Iranian Woman Activist, Bahrami Marjan, Torches Another Quran In Sweden
New Age
Islam News Bureau
04 August 2023
• Iranian Woman Activist, Bahrami Marjan, Torches
Another Quran In Sweden
• University Entrance Exams Held Without Girls'
Participation in Afghanistan
• Moroccan Joy As National Team Makes History At Women’s
World Cup
• Woman convert fails to get High Court leave in
bid to be declared Christian after divorcing Muslim man
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-activist-bahrami-quran-sweden/d/130380
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Iranian
Woman Activist, Bahrami Marjan, Torches Another Quran In Sweden
A Christian convert from Islam, Iranian immigrant Bahrami Marjan
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4 Aug,
2023
A woman
has set fire to a copy of the Quran during a police-approved protest near the
Swedish capital, the TASS news agency has reported.
The move
follows several similar actions in recent weeks, which have triggered outrage
across the Muslim world and beyond.
Organized
by Iranian immigrant Bahrami Marjan, the Quran-burning took place on a beach near
Stockholm on Thursday, according to the Russian outlet, which noted that of the
20 people that attended most were journalists.
In
footage captured by Ruptly, Marjan can be seen setting fire to the holy book,
scrawling on the Quran with a pen before tearing off pages and burning them
gradually. At one point, police appeared to restrain a small group of
counter-protesters objecting to the display, though the scene ultimately
remained calm.
A
Christian convert from Islam, the woman told TASS she wanted to show that
“religion is also part of politics,” also stating “Islam is not a democratic
religion.” Asked whether she thought such book-burnings might harm Sweden’s
security situation given the potential for backlash, Marjan said she did not
agree.
The demonstration
mirrors other stunts staged in Stockholm this summer, with activists burning or
otherwise desecrating Qurans during three prior police-authorized actions in
June and July, two of which were held outside the Iraqi Embassy.
The
incidents have sparked a public outcry in the Muslim world, with angry
protesters storming Sweden’s diplomatic compound in Baghdad. The Iraqi
government also expelled Stockholm’s envoy and recalled its own representative,
while Türkiye, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan
similarly condemned the move.
Swedish
officials have argued that the protests are not formally approved by the
government, with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson insisting that local police
merely issue permits for public gatherings regardless of their political
content. The premier went on to blame a Russian “disinformation campaign” for
the harsh reaction to the Quran-burnings, alleging that Moscow is “spreading
the false claim that Sweden as a state would be behind the desecration of various
scriptures.”
Russian
President Vladimir Putin has described the attacks on the Quran as hate crimes
that would not be tolerated in Russia, while a group of Russian MPs issued a
joint statement declaring that such actions have “nothing to do with freedom of
speech and religion.”
Source: rt.com
https://www.rt.com/news/580806-sweden-another-quran-burning/
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University
Entrance Exams Held Without Girls' Participation in Afghanistan
Representative
photo
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By
merwis Omari
3 August
2023
The
second round of the university entrance exam (Kankor) started on Thursday in
twelve provinces of the country. It is supposed to go on for two days.
The
National Examination Authority (NEXA) said that in this round, 29,000 graduates
of the twelfth grade, all of whom are boys, will take the test.
The
university entrance exam's second round has begun in the provinces of Badghis,
Kandahar, Panjshir, Ghazni, Farah, Kapisa, Laghman, Nuristan, Helmand, Kunar,
Nangarhar, and Maidan Wardak.
"The
second round of the exam is to be held in 12 provinces of the country, where
about 29,000 people will participate,” said Moder Jan Kotwal, a member of NEXA.
"This
year, 537 students from Badghis province filled out forms,” said
SamaruddinJebran, a member of NEXA.
Some
participants of the entrance exam asked the Islamic Emirate to allow girls to
participate in the exam.
"We
hope that they (girls) will be able to participate in next year's exam, we need
educated women and girls in our society,” said Abdul Ghafoor, a participant
told TOLOnews.
Meanwhile,
some female students who were banned from taking the entrance exam are now
concerned about their future. They asked that Islamic Emirate to reopen schools
for girls above the sixth grade.
"We
ask the Islamic Emirate to open universities for girls, girls are the destiny
makers of Afghanistan’s future,” said Somaya, a student in Badghis.
According
to NEXA data, around 125,000 candidates will take part in this year’s Kankor
test. 25,000 twelfth grade graduates participated in the first round of the
exam.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-184486
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Moroccan
joy as national team makes history at Women’s World Cup
3 Aug
2023
Morocco’s
Atlas Lionesses have made history by qualifying for the last 16 of the FIFA
Women’s World Cup, after beating Colombia and knocking out Germany – on their
first-ever appearance at the tournament – and the nation could not be prouder.
The
team’s star striker Rosella Ayane described Thursday’s achievement as “an
incredible win” and a “fantastic team effort”.
