Iranian State TV, Salamat, Fires Staff After Bikini Images Broadcast
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 April 2025
· Iranian State TV, Salamat, Fires Staff After Bikini Images Broadcast
· Afghan Woman Journalist, FarishtaSadeed, At Risk of Deportation from Pakistan
· Princess Noura Al-Saud to Address Creative Women Platform’s Forum In London
· Turkish Student, RumeysaOzturk, abducted by ICE Says Hijab Forcibly Removed, Asthma Not Treated in US Detention
· New Report Shows Why Brands Need to Invest in Women’s Football in Saudi Arabia
· Racist Tesla Driver's Vile Rant Against Muslim Women Costs Him $25,000 Per Minute
· Why Is She Shampooing Her Hijab - Malaysian Shampoo Ad Goes Viral
· Beheaded, Shot, Strangled: How Iran's Laws Enable The Murder Of Mothers
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-bikini-images-broadcast-state/d/135190
--------
Iranian State TV, Salamat, Fires Staff After Bikini Images Broadcast
APRIL 15, 2025
The Islamic Republic’s state television fired several staff members after images of a woman in a bikini were broadcast on one of its channels.
----------
The Islamic Republic’s state television fired several staff members after images of a woman in a bikini were broadcast on one of its channels.
The Salamat channel described the images as “abnormal” and “inappropriate” in an official statement and said its manager ordered the dismissal of those responsible immediately after being informed of the broadcast.
“Due to an error in the review process, an inappropriate image unworthy of the media was broadcast on Salamat channel.”
The Islamic Republic’s broadcasting organization maintains strict censorship policies, particularly regarding women’s bodies in television programming.
The organization routinely censors women in movies, documentaries, and sports competitions.
Some social media users circulated the images with sarcastic comments, suggesting the incident was “one of the results of negotiations between the Islamic Republic and America.”
Second-by-second censorship during broadcasts has long challenged Iranian state television, particularly during live sports events, where the network often shows archival footage rather than female participants or spectators.
Former broadcasting chief EzatollahZarghami previously defended such censorship practices in a 2017 interview, calling techniques like covering female actors’ bodies with digital objects “very good technological work.”
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/news/140373-iranian-state-tv-fires-staff-after-bikini-images-broadcast/
----------
Afghan Woman Journalist, FarishtaSadeed, At Risk of Deportation from Pakistan
Dawn Report
April 16, 2025
ISLAMABAD: An Afghan woman journalist, FarishtaSadeed, was picked up by authorities from her residence in Sector B-17 on Monday night and taken to a detention facility for deportation, her family and relatives told Dawn on Tuesday.
Ms Sadeed, who worked for Radio Bahar in the Kapisa province of Afghanistan, risks detention in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, where women are not allowed to work in the public sphere.
In December last year, the interim regime had even barred NGOs from employing women.
Her family members said they had spent the entire day outside the Haji Camp — a detention facility housing Afghans on the outskirts of Islamabad — but she had not been released till midnight.
They claimed the journalist was awaiting resettlement to France and had an authorisation letter from the embassy as well. Her relatives said that the journalist did not have proper documentation, but she had to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban rose to power in 2021.
Source: dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1904562/afghan-woman-journalist-at-risk-of-deportation
--------
Princess Noura Al-Saud to address Creative Women Platform’s forum in London
April 15, 2025
LONDON: Princess Noura Al-Saud will be among the key speakers at the Creative Women Platform’s annual networking forum next month in London.
The Culture House CEO will be joined by author and philanthropist Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and a host of entrepreneurs, policymakers and business leaders from around the world for the three-day event at the House of Commons and Plaisterers’ Hall.
Olga Balakleets, founder and CEO of the Creative Women Platform, said the event highlighted the essential role women played in advancing global sustainability efforts, innovation and social impact.
“As we navigate a complex world, women are stepping into critical roles across industries, leading change, championing the environment and building inclusive economies,” she said.
“Our forum exists to amplify those voices, foster collaboration and empower the next generation of female change-makers.”
The theme of this year’s event is “Gateway to a Sustainable Future.” It will open with a reception at the House of Commons on May 7, followed by two days of panels and workshops, and conclude with a gala dinner and awards ceremony on May 9.
