'Interfaith Couple' Swara Bhasker, Fahad Ahmad Merging Hindu and Muslim Weddings Customs
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 March 2023
• Hijabi Woman Attacked On Metro Train In Canada, NCCM
Condemns
• India: Muslim Women’s Gender Justice Forum Demands
Change in Personal Law for Equal Property Rights
• Saudi Ambassador Haifa Al-Jedea Presents Credentials
to European External Action Service
• $32 Annual Incentive for Egyptian Mothers With Just
2 Children
• At UN, Pakistan calls for bridging digital gender
divide to attain women’s empowerment
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/interfaith-swara-fahad-hindu-custom/d/129333
--------
'Interfaith Couple' Swara Bhasker, Fahad Ahmad Merging
Hindu and Muslim Weddings Customs
Swara Bhasker and Fahad
Ahmad
-----
Mar 16, 2023
Actor Swara Bhasker and Samajwadi Party's Fahad Ahmad
have been sharing glimpses of their recent pre-wedding functions. The couple
had a court marriage and said they submitted their papers on January 6 under
the Special Marriage Act. They recently celebrated various pre-wedding
functions such as Haldi, Mehendi, and Sangeet with their loved ones. In a new
interview, Swara and Fahad spoke about planning wedding festivities that were
'common to both their traditions'. Also read: Swara Bhasker, Fahad Ahmad twin
in green at Sangeet, show off their Mehendi.
Swara and Fahad said they were both 'very conscious
and proud' of their identities as Hindu and Muslim, respectively. They spoke
about how functions such as haldi, mehendi and sangeet happen in both Hindu and
Muslim weddings. Swara and Fahad said that as an 'interfaith couple that does
not convert' they could only marry in court, which they have done. With their
wedding festivities they wanted to 'build a common tradition of celebrations'.
Speaking about their wedding, the couple told Times of
India in an interview, "We are both very conscious and proud of our
identities and nobody wants to change anybody. We planned things that are
common to both our traditions. Haldi is something that happens in both. It’s
called ubtan in Muslims. Mehendi happens on both sides. Sangeet happens on both
sides. In India, an interfaith couple that does not convert, can only get married
in the court under the Special Marriage Act. That we have done. Now we are
trying to build a common tradition of celebrations.”
Swara Bhasker and Fahad Ahmad also recalled the first
time they saw each other. While Fahad said he first saw Swara in her film
Raanjhanaa (2013), the actor said her first memory of their meeting is of her
speaking at a protest and him fixing the mic. Fahad said, "Pehli Baar
Maine Inhe Raanjhanaa Mein Dekha (I saw her for the first time in Raanjhanaa),
and I really liked the way she acted. I did not know who she was, and I Googled
her... We met on December 19, 2019, for the first time. There was an anti-CAA
protest being organised at August Kranti Maidan, and someone told me, ‘Madam
(Swara) kaafi krantikari hain toh inko bulao (She is a revolutionary, you
should call her).’”
Swara recalled how she got lost when she arrived for
the protest, saying 'August Kranti Maidan is huge'. The actor said that after
she somehow managed to reach the stage, she had no idea what Fahad looked like
and was asking on the stage, ‘Fahad kaun hai (who is Fahad)?' She said he was
looking very hassled while fixing a mic when she finally met him. The two
reportedly met again at another protest and soon became friends. Swara said
they used to chat about politics as they had 'similar values'.
More than a year after their first meeting, the two
said they started talking to each other about their personal lives in 2021.
Swara said that even though it never crossed her mind that there was something
beyond friendship with Fahad, her friends started asking about him, and telling
her that 'this guy is in love with you'. Swara added that after enough needling
from her friend, when she finally decided to ask Fahad what was their 'scene',
he told her that he was 'very fond' of her. Swara recalled Fahad telling her to
wait for a year-and-a-half, so he could become financially stable, and they
could marry.
On February 16, Swara Bhasker announced her marriage
plans with Fahad Ahmad on Twitter. She shared a timeline of their relationship
as well. She shared their photos from a court and said they opted for a court
marriage and submitted their papers on January 6 under the Special Marriage
Act. The actor has been sharing photos and videos of their wedding festivities
on Instagram and Twitter.
Source: Hindustan Times
--------
Banned From School, Afghan Girls Turn To Madrasas
Afghan girls learn the
holy Quran at a madrassa or an Islamic school on the outskirts of Kabul. — AFP
-------
March 16, 2023
KABUL: In a madrassa in the Afghan capital, rows of
teenage girls rock back and forth reciting verses of the Quran under the
watchful eye of a religious scholar.
The number of religious schools has grown across
Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, with teenage
girls increasingly attending classes after they were banned from secondary
schools.
“We were depressed because we were denied an
education,” said 16-year-old Farah, a veil covering her face and hair.
“It’s then that my family decided I should at least
come here. The only open place for us now is a madrassa.”