“Coming
into the tournament, we knew qualifying from the group would be tough but we
worked together and achieved something special for all of Morocco,” Ayane told
Al Jazeera.
“It’s
amazing to keep creating history. Our World Cup journey continues and we are
now focused on the next round vs France,” she said.
Moroccan
fans have paid tribute to the athletes and their remarkable journey, as they
had already become the first Arab country to qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
The team also includes NouhailaBenzina, the first Muslim woman wearing a hijab
to play at the World Cup.
Hashtags
like #DimaMaghrib and #The_impossible_is_not_Moroccan were trending on social
media sites as fans expressed their admiration for the team’s exceptional
performance.
Writing
on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, the Moroccan national
football team posted a simple message in Arabic: “The impossible is not
Moroccan.”
‘Done
the impossible’
Fans
were quick to congratulate the team, with many acknowledging the unprecedented
win.
“We,
Moroccan, keep making history! Congratulations to our Atlas Lionesses for
making it to the TOP16,” said X user MimouniLoubna.
“Lionesses
don t know the impossible. Bravo, the ladies of #Morocco,” another user wrote.
BenallalSadik,
another Moroccan supporting the team, paid tribute to his country.
“We have
said and will continue to say: Morocco … is an exceptional country.
Congratulations to us as Moroccans, Amazing, Arabs, and Africans, on this
outstanding achievement,” Sadik wrote in Arabic.
“The Atlas
Lionesses have done the impossible – in their first ever WWC participation.
Germany on their way home, while the Moroccan fairytale continues,” the Maghrib
Foot wrote.
Others
took to X to commend Benzina for being the first hijabi to play in the tournament
and for inspiring young Muslim women in the region.
Among
them was Shaista Aziz, director of the Three Hijabis – campaigners working to
make football “equitable”, according to the group’s website.
“The
significance of this is HUGE for many #Muslim girls and women including
myself,” Aziz wrote on X.
“NouhailaBenzina
became first Muslim woman in hijab to play at World Cup. #France has banned
Muslim women in hijab from playing football,” she said.
Morocco
will face France in the next round of the tournament, held in Australia and New
Zealand.
Last
month, the French Football Federation (FFF) banned the Islamic headscarf, or
hijab, during games.
France
has long implemented laws that defenders say are designed to protect its form
of secularism.
“I will
post NouhailaBenzina pic in every french news page,” one Moroccan user wrote.
“Haters gonna hate.”
The
success of the Atlas Lionesses comes after a similar run by their male
counterparts at last year’s men’s World Cup.
The
Atlas Lions advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1986 and
became the first African or Arab nation to reach the semifinal. Despite a
spirited performance they lost to France and did not make it to the final
round.
Some
Moroccans are hoping that the national team may be luckier the second time
around.
“The
Atlas Lionesses with chance to avenge the men’s semi-final defeat in Qatar,”
Tom Yousef Drissi, a Moroccan user, wrote on X.
Source: aljazeera.com
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/3/moroccan-joy-as-national-team-makes-history-at-womens-world-cup
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Woman
convert fails to get High Court leave in bid to be declared Christian after
divorcing Muslim man
By Ida
Lim
Friday,
04 Aug 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR, Aug 4 — The High Court in Penang has rejected a Muslim convert’s legal bid
to seek official recognition for her return to Christianity after her 2013
divorce to a Muslim man.
High
Court judge Quay Chew Soon rejected the woman’s application for leave for
judicial review on June 26, and wrote his judgment dated July 17, which was
released only recently.
The
woman had sought six orders from the civil High Court, including a declaration
that she is a person professing Christianity and that state Islamic laws do not
apply to her, and an order of prohibition to prevent the respondents from
exercising any power vested in them by state Islamic laws against her.
The
woman also wants the civil High Court to quash the Shariah High Court's and
Shariah Court of Appeal's decisions --- which rejected her bid to renounce
Islam, or alternatively to declare that those two Shariah court decisions are
invalid for being inconsistent with the Federal Constitution.
She also
wants her name and religious status in her Malaysian identity card to be
changed when she submits the appropriate forms to the National Registration
Department (NRD), to give effect to the other court declarations and orders
that she is seeking.
For
those who filed lawsuits through judicial review applications, they will have
to first get the court's leave or permission for the lawsuit to be heard.
The High
Court in Penang's refusal of leave does not mean that it has rejected her
application for the court orders, but means that it has decided not to hear the
lawsuit where the woman is seeking the six court orders.
According
to details in the recently released High Court judgment, the 57-year-old woman
was born to Christian parents, was baptised as an infant, was raised as a
believing and practising Christian. She was also said to have confirmed her
belief in the Christian faith in her teens.
Malay
Mail is not naming the woman to protect her privacy.
The
woman said she took the oath to become a Muslim on March 30, 1995 at the Penang
Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAIPP) because it was necessary to
enable her to marry a Muslim man and not out of a belief in Islam. She adopted
a Muslim name after converting to Islam.