Since its creation in 2016, the Creative Women Platform has celebrated the leadership and entrepreneurial achievements of women from more than 50 countries.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2597173/saudi-arabia
--------
Turkish Student, RumeysaOzturk, abducted by ICE Says Hijab Forcibly Removed, Asthma Not Treated in US Detention
15 April, 2025
A Turkish doctoral student who was abducted by ICE agents in Massachusetts last month in a video that has since gone viral stated in a declaration this week that her hijab was removed, she has limited access to food, and she was forced to wait hours for toilet paper while also not getting proper treatment for her asthma.
RumeysaOzturk, currently held in a Louisiana ICE facility, described "inhumane" and "unsafe" conditions, adding that the place she is being held is very unsanitary.
"There is a mouse in our cell. The boxes they provide for our clothing are very dirty and they don’t give us adequate hygiene supplies," the declaration from her filed in the US District Court for Vermont reads.
"I asked for the medication I am prescribed to treat asthma but I was told that there was no place to buy it and that I would get it at my final destination. My asthma finally passed after I used my emergency inhaler twice but it took some time and I was in pain," she continues in her declaration.
She said she suffered from several asthma attacks in the Louisiana facility, was not allowed outside, and when she was taken for treatment, a nurse took off her hijab without her permission.
"I told her you can’t take off my hijab and she said this is for your health," the declaration states. Ozturk then says she put her hijab back on and alleged that the nurse only gave her Ibuprofen.
The declaration raises concerns that her health will worsen while in the facility due to "fumes" and "damp" which she says is triggering her asthma, coupled with over 20 people being crammed into a cell with her.
If anyone in the cell requests toilet paper, they "may not get it until 18 hours later, depending on the officer", she says.
Arrested despite no evidence
Ozturk was arrested on 25 March, after she co-authored an opinion article last year in a student newspaper which was critical of Tufts University’s response to calls that the institution should "acknowledge the Palestinian genocide" and "divest from companies with direct or indirect ties to Israel".
Video footage of her arrest shows her walking on the pavement while on the phone before two men in plain clothes approach her, grab her hands to stop her from moving and take her phone. She screamed, alleging the agents later shackled her feet.
In the declaration, she describes not knowing anything about the arrest, and felt at many points as if she was going to be killed.
She said she was held overnight in Vermont before being moved to an ICE centre in Louisiana, where she was asked if she was a member of a terrorist organisation and if she wanted to apply for asylum.
Recent reports however, found that days before the ICE agents abducted Ozturk, the State Department had already determined that the Trump administration had not produced any evidence showing that she engaged in anti-Semitic activities or made public statements supporting a terror group, as the government alleged.
According to a report from the Washington Post on Monday, citing a memo from last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not have sufficient grounds for revoking her visa under an authority empowering the top US diplomat to safeguard the foreign policy interests of the US.
The Department of Homeland Security had stated that Ozturk engaged in activities "in support of Hamas," however, no US prosecutors or agencies provided evidence for the claim, despite the allegations being used to justify her being deported.
Once no evidence was found, the department then said she could be deported using a different authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows for visas to be revoked under the Secretary of State’s discretion.
Ozturk is just one of many who have been targeted by a large-scale crackdown on international students, immigrants and scholars by the Trump administration in recent weeks.
Ozturk is currently awaiting a hearing scheduled in Vermont in the federal court, with her lawyers saying her possible deportation would violate US founding principles of freedom of speech.
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/news/turkish-student-abducted-ice-says-hijab-forcibly-removed
----------
New report shows why brands need to invest in women’s football in Saudi Arabia
April 16, 2025
RIYADH: New research from football media company Footballco has revealed a growing interest in opportunities for women’s football in Saudi Arabia.
The report, released recently, also provides a profile of fandom in the region and how supporters want to consume both editorial and branded content.
Footballco’s study shows that among fans of women’s sport in Saudi Arabia, 61 percent follow football, compared to 47 percent globally.
This strong interest is relatively new, with 27 percent having followed women’s football for three to five years, 40 percent for up to two years, and one third stating that they have watched more games in the past 12 months.
The growth also highlights how, despite female fans being allowed into stadiums since 2018, some still felt excluded by the sport.