Instead of maths and literature, the girls focus on
rote-learning the Quran in Arabic — a language most of them don’t understand.
Those who want to learn the meaning of the verses
study separately, where a teacher translates and explains the text in their
local language.
AFP visited three madrassas in Kabul and in the
southern city of Kandahar, where scholars said the numbers of girl students
have doubled since last year.
For Farah, her ambition of becoming a lawyer was
dashed when Taliban authorities blocked girls from secondary school — and
months later banned women from attending university.
“Everyone’s dreams are lost,” she said.
Still, Farah — whose real name has been changed to
protect her identity like other students AFP interviewed for this story —
counts herself lucky in that her parents allowed her to attend classes at all.
Education deadlock
The Taliban government adheres to an austere
interpretation of Islam.
Rulings are passed down by the reclusive supreme
leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and his inner circle of religious advisers, who
are against education for girls and women, some officials say.
Akhundzada has ordered hundreds of new madrassas to be
built as he establishes his Islamic Emirate based on sharia.
Authorities in Kabul have given several excuses for
the closure of girls’ schools — including the need for segregated classrooms
and Islamic uniforms, which were largely already in place.
The government insists schools will eventually reopen.
Education is the main sticking point behind a deadlock
with the international community, which has condemned the stripping away of
freedoms for women and girls.
No country has recognised the Taliban government,
which is battling to keep afloat an economy where more than half the population
face starvation, according to aid agencies.
Hosna, a former university student studying medicine,
now teaches at a madrassa in Kandahar, reading verses of the Koran to a class
of more than 30 girls who repeat the words back to her.
“Studying in universities helps to build a future,
makes us aware of our rights,” she said. “But there is no future in madrassas.
They are studying here because they are helpless.”
The madrassa, located in an old building, has small
classrooms with no electricity.
Despite the financial constraints faced by the
management of the school, dozens of students attend classes for free.
Friendship and distraction
The educational value of madrassas is subject to
fierce debate, with experts saying they do not provide the necessary skills for
gainful employment as adults.
“Given the present conditions, the need for modern
education is a priority,” said Abdul Bari Madani, a scholar who frequently
appears on local TV to discuss religious affairs.
“Efforts need to be taken so that the Islamic world is
not left behind… letting go of modern education is like betraying the nation.”
Around the world, some madrassas have been associated
with militancy.
Many of the Taliban’s leaders were educated at the
Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa in Pakistan, which earned the nickname
“University of Jihad”.
Niamatullah Ulfat, head of Islamic Studies at Kandahar
province’s education department, said the government is “thinking day and night
on how to increase madrassas”.
“The idea is that we can bring the new generation of
this country into the world with good training, good teachings and good
ethics,” he told AFP.
Yalda, whose father is an engineer and mother was a
teacher under the ousted US-backed regime, was top of her class at her old
school, but still shines at the madrassa and has memorised the Quran within 15
months.
“A madrassa cannot help me in becoming a doctor… But
it’s still good. It’s good for expanding our religious knowledge,” the
16-year-old said.
The madrassa, on the outskirts of Kabul, is divided
into two blocks — one for girls and the other for boys.
Still, classes are held at different times to ensure
there is no interaction at all between the two sexes.
Several girls told AFP that attending a madrassa does
provide some stimulation — and the chance to be with friends.
“I tell myself that someday the schools might open and
my education will resume,” said Sara.
If not, she is determined to learn one way or the
other.
“Now that there are smartphones and the internet…
schools are not the only way to get an education,” she added.
Source: Pakistan Today
https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2023/03/16/banned-from-school-afghan-girls-turn-to-madrassas/
--------
Hijabi woman attacked on metro train in Canada, NCCM
condemns
15th March 2023
The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) has
condemned a hate crime attack on a Hijabi-clad woman by a man on the evening of
March 9 on a metro train in Canada
The incident happened when the woman and her attackers
were travelling in the metro between Vaughan Metropolitan Centre and Finch West
on Line 1.
In a statement, the NCCM called the attack an
‘out-and-out Islamophobic attack’.
Describing the incident, the NCCM said the man
approached the woman and asked her many questions about Muslims and Islam. “He
then asked her a hypothetical question about what she would do if someone hit her
head and got away with it,” adding, “you know what we do with people like you,”
before pulling out a LARGE knife from his backpack.
“I was just trying to get to Spadina station to meet
with some friends. I never thought something like this could happen on public
transit in front of all these people. The moment I saw him take out his knife,
I ran and ran until I was out of breath and a stranger helped me. I’ve never
been so afraid in my life. I hope the police find this man and take him into
custody and get him some help, so he doesn’t do this to any other Muslim woman
again,” said Sara (pseudonym for the privacy of the survivor).
Stating such attacks as common in public transit, NCCM
called for a change.
