace talks for
their rights to be protected.
The attacks come as speculation is rife over America’s
future in Afghanistan after the administration of President Joe Biden announced
plans to review the withdrawal agreement signed with the Taliban last year that
paved the way for foreign troops to leave the country by May.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1819896/world
--------
'I've grown Tenfold': Zara Mohammed on Her Whirlwind
Start as Muslim Council of Britain Head
Harriet Sherwood
4 Mar 2021
In the past few weeks Zara Mohammed has been living,
breathing and even dreaming about her new role as the first female and youngest
ever head of the Muslim Council of Britain. “My mind doesn’t stop. There are
times when I need to go see the ducks in my local park, just to take a break.”
Apart from the responsibilities of leading the UK’s
foremost Muslim umbrella group, with more than 500 affiliates, Mohammed, 29,
has also experienced an “ongoing media blitz” – including a now notorious
interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. “I didn’t really expect the extent of
this celebrity, if you can call it that,” she says.
But “what’s been really lovely is the support,
encouragement and positivity, especially from young women and women of all
colours, all faiths. It’s been a whirlwind but it’s also been challenging. You
use the stress to power you forward. I have grown tenfold.”
Four days into the role, the BBC posted online a clip
from an interview with Mohammed by Emma Barnett on Woman’s Hour concerning
female imams. The corporation received hundreds of complaints, and an Open
letter signed by 100 public figures including the Tory peer Sayeeda Warsi
claimed the line of questioning reinforced “damaging and prejudicial tropes”
about Islam and Muslim women.
“I have to admit I was really taken aback [by the
interview]. It was particularly hostile and aggressive,” says Mohammed. She
felt like she was having “an out of body experience” as she went through what
“felt like an interrogation if I’m honest. I have no problem with bold
conversations or being challenged, but [this was] again about stereotyping us
and vilifying us and not allowing us to define who we are.”
She says the open letter “highlighted the broader
issue of Muslim women being sick of being represented in a certain way. The
media has stigmatised Muslim women and continued to perpetuate these very
negative stereotypes. The letter [was saying] ‘we’ve had enough of this’.”
On Barnett’s question about female imams, Mohammed
says: “It shows an ignorance [of] religious hierarchy in Islam. Muslim women do
not lead men in prayer. But the imam is a procedural role. What’s really
important is the role of Muslim women in leadership roles, including
scholarship, over 1,500 years, shaping and influencing our traditions in
faith.”
A second encounter also generated headlines – this
time a meeting with Penny Mordaunt, the paymaster general, that contravened the
government’s longstanding policy of not engaging with the MCB.
“It’s not clear to us why they will not engage,” says
Mohammed. “Of course there’s a conversation to be had, and a relationship,
because [government] policies are impacting our communities – look at Covid,
the perfect example. Why wouldn’t they want to talk to us about these things? I
would welcome that engagement, and I do think the government should grow up.
Let’s not get stuck in the past.”
In response to a question from the Guardian about the
reasons for its policy of non-engagement with the MCB, a government
spokesperson declined to comment.
Mohammed, the eldest of four siblings, grew up in
Glasgow and attended a state school that she says was “pretty much all white”.
She studied law and politics at Strathclyde University, followed by a master’s
degree in human rights law.
“In my second year [at university] I put my headscarf
on. I was affirming my identity as someone confident to be Muslim. And that’s
when I really began to face differential treatment.”
She has felt vulnerable, especially on public
transport, she has witnessed and challenged abuse, and she believes some of her
job applications have been rejected because of her name.
Now she advises companies on training and development,
but that has been put on hold since being elected to the voluntary, unpaid
two-year term as MCB secretary general. “I didn’t expect [the role] to change
my life so much,” she says.
Her mother always worked, even when Mohammed and her
siblings were young. “She was pretty headstrong and resolute, she wanted to do
stuff for herself. She’s strong and confident, she feeds all the neighbours,
she’s the family support hotline – even now she makes sure I’m eating. Both my
parents [urged me to] focus on my career and be financially independent. I got
a lot of investment and encouragement.”
Despite such support and her own natural ebullience,
Mohammed says: “Like all women I suffer from impostor syndrome. I’ve always had
crippling self-doubt. I will come up with 100 reasons why not to put myself
forward, that maybe someone else – a man – is better.”
Nevertheless, she won the election decisively, by 107
votes to 60, against a male opponent, Ajmal Masroor, an imam and teacher. She
has set three priorities, saying she has an “amazing opportunity to make a
difference”.
The first is inclusion and diversity. “I want to
create opportunities for more women, young people, and underrepresented
communities. I really want to be a champion for Muslim women. You always start
with yourself before telling everybody else what they have to do. I’ve
appointed more women to the [MCB’s] national council, we’re getting more
women’s organisations to affiliate, and there’s going to be a change in the
landscape of Muslim women within our organisation.”
Young people need a louder voice, and the MCB must
become more representative of UK Muslim communities, she says. “We have
probably one of the most diverse and Muslim communities in the world at our
doorstep – Malaysians, Somalis, mixed-race people, converts. We do need to do
better [at representing them].”
Tackling Islamophobia is second on her list. “I’m
going to be challenging the narrative of negative stereotypes and tropes, and
the idea that Muslim communities are one homogenous block.”
