Iran’s ‘Gender Apartheid’ Bill Could Jail Women For 10 Years for Not Wearing Hijab
New Age
Islam News Bureau
13 September 2023
·
Iran’s ‘Gender Apartheid’ Bill
Could Jail Women For 10 Years For Not Wearing Hijab
·
Afghan Women Thrive in
Entrepreneurship Amid Restrictions and Challenges
·
The Iranian Women Paying Price
for Reporting on Mahsa Amini
·
Children Of Couple That Fled
Britain Taken into Pakistan Police Custody
·
Bennett Urges “Taliban to
Reverse Their Draconian” Policies on Women
·
Inside Alula Creates’ Short
Film Competition: The Program Supporting Women Directors FromSaudi Arabia
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-gender-apartheid-hijab/d/130669
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Iran’s ‘Gender Apartheid’ Bill Could
Jail Women For 10 Years for Not Wearing Hijab
A veiled
Iranian woman at a religious ceremony in southern Tehran on April 12.
------
13 Sep 2023
Women in Iran face up to 10 years in
prison if they continue to defy the country’s mandatory hijab law, under
harsher laws awaiting approval by authorities. Even businesses that serve women
without a hijab face being shut down.
The stricter dress code, which amounts
to “gender apartheid”, UN experts said, comes one year after the death in
custody of Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been detained for allegedly wearing the
Islamic headscarf incorrectly. Her death, after allegedly being beaten by
police, led to the largest wave of popular unrest for years in Iran.
The length of prison sentences contained
in the draft law was comparable to those for serious offences such as murder
and drug trafficking, said an Iranian human rights lawyer, Hossein Raeesi.
“That’s ridiculous to even think about.”
The hijab and chastity bill details
punishments including more than 60 lashes, heavy fines and prison terms. It
also warns businesses of closure and other serious consequences if found to be
providing services to women with “improper dress code”.
Elnaz*, an Iranian journalist, said:
“With the new law, the government is telling us women that we will go to prison
for up to 10 years if we don’t wear a hijab. What next? A death penalty for
defying the new hijab law?”
The draft law follows renewed patrolling
by the “morality police” and widens “gender segregation” in universities,
hospitals, parks and workplaces. It amounts to an apparent attempt at
“suppressing women and girls into total submission”, said a group of UN Human
Rights Council-appointed experts.
Farah*, a finance student from Tehran,
said: “The Islamic Republic has taken a cue from the Taliban to slowly ban us
from public places. They want to erase women from society.”
The organisation Human Rights Activists
in Iran (HRA) said the new law was being reviewed by Iran’s Guardian Council, a
powerful body that vets legislation and oversees elections. It comprises 12 men
and is headed by a recently re-elected 97-year-old cleric, Ahmad Jannati, who
has been its chair since 1988.
They are tasked with reviewing the
bill’s provisions and ensuring its alignment with Islamic law. Once endorsed,
the bill would return to parliament and could come into force as early as
October, said the HRA.
Two veiled morality police approach two
women wearing headscarves, one with her hair visible
Iranian authorities are investing
heavily in smart cameras that use facial-recognition technology, according to
security and women’s rights activists. Cameras are said to also be capable of
sending alerts when they detect a larger number of people gathering in one
place.
According to Kurdish residents of
Amini’s home town, Saqqez, security forces have set up more checkpoints to
detain women flouting the dress code and also those preparing to protest on the
anniversary of her death.
Protesters interviewed by the Guardian
said they were preparing to march on the streets on 16 September and reach the
graves of protesters who were killed by security forces over the past year.
Source: theguardian.com
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/sep/13/irans-gender-apartheid-bill-could-jail-women-for-10-years-for-not-wearing-hijab
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Afghan Women Thrive In Entrepreneurship
Amid Restrictions And Challenges
Image/Khaama
Press.
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By Fidel Rahmati
September 12, 2023
Written By Zahra Rashidi
Despite the ban on girls’ education,
Husna Raoufi, nearing the completion of her journalism and public
communications studies at Kabul University, did not give up. She established a
small tailoring workshop, offering 13 women and girls independent income
opportunities.
Husna does not necessarily need the
income from the workshop, but she must make her own decisions, work, and take
responsibility for any mistakes she might make.
She believes in personal growth and
independence, yet she is grateful for her family’s support as she navigates the
trials and errors of individual development. In a cultural and traditional
context where many Afghan families discourage their daughters from pursuing
their goals, Husna’s family stands firmly behind her, a valuable source of
support.