“This is not the first time we have seen an Islamophobic
attack on a Muslim woman who wears a hijab on public transit. There is a
problem in this country where spaces that most Canadians take for granted
simply aren’t safe for Muslim women and people of colour. The recent spate of
attacks on the TTC is alarming. It’s time for a change,” the NCCM statement
read.
Toronto police said they are looking into the incident
and efforts are on to nab the attacker.
Source: Siasat Daily
https://www.siasat.com/hijabi-woman-attacked-on-metro-train-in-canada-nccm-condemns-2547835/
--------
India: Muslim Women’s Gender Justice Forum Demands
Change in Personal Law for Equal Property Rights
MARCH 15, 2023
Forum for Muslim Women’s Gender Justice organised a
meeting in Kozhikode on March 12 to spread awareness about the “injustice"
being meted out to Muslim women regarding the division of wealth within the
family.
The program titled ‘Uyirppu’ was organised at the
Kozhikode town hall.
The group demanded that the Muslim Personal law be
codified and made applicable uniformly to all Muslims.
At the same time, the group said they are insistent
that the movement should not impose the uniform civil code to endanger the
plurality of democracy.
The organisation said that after the death of an
individual, the son gets 2/3rd of the wealth while the daughter gets only
1/3rd. And if the deceased person has only one daughter, she gets only half of
the wealth. If there is more than one daughter, daughters will only have the
right to 2/3rd of the wealth. The rest is for relatives.
A Muslim couple recently got remarried in Kerala’s
Kasargod under the Special Marriage Act to make sure that their assets are
inherited by their three daughters.
These laws were enacted by the British government in
1937, before independence. Many of these provisions are ill-conceived and lack
clarity, the organisers said.
Source: News18
--------
Saudi ambassador Haifa Al-Jedea presents credentials
to European External Action Service
March 15, 2023
RIYADH: Haifa Al-Jedea, ambassador and head of the
Saudi mission to the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community, presented her
credentials to Thierry Bechet, chief of protocol of the European External
Action Service, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During their meeting, Al-Jedea and Bechet reviewed
bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the EU, as well as ways to strengthen ties in various fields.
Al-Jedea was among 11 Saudi ambassadors who took their
oaths of office at Al-Yamamah Palace, in the presence of King Salman, on Jan.
3.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2269221/saudi-arabia
--------
$32 annual incentive for Egyptian mothers with just 2
children
GOBRAN MOHAMMED
March 15, 2023
CAIRO: To control population growth, the Egyptian
government has announced an annual incentive of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($32) for
married women aged 21 to 45 who have two children or fewer.
They will receive the accumulated amount when they
turn 45, provided they adhere to all project conditions and periodic
follow-ups.
The accumulated amount for each married woman with two
children or fewer will be calculated based on her age when she joined the
program. A woman’s right to claim any amount will be forfeited if she gives
birth to a third child.
Hala El-Said, minister of planning and economic
development, said the project seeks to improve the quality of life of Egyptian
citizens by controlling population growth and enhancing demographic
characteristics.
“Our strategy is twofold: first, to provide financial
incentives for Egyptian women to curb population growth, and second, to ensure
that every woman and every child receives a comprehensive package of health,
education and economic services to promote growth and human dignity,” she
added.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said the National
Project for the Development of the Egyptian Family, launched by President Abdel
Fattah El-Sisi in February 2022, aims to improve demographic characteristics,
such as education, health and job opportunities, in addition to controlling
population growth.
According to the latest data, the population of Egypt
is about 104,578,320 people. The Cairo governorate ranks first in terms of
population.
Egypt ranked first in terms of population in the North
Africa region, with 104.2 million, and third in the continent behind Nigeria
and Ethiopia, according to a report released in November 2022 by the Central
Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics.
According to CAPMAS, Egypt’s population represents
about 7.3 percent that of Africa and 1.3 percent of the world’s population. The
country ranks 14th in terms of the world population.
Earlier, El-Sisi warned that if the current population
growth rates continued, Egypt’s population would increase from 101.5 million in
2020 to 150 million by 2030 and to around 193-194 million by 2050.
“We need EGP 16 trillion per year to spend on an Egypt
with 100 million citizens and would need to double this figure to spend on an
Egypt with 195 million,” he said.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2269146/middle-east
--------
At UN, Pakistan calls for bridging digital gender
divide to attain women’s empowerment
March 15, 2023
At the UN, Pakistan has called for bridging the
digital gender divide in a bid to achieve gender equality, and ensure the right
to education of women and girls everywhere.
Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status
of Women Nilofar Bakhtiar said this while speaking at an expert panel of UN
Commission on the Status of Women’s 67th session.
She underlined the need to mobilize resources and
technical assistance to support millions of women and girls who have missed out
on the right to an education.
Source: Radio Pakistan
--------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/interfaith-swara-fahad-hindu-custom/d/129333
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