Iran Arrests Three More Women's Rights Activists, Hooman Taheri, Sara Jahani, and Yasamin Heshdari, in Gilan
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 July 2024
· Iran Arrests Three More Women's Rights Activists, Hooman Taheri, Sara Jahani, and YasaminHeshdari, in Gilan
· Women Lawyers Top Philippines’ Shariah Bar Exams
· Mahmoud Mehrabi, Sister of Iranian Death Row Inmate, Maryam, Starts Hunger Strike in Jail
·
Azerbaijan's Shusha Hosts Women in Islamic
World: Traditions and Challenges Conference
· Iranian Police Question Women Who Marched in Religious Festival Without Head Scarves
· Iran Plans to Create Support Network for Professional Women
· Paris 2024: Nigeria’s Top Five Potential Medal Winners Are Women
· Women Political Representation: Nigeria lagging in Africa – UN
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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Iran Arrests Three More Women's Rights Activists, Hooman Taheri, Sara Jahani, and YasaminHeshdari,in Gilan
JULY 17, 2024
Hooman Taheri, Sara Jahani, and Yasamin
Heshdari reported to the Enforcement of Judgments department before their
detention.
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Iranian authorities arrested three more women's rights activists in northern Gilan on Wednesday and transferred them to Lakan Prison in Rasht.
Hooman Taheri, Sara Jahani, and YasaminHeshdari reported to the Enforcement of Judgments department before their detention.
The arrests are part of a larger case involving eleven women's rights activists in Gilan.
The group had their cases referred to the Enforcement of Judgments department in late June.
The activists were initially arrested on August 16 and 17, 2023, by security forces in Gilan.
Some, including Zahra Dadras and ZohrehDadras, were released on bail in September and October of last year.
On February 29, a court session was held at Branch 3 of the Revolutionary Court of Rasht, presided over by Judge Mehdi Rasekhi, to address the charges against them.
ZohrehDadras received the harshest sentence of nine years, six months, and two days in prison for "forming a group to disrupt national security" and "assembly and collusion against national security."
Zahra Dadras was sentenced to six years, one month, and seventeen days for similar charges.
Most of the other defendants, including Sara Jahani and YasaminHeshdari, received sentences of six years, one month, and seventeen days.
On July 13, MatinYazdani, ForoughSaminia, JalvehJavaheri, NeginRezaie, Shiva Shah Sia, and AzadehChavoshian were arrested and sent to Lakan Prison in Rasht.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/131883-iran-arrests-three-more-womens-rights-activists-in-gilan/
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Women Lawyers Top Philippines’ Shariah Bar Exams
July 17, 2024
Justice Maria Filomena Singh reads the
results of the 2024 Philippine Shariah Bar examinations at the Supreme Court,
Manila, on July 16, 2024. (Supreme Court/YouTube)
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MANILA: Women have topped this year’s Shariah Bar examinations in the Philippines, with Supreme Court data showing that female examinees not only obtained the best score but also had the highest passing rate.
Shariah, or Islamic law, is partially implemented in the Philippines, applicable only to the Muslim community — about 10 percent of the 120 million of the country’s predominantly Catholic population.
A total of 853 candidates took part in the Shariah Bar exam in April and May, and 183 passed it. More than half of those who passed the exams were women, nine of whom were among the top 10 scorers.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh announced the results on Tuesday, saying that “62.3 percent of the total passers are female. I’m very happy to announce that.”
This year’s exam also saw the “largest number of Shariah Bar examinees we have had in nearly 40 years,” Singh said.
“This is to strengthen and make the Shariah justice system more accessible by encouraging and giving more opportunities to aspiring Shariah councilors.”
Separate from the regular Bar tests for aspiring lawyers, the Shariah Bar exams are the professional licensure examination covering Islamic law for Shariah court councilor candidates.
Established under the 1977 Code of Muslim Personal Laws, the Islamic law courts are under the administrative supervision of the Supreme Court and have jurisdiction over the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region as well as other parts of the southern Mindanao island, which have significant Muslim populations.
The courts have application over personal status law, including marriage, as well as financial laws and halal certification.
The Supreme Court said last year that in its goal to “strengthen the Shariah justice system” under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, it was studying the possibility of expanding the mandate of Islamic courts to cover also criminal and commercial cases.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2551241/world
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Mahmoud Mehrabi,Sister of Iranian Death Row Inmate, Maryam, Starts Hunger Strike in Jail
JULY 17, 2024
Sister of Iranian death row prisoner Mahmoud Mehrabi has launched a hunger strike after her arrest for protesting her brother's death sentence.
Maryam Mehrabi was detained last month during a raid that saw authorities seize all electronic devices from her home.
Mahan Mehrabi, another sibling of Maryam, announced the news of her hunger strike on Tuesday.
Since her arrest, she has been held in solitary confinement and denied any contact with her family, including visiting rights.
Reports indicate that due to complications arising from her hunger strike, Maryam has been transferred multiple times between solitary confinement and the clinic of Dolat Abad prison in Isfahan.
Maryam, a mother of two young children, was arrested for writing about and raising awareness of her brother's case.
