Iran’s Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Narges Mohammadi, Sentenced To Another 6 Months In Prison
New Age Islam News Bureau
25 October 2024
· Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Discusses Afghan Women’s Rights With Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum
· Iran’s Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Narges Mohammadi, Sentenced To Another 6 Months In Prison
· New Zealand Muslim Women Hit The World Stage As Finalists In Global Awards
· Zenobia Women's Gathering in the NE Syria Demands End To Death Penalty For Iranian Women
· Rising Poverty in Iran Puts Women's Health at Risk
· Changing Rooms For Muslim Women In Haridwar University After Complaints
· Bushra Bibi Walks Free On Bail After Months-Long Imprisonment In New Toshakhana Case
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-nobel-laureate-narges/d/133546
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Iran’s Imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Sentenced To Another 6 Months In Prison
Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi
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By: AP
Dubai | October 25, 2024
Iranian authorities have issued an additional six-month prison sentence against Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, a group campaigning for the activist said.
The Free Narges Coalition said in a statement on Thursday that Mohammadi was sentenced on October 19 to an additional six months in prison on the charge of “disobeying and resisting orders.” According to the statement, the charge was brought after Mohammadi staged a protest against the execution of another political prisoner in the women’s ward of Evin Prison on August 6.
Mohammadi is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi in 2003.
Mohammadi, 52, has kept up her activism despite numerous arrests by Iranian authorities and years behind bars.
She is being held at Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, which houses political prisoners and those with Western ties. She already had been serving a 30-month sentence, to which 15 more months were added in January. Iran’s government has not acknowledged her additional sentencing.
The latest order reflects the Iranian theocracy’s anger that she was awarded the Nobel prize in October 2023 for years of activism despite a decades-long government campaign targeting her.
Mohammadi was a leading light for nationwide, women-led protests sparked by the death last year of a 22-year-old woman in police custody that have grown into one of the most intense challenges to Iran’s theocratic government. That woman, Mahsa Amini, had been detained for allegedly not wearing her headscarf to the liking of authorities.
Source: indianexpress.com
https://indianexpress.com/article/news-today/irans-imprisoned-nobel-peace-prize-laureate-sentenced-6-months-prison-9638394/?ref=latestnews_hp
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Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Discusses Afghan Women’s Rights With Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate
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October 25, 2024
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and education activist, said she recently discussed the Taliban’s restrictions on girls’ education in Afghanistan with Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum.
In a post on X, Yousafzai described Afghan women and girls as being “systematically erased from society and public life” under Taliban rule.
“I had a very productive meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico,” Yousafzai wrote. “We discussed our shared commitment to girls’ rights, including the right to a complete, safe, and quality education.”
Yousafzai also referred to the Taliban’s leadership in Afghanistan as a “gender apartheid regime.” She condemned the ongoing prohibitions in Afghanistan, where girls are barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade, and women are being systematically removed from public life.
Since retaking control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have prohibited girls from continuing their education beyond elementary school. Female university students have also been blocked from pursuing higher education, and a recent Taliban directive labeled women’s voices as “awrah,” a term signifying that a woman’s voice should be concealed.
Human rights advocates have widely condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women, describing its policies as oppressive and misogynistic. The international community, including numerous Muslim nations, has repeatedly urged the Taliban to reverse their bans on women’s work and education.
Source: amu.tv
https://amu.tv/132919/
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New Zealand Muslim Women Hit The World Stage As Finalists In Global Awards
25 October 2024
A small New Zealand charity dedicated to uplifting the lives of Muslim women across the nation has been named as a finalist in an international Shorty Awards alongside major global brands and their marketing teams. The Shorty Impact Awards honour the best and most impactful digital and social media campaigns, projects, and initiatives that address pressing global issues.
In June this year, the Islamic Women’s Council New Zealand (ICWNZ) launched the CHILL campaign to empower New Zealand Muslim women, challenge hate and gendered stereotypes, and pass the mic to local women to tell their own stories.
The campaign has been selected as a finalist in the Shorty Impact Awards, an international competition celebrating social impact campaigns. Other finalists include major brands like Amazon, Doritos, L’Oreal and Searchlight Pictures, international marketing agencies and large international NGOs.
“The entire campaign was conceived in-house,” says IWCNZ National Coordinator Aliya Danzeisen adding, “We wanted to create awareness about our community and to encourage New Zealanders to challenge Islamophobic language and stereotypes about Muslim women by empowering women themselves to share their joys, triumphs and challenges in their own words. The response was far more positive than we could have ever expected.”
