Iran Students Who Participated In Protests Banned From Education, In Exile, Or Poisoned
New Age
Islam News Bureau
25 May 2023
• Iran Students Who Participated
In Protests Banned From Education, In Exile, Or Poisoned
• Ayasha Vs Ayasha: 2 Aspirants,
Ayasha Fatima And Ayasha Makrani ‘Claim’ Same UPSC Rank
• ‘Love Jihad’, Woman’s Name,
Religious Text Painted On Pune Footpath; Police Begin Probe
• Malaysian Middle Age Woman
Arrested For Uploading Image Of ‘Allah’ Tattoo
• Saudi Businesswoman Shaping
Future Of Kingdom’s Real Estate Sector With Royal Approval
• Muna’s Passion for Basketball
Inspires Her to Create Active wear for Muslim Women
• Hardliners In Iran Attack New
Hijab Bill As Too Lenient
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-students-exile-poisoned/d/129850
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Iran Students Who Participated In Protests Banned From Education, In
Exile, Or Poisoned
Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration following the death of
Mahsa Amini in Iran, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 2, 2022 (Photo: Reuters/File)
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24th May, 2023
In a crackdown aimed at curbing a defiant uprising against the
ultra-Conservative fundamentalist cleric regime and quelling countrywide
demonstrations after the deliberate poisoning of school girls, Iranian
institutions are banning the students from education, forcing them to go into
exile in the cities of Ahvaz, Semnan, Kashan, Urmia, and Ardabil.
As many as eight students have been deprived of education for up to two
years or were exiled to other cities as a form of "punishment" for
protesting against the chemical attacks on women and girls across Iran's
universities and schools, according to Persian language broadcaster Iran
International.
A string of suspected poison attacks that affected schoolgirls in dozens
of schools and universities forced the parents of the young girls and women to
stop them from attending classes. As a result, women and girls across the
Islamic Republic of Iran defaulted on their education, and in many cases, they
were permanently withdrawn from educational institutions by their parents.
Particularly, female students in Iran faced health hazards from chemical
poisoning in at least 33 cities across 17 Iranian provinces. These incidents
coincided with the anti-hijab protests by Iranian women following the death of
a 22-year-old Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini.
Iran women's movement for 'freedom and equality'
Hundreds of schoolgirls reported unexplained illnesses after suffering
from suspicious "mild to severe poisoning" which critics of the
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi suggest was a planned targeting by hardline
Islamist groups as they are opposed to girls education.
A significant number of Iranian women and girls have been leading a
movement against the compulsory state-sanctioned law of wearing a head scarf,
posting videos and pictures on social media burning the hijab, while others
sharing visuals of themselves chopping their hair in defiance of the country's
morality police—known as Gasht-e Ershad [Guidance Patrols]— that enforces
strict moral 'dress code' on the women. Slogans like "Women, life,
freedom" heard during the Amini protests took center stage to the Iranian
women's movement demanding 'freedom and equality!'
Under Iranian law, special police units coerce women to cover their hair
and neck with a hijab. The torture of women in violation of the dress code in
police custody sparked widespread protests to overthrow the Islamic Republic
system. Iranian women have taken to the streets demanding the ouster of the
conservative hard-liners.
Speculations emerged that Mahsa Amini was beaten in the head with a
baton by morality police, which caused her death. Greater Tehran Police
Commander Hossein, however, attributed her demise to “sudden heart
failure", a claim rejected by the woman's father, who told an Iranian news
outlet that Amini was "fit and had
no health problems".
Hijab in Iran was mandated shortly after the 1979 revolution, by order
of Supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic.
The law has been exploited by morality police in restricting women's clothing
in Iran.
The noxious gas attacks on the Iranian women and girls occurred parallel
to the crackdown on unprecedented protests by Iranian security forces who fired
gunshots directly into women's faces, breasts and genitals "to destroy
their beauty", according to the medics, doctors and nurses treating the
demonstrators.