With faith in herself and the power to
convey significant ideas, Husna says the importance of supporting women in
Afghan society. She believes that if every family focuses on their daughters’
abilities and financial independence, everyone can work independently and
achieve substantial progress. Drawing from her experience as an entrepreneur,
she emphasizes that limitations are not always permanent, and individuals can
progress even in challenging circumstances.
In less than a year, Rainbow Workshop
has grown a lot. They make things sold not just in their own country but also
in other countries. The workshop’s success comes from the hard work of girls
who want to be independent and have strong friendships.
Another reason Rainbow Workshop has
achieved this level of success is that many of its employees are students or
graduates from various fields of study. Their educational backgrounds have
elevated the workshop’s work level and improved the quality of its products.
All of this has happened while the Taliban administration has issued more than
70 separate decrees to exclude women from society and confine them to their
homes.
With the re-emergence of the Taliban in
Afghanistan, women and girls faced more restrictions. Sports, which ensure
personal health, were banned for them. Consequently, concerns about women’s
health and their mental well-being increased. This affected women and girls who
were professionally or regularly engaged in sports.
Nevertheless, some women like Saghar
Fazli, who had achieved significant success in the Judo section, maintained
their courage. Saghar, deprived of sports, discovered her talent in the field
of design and started working at the Rainbow Workshop. She is responsible for
designing clothes there and generates independent income through this work.
Saghar is a fourth-year student of Law
and Political Science. However, like Husan Raoufi, she has also been deprived
of continuing her education and is now working on projects to produce women’s
clothing at the Rainbow Tailoring Workshop.
According to her, women entrepreneurs in
Afghanistan face numerous limitations but can achieve their goals with
determination, willpower, and proper support. There are many examples of
entrepreneurial women in Afghanistan who, with spirit and effort, have
succeeded in advancing and managing their businesses under challenging
circumstances.
However, to increase the role of women
entrepreneurs in Afghanistan, there is a need to change the culture and
attitude of society and the government. Financial support, education, providing
resources, and more opportunities for women entrepreneurs can help them realize
their full potential.
The government can create a conducive
environment for the growth and development of women entrepreneurs by
establishing supportive policies and programs specifically tailored to them.
Additionally, providing entrepreneurship skills education to women and girls in
schools and educational centres is a step that can assist them in achieving
their goals.
Furthermore, the community can
contribute to women’s progress by changing attitudes and supporting women
entrepreneurs. Increasing awareness of the importance of women’s roles in the
economy and society, encouraging purchases from women-owned businesses, and
creating opportunities for collaboration and partnership with women
entrepreneurs can motivate women to succeed in their businesses.
With the efforts and determination of
women entrepreneurs in Afghanistan and appropriate support for them, the role
of women in Afghanistan’s economy and society will improve, and they will be
able to achieve their goals fully.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-women-thrive-in-entrepreneurship-amid-restrictions-and-challenges/
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The Iranian women paying price for
reporting on Mahsa Amini
Paris (AFP) – Iranian authorities have
since the death of Mahsa Amini systematically persecuted the journalists, often
young women, who helped expose the case and magnify its resonance in and
outside Iran, campaign groups say.
13/09/2023 - 04:09
Amini, 22, an Iranian of Kurdish origin,
died on September 16, 2022 following her arrest in Tehran for allegedly
flouting the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.
Her death sparked months of protests in
one of the biggest challenges for the Iranian authorities since the 1979
revolution.
Security forces responded with a
crackdown that saw thousands arrested, including almost 80 journalists,
according to a watchdog. Particularly targeted were those who reported on the
circumstances of Amini's death.
Her family says she was killed by a blow
while in custody, a version rejected by the Iranian authorities.
Almost a week after Amini died, Iranian
authorities on September 22 arrested Niloufar Hamedi, 29, a journalist with the
reformist Shargh daily who went to the hospital where Amini had been taken.
She posted on social media a photo of
Amini's family grieving when her death was confirmed.
Hamedi's fellow reporter, Elahe
Mohammadi, 36, of the Ham Mihan daily, rushed to Amini's hometown of Saqez in
Kurdish-populated western Iran to report on her funeral which turned into one
of the first protests.
Mohammadi was in turn arrested on
September 29.
Both women have been held in detention
ever since, for almost a year. They are now on trial on charges of violating
national security, which they vehemently deny.