The response to Covid is third on her list, “though
it’s always number one really,” she says. Muslim communities have seen a “spike
in mental health issues, a devastating economic impact, even mosques being
unable to sustain themselves because they’re not getting the funding they
normally get from the members. We need to build strategies to help us face
that.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/04/ive-grown-tenfold-zara-mohammed-whirlwind-start-muslim-council-of-britain
--------
Edmonton Racialised Muslim Women Rally In Solidarity
After Hate-Fuelled Attacks
March 4, 2021
Edmonton writer Aisha Ali shares photos and her
location with her siblings whenever she and her five-year-old son leave their
home.
"If anything were to happen to me, people know
how I was dressed that day and where I was going," Ali told CBC News.
It's one of multiple safety precautions she takes in
the wake of six recent hate-motivated attacks on Black and racialised Muslim
women in Edmonton. The victims were simply walking in public, waiting for a bus
or sitting in their cars.
"I'm always looking over my shoulder, making sure
that we're safe in the area, not being outside at nighttime, trying to do
everything during the daytime and even then maybe bringing somebody along with
us," Ali said.
She is far from alone in her hyper-vigilance as fear
ripples through the community and protesters, including people carrying
symbolically racist Tiki torches and members of Soldiers of Odin and Urban
Infidels, openly march in Edmonton.
This Saturday, Ali and four women from her community
are holding an online event called Sisters' Dialogue. The event has already
attracted nearly 300 participants coming together in solidarity to denounce the
incidents. Speakers will share their own experiences of discrimination,
Islamophobia and micro-aggressions that single out and isolate women in the
community.
Not enough outrage
Part of the focus will be on highlighting mental
health and legal resources for a community that often faces barriers.
Speakers will also discuss policy and legislative
changes aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive environment for Black and
racialized Muslim women.
"We're not seeing enough conversation out there,
enough outrage out there," said co-panelist and criminal defence lawyer
Amna Qureshi.
"The people, unfortunately, who are struggling
the most — we do feel forced to come out and say, this is an issue that needs
to be taken seriously."
The rise in Islamophobic attacks, such as the attack
at a Quebec City mosque in 2017, and the policing of what Muslim women wear,
also factor into the current climate, Qureshi said.
The conversation will also explore what tools are
available to ensure justice is served for anyone who becomes a target such as
what information is important for investigating officers to know.
The police hate crimes unit is investigating the
attacks. Two arrests have been made. But police have also been accused of not
treating the case of one victim with the sensitivity and seriousness it
required — an allegation police dispute.
With many hate crimes going unreported and the amount
of energy it requires, Ali said proper support from police is essential.
Sisters' Dialogue has its roots in an article written
by Wati Rahmat called 'Why Is My Hijab Still A Threat,' published in the
Progress Report, after the rise in attacks on local Black Muslim women, Qureshi
said.
She says it came with the realization that there's a
conversation here that needs to happen, and that Muslim women need to be part
of it and speak for themselves.
They hope their dialogue will put pressure on
governments to act and encourage allies to step up, Ali said.
Ali first felt the cruelty of having slurs hurled her
way and being told she didn't belong here, when she was in Grade 10. She said
it was a lesson in keeping her head down.
She didn't realize the power her words held until she
saw the lengths some would go to silence her. She can smell their fear. - Poet
Aisha Ali
But she recently published her first book, Spilt Milk,
refusing to be silent — something she will continue to do this Saturday. One
poem goes like this: "She didn't realize the power her words held until
she saw the lengths some would go to silence her. She can smell their
fear."
Sisters' Dialogue takes place on Saturday at 11 a.m.
You can sign up on Eventbrite for free.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/edmonton-racialized-muslim-women-rally-140000684.html
--------
Women in Mosques: Fixating On the Number Of Female
Imams Overlooks The Progress That Has Been Made
March 4, 2021
Debate continues in the wake of a high-profile Radio 4
Woman’s Hour interview with Zara Mohammed, the first woman general secretary of
the Muslim Council of Britain. Mohammed was pressured live on air to answer a
question about how many female imams there are in Britain. Following
accusations of hostile questioning from host Emma Barnett, the discussion
pivoted to a widely misunderstood issue in Britain and beyond: the role of
Muslim women in religious spaces.
To dispel some of those misconceptions, it’s important
to understand the varied experiences of Muslim women in a number of religious
roles and communities around the world. There are complicated reasons for the
lack of women in leadership roles but that is not to say that no progress has
been made on updating gender disparities in Islamic religious life.
Women’s voices in Muslim communities
Whether questions about women’s roles in mosques are
raised within the Muslim community itself or by wider British society, Muslim
women’s own views and practices are key.
Muslim women are increasingly calling for more mosques
to include them. Organisations such as the Muslim Women’s Network UK, Faith
Matters and Citizens UK have urged mosques to open up spaces for women and to
include them in mosque leadership. The Mosques and Imams National Advisory
Board and the Muslim Council of Britain have issued similar recommendations, as
has the Vibrant Scottish Mosques initiative. The Muslim Council of Britain has
also launched a programme of leadership training for women. These initiatives
also build on an established history of women as Islamic scholars.