Raft of repressive measures to punish 'hijab rebels'
A raft of repressive measures was imposed across Iran to crack down and
punish the hijab rebels. This included surveillance and cutting access to
social services and the Internet. Women held by the security forces without the
headscarf mandated under the regime's law were arbitrarily detained, raped and
beaten by the military police in custody, according to the Iranian press.
Norway-based Iran Human Rights group said that Iranian security forces
were shooting women protesters in the head and face, leading to many losing
eyesight. "Islamic Republic leader, Ali Khamenei and the repressive forces
under his command must know that they will be held accountable for all their
crimes," IHR director Mahmood AmiryMoghaddam, stated.
Girls and women who played a major role in the countrywide protests fell
victim to the mysterious incidents identified as deliberate poisoning attacks
to prevent them from seeking education. Young students were taken to the
hospital after they seemed to have fallen ill by smelling toxic gas.
Across institutions, including the Tabriz University of Medical
Sciences, students were dealt with heavyhandedly and were pronounced severe
punishments such as dismissal from the institutes. US-based Human Rights
Activists News Agency (HRANA), in its analysis, noted that an estimated 637
students from 144 universities have been arrested since mid-September.
'Not war chemicals, can be treated': Iranian Health Minister
Emergency forces were dispatched to the scene after a wave of poisonings
of female high school students in Tehran, which parents said occurred due to a
poisonous gas smell, according to Fars news agency. Those admitted to the
hospitals reported symptoms including respiratory distress, numbness in their
limbs, heart palpitations, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
Iran's Deputy Health Minister YounesPanahi, however, noted that the
poisoning of schoolgirls was "accidental". The poisoning caused to
the students was very mild, and did not cause any complications to anyone,” he
was reported saying, adding that the poisoning only caused 'lethargy.'
“It has been revealed that the chemical compounds used to poison
students are not war chemicals, the poisoned students do not need aggressive
treatment and a large percentage of the chemical agents used are
treatable," he added. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, at a Cabinet
meeting, tasked his interior minister to lead an effort to find the cause of
the poisonings as well as coordinate an appropriate response, according to
ISNA.
Source: republicworld.com
https://www.republicworld.com/world-news/middle-east/iran-students-who-participated-in-protests-banned-from-education-in-exile-or-poisoned-articleshow.html
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Ayasha Vs Ayasha: 2 Aspirants, Ayasha Fatima And Ayasha Makrani ‘Claim’ Same UPSC Rank
May 25, 2023
BHOPAL: In a rare mix up in UPSC examinations, two girls from Madhya
Pradesh with a common first name are claiming 184th rank quoting the same roll
number. Results of the UPSC exams were declared on Tuesday.
After the results were declared, a girl named Ayasha got 184th rank.
After this, celebrations started in two families, one in Dewas district and the
other in Alirajpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The matter came to light on
Wednesday.
Dewas girl, Ayasha Fatima, daughter of Naziruddin is claiming that she
made it to the merit while AyashaMakrani daughter of Salimuddin from Alirajpur
district is also claiming the same.
It is said that both the Ayashas were issued the same roll number. The
admit cards of both girls mention roll number as 7811744.
Both the girls are claiming that they gave the exam and even appeared
for the interview. Ayesha Makrani's brother ShahbazuddinMakrani, a civil
engineer, told TOI that his sister cleared UPSC with mathematics."My
mother's dream was that my sister should crack UPSC and become an IAS officer.
She has got 184th rank. After the confusion and counter claims by another
candidate, we have contacted UPSC and the picture will be clear on
Thursday."
His sister is 23, and It was her first attempt at the exam, Shahbazuddin
said.
Experts: Impossible to assign same roll number, one is fake
On the other hand, Naziruddin, father of Ayasha Fatima of Dewas, also
claimed that his daughter had been selected. "UPSC cannot make such a
mistake. I demand a thorough inquiry in the matter. The truth should come to
the fore," said Naziruddin. My daughter is 26-year-old and it was her
fourth attempt. She appeared with a political science subject, he said.