'Fearless reporting'
"Niloufar Hamedi's courage and
commitment must be rewarded, not punished," said Jonathan Dagher, head of
the Middle East desk at Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without
Borders (RSF).
"Her imprisonment for almost a year
illustrates the Islamic Republic's terrible repression of journalists, and
their rejection of press freedom and reliable information."
In another blow for the Mohammadi
family, her twin sister Elnaz, who also works for Ham Mihan and reported on the
protests, was earlier this month given a three year partly suspended prison
sentence for "conspiracy and collusion".
She and co-defendant Negin Bagheri will
serve one-fortieth of the term, or less than a month, in prison, their lawyer
told Ham Mihan. But they must undergo "ethics" training –- overseen
by intelligence officials –- and are barred from leaving the country.
"By imprisoning Elahe Mohammadi for
the past 11 months and punishing Elnaz Mohammadi, the Iranian government shows
that it is determined to silence these two sister journalists and the women
whose views they report," said Dagher.
In recognition of their work the Clooney
Foundation for Justice (CFJ) –- founded by the human rights lawyer Amal Clooney
and actor George Clooney –- awarded them at this year's Albies awards.
The two journalists won the Justice for
Women Award in recognition of "their fearless reporting that brought the
death of Mahsa Amini... out of the shadows," the CFJ said.
'Don't accept slavery'
Weeks after the arrest of Hamedi and
Mohammadi, the journalist Nazila Maroufian, now 23, published an interview on
the Mostaghel Online news site with Amjad Amini, Mahsa Amini's father. He
accused authorities of lying about the circumstances of his daughter's death.
Maroufian has since been arrested a
total of four times, according to rights groups.
On her release she repeatedly posted a
picture of herself without the Islamic headscarf in defiance of Iran's strict
rules for women.
"Don't accept slavery, you deserve
the best!" she wrote in one post after walking out of prison, holding
flowers in one arm and the other raised skyward in a victory sign.
During her latest stint in jail this
month, Maroufian said in an audio message that she was sexually assaulted while
being arrested and had begun a hunger strike to protest her situation.
She was freed at the weekend. This time,
Maroufian opted not to post a picture on social media celebrating her release,
implying she would be arrested again if she failed to wear a headscarf.
"I am forbidden to post my photo
after 'freedom'. I preferred not to post a picture rather than posting a
picture of myself... which is nothing like Nazila."
According to the RSF watchdog group, 79
journalists including 31 women were arrested in the crackdown. Twelve are still
behind bars, RSF said.
Dagher said this "labyrinth of
repression" has been created so journalists either "self-censor or
they get locked up".
"But if the arrests are continuing,
it is because there are still journalists who defy this formula."
© 2023 AFP
Source: france24.com
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230913-the-iranian-women-paying-price-for-reporting-on-mahsa-amini
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Children Of Couple That Fled Britain
Taken Into Pakistan Police Custody
Agence France-Presse:
September 12, 2023
Surrey, Britain: Five British-Pakistani
children brought to Pakistan by a fugitive couple wanted over the death of a
10-year-old girl in Britain were taken into the custody of state protective
services on Tuesday, police said.
Surrey Police in Britain said last week
the welfare of the five children was "a priority" after Sara Sharif
was found dead with multiple injuries in her family home in August.
They believe her father Urfan Sharif,
aged 41, his partner Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, fled
to Pakistan with the children aged between one and 13 before Sara's body was
found, sparking an international manhunt.
The children were found at Sharif's
father's house in Jhelum, around 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of the Pakistan
capital, after police received information that the couple was hiding there.
"We have been conducting
investigations and raids for some time and were finally successful in
recovering the children yesterday," Mudassar Khan, spokesman for the
Jhelum police, told AFP.
Pakistan police are still investigating
how long the children had been in the house as the search for Sharif and Batool
continues. The house where the children were found was otherwise empty.
After a court appearance on Tuesday
"the area magistrate has ordered the children be handed over into the
custody of the child protection bureau," Khan said.
The fugitive couple said last week they
were prepared to cooperate with UK authorities.
"Sara's death was an incident. Our
family in Pakistan are severely affected by all that is going on," Batool
said in a video shared with AFP by her relatives.
"My main concern is that Pakistani
police will torture or kill us, that is why we have gone into hiding."
Surrey County Council in Britain, the
local authority with responsibility for the welfare of children living in its
area, said it was "monitoring developments" and "working with
our partners to establish next steps".