Seventy-two percent said that women’s football attracts fans who previously felt excluded from the sport, while 68 percent agree that inclusion can help tackle issues in broader society.
While females have played football in Saudi Arabia for decades, the Saudi Women’s Premier League only launched in 2022, making the surge in interest even more remarkable.
This is mirrored by the relatively high proportion of fans considering themselves Super Fans (21 percent). Only the US has a bigger proportion of Super Fans, and it is larger than in both Brazil and leading European markets.
Andy Jackson, Footballco’s senior vice president for the Middle East, said that globally an “increasing interest in women’s football follows an increasing interest in female empowerment.”
This was being replicated in Saudi Arabia with also a surge in interest in football more broadly, “creating a perfect storm that’s driving growth in both men’s and women’s football.”
The research shows that fans in the Kingdom see female players as great role models, more so than in other markets.
Saudi Arabia fans believe female footballers are the second-most inspirational group of women, beaten only by entrepreneurs. Globally, female footballers appear fourth behind entrepreneurs, actors and singers.
This should encourage brands to align themselves not only with women’s football as a sport but also with the women on the pitch. This point is emphasized by 56 percent of female fans saying they would think more positively about a brand that sponsors the women’s game.
For brands already involved in women’s football or those curious about opportunities, these numbers highlight that while socially conscious activations can be popular, they also need to align with broader lifestyle and cultural themes.
Sixty-one percent of women’s football fans say that they like it when content is a mixture of lifestyle and culture, rather than focusing on only the game.
By far, the most popular medium for this content is video, with 89 percent of fans naming it as their preferred format, which includes long- and short-form, live streams and documentaries.
Yasmin El-Bizri, Middle East and North Africa strategy director for Footballco, said: “Too often women’s football content and creative can be too focused on the struggle.
“While that’s important, it’s not everything and the output still needs to entertain and engage — this especially true in Saudi, where 54 percent of fans see women’s football as fun and entertaining.”
The research goes on to show that brands cannot rely on copying what they do for the men’s game. Sixty-six percent of fans say that the women’s game should be celebrated as different and that should be reflected by the media and the brands.
The research suggests brands should look at ways to increase participation for women and girls in all areas of football. Of those surveyed, 49 percent thought growth would be best achieved through more opportunities to play, while 30 percent wanted to see women in more off-pitch roles, in both men’s and women’s football.
“What’s clear is that Saudi women’s football isn’t an opportunity for brands in the future, it’s now,” Jackson added.
“As we’ve seen in more established markets, the brands that see the greatest benefits are those that are involved early on and get recognized for their contribution to supporting the game.”
Footballco’s research is based on data collected from more than 8,000 women’s sports fans across the world, including more than 1,000 from Saudi Arabia.
Footballco is home to a global football media brand, GOAL, and the biggest Arabic-language sports website, Kooora.
Footballco also operates two dedicated Arabic women’s football brands, INDIVISA, which covers the game and culture from the grassroots, and the Gen-Z YouTube show Yalla Girl.
Source: arabnews.pk
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2597235/sport
---------
Racist Tesla driver's vile rant against Muslim women costs him $25,000 per minute
By Muskaan Sharma
Apr 16, 2025
A Tesla driver who verbally abused a group of Muslim women paid $75,000 as a settlement to the three women and issued a public apology, according to Atlanta News First. The man who was identified as Perry Greene, the ex-husband of Georgia Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, had attacked the women verbally in March.
In a video, recorded by one of the women who were praying in a mall parking in Alpharetta on March 31, Greene can be seen driving up to them in a Tesla Cybertruck and asking them where they were from.
“Where are you from? Where all y’all from? Y'allwanna do all kinds of crazy s**t," he said and taunted them for praying to a "false god". As the women tried to leave, he followed them with his car.
The women were shocked by the attack and told local media that Greene showed "pure hate" against them. “It did feel very long in the moment. Like, it just wouldn’t stop. Attack after attack, insult after insult. All of it was just out of pure hate and his disgust of us, which I don’t understand," they said.
After the video went viral, Greene reached out to the women's lawyer, wanting to apologise. The lawyer took to X to narrate the whole incident. "I made him apologise privately to them and their families for over 20 minutes, then sit for Friday sermon at their mosque to get educated about Islam, and then issue a public apology to the world. Only after my clients were satisfied with the apology and his community service, we offered a discounted settlement of $75,000. That’s $25,000 per minute of hate speech," he said.