Her brother Mahmoud, hailing from Mobarakeh city, has been held by the Revolutionary Guards since February 2023 on charges of "corruption on Earth" and faces execution.
Reports indicate that the harsh sentence may be linked to his online protest activities and revelations about official corruption.
In the lead-up to her arrest, Maryam had publicly protested her brother's death sentence, vowing to set herself on fire outside a local mosque if the ruling was not overturned.
She was likely targeted for her outspoken online activism challenging the judicial process.
The arrests come amid the Islamic Republic's intensified crackdown on dissent following months of anti-government protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Thousands were detained, and several protesters have received death sentences from revolutionary courts on charges such as "waging war against God."
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/131877-sister-of-iranian-death-row-inmate-starts-hunger-strike-in-jail/
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Azerbaijan's Shusha Hosts Women in Islamic World: Traditions and Challenges Conference
18 July 2024
The conference on "Women in the Islamic World: Traditions and Challenges" has started in Shusha, Azernews reports.
The conference is organized by the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children Affairs and is attended by the committee's chair BaharMuradova, the President's special representative in Shusha district Aydın Karimov, Turkey's Ambassador to Azerbaijan CahidBağçı, Morocco's Minister of Solidarity, Social Integration and Family AavatifHayar, Deputy of the VI convocation of the National Assembly, Chair of the Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs HijranHuseynova, public figures, media representatives, and various state agency employees.
During the panel session on "Women in the Islamic World: Tradition and Modern Challenges," discussions will include the role of women in the restoration and sustainable development of Karabakh, the protection of women's rights in the globalizing world within the context of the Islamic community, the Islamic perspective on human and environmental relations, and other topics. New challenges will also be highlighted.
Source: azernews.az
https://www.azernews.az/nation/228781.html
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Iranian Police Question Women Who Marched In Religious Festival Without Head Scarves
July 17, 2024
A video widely shared on social media on July 16 shows women in the Iranian city of Karaj appearing without hijabs, or Islamic head scarves, at a procession marking Ashura, the holiest day on the Shi'ite religious calendar. Police officials said that they had identified some of the women and called them in for questioning. Their appearance at the religious festival is part of a broader movement of Iranian women rejecting the Islamic dress code and risking a sometimes brutal response from the authorities.
Source: rferl.org
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-ashura-women-islamic-head-scarves/33040385.html
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Iran plans to create support network for professional women
17.07.24
Iran is planning to set up an organisation to support women scientists and women researchers in various fields. This is reported by Tehran Times, a partner of TV BRICS.
Iranian officials have considered forming a network to support female professionals in different fields. The organisation to be established will focus on women's technical empowerment as well as international cooperation.
135 Iranian women researchers have been named the most cited scientists in the world in 2023.
According to the source, 316 Iranian women researchers have been praised in one of the international scientific rankings, ranking in the top 2 per cent of the world's top specialists in 14 subject areas: clinical medicine, biomedicine, chemistry, engineering, agriculture, fisheries and forestry, strategic technologies (artificial intelligence, nanotechnology), information and communication technologies, ecology, and others.
Source: tvbrics.com
https://tvbrics.com/en/news/iran-plans-to-create-support-network-for-professional-women/
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Paris 2024: Nigeria’s top five potential medal winners are women
July 17, 2024
Notably, Team Nigeria, comprising 87 athletes, is about 72% women, and they are the country’s best hope for medals. Interestingly, ChiomaAjunwa, a woman long jumper, won Nigeria’s first-ever gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Nigeria’s women will compete in athletics, football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, cycling, canoeing, table tennis, weightlifting, and aquatics. This includes 18 footballers and 12 basketball players. Remarkably, they also dominate in wrestling (5 of 6) and weightlifting, where both qualifiers are women.
Historically, Nigeria’s best Olympic performance was 30th place at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, where they won one silver and one bronze.
In 17 Olympic appearances, Nigeria has won three gold medals, with 777 athletes participating since 1952. As the Paris 2024 Games approach, several Nigerian athletes stand out as strong medal contenders. Here are five athletes and teams with the potential to make history and raise Nigeria’s flag on the podium.
Athletics
Tobi Amusan [27]: The 100m women’s hurdles world record holder is a favourite for gold after narrowly missing the podium in Tokyo. Recently cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to compete in Paris, Amusan is Nigeria’s first and only world champion in athletics. Her world record stands at 12.12 seconds.
Amusan is Nigeria’s first and only world champion in athletics after breaking the world record and running into the history books. She has always been one to look forward to, and the potency of her words on X continues to ring true. “Unknown now, but soon I will be unforgettable… I will persist until I succeed…” Everybody knows you now, and no one will be surprised when you take gold in Paris.
She has a strong chance for a podium finish, given her season’s best of 12.40 seconds and her smooth rhythm in scaling the hurdles. However, she must avoid bad or false starts, as witnessed at the Suzhou Diamond League.
Season’s Best: 12.40 seconds
Personal Best: 12.12 seconds [World record set in 2022 in Hayward Field, Eugene, USA]
World Ranking: 5
Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!