In the admit card of AyashaMakrani, the date of personality test was
mentioned as April 25 and the day was mentioned as Thursday. Whereas on the
card of Ayasha Fatima, the date of personality test was April 25, but the day
was Tuesday. As per the calendar April 25 was a Tuesday.
AyashaMakrani's brother claimed that they had received an email from
UPSC in which it was written that Ayasha's name has been changed due to
similarity in the names with three candidates and the names of two candidates
have been changed. "Full name has not changed. The name has been changed
to Ayasha Fatima (Ayesha Makrani)," said Shahbazuddin.
"There is a water mark of UPSC with a QR code on the admit card of
Ayasha of Dewas, while the admit card of Alirajpur'sAyasha resembles a printout
on plain paper without any QR code. The QR code of Dewas girl on scanning shows
the same information as mentioned in the admit card," said Naziruddin.
While the matter is yet to be settled, both the families are in
celebrations and hogging limelight.
Experts claimed that it is impossible that UPSC would issue the same
roll number to two candidates. One of them has to be fake, they said.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/ayasha-vs-ayasha-2-aspirants-claim-same-upsc-rank/articleshow/100485043.cms
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‘Love Jihad’, Woman’s Name, Religious Text Painted On Pune Footpath;
Police Begin Probe
May 24, 2023
The Pune City police are conducting a probe after the words ‘Love
Jihad’, along with a woman’s name and text with religious connotation, was
found painted on a footpath on Canal Road in Pune.
Officials said the words were painted in yellow colour on the footpath
connecting SNDT College and Prabhat Road. The writing was brought to the notice
of the police by citizens, including on Twitter.
“It seems to have been done sometime over the last two to three days.
After it was brought to our notice, a team was sent to the spot,” a local
police official said. A team of police and civic officials went to the spot on
Wednesday morning and erased the words.
“We are looking into the incident. We are trying to ascertain who has
done it and what was the motive behind it. Further course of action will be
decided after we have the basic facts with us,” a senior officer from Pune City
police said.
Source: indianexpress.com
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pune-footpath-womans-name-religious-8626246/
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Malaysian Middle Age Woman Arrested For Uploading Image Of ‘Allah’ Tattoo
24-05- 2023
PETALING JAYA: A local woman was arrested in Gombak after she was
suspected of uploading an image of “Allah” tattooed on another woman to her
Facebook page.
Bukit Aman in a statement said the 46-year-old woman will be remanded
for three days starting from today (May 24).
Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported that the case is being investigated
by the classified criminal investigation unit (D5) under Section 298A of the
Penal Code for insulting, or bringing into contempt, or deriding, or
ridiculing, or degrading the religion of Islam, as well as Section 233 of the
Communications and Multimedia Act for the misuse of network services to spread
obscene content, discord, fake news and threats.
The police had also seized the suspect’s mobile phone and SIM card.
The authorities have advised the public to refrain from spreading or
creating content that touches on the sensitivities of religion and race
including that of royalty.
Stern action will be taken against those that intentionally do so, the
statement said
Source: thesundaily.my
https://www.thesundaily.my/local/middle-age-woman-arrested-for-uploading-image-of-allah-tattoo-BB11018977
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Saudi businesswoman shaping future of Kingdom’s real estate sector with
royal approval
May 24, 2023
RIYADH: A Saudi businesswoman is helping lead the way in shaping the
future of the Kingdom’s real estate sector — with royal backing.
Mashael bin Saedan’s company, Al-Saedan for Development, was one of
three private firms approved by King Salman in 2019 to be part of the National
Industrial Development and Logistics Program.
She said: “I was the only woman present at the launch ceremony, whose
factory was not only approved by King Salman but I had the honor of meeting
him.”
Since then, her real estate development group has gone from strength to
strength with its focus on digital and technical industrial transformation of
the sector.
And last year, the ambitious business owner partnered with Japan-based
Aizawa High-Pressure Concrete Co., Ltd. to produce and construct pre-stressed
concrete structural components in the Riyadh metropolitan area.
The two companies tested a model of the component that yielded positive
results.
“The model that we tested was not based on new technology … it is only
used for the construction of bridges and such. What we wanted to achieve was to
use this technology for the construction of houses.