In his apology, Greene said that his behaviour was not the "right way" to treat anybody.
“I came today just to meet with the young ladies that I was mean to and treated disrespectfully about their religion and about what they were doing. I just wanted them to know that I humbly apologised to them because no one should be treated that way, and that’s not the right way for us to treat anybody," he said.
Greene had filed for divorce from his wife in 2022 after 27 years of marriage, claiming their relationship was “irretrievably broken”.
The Alpharetta police, however, did not press charges against Greene claiming they did not witness any crime being committed in the viral video.
“In our community all speech is protected — even the speech we may not agree with. After thoroughly watching the video, we have determined no crime was committed. And, while we do not condone activity like this, absent any new information coming forward our investigation is closed, and no criminal charges will be made," they said in a statement.
Source: hindustantimes.com
https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/racist-tesla-drivers-vile-rant-against-muslim-women-costs-him-25-000-per-minute-101744790103588.html
---------
Why is she shampooing her hijab - Malaysian Shampoo Ad Goes Viral
SIBY JEYYA
16/04/2025
A Malaysian shampoo advertisement has recently gone viral and sparked widespread amusement and criticism online. The commercial features a young woman wearing a hijab who is shown shampooing her head—without ever removing the hijab. Throughout the video, she applies shampoo and massages it over the fabric, implying a hair care routine without actually revealing or engaging with her hair. While the intention may have been to represent inclusivity and respect cultural and religious sensitivities, the ad quickly drew attention for what many netizens viewed as a puzzling and unrealistic portrayal.
Critics flooded social media with sarcastic remarks and memes, questioning the logic behind showcasing a hair product on a person whose hair is never visible. Many viewers asked why the brand would choose to feature a model in hijab if the core function of the product—direct application to hair—could not be demonstrated. The ad was labeled by some as a marketing misstep, with users accusing the brand of prioritizing performative inclusivity over authentic and effective communication. Others argued that it undermined the credibility of the product by appearing disconnected from real-world usage.
Despite the backlash, there were also those who defended the ad, suggesting that it was a creative way to represent Muslim women who wear the hijab while still engaging with personal care products. They noted that Muslim women do wash and care for their hair, even if it is not shown publicly, and that advertising can be inclusive without necessarily compromising religious values. However, the overall reception of the ad highlights the challenge brands face when attempting to navigate cultural sensitivity, representation, and authenticity in a global market. It also underscores the importance of balancing respect for tradition with a practical and believable message in product marketing.
Source: indiaherald.com
https://www.indiaherald.com/Breaking/Read/994811645/Why-is-she-shampooing-her-hijab-Malaysian-Shampoo-Ad-Goes-Viral
--------
Beheaded, Shot, Strangled: How Iran's Laws Enable the Murder of Mothers
APRIL 16, 2025
MARYAM DEHKORDI
SomayehMotirpour was just 15 when her childhood came to an end.
Forced into marriage, the shy teenager became property, not a partner. For 17 years, she endured what can only be described as torture at the hands of her husband - a man whose name authorities have withheld, though his crimes now echo across the nation.
"Her world shrank to four walls," says the girl's relative from southern Khuzestan. "After buying her engagement dress, Somayeh never set foot in the city market again."
The pattern was textbook: isolation, control, violence. When makeup appeared on her face, accusations followed: "Who did you put this on for?"
When a toothache plagued her, instead of medical care, her husband reached for pliers and yanked the tooth from her jaw.
Her family, perhaps blinded by cultural norms that normalise such treatment, "with excessive simplicity and tolerance, ignored her situation," the relative explains.
Somayeh remained "perhaps out of fear of judgment, perhaps out of hopelessness regarding changing conditions, and for the sake of her children."
Until one day, the dam of endurance finally broke. "I'm tired," she told her father. "Take me away from here."
Her father's legal complaint briefly seemed to offer salvation. Her husband's property was seized. But then came promises - of change, of better behaviour.
Somayeh consented to return home - a decision that would cost her everything.