Ese Brume [28]: The reigning African and Commonwealth Games champion in the long jump. Brume aims to surpass her bronze medal from Tokyo. She has consistently won medals at major competitions since her breakout in 2013. Brume’s personal best is 7.17m, and her world ranking is 4.
The 2013 African Junior Championships was her leaping board, and she has excelled at the African Championships, African Games, Commonwealth Games, World Indoor Championships, and World Championships. Brume’s bronze medal in 2020 was Nigeria’s sole medal in athletics at the Olympic Games and marked the country’s first medal in athletics since 2008.
She is known for her perseverance, often delivering her best jumps in the last attempts.
Season’s Best: 6.84m
Personal Best: 7.17m [Set in 2021 in Chula Vista, California, USA]
World Ranking: 4
Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!
Wrestling
Blessing Oborududu [35]: A dominant force in African wrestling and a 2020 Tokyo silver medalist, Oborududu seeks another Olympic podium finish in the 68kg class. She recently secured a first-place finish at the 2024 Seniors African and Oceania OG Qualifier, making her a strong contender for a medal in Paris.
Season’s Best: First place at the 2024 Seniors African and Oceania OG Qualifier
Personal Best: Silver medal at the 2020 Olympic Games
World Ranking: 6
Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!
OdunayoAdekuoroye [31]: A multiple medal winner at the World African Championships and Commonwealth Games, Adekuoroye is eager for her first Olympic medal. After overcoming the disappointment of the 2020 Games, she won gold at the Poland Open Ranking Series. Ranked No. 2 in the world in the 57kg category. Her strength lies in her fastidiousness and energy, though she needs to maintain focus throughout her matches.
Season’s Best: Gold at the Poland Open Ranking Series
Personal Best: Ranked No. 1 in the world in the 57kg category in March 2024
World Ranking: 2
Likely Podium Finish: Strong YES!
Weightlifting
RafiatuLawal [27]: A rising star in weightlifting, Lawal has won multiple gold medals at the African Championships and Commonwealth Games. She set new records in the Snatch (90 kg), Clean & Jerk (116 kg), and Total (206 kg) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. With a personal best of 227kg, she is a strong contender for a medal in Paris, particularly if she improves her Clean & Jerk strategy.
Season’s Best: 227kg
Personal Best: 227kg [Attained in Phuket in March 2024]
World Ranking: 9
Likely Podium Finish: Average YES!
While the path to Olympic glory is unpredictable, these Nigerian women have the talent and potential to bring home medals from Paris. The nation eagerly awaits their performances and celebrates their dedication and hard work.
Source: premiumtimesng.com
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/sports/nigeria-sports-news/714309-paris-2024-nigerias-top-five-potential-medal-winners-are-women.html
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Women Political Representation: Nigeria lagging in Africa – UN
July 17, 2024
The UN Women’s Country Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Beatrice Eyong, says the country is lagging in terms of female representation in political leadership compared to other African countries.
MsEyong said this on Monday at a one-day seminar on ‘the role of the legislature in advancing women, peace and security in Nigeria organised by the UN Women in conjunction with NILDS in Abuja.
According to her, ‘’With just about 4 per cent of women elected to the National Assembly and only seven women in the forty-five member cabinet, Nigeria is not doing well on the continental ranking.”
She, however, commended the House of Representatives, who recently passed, for third reading, a bill seeking to reserve four seats for women in the National Assembly, saying, “this is indeed a positive development which demonstrates commitment to change the narrative on women participation in Nigeria.”
She called on the lawmakers and other stakeholders to support the amendment of the country’s security laws to further enhance a gender-sensitive environment for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in the security sector institutions and the society at large.
According to MsEyong, NILDS has reviewed the Armed Forces Act, Nigeria Police Act and the Civil Defence Corps Act from a gender perspective, saying the need to present bills for the amendment of these laws by the 10th National Assembly cannot be overemphasised.
Meanwhile, in his remarks at the occasion, the Director General of NILDS, Abubakar Sulaiman, said that regarding lawmaking for security sector institutions, the institute and UN Women have engaged members of the National Assembly in several advocacy programmes.
On the part of NILDS, Mr Sulaiman, a professor, said the institute has gone further to establish its Legislative Centre for Security Analysis with the “mandate to critically analyse and advise the legislature on security-related policies and laws from a strategic and informed perspective.”
According to him, “The Institute is poised and ready to contribute its quota in ensuring that issues of security and all the critical components, including its impact on women and children, are given the necessary attention.”
The DG said the role of the Nigerian legislature in the successful implementation of the women, peace and security agenda is tied to its constitutional mandate and, as such, should be given adequate attention.
“The legislature is uniquely placed not only to drive the process but also to champion greater collaboration with other stakeholders, including gender advocates and civil society,” he said.
Attendees at the seminar included DiketPlang, a Plateau senator; House of Representatives members – KhadijatBuka Abba-Ibrahim, Fatima Talber, Miriam Onuoha; SveinBaera, Norwegian ambassador to Nigeria and Anett Gunther, German ambassador to Nigeria, among other participants, including operatives from the security sectors.
Source: premiumtimesng.com
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/gender/714359-women-political-representation-nigeria-lagging-in-africa-un.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-women-rights-hooman-taheri/d/132737