The campaign was produced by local production company Eyes and Ears and had a shoestring advertising budget exclusively targeting a New Zealand audience. CHILL content reached over 300,000 New Zealanders, with videos going viral locally for a small country, as well as reaching global audiences.
All awards finalists are eligible for an Audience Honor award, so IWCNZ is asking their community and all New Zealanders to get behind the CHILL campaign and vote for it as their people’s choice in both categories. Voting is open to anyone internationally.
“Watching the CHILL campaign grow from an idea into something that has touched people’s hearts has been amazing. It started as a dream, and now it’s creating real change, both in our community and internationally. Seeing this impact has been a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together. For me, we’re winners already.” says ICWNZ Project Manager Shabina Shamsudeen.
Source: scoop.co.nz
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU2410/S00319/nz-muslim-women-hit-the-world-stage-as-finalists-in-global-awards.htm
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Zenobia Women's Gathering in the NE Syria Demands End To Death Penalty For Iranian Women
25 October 2024
The Zenobia Women's Gathering in the NE Syria region issued a written statement today, calling for the abolition of the death penalty against women in Iran. The statement reads:
"We, the Zenobia Women's Gathering, express our deep concern over the tragic conditions of women in Iranian prisons, especially in Evin Prison.
We stand in full solidarity with Warisha Moradi, who has begun an indefinite hunger strike on 'World Day Against the Death Penalty' to protest the ongoing execution of women fighters, activists, and politicians in Iran.
We strongly reject all forms of violence and injustice, whether stemming from war or internal oppression. We vehemently condemn the brutal human rights violations in Iran, especially those directed at women, including execution, torture, and deliberate arrests of those advocating for freedom and social change.
We highlight the direct link between the regional policies of the Iranian government and the internal violations faced by women, where people are used as tools in unnecessary wars, and society is stripped of its basic rights under the pretext of 'national interest.'
We call on the international community to take immediate and effective action to halt human rights abuses in Iran and to abolish the death penalty for all women convicted on political charges or for violating laws that are repressive and restrict personal freedom.
We affirm our support for all fighters for freedom and justice in Iran and call on all individuals and organizations to show solidarity with the global campaign to abolish death sentences against women in Iran.
Source: hawarnews.com
https://hawarnews.com/en/zenobia-womens-gathering-demands-end-to-death-penalty-for-iranian-women
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Rising Poverty in Iran Puts Women's Health at Risk
OCTOBER 25, 2024
Over the past decade, a combination of rising poverty and restrictive policies in Iran has led to a severe health crisis threatening women’s well-being.
Despite health being a fundamental human right under international law, Iranian women increasingly face significant barriers to accessing essential healthcare.
During Women’s Health Week (October 15-21), the Director of the Department of Middle-Aged and Mother’s Health at the Ministry of Health released concerning data on women’s health. The report, however, drew criticism for its lack of precision and inexpert presentation.
Malihe Kianfar announced that 72 percent of Iranian women are either overweight or obese. According to a 2021 survey, around 31 percent of Iranian women are obese, while only 28 percent maintain a healthy weight. This means that 72 percent of women aged 30 to 59 fall into the overweight or obese category.
Flaws in Government Data
Over the past four decades, Iranian women have faced unique health challenges under the Islamic Republic, including mandatory dress codes and limited access to public exercise spaces. Experts argue, however, that the Ministry of Health's report does not accurately represent the current health status of Iranian women.
Experts also point out that the official statistics are not only inaccurate but also misleading. An Iranian nutritionist explained to IranWire that the report oversimplifies its data, combining obesity, overweight, and even minor weight gains to reach the 72 percent figure.
The nutritionist added that, despite many challenges, Iranian women generally maintain good physical fitness and are not predominantly obese, unlike some Western populations.
According to the head of the Ministry’s Department of Middle-Aged and Mother's Health, the report focuses on women aged 30 to 59, a group that includes the country's most active female demographic.
The report shows that approximately 31 percent of Iranian women are obese, while only 28 percent have a healthy weight, with the remainder classified as overweight.
Factors Contributing to Obesity in Middle-Aged Women
The nutritionist further noted that the percentage of women with healthy weights is nearly equal to those suffering from obesity, with only a 3 percent difference.
"According to this report, the remaining women are classified as overweight," the nutritionist said. "However, factors such as multiple pregnancies, poverty, and not being decision-makers for family meals make their condition relatively stable. In many parts of Iran, women follow their husbands' preferences when preparing meals, as men often control the family diet."