"In the middle of Ramadan, Somayeh's husband brought her back home," reveals a source familiar with the investigation. "This time, he also drove his own parents out of the house so that no witnesses would remain for his crime."
Two weeks later, on an ordinary day, Somayeh prepared lunch for her husband.
Instead of gratitude, he bound her hands and feet with wire. He beheaded his wife in front of their young daughters.
Neighbours, hearing the commotion, called the police. But by the time they arrived, it was too late. The door had been locked, preventing any escape.
Now in custody, the husband's confession reveals the chilling logic behind his actions: "Her father defied me, so I killed his daughter."
Revenge - not against the one who supposedly wronged him, but against the most vulnerable person connected to him.
Five hundred kilometers away in Kermanshah province, another tragedy was unfolding.
FarzanehMoradi, eight months pregnant with twins, had become entangled in what women's rights activist PardisRabiei describes as "an old and deep-rooted family dispute."
On March 24, a religious ceremony of the Yarsan minority faith was held at Farzaneh's father's house.
During the gathering, tensions flared between her husband and her family. Two days later, Farzaneh's body was discovered - two bullet wounds had claimed not just her life but those of her unborn twins as well.
Her husband claims suicide, but the couple's seven- and eight-year-old children tell a different story.
They’ve testified that their father murdered their mother. Now, relatives fear the children themselves may be in danger.
"The Yarsan people have special respect for their religious leaders," says a source close to the community. "So FarzanehMoradi's family might be dissuaded from legal pursuit of this pregnant woman's murder through his mediation."
Justice, it seems, may be sacrificed at the altar of tradition.
The third case reveals perhaps the most complete tragedy of all. In Borujen, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, 38-year-old Zahra Kurdyazdi had been nurturing dreams of independence.
"Zahra had been planning to set up a greenhouse for a long time," explains PardisRabiei. "A project that symbolised her sacrifice and effort to build a better life for herself and her family. Even a few days before the incident,
Zahra had optimistically asked those around her to pray for the success of this goal."
On April 6, CCTV footage captured Zahra returning from Shahrekord with her husband and five-year-old daughter, Arshida.
They first visited her father's house before her husband took them back to their own home.
What happened next has been pieced together from forensic evidence and witness statements.
"On the way back, while their daughter was asleep in the car, Zahra's husband squeezed her throat with his hand and strangled her," Rabiei says.
The horror did not end there.
Upon arriving home, the man fed his daughter dinner. Afterwards, he wrapped the five-year-old child in a blanket and fatally shot her.
His final act was to call his wife's family, requesting their presence at the house. Before their arrival, he turned the gun on himself, leaving behind only unanswered questions and profound grief.
Relatives suggest that Zahra's attempts to establish her own business triggered repeated acts of violence from her husband, who could not tolerate her independence.
Somayeh, Farzaneh, and Zahra, along with their innocent children, represent only those cases that have managed to penetrate the veil of silence.
Countless other instances remain hidden, their suffering unacknowledged and their deaths unreported.
Fatima Abdolvafayi, a mere 17-year-old, ingested poison on her wedding day to avoid a forced marriage.
FatemehDavoudi was brutally murdered by her brother with a belt. ShahdokhtGoodali was burned alive by her husband for requesting a divorce, while ArezooShahdokht was hacked to death with an axe for the same
"offence."
These crimes thrive in the shadow of laws that, according to critics, effectively enable male violence.
The absence of specific legislation against domestic violence, the failure to criminalize marital rape, and lenient sentences for family murders create a perfect storm where women remain vulnerable and men remain unaccountable.
As spring transitions to summer in Iran, new victims will join the ranks of those lost in this undeclared war.
More children will be orphaned, more families shattered, and more lives extinguished prematurely.
Until the law recognises women as full citizens with the right to safety within their own homes and until the culture rejects the notion that wives are property to be controlled through violence, the casualties will continue to rise in this most intimate of battlefields.
For Somayeh, Farzaneh, Zahra, and countless others, justice arrives too late. For those still living under the shadow of domestic terrorism, the question persists: how many more must perish before the nation acknowledges this crisis?
Behind closed doors across Iran, this silent war rages on.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/140391-beheaded-shot-strangled-how-irans-laws-enable-the-murder-of-mothers/
-------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-bikini-images-broadcast-state/d/135190