In some contexts, women have reacted against
male-dominated mosques by establishing mosques that are led by women. The first
women-only mosque in the US, The Women’s Mosque of America, opened in Los
Angeles in 2015, mirroring women-only mosques that have served the Hui
community in China for several hundred years. In the UK, the Muslim Women’s
Council launched an initiative in 2015 to establish a new women-led mosque in
Bradford. The planned mosque will be open to women and men. Prayers where both
women and men partake will be led by a male imam.
A more radical innovation is the Inclusive Mosque
Initiative established in London in 2012, which offers a space for worship
without gender segregation and works with women imams such as Naima Khan.
American female imam Amina Wadud has led gender-mixed prayers in Oxford, London
and elsewhere. Other gender and LGBTQ+ inclusive developments have emerged in
Canada, the US, France, Germany and Denmark.
Still, opinions are divided about women’s
participation in mosques. My interview study with Muslim women in the UK and
Norway found that they were highly appreciative of dedicated mosque spaces for
women. Some also wanted greater influence for women in mosque governance. While
some sought advice from imams deemed to be supportive of women, others were
critical of imams harbouring conservative views on women’s roles.
The participants agreed, however, that only men can be
imams and lead prayers for gender-mixed audiences. This rule was seen as rooted
in religious prescriptions and as such was not up for debate. The women also
suggested that “authentic” or true Islam supports women’s rights and equal
value, while “cultural” or “traditional” forms of Islam deny this.
Women’s roles in mosques
Mosques are houses of religious worship that also
function as community hubs for social events, welfare services, charitable
activities, political engagement and even sports. They are typically governed
by male-dominated boards and the main religious leadership role is held by the
male imam.
While only men have a religious duty to pray at the
mosque, women are increasingly participating in mosques throughout the UK,
Europe and North America.
Some mosques are welcoming and facilitate women’s
participation via separate entrances and prayer rooms. These spaces allow women
to exercise religious leadership in women-only contexts including leading
women’s prayer. Other mosques are less traditional. Overall, Muslim women’s
complex engagement with mosques shows both compliance with, and challenges to,
male power and authority. Debates about women’s leadership, authority and
participation in mosques, then, are clearly here to stay. While some may be
more polarising than others, these discussions raise fundamental questions
about democratic governance, gender equality, religious freedom and
self-determination. Regardless of people’s views, it should be evident that
when it comes to the complex issue of women’s roles in mosques, evidence-based
approaches are always best.
https://theconversation.com/women-in-mosques-fixating-on-the-number-of-female-imams-overlooks-the-progress-that-has-been-made-155243
--------
30-Year-Old Woman On Trial In Norway Provides Glimpse
of Life under IS Captivity
05th March 2021
OSLO: A woman on trial in Norway for supporting the
Islamic State group provided a glimpse this week of life with members of the
terror group she said she was unable to flee despite numerous attempts.
The woman, who AFP and other media have chosen not to
identify in order to protect her children, is facing charges of supporting the
Islamic State during the six years she lived in territory the radical group
controlled in Syria.
The 30-year-old -- born in Pakistan but raised in Oslo
-- testified on Monday that she was radicalised and left for the war-torn
country in 2013 after falling in love and marrying Bastian Vasquez.
Vasquez was a Chilean-Norwegian jihadist who converted
to Islam and was fighting at the time for an Al-Qaeda-linked group. He later
joined the Islamic State group and died while making explosives.
The woman said she quickly became disillusioned on
arriving in Syria and on several occasions tried in vain to return home.
She ended up marrying two other foreign fighters
during her time in IS-controlled territory and had two children, one from
Vasquez.
"By taking care of the children, by cooking and
doing laundry, she enabled three foreign fighters in their battles,"
prosecutor Geir Evanger told the court.
The woman, who faces up to six years in prison if
convicted, said that on meeting Vasquez, she initially would laugh when he
would describe to her over the phone the atrocities of the war.
"I was so in love that I believed everything he
said," said the woman who was repatriated to Norway last year and no longer
wears the niqab, or full-face veil.
She said after marrying Vasquez online and joining him
in Syria, he quickly became violent with her and she felt trapped.
Prosecutors, however, have challenged her account
accusing her of trying to recruit other women to join the terror group.
"During her marriage to Vasquez, she spoke highly
of the Islamic State and of life in Syria to women in Norway with the aim of
getting them to marry foreign men fighting for the group," according to
the charge sheet.
Vasquez died in 2015 and the woman subsequently
married an Egyptian man with whom she had her second child.
But he also died in combat and she married one of his
friends, also a fighter for the IS.
Her lawyers argue that her successive marriages with
IS fighters did not mean she supported the terror group but rather ensured her
survival and gave her hope of one day escaping.
"She was not part of the Islamic State but was
more someone who survived the group," said her lawyer Nils Christian
Nordhus.
- IS hostage and member -
Following the defeat of IS, the woman was brought back
to Norway in January last year with her children, one of whom was ill, from the
Kurdish-controlled Al-Hol detention camp in Syria.
Her return was highly criticised at the time by the
populist right-wing Progress Party which left the Norwegian government in
protest.
The trial -- the first of a woman accused of joining
IS -- has put the spotlight on the role women played in the terror group.