“The US tried to test the model but failed. What we did through our
partnership with Japan was develop the same technology with Saudi resources,
keep the good quality, and lower production costs,” Saedan added.
She noted that the Japanese government had been supportive of the
partnership and said she was “very grateful for their help.”
Her introduction to the real estate sector began when she was just six
years old. Saedan’s family has been involved in land development projects in
Riyadh since 1934 and can include Saudi Arabia’s first high-rise building, the
Elegance Tower, in its portfolio of properties.
Part of the third generation of the real estate family, Saedan as a
child accompanied her father wherever he went.
She said: “I saw the effects of the real estate market on citizens, and
on my family. My family had a tradition where in every signed real estate deal,
everyone in my family would get an equal share from the deal, regardless of
your age or whether you worked on the deal or not.”
When she turned 12, Saedan began asking questions about the lack of
female involvement in the sector in the Kingdom.
“I kept asking this question in every family gathering we had. When I turned
18, my father called me to his office and asked me to draft a business strategy
involving and targeting women to invest in the real estate sector,” she added.
Keen to transform the sector in her country, Saedan’s business strategy
included targeting Saudi teachers in public schools during break times to
enlighten women on the Kingdom’s real estate sector and help them invest in the
market.
She struck her first investment deal with three Saudi public-school
teachers, who remain in contact with her.
During the boom in the real estate market between 2007 and 2009, she was
undecided whether to cash in on the opportunity or continue her education.
Saedan wanted to expand her ideas internationally and be a prominent
figure in the industry on a global stage. So, she opted to pursue a master’s
degree in an English-speaking country.
She said: “I decided that if I were to enter the international market of
real estate, I needed to learn English.”
After gaining a master’s degree in business finance and economics from
the University of Sheffield, in England, she received a job offer from an
international bank based in the UK. But she turned down the opportunity in
order to return to Saudi Arabia and be a force for change in the Kingdom’s real
estate sector.
One of her ambitions was to educate Saudi youth and involve them in the
sector, to which end she taught finance courses at Dar Al-Uloom University.
“I would start every lecture by reminding students that they were not
only representing their family, but the Kingdom, Arabs, and Muslims worldwide.
“People change by having a role model, so after two-and-a-half months, I
resigned and decided to open my own company and be the change I want to see in
people,” Saedan added.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2309731/saudi-arabia
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Muna’s Passion for Basketball Inspires Her to Create Activewear for
Muslim Women
24 May, 2023
Growing up as a Somali girl in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood, Muna Mohamed’s love for basketball has led to creating a special
activewear for Muslim women and girls, Sahan Journal reported.
In Minneapolis, she spent years as the only girl on the basketball
court. Moving to South St. Paul, she joined her school’s basketball team, pursuing
her love for the sport all the way to playing semi-professional ball with the
TC Elite.
Now as a coach, she wants to encourage more Muslim girls to follow their
passion, returning to her old neighborhood to break the barriers that have
often kept young Muslim women out of the game.
“I just got sad that the girls were struggling. I saw myself in them,”
she said. “If I could go back and look at what I wore, I would’ve never worn
it, but I only did it for the game of basketball and I wish there was someone
there advocating for me.”
In order to encourage people to be more physically active, and
healthier, she created Kalsoniactivewear for Muslim women and girls.
The word Kalsoni is a Somali word which translates to “confidence” is a
feeling that Muna said is crucial for any Muslim woman working on her physical
fitness.
“I realized we shouldn’t run away from our culture and I wanted a word
that represented what I was, who the girls were, and whether we’re on the court
or off the court, there was a sense of confidence,” she said.
What Muslim Women Need
Over the past few years, there have been a growing market for modest
fashion across the world.
In 2020, a leading American sporting clothing company, “Under Armour
Inc.”, unveiled its first hijab for female Muslim athletes.
In December 2017, Nike launched the Nike Pro Hijab to give Muslim
athletes a deserved representation in global athletic sportswear.