The British High Commission in Islamabad
did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
Source; ndtv.com
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/sara-sharif-death-custody-hearing-held-in-pakistan-for-children-of-couple-that-fled-britain-4383072
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Bennett Urges “Taliban to Reverse Their
Draconian” Policies on Women
September 12, 2023
Fatima Adib
The UN special rapporteur for
Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, at the UN Human Rights Council called on the
“Taliban to reverse their draconian, misogynist policies and allow women to
work and run businesses, including delivering essential services through NGOs
and the UN.”
Speaking to the 54th Regular Session of
the Human Rights Council, Bennett said 60,000 women have lost their jobs due to
recent restrictions of the interim Afghan government.
“Recently the Taliban has restricted
women’s activities even more. Beauty salons have been prohibited, eliminating
approximately 60,000 jobs, depriving them of one of few remaining women’s only
safe spaces,” he said.
Meanwhile, the representatives of some
countries who attended the meeting also voiced concerns over the restrictions
on Afghan girls and women in access to education and work.
Lubna Qassim, UAE Deputy Representative
to the UN Human Rights Council, said the “significant humanitarian challenges
facing Afghanistan will have a significant negative impact on the Afghani
society and its future.”
Lubna Qassim, added that there is no
positive progress on the “ban imposed by the Taliban government on
universities, education for girls, and their exclusion from working and civil
society organizations national and international humanitarian organizations.”
The Pakistan Deputy Representative to
the UN Human Rights Council, Zaman Mehdi, urged the de facto Afghan authorities
“to take steps toward the resumption of female education” and enable them to
“contribute to the Afghan society” and respect the rights and freedom of all
Afghans including women and girls.
He also expressed concern about the
“increasingly worrying humanitarian, human rights, and social-economic
conditions in Afghanistan.”
The Islamic Emirate said that the rights
of women are observed within an Islamic structure.
“Afghanistan is an Islamic country, and
we define the rights through Islamic Sharia. Our people also want that right
which Sharia determined for them. I am sure the ruling government in
Afghanistan is not wasting the rights of anyone,” Mujahid said.
The education and work of girls and
women are the two main issues which sparked reactions at an international
level.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185066
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Inside AlUla Creates’ short film
competition: The program supporting women directors from Saudi Arabia
September 12, 2023
DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s Film AlUla, the
film agency of The Royal Commission for AlUla,
recently announced its partnership with British production company
Vertigo Films to present AlUla Creates’ short film competition, a program that
will support three Saudi women directors in the international marketplace. Now,
the key players are opening up about why the initiative is so important.
“We will be mentoring three female Saudi
filmmakers to make short films based on an original idea, with a view to
launching the filmmakers at an international film festival, where we hope their
films will be screened,” said Jane Moore, CEO of Vertigo Films, in an interview
with Arab News.
“We'll be working closely with them
during the development and production of their shorts. (And we) will be
introducing them to other industry professionals, sales companies, distribution
companies and giving them exposure to the production environment,” she
added.
With Saudi Arabia looking to rapidly
expand in the field of arts and entertainment, the moment felt right to explore
the region and mine it for talent.
“Saudi Arabia has a population of over
35 million and that means there's a huge opportunity for a mass of new talent.
Whatever we can do to be a part of the movement and encourage that talent in
the international marketplace will be great for everyone — specifically women,”
said Vertigo Films founder James Richardson.
The initiative has tapped Saudi
filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour and US director, producer, and actor Katie Holmes
as mentors for the program.
“Essentially, we've got two people
hugely experienced in their respective fields in Haifaa and Katie,” said
Richardson.
“The idea that there's someone who has
come from the region and has launched her own international career was very
important to have as part of the team. Also, Katie Holmes is a hugely
experienced Hollywood actress and director. So, we have the best people we
could have to help us and be part of this mentoring process.”
When asked about what advice they’d like
to give to young filmmakers from the Kingdom, Moore said, “I think that you
should be a huge consumer of media yourself. You've got to learn from other
people, learn from the best and really watch a lot of films, television
commercials, music videos and so on.
“I think that you need to keep on
developing your skills — not only creative skills but also leadership,
management, time management and organizational skills, because those are all
incredibly important when you're on a film set.”
Richardson, meanwhile, talked about the
importance of having a thick skin if you want to make it in the film
business.
“Tenacity is also essential. A lot of
people are going to turn you down. You've got to really believe in what you do,
and you've really got to go on and try and knock through some of those
rejections,” he said.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2372111/lifestyle
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-gender-apartheid-hijab/d/130669