"ISIS is an entity classed as a terrorist
organization by the UN. It's the entire organization, not just the fighting
part, that is classed as such," said Magnus Ranstorp, a Swedish expert on
terrorism, using another acronym for the group.
"It doesn't matter if you're driving an ambulance
or cooking at home, you're part of the terrorist organization," he said.
According to the Rand Corporation think tank, some
41,500 foreign fighters joined the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
The majority of European countries, including Norway,
have resisted taking back citizens who joined the group and are now being held
in detention camps in Syria.
Some argue that although women who joined the group
may not have taken part in battles, they played a key part by supporting the
fighters and giving birth to a new generation of potential jihadists.
Ranstorp said however the women had little room to
manoeuver once they set foot in Syria.
"It's complicated in the case of a woman because
you can't leave without a male guardian or without a permission," he said.
"So you're at the same time a hostage of ISIS but you're also part of its
machinery."
The trial is set to last until March 24.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/mar/05/30-year-old-woman-on-trial-in-norway-provides-glimpse-of-life-under-is-captivity-2272577.html
--------
More People Talking about Rugby in Egypt Following
Women’s Arab Sevens Success
March 5, 2021
Egypt captain Farida Elzakzouk hopes her side’s
success at the recent Arab Sevens can help provide a springboard for the
women’s game in the African nation.
Fielding an international team for the first time in a
decade, hosts Egypt won the women’s tournament without conceding a single
point, beating Lebanon, Syria and the UAE in Alexandria.
“It was amazing, to be very honest, because that's
really the first time we actually played next to each other,” Elzakzouk told
World Rugby.
“We won the tournament with a clean sheet, which is
amazing because we didn't expect that.
“We knew that we were good and so on, however, we
didn't expect this progress. So, we're really excited to participate in other
tournaments.”
GOOD PUBLICITY
The Egyptian Rugby Football Union was convinced to
provide funding, and coaches, for the team by Transforma Panthers player Menna
Sedky, who was part of the squad in Alexandria.
Elzakzouk revealed that the team has since been
invited to play in international competitions in Africa, and she has her sights
set on helping Egypt earn their place in regional qualifying for Rugby World
Cup Sevens 2022.
“More people are talking about rugby in Egypt right
now,” she added. “A lot of people are coming to me [and asking:] 'How can I
come?' 'How can I play?'
“So, I'm really happy that this hype just gave rugby
the good publicity it needs in Egypt. So, I really hope that in five years the
teams get bigger, we have more numbers in the national league in Egypt, which
means that we'll have a better chance of reaching better positions when it
comes to other [tournaments], whether in Africa or in the Arab world or even on
a global level.”
Although Egypt beat Syria 31-0 in the pool stage and
then again by the same score in the final, Elzakzouk admitted that it was the
team led by Sarah Abd Elbaki who made them most nervous.
Abd Elbaki has become an influential figure
(https://bit.ly/30e1GeJ) in women’s rugby in the Arab world, and when she isn’t
captaining her country, works as Syria Rugby’s Head of Women’s Rugby
Development, is an assistant coach for the men’s national team and a referee.
“We all knew how great she is,” Elzakzouk said.
“Everyone says that she's well known and she coaches different teams and she's
very known [on] the rugby field.
“So, we were really nervous to play against her.
However, I believe that our coaches really gave us a lot of the knick-knacks,
how to [cope].”
INTRODUCING RUGBY TO A NEW AUDIENCE
Abd Elbaki found out that she would be captain in
Alexandria a month before the tournament, when the squad began its preparation
for Egypt.
“It's an amazing feeling, I'm so proud,” she said.
“It's an honour, actually, to be the captain of such a wonderful team and
strong ladies. And, I'm just so proud and honoured to be the captain.”
Abd Elbaki added: “We had our eyes on the gold medal,
to be honest. But unfortunately, we lost because Egypt is such a strong team
and it's their land, and [their players] have huge experience.
“So, they were a tough number for us. But, we did our
best to be honest. We were fighting in that game.”
Unsurprisingly for someone who juggles four very
different roles, as a player, coach, referee and administrator, Abd Elbaki is
unsure which one will eventually dominate her time.
“It's not easy, to be honest, but when you love
something you just give it all you've got,” she explained. “I try to focus, I
try to make a transition between all of them and to clear my mind.
“So, it's not easy, but I manage to do it and I didn't
choose what I want to do for the future, [yet]. But, I just want to keep on
trying all of them until I find my right path.”
What is in no doubt is the young Syrian’s drive and
passion for rugby, and Abd Elbaki is determined to showcase the game to as many
women around the world as possible.
“I'm so happy because this is my goal, you know, this
is what I want to do,” she said about her growing profile in the game.
“I just want to introduce rugby to every woman in my
country and not only in my country, in Asia and in the world.
“So, it's really an amazing thing when you can be in a
place where you can meet more women. And, I'm just working on that and
hopefully I manage to inspire other women.”
https://www.africanews.com/2021/03/04/more-people-talking-about-rugby-in-egypt-following-women-s-arab-sevens-success/
--------
Egyptian Singer Fatma Said Nominated For BBC Music
Magazine Award
March 02, 2021
DUBAI: Egyptian singer Fatma Said has been nominated
for the BBC Music Magazine’s 2021 Vocal Award for her debut album “El-Nour,”
the music sensation announced on Instagram this week.