Though well-known brands like Under Armour and Nike have launched their
versions of modest activewear, Muna believes that they fall short of what
Muslim women need.
“They often don’t understand the type of hijabs that you need to create
to cater to all Muslims,” she said.
“That’s why I have the different versatile hijabs from sports shawls to
the sports hijab for everyone.”
Now, Muna sells her products in the USA and abroad.
“I’ve sold to folks in Finland, Norway, Sweden, and now getting orders
from South Africa and Kenya,” she said.
“It was nice to see it validated in Minnesota, but then it was a unique opportunity
when folks were reaching out to me.”
Source: aboutislam.net
https://aboutislam.net/muslim-issues/n-america/muslim-volunteers-pack-15000-meals-for-malnourished-kids-across-the-world/
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Hardliners In Iran Attack New Hijab Bill As Too Lenient
25-05-23
Hardliners in Iran have strongly criticized a government hijab bill and
claimed its leniency would only encourage further defiance of hijab rules.
Minister of Justice Amin Hossein-Rahimi said Monday that the government
modified and approved the double-urgency bill proposed by the judiciary and
would present it to the parliament within the next few days.
The bill is apparently more lenient than a motion by some
ultra-hardliner lawmakers in March which has yet not been put to debate in the
parliament. The motion proposed a fine of up to $60,000 for unveiling in
public.
Iran’s Judiciary operates under the supervision of Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei and their input into the new bill means it must have had his support.
However, politics is more enigmatic in Iran than appearances usually
indicate. Firebrand Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor of the flagship hardliner
newspaper -- which is funded by the Supreme Leader -- strongly criticized the
new bill on Sunday for “reducing punishments in the laws of the country for
removing hijab into [small] cash fines.”
“A look at the content of the bill and comparison with the existing laws
suggests that the bill has been prepared with the (maybe unintentional) aim of
removing the existing legal obstacles [against unveiling] and preparing the
ground for the spread of this nasty and abominable phenomenon rather than
taking action against unveiling,” he wrote.
Shariatmadari also claimed that some of the women who were arrested for
flouting the hijab on the streets have confessed that they were paid $3 per
hour, presumably by the enemies of the Islamic Republic.
Tehran Municipality’s Hamshahri newspaper, a once reformist daily which
has become ultra-conservative since hardliners took over the city council and
in 2021, has also urged the government of President Ebrahim Raisi to revoke the
bill.
The newspaper argued that if turned into law it would tie the hands of
the police and other hijab enforcers such as civilians who practice ‘amr-e be
marouf’, that is, calling others to enjoin what is good and forbid them from
doing what is wrong.
‘Amr-e be marouf’ by vigilantes has caused quite a few disputes and even
scuffles in public over veiling between its proponents and women who are now
defiantly appearing unveiled.
In April, a 59-year-old woman died of cardiac arrest in hospital in
Kerman after a fight broke out when Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) affiliated
Basij militia members who assaulted her family over hijab. Apparently, the Basij
members ordered a member of the woman’s family to cover her hair, leading to an
argument and a scuffle.
A video that became viral on social media in mid-April showed a young
woman having a panic attack at a shopping arcade in Babol in northern Iran. The
incident happened as a fight broke out when Basij militia tried to arrest some
shopkeepers over hijab and fired their guns into the air during the scuffle.
In the past two months hardliners have intensified their efforts to
enforce veiling laws more forcefully to put a stop to women’s increasing
defiance of the compulsory hijab. Since popular protests after Mahsa Amini died
at the hands of the morality police last September, many women walk in the
streets without hijab.
Many, even some women who wear the hijab by choice, are against
government interference in the matter which they think should be a personal
choice.
“Better just say they should put a machine gun at the Revolution Square
and kill those with inadequate hijab one by one,” Hossein Ghadiani, a former
Kayhan journalist who has become critical of hardliners, told Shariatmadari in
an audio file posted on Telegram post Tuesday. “What is it exactly that will
satisfy you? Throwing 85 percent of the people in the sea to drown?”
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202305230362
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-students-exile-poisoned/d/129850