Another issue with the report is its lack of detail on how much these women are overweight, further clouding the clarity of the data on women’s health.
The nutritionist emphasized that while 72 percent of women may be classified as overweight, the report does not specify how much of that excess weight is a health concern. Some of the weight gain could be part of the natural ageing process.
She added that many women between the ages of 30 and 59 experience menopause, which causes hormonal changes that contribute to weight gain.
Moreover, women generally tend to have more body fat than men, and repeated pregnancies and miscarriages often lead to excess fat accumulation. In many cases, middle-aged women are mothers of several children, leaving them with little time for physical activity or exercise.
Yasaman Hashemi, a nutrition consultant, pointed out that the Ministry of Health's report fails to distinguish between different levels of obesity. "There are three degrees of obesity, with the third level requiring severe medical intervention," she explains.
Hashemi added that obesity is closely linked to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, fatty liver, and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, the risk of cancer is higher among those who are obese. She stressed that obesity affects not only physical health but also mental well-being and overall quality of life.
Poverty: A Key Driver of Obesity
Malihe Kianfar’s report outlined common health issues affecting women in Iran, noting that the leading causes of death among women aged 30 to 59 include heart disease, breast cancer, strokes, diabetes, traffic accidents, hypertension-related illnesses, and colon cancer.
Kianfar called for increased awareness about women’s health, urging women to cut unnecessary expenses and allocate funds to exercise. However, an Iranian nutrition expert told IranWire that the report overlooks poverty as a major cause of obesity among Iranian women.
The nutritionist explained that poverty in Iran differs from that in other countries. In Europe or the U.S., poor people may turn to cheap, sugary foods, but in Iran, people often rely on basic foods like potatoes. In some cases, leftover family food often constitutes the entire meal for many women.
She added that healthy, fresh food is expensive in Iran, and except for the affluent, most people are forced to rely on cheap, bulky foods. "For this reason, the Ministry of Health’s report is incomplete, as it does not consider the economic conditions of the women struggling with obesity."
The Impact of Government Restrictions on Women's Health
The Ministry official also revealed that more than 57 percent of Iranian women do not engage in sufficient physical activity, exercising less than 150 minutes per week.
This lack of physical activity is not surprising, given the restrictions Iranian women face. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women have been subject to legal and religious limitations that restrict their ability to exercise in public spaces.
One notable example is the ban on women cycling in public, which sparked controversy a few years ago. Isfahan's prosecutor once declared women’s cycling "haram," warning that any woman caught cycling would face legal action. Although a judiciary spokesperson later refuted this statement, it nonetheless created an atmosphere of insecurity for women exercising in public.
In another instance, the Director General of Youth and Sports in Razavi Khorasan Province announced that women in the region could only exercise in enclosed spaces. The Khorasan newspaper previously reported a ban on mixed-gender exercise in parks, including cycling.
Narges Shir-Aghaei, a midwife and women’s rights activist, told IranWire that such restrictions have severe physical and psychological effects on women.
She said that gender inequalities in Iran limit women’s access to equal opportunities, including healthcare, education, nutrition, and employment, all of which have a direct impact on their health.
Shir-Aghaei said that Iranian women face restrictions from the government, patriarchal laws, unemployment, poverty, inadequate education, and traditional family norms, adding that these limitations affect their physical and mental well-being.
She believes these restrictions contribute to the prevalence of preventable diseases among women. When women’s health suffers, the health of the entire family is impacted. Healthcare spending, she said, shifts from prevention to treatment and rehabilitation in such circumstances.
According to the head of the Ministry’s Department of Middle-Aged and Mother's Health, over 14 percent of Iranian women have diabetes, while 33 percent have a history of hypertension. Additionally, 51 percent of women aged 55 to 64 either suffer from high blood pressure or have had it in the past.
Shir-Aghaei told IranWire that women who are inactive and restricted to their homes are more likely to become depressed and lose motivation.
"When we talk about women’s obesity, we are referring to women who have been driven into the home and lack a safe space for physical activities. This can lead to cardiovascular diseases and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes," she said.
Yasaman Hashemi, the nutritionist, echoed this concern, noting that when 20 percent of women are obese, it reflects an unhealthy lifestyle prevalent in society.
She explained that middle-aged women often gain weight due to hormonal changes, reduced metabolism, and the onset of menopause, all of which require additional support.