“I am excited and honored to learn that I am nominated
for the BBC Music Magazine’s 2021 Vocal Award alongside wonderful artists that
I admire and look up to,” she wrote captioning the announcement picture
released by the BBC.
She is competing against Russian conductor Vladimir
Jurowski’s album “Mahler,” as well as French pianist Alexandre Tharaud and
operatic soprano Sabine Devieilhe for their album “Chanson d’Amour.”
In “El-Nour,” which she released in June 2020, she
sings some of the most famous Arabic songs like “Sahar El-Layali” by renowned
Lebanese singer Fairouz and “Yamama Beida,” an Egyptian folk song composed by
Dawoud Hosny in the late 19th century.
In a post she shared on Instagram upon the release of
her album, the musician said: “My debut album ‘El-Nour,’ (the light) in Arabic,
has been years in the making. With it, I want to explore how music that has
been interpreted many times can be presented in different ways, in a different
light.”
It connects three cultures and languages – Arabic,
French, and Spanish – and shows how much, despite cultural, geographical, and
historical differences, they have in common musically,” she added.⠀
Over her career, Said has shared the stage with
renowned musicians such as Leo Nucci from Italy, Rolando Villazón from Mexico,
Juan Diego Florez from Peru, Michael Schade from Canada and Jose Cura from
Argentina.
She also performed recitals with German clarinetist
Sabine Meyer and British pianists such as Malcom Martineau, Roger Vignoles,
Joseph Middleton.
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in music from
Berlin’s Hanns Eisler School of Music in 2013, Said was awarded a scholarship
to study at the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala in Milan, becoming the first
Egyptian soprano to perform on that iconic stage.
In the past years she has won several major singing
competitions including the 8th Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition
in Dublin, the 7th Leyla Gencer International Opera Competition in Istanbul,
the second prize at the 16th International Robert Schumann Lied Competition in
Zwickau and the Grand Prix at the 1st Giulio Perotti International Opera
Competition in Germany.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1818376/lifestyle
--------
Canadian Govt Has Various Programs To Empower Women In
Pakistan: Wendy Gilmore
Muhammad Irfan
05th March 2021
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Mar,
2021 ) :Canadian Envoy to Pakistan Ms. Wendy Gilmore said that Canada has
various programmes to empower women and Pakistan has a long way to achieve
gender equality by including all civil society groups in decision-making which
is essential for economic growth and development.
She said while talking at Club de Madrid and Aurat
Foundation organized a virtual session on civil society perspectives on
inclusive development roadmap in Pakistan under the 'Shared Societies Project'
said a press release here.
She further said that the Canadian government has many
programs to support civil society in Pakistan and empower women and that
inclusiveness is at the heart of their work.
The virtual session was aimed to share the best
international and national practices and to highlight the strategies for
inclusive development and ways to foster consensus between the state and CSOs
on the need to implement the sustainable development goals in a participatory
manner.
Ms. Kim Campbell, the former Prime Minister of Canada
and Club de Madrid member, highlighted that inclusion should be at the heart of
decision-making.
Ms. Mumtaz Mughal, director programmes, Aurat
Foundation highlighted the importance of goal 5 and the need to mainstream the
principles of equality and non-discrimination throughout all the 17 sustainable
development goals.
Ms. Aima Mehmood, Executive Director Working Women
Organization stressed the need to have unions and worker's organization
participate in the social and economic inclusion of the laborer in sustainable
groups. She declared that without a deep commitment to inclusive development,
the SDGs run the risk of not directing the substantive transformation needed to
achieve strong sustainable development.
Ms. Jannat Ali, Transgender Activist discussed how
transgender people are denied both equity and equality. The law for transgender
rights must be implemented and Trans people should be included in this as well
as in elections, planning, decision making and given economic opportunities and
a platform through which they can end the communication gap.
Ms. Abia Akram, CEO 'National Forum of Women' with
disability emphasized the need to work with local governments and line
ministries to include issues faced by women with disabilities in all policies
and legislation to ensure required reasonable accommodations and reduce
systemic barriers.
Aside from the speakers, around 80 representatives of
various civil society organizations, vulnerable groups, youth, academia, and
minority rights activists from across Pakistan attended the session.
https://www.urdupoint.com/en/pakistan/canadian-govt-has-various-programs-to-empower-1184907.html
--------
Women Conference from Saturday
March 5, 2021
KARACHI: President Arts Council Pakistan, Karachi
Mohammad Ahmed Shah on Thursday announced that the Second Women Conference
would be taking place in the city on March 6 and 7.
Addressing a press conference, Mr Shah said that “We
pay tribute to all the women who have excelled in every field. If women are put
aside, all dreams of development are unfulfilled”.
He said that Covid-19 standard operating procedures
(SOPs) will be followed strictly at the conference. The audience will be
allowed to sit in the hall with a gap of one empty seat. Masks will be provided
to those who come without them and hands will be sanitized at the entrance.
Secretary Arts Council Ejaz Ahmed Farooqi, rights
activist Anis Haroon and writer and columnist Noorul Huda Shah were also
present.