The
woman’s marriage was registered in early July 1995. She had three children with
the Muslim man, and they were raised as Muslims and practised Islam.
The
couple divorced in January 2013 by mutual consent.
In 2014,
the woman signed a statutory declaration stating that she has always practised
Christianity and that she wishes to continue her life as a Christian.
On March
22, 2016, she filed proceedings at the Selangor Shariah High Court to renounce
Islam.
Before
she could continue with her application to renounce Islam, the Selangor Islamic
Religious Council (Mais) filed an application at the Shariah High Court, which
resulted in her being required to first undergo 12 counselling sessions with an
ustaz that lasted about a year.
At the
Shariah High Court, the woman, a bishop from her church and a Mais officer
testified in the proceedings on her bid to renounce Islam.
The
Shariah High Court on July 23, 2020 dismissed the woman's application to
renounce Islam and instead ordered her to attend further counselling sessions
for 60 days.
She
filed an appeal, which was dismissed by the Selangor Shariah Court of Appeal on
January 18 this year.
On April
17, the woman turned to the civil courts and filed a judicial review
application against the Islamic authorities, namely Mais, the Selangor Shariah
Court of Appeal, the Selangor state government, JHEAIPP, the Penang state
government, the NRD, and the Malaysian government.
The
woman was represented by lawyers K. Shanmuga and Allyna Ng, while senior
federal counsel Ahmad HanirHambaly @ Arwi and federal counsel ImtiyazWizniAufa
Othman appeared for the attorney-general.
What the
High Court said
For
judicial review cases, application for leave for judicial review has to be
served to the attorney-general, who then decides whether or not to appear in
court at the leave stage in his capacity as the attorney-general (and not for
the government).
The
attorney-general had objected to the woman's application for leave for judicial
review, based on the argument that the Shariah court decisions — which
maintained that she is still a Muslim — is not something that can be subject to
judicial review in the civil courts due to the Federal Constitution's Article
121(1A).
Article
121(1A) states that the civil courts "shall have no jurisdiction in
respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts.
In the
High Court judgment, the judge went through multiple past court judgments
relating to Article 121(1A), before agreeing that the civil courts cannot
review matters like this woman's case.
"I
agree with the AG that the civil High Courts do not have the jurisdiction to
perform judicial review on the Syariah courts' decisions concerning matters
which are within their exclusive jurisdiction, as in the present case, i.e. the
matter of renouncing Islam," the judge said.
Among
other things, the judge viewed the Selangor Shariah High Court and the Selangor
Shariah Court of Appeal as being expressly given the power under a Selangor
state law — Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor)
Enactment 2003 — to hear and decide on matters of conversion out of Islam.
Again
citing Article 121(1A), the judge said the civil court could not carry out
judicial review on those two Shariah court decisions.
"The
Syariah courts would examine the facts and evidence in each case to determine
whether an applicant has truly departed from the Islamic faith in the eyes of
Islamic law.
"When
an applicant fails to sufficiently prove this, the Syariah courts would reject
the application. On the other hand, if this is sufficiently proven by the
applicant, the Syariah courts would allow their application to renounce Islam.
Either way, both decisions are decisions which are made by the Syariah courts
in exercise of their exclusive jurisdiction," the judge said.
The
woman had cited several Federal Court judgments to argue that Article 121(1A)
does not take away or remove the civil courts' jurisdiction when it involves
interpretation of laws, constitutionality of a state law or constitutional
interpretation.
But the
High Court in Penang said other past court judgments have answered the
constitutional question on how the phrase "persons professing the religion
of Islam" should be interpreted and on the Shariah courts' exclusive
jurisdiction, saying that there is no such constitutional question remaining
that could justify the civil court's interference with the Shariah courts'
decisions in this woman's case.
The
woman argued that the Selangor Shariah Court of Appeal's decision was
collectively made by that court, Mais, and the Selangor state government and
that it would mean the Shariah court decision could be subject to judicial
review since it was made by these public authorities.
But the
High Court in Penang disagreed, viewing the Selangor Shariah Court of Appeal's
decision as having been that court's decision in affirming the Shariah High
Court's decision and ruling that it could not be taken to mean that it was also
a decision made by Mais and the Selangor state government.
The
judge again stressed that decisions made by the Shariah courts in their
exclusive jurisdiction should not be interfered with by the civil courts.
Ultimately,
the judge said leave for judicial review should not be granted in this woman's
case as it would amount to a breach of Article 121(1A).
It is
understood that the woman is appealing at the Court of Appeal against the High
Court in Penang's decision.
Source: malaymail.com
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/08/04/woman-convert-fails-to-get-high-court-leave-in-bid-to-be-declared-christian-after-divorcing-muslim-man/83477
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-activist-bahrami-quran-sweden/d/130380