Hashemi emphasized the need for government and societal efforts to raise awareness, promote physical activity, and encourage healthy eating habits among middle-aged women.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/135388-rising-poverty-in-iran-puts-womens-health-at-risk/
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Changing Rooms For Muslim Women In Haridwar University After Complaints
Oct 24, 2024
Haridwar: Uttarakhand Sanskrit University in Haridwar has initiated measures to enforce Supreme Court's ruling on students' attire within the campus and in classrooms, the university's vice-chancellor Dinesh Chandra Shastri told TOI on Thursday. This comes after complaints that "several Muslim women students continue to wear burqas or hijabs while in the university."
Ajai Parmar, head of the History department, which has the largest number of Muslim women students, said, "There are about 500 Muslim students in different courses in the university. Of these, about 24 are in post-graduate History and 16 are girls, of which only 4 or 5 of them wear burqa during classes. After recent objections, a changing room has been provided near the gate so these students can switch to regular attire upon entering the campus."
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/uttarakhand-university-introduces-changing-rooms-for-muslim-women-amid-attire-complaints/articleshow/114556966.cms
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Bushra Bibi walks free on bail after months-long imprisonment in new Toshakhana case
By Shabbir Dar
October 24, 2024
Bushra Bibi, wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan was freed from Rawalpindi's Adiala jail on Thursday after remaining behind bars for around nine months owing to her legal woes relating to various cases.
The former first lady's release comes a day after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted her bail against surety bonds worth Rs1 million in the new Toshakhana case.
The former prime minister's spouse was arrested after a court on January 31 convicted and sentenced the couple to 14 years in prison after finding them guilty of retaining and selling state gifts in violation of government rules (Toshakhana case) while Khan was in power.
Her release was expedited compared to the usual legal process, as typically, when a robkar (release order) is issued, the imprisoned person is released within two hours. However, Bushra Bibi was released in just 20 minutes.
While media personnel and PTI workers waited outside the prison to engage with Khan's wife, the former first lady quickly departed without speaking to anyone. However, the workers showered her car with flowers as it sped away.
The IHC granted her bail on Wednesday, but due to the absence of a judge to sign the release order, she remained behind bars. Today, Judge Shahrukh Arjumand signed her robkar.
The former first lady was arrested in the said case along with her husband, who remains behind bars in the same facility, soon after their acquittal in the iddat case — also known as the un-Islamic nikah case.
However, her legal woes have seemingly witnessed a respite as she exited the Adiala jail via its gate number 5.
They said the case is not to be mixed with the first Toshakhana case wherein the couple was sentenced to 14 years in prison and was handed down a fine of Rs1.57 billion — Rs787 million each — in January.
The ex-first lady was then placed under house arrest at her Bani Gala residence. However, she was later transferred to the Adiala jail in May at the IHC's orders which came in response to her petition that challenged the Islamabad Commissioner's decision that declared Bani Gala a sub-jail.
It is to be noted that the couple’s sentence in that case was suspended by the IHC in April but both remained behind bars due to being embroiled in various cases.
Jewellery set case
The reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference involves a case related to a jewellery set gifted to Bushra Bibi by the Saudi crown prince when her husband Imran Khan was the prime minister of the country from 2018 to 2022.
The jewellery set — comprising a ring, bracelet, necklace a pair of earrings — was gifted to the former first lady on her visit to Saudi Arabia in May 2021, as per the NAB's reference.
It said the PTI founder and his wife illegally kept the jewellery set.
It added that the deputy military secretary briefed the Toshakhana section officer to estimate and declare the price of the jewellery set. The jewellery set, it mentioned, was not deposited in Toshakhana.
The jewellery company sold the necklace for €300,000 and earrings for €80,000 on May 25, 2018. The information regarding the price of the bracelet and ring could not be obtained from the company.
On May 28, 2021, the price of the jewellery set was estimated at Rs70.56 million; the price of the necklace was Rs50.64 million and the price of the earrings included in the jewellery valued at Rs10.50 million back then.
According to the rules, the 50% price of the jewellery set is approximately Rs30.57 million.
The national exchequer suffered a loss of approximately Rs30.28 after the jewellery was undervalued.
As per the reference, the PTI founder and his wife violated the NAB Ordinance. It added that an inquiry was initiated against the former first couple on the instructions of NAB chairman on August 1, 2022.
"PTI founder and Bushra Bibi have misused their powers. PTI founder retained 58 out of 108 gifts during his prime ministership," read the reference.\
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1243441-bushra-bibi-walks-free-on-bail-after-months-long-imprisonment-in-new-toshakhana-case
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-nobel-laureate-narges/d/133546