Anis Haroon said economic empowerment is the most
important thing in the world today. The nations where women work equally with men
are powerful today. Women’s fight is not against men but against patriarchy,
which deprives them of their basic rights, she said.
Ejaz Farooqi said that “every child should have access
to education. If a woman is not educated then her children cannot develop
better. Education is an ornament to raise awareness and make women aware of
their rights”.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1610673
--------
'Strong Women of Strong Turkey' inspires progress in
the country
MAR 04, 2021
Ahead of International Women’s Day, a summit in
Istanbul brought together prominent women from all walks of life on Thursday.
From first lady Emine Erdoğan to politicians, businesspeople, actors and sports
figures, they discussed the role women play in the country’s progress and
growth.
Women still lag behind men in terms of employment and
pay but Turkey, pursuing economic growth, is seeking to change this trend. As
awareness to gender equality rises, they also inspire young girls with their
success stories. The Strong Women of Strong Turkey summit, hosted by Turkuvaz
Media Group’s Sabah newspaper, delved into women’s roles and progress in
various fields, from sports to politics and business.
In a video message to the summit in Istanbul, Erdoğan
said she believed that increasing “woman power” in Turkey would also help
resolve global problems.
“Turkey achieved progress recently in multiple fields
and became a leading country in the world. It owes much to women in this
success. We draw the power for decisive steps toward our 2023 goals from
women,” she said, referring to the centenary of the Republic of Turkey. The
country pursues an ambitious, multipronged plan with a 2023 deadline as part of
its goals, from economic growth to the improvement of rights. “All of the women
who attended this summit are a source of inspiration for all of us and what
they’ve done so far is a sign of the bright future awaiting us,” she said.
Along with Erdoğan, Commerce Minister Ruhsar Pekcan
and Family, Labor and Social Services Minister Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk attended the
summit. The summit hosted panels on women in the business world, politics and
sports. Among other participants were ruling Justice and Development Party (AK
Party) parliamentary group Deputy Chair Özlem Zengin, Fatma Şahin, the mayor of
the southern province Gaziantep, and Agriculture and Forestry Deputy Minister
Ayşe Ayşin Işıkgece. Limak Holding chairperson of the board Ebru Özdemir, oil
company Opet’s board member Nurten Öztürk, appliance company Arnica’s
chairperson Senur Akın Biçer and female board members of other prominent
companies attended a business panel at the summit. Prominent women in sports,
from accomplished gymnast Göksu Üçtaş Şanlı, top taekwondo player Hatice Kübra
Ilgün, Beşiktaş women’s football team coach Bahar Özgüvenç and the team’s
captain Başak Gündoğdu also attended the summit. The famous singers Ajda
Pekkan, Muazzez Ersoy and Sibel Can and prominent actors Türkan Şoray and Fadik
Sevin Atasoy made speeches at a panel titled “Women In Arts” at the summit.
The first lady said women’s efforts made Turkey proud,
giving examples of businesspeople helping the country to compete in global
markets, successful artists, female scientists contributing to the country’s
locally made technological innovations and women working and founding
charities.
“Women have been at the forefront of accomplishments
throughout our history, from their work in national defense to their
contribution to the economy. We won our War of Independence with women fighting
alongside men. Women had the right to vote and to be elected long before other
countries granted those rights to women,” she added.
Turkey strives to boost women’s roles in society, and
it has succeeded in largely changing a patriarchal mindset that hurt the
progress in some parts of the country. Women are still getting paid less than
men no matter how educated they are. Turkey, like the rest of the world,
strives to close the pay gap between men and women, as well as to include more
women in the workforce. Gender equality and affirmative action for women are
high on the government's agenda.
Speaking at the summit, Pekcan said that tapping into
women’s potential would definitely help Turkey to reach its growth goals. “This
year’s theme set by United Nations for International Women’s Day is ‘women in
leadership: achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world.’ Enterprises and
leadership run by women bear significance for women to have more equal
opportunities,” she said. The minister noted that although Turkey has seen
accomplishments in the field, more needs to be done. “We focus on having women
in every field, from social life to economy and culture, in a more efficient,
equal way, to sustain their lives and achieve their ideals without having to
deal any discrimination, exclusion or mistreatment,” she said. The minister
noted that digitalization in the global economy and easier access to
information and sources brought forth new opportunities for easier empowerment
for women. “We have back those new opportunities with legal infrastructures and
set the proper ecosystem to improve the status of women,” she said.
Pekcan said her ministry cooperates with the private
sector and nongovernmental organizations to improve women’s role in economic
life. “We are trying to create a network of female entrepreneurs and reach out
to entrepreneurs in all provinces. So far, our network brought together 1,400
entrepreneurs in 47 provinces. We also run an Export Academy program to train
and advise women seeking to export goods they manufactured and have trained
more than 4,000 entreprenerus so far,” she said.
Along with employment issues, women face another
obstacle: domestic violence. Though legal measures and police protection curbed
the cases of violence, which occasionally ends with fatalities, it still
plagues women’s efforts for more inclusion in social and working life,
according to Selçuk who spoke at the summit. Selçuk said the government has a
zero tolerance policy on violence and sought to eliminate the murders of women.
“We believe we can overcome it with the support of nongovernmental
organizations, the entire society and media,” she said.
Selçuk stated that women have come a long way in overcoming
obstacles on their paths, giving the example of the cruelty headscarf-wearing
women suffered during the period before and after the infamous 1997 coup.
“Thousands of girls could not attend school because of their headscarf. They
were deprived of the right to education and faith. But this dark period has
been buried deep in history now thanks to the resolute struggle of women,” she
said. She also noted that girls’ education has seen progress, with schooling
campaigns and education aid. “In higher learning alone, the schooling rate has
tripled for women in the past 18 years,” the minister said.
https://www.dailysabah.com/turkey/strong-women-of-strong-turkey-inspires-progress-in-the-country/news
--------
Egypt Draft Law Condemned As Setback for Women's
Rights
5 March 2021
In Egypt, a woman can be a minister who signs a
multi-billion-dollar deal and yet be unable to legally travel abroad, contract
her marriage or even approve life-saving surgery for a child she gave birth to
without a male guardian’s prior consent, according to a draft law ratified
recently by the government.
The Egyptian cabinet, which includes eight female
ministers, has recently referred the controversial personal status draft law to
a joint parliamentary religious-legislative committee.
The draft law, leaked by the portal of daily
independent Youm 7 newspaper, known for being loyal to the government of Abdel
Fattah el-Sisi, was removed from the website hours later.
But it was already too late, as the bill had sent
shock waves across the country after social media users had shared the 45-page
text online to be picked up by media outlets shortly afterwards.
Feminist and human rights groups have been quick to
issue several statements condemning their "exclusion" from the
drafting process and describing the amendments as "archaic".
The government, meanwhile, has not denied the
authenticity of the leaked document, which opponents say contradicts the
principles of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
against Women (CEDAW) that Egypt ratified in 1982.
‘Legal oppression’ of women
The draft law seems confusing to many. Whereas some
articles may sound favourable to women, legal experts argue that it strips
women of their basic rights and gives men full authority over them.
One article, which stirred the outrage of women’s
rights advocates, has to do with the legal right of a male guardian who can
have the marriage of his sister, daughter or niece annulled within one year,
provided that there is no pregnancy or childbirth, in case she marries someone
her brother sees as incompetent or socially unequal, or if she gets married
without his approval.
“The law simply calls off the rights women have
acquired over decades of fighting, taking us more than 100 years backwards,”
lawyer Entissar El-Saeid told Middle East Eye.
“A grown woman has the right to decide her destiny
regardless of her status or education. She is not a toy in the hands of a man
to control,” El-Saied argued.
Political sociologist Said Sadek could not agree more,
describing the law as “a continuation of violence against women”.
“It’s a new form of legal oppression against women,
which echoes the dominant patriarchal culture of the ruling class,” Sadek told
MEE.
“It further shows that the recent political improvements
in Egypt are fake. The fact that women have a quota in the parliament and a
high presence in the government doesn’t seem to be reflected in social and
political development in Egypt,” he added.
Another article indicates that a mother has no guardianship
of her child with matters pertaining to healthcare, education, travel and the
issuance of official papers, further denying her right to have her newborn
registered on her own without the father’s presence.
“It’s as if the law is ending my very being as a
mother. It’s a known fact that women in Egypt carry out most of the rules and
responsibilities that have to do with their children. So how come they are not
legally recognised as guardians?” a divorced woman told MEE on condition of
anonymity.
New rules for polygamy
Though it may seem like a means of limiting polygamy,
the law includes an article stipulating that a man must officially inform his
wife of his intention to marry another, otherwise he will be jailed and fined.
On the other hand, a maazoun (a legal registrar) will
also be imprisoned and deposed if he registers the marriage of a married man
who did not notify his other spouse beforehand.
“Such articles will likely open the door for the
spread of extramarital affairs and unregistered ‘urfi’ [common-law] marriages
in society, which already exist, and in turn, the loss of rights of women and
children,” counselling psychologist Hanan Marzouk argued.
“Islam has stipulated special conditions for a man to
marry more than one woman, and women have the right to reject it and ask for a
divorce,” she added.
Islamic scholars are divided over the draft law. While
preacher Khalid El-Gindi, known for being pro-government, hailed it on the TV
programme he presents on the DMC private satellite channel, calling it “a
reason to celebrate”, Ahmed Karima, professor of comparative jurisprudence at
Azhar University argued that “it violated Islamic sharia law” and, hence, “is
deemed unconstitutional”.
The second article of the Egyptian constitution
dictates that “the principles of Islamic sharia law are the main source of
legislation”.
“As per sharia, there is no penalty in the absence of
a crime. At the same time, a man can’t be punished for doing what’s rightfully
his,” Karima told national TV.
El-Saeid, the lawyer, begs to differ. “I’m for banning
polygamy. The idea itself is demeaning to women. But since it’s hard to
criminalise it, I suggest that the law organises it. Men have to prove their
financial and physical competence to be able to marry another woman, but with
the approval of his wife,” she argued.
Divorce insurance policy
One seemingly positive article is about the wife being
offered an insurance policy upon marriage that she can benefit from in case the
husband divorces her without her consent, a provision appreciated by some
women, especially those who have no source of income and could suffer negative
consequences after an unfair divorce. Yet the legislation detailed no
mechanisms for applying it.
“An insurance policy may not be of real worth after
the woman gets divorced as the value of the Egyptian pound declines over the
years,” El-Saeid argued. “I’m for dividing the husband’s wealth upon
divorce.”
According to the new draft law, any lawsuit to have a
marriage ratified will be rejected in case the age of the wife or the husband
is below 18 at the time of filing it.
While the article may be interpreted as a way of
ending the phenomenon of child marriage in Egypt, Marzouk argues that it is yet
another article that will allow for the loss of women’s and children’s rights.
The bill stipulates that whoever facilitates a child
marriage, whether it is a maazoun or a family member, will be fined and
sentenced to prison as well.
It is quite common in rural areas and among poorer
families to marry their children off at a young age.
“I don’t believe this article will make people stop
having their minor children married. The phenomenon can be solved by
awareness-raising rather than incrimination, while preserving, at the same
time, the rights of wives and children born through child marriages,” Marzouk
said.
Based on the draft law, verbal divorce can be counted
with a single declaration by a husband, which again has raised controversy.
According to Islamic law, a verbal divorce only counts in a case where a man is
in his full senses at the time when he utters the phrase “I, hereby, divorce
you” to his wife three times. If he declares it just once, only separation
follows, which can be reversed.
Both President Sisi and Azhar have been at loggerheads
in recent years after Sisi called on Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed El-Tayeb to enact
legislation that calls off verbal divorce in order to lower the high divorce
rates in Egypt.
Over the past few years, Sisi has further demanded
that Azhar, as the highest Islamic institution in the region, adopt modern
religious discourse, which has been met by the rejection of some Islamic
scholars and the lenience of others.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egypt-women-rights-draft-law-setback-condemned
--------
Egypt’s National Council for Women Launches Awareness
Campaign on Nutrition Education
March 5, 2021
Egypt’s National Council for Women (NCW) held a
meeting, last week, with officials from Savola Foods, a company under the Saudi
Savola Group umbrella, to discuss the launch of the “Al Moaadla Al Sah”
(Perfect Equation) awareness campaign.
The campaign aims to educate women in several
governorates across Egypt on the importance of proper nutrition.
Talking to Daily News Egypt, Hania Serry, General
Manager of the Pasta, Seafood, Bakery and new categories sector at the Savola
Foods Company, said the campaign’s main goal is to educate the Egyptian woman
about the dangers of the chemical process known as hydrogenation.
“In addition to this, the campaign also aims to inform
them on how to identify non-hydrogenated products, to prevent all the diseases
that are caused due to the process,” Serry added.
She also said, “Through the ‘Al-Moaadla Al Sah’
awareness campaign, we will be able to educate Egyptian women on the means of
proper nutrition and familiarise housewives with choosing safe dietary products
that help promote the overall health and wellbeing of the Egyptian family.”
Mohamed Badran, Chief Strategy Officer at Savola Foods
Company, said that the company has been quite eager to forge a constructive
alliance with the NCW. This is particularly given how the organisation has made
a clear impact on upholding the status of Egyptian women.
“Hydrogenated
oils and trans-fat have harmful, even damaging effects on our health, especially
when the daily intake exceeds 2% of the total energy intake,” Badran said,
“These harmful substances increase the risk for brain strokes, cardiac
diseases, thrombosis, coronary artery disease, Paraplegia and Quadriplegia.”
“They also increase the risk of hypercholesterolemia,
type 2 diabetes, obesity and other fatal diseases,” he added.
Serry said that the first phase of the campaign will
last for one month, and will cover 11 governorates, including: Cairo; Giza;
Alexandria; Qaliubiya; Beheira; Gharbeya; Ismailia; Daqahleya; Minya; Assiut;
and Sohag, with a focus in Delta and Upper Egypt.
Serry said that part of the campaign is working on the
ground to raise the awareness of the women in their homes through partnering
with the NCW.
This will take the form of the door-to-door campaign
titled “Al-Moaadla Al Sah”, whilst raising awareness among women about proper
nutrition and how to verify healthy products.
This gains particular importance especially with
regard to heart diseases, and how to use good nutrition. Meanwhile, there will
be also awareness campaigns through television and the social media.
She explained that the initiative targets reaching out
to 165 women in its first phase, which means 165 families across Egypt, as
Egyptian women are largely responsible for the family health.
”Through our campaign, we are targeting to reach the
households and consumers, hoping to make a transformation in the industry to
see all products in Egypt are non-hydrogenated,” she said.
Responding to Daily News Egypt`s question on how can
the Egyptian women could differentiate between the non- hydrogenated and the hydrogenated
dietary while purchasing, she said that woman should look for a label of “100%
non-hydrogenated,” on the dietary, if she found something like this, she could
but it, if not she should search for another non-hydrogenated dietary.
Maya Morsy, Chairperson of the NCW, said Egyptian
women are responsible for their families’ health. Hence, they are responsible
for the society’s health in its entirety.
“I feel proud to witness businesses dedicated to
fulfil their social responsibility duties, towards achieving sustainable
development goals,” she said.
https://dailynewsegypt.com/2021/03/05/egypts-national-council-for-women-launches-awareness-campaign-on-nutrition-education/
--------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/indonesia-says-schools-cant-make/d/124466
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism