Iranian Women's Rights Activist Vasmaghi Refuses To Appear In 'Illegitimate' Court
New Age Islam News Bureau
20 March 2024
·
Iranian Women's Rights Activist
Vasmaghi Refuses To Appear In 'Illegitimate' Court
·
Maryam Bunfour: First Female
Specialist In Renewable Energy Spearheading Green Building Drive At Dubai
Police
·
Emirati Stars Amna And Hamda Al
Qubaisi Named Yas Heat Racing Ambassadors As F1 Academy Season Begins
·
An Asian Woman Beggar Using
Witchcraft Arrested In Dubai
·
'Systematic' Rape in Detention
Centres: UN Fact-Finding Mission Slams Iran
·
Afghan Girls And Women Cling To
Glitchy, Lonesome Online Learning
Compiled by New Age Islam News
Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-rights-activist-vasmaghi/d/131962
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Iranian
Women's Rights Activist Vasmaghi Refuses To Appear In 'Illegitimate' Court
Sedigheh Vasmaghi has reportedly refused to wear the
mandatory hijab during her transfer to the prison infirmary, prompting prison
officials to deny her medical attention.
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March
20, 2024
Iranian
scholar and activist Sedigheh Vasmaghi, charged with appearing in public
without the mandatory head scarf, has said she will not appear in court,
calling it "illegitimate."
Vasmaghi,
who was arrested at her home by plainclothes officers on March 16, was charged
with "propaganda against the system in cyberspace" and
"appearing in public places without the Shari'a-compliant hijab."
Though
she wore a hijab for years, Vasmaghi has openly opposed the Islamic republic's
hijab law, posting pictures and messages on social media condemning the
government's crackdown on offenses related to the hijab and its repression of
women, as well as appearing in public without a head scarf.
She
has also been highly critical of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling
him a "dictator" and slamming the country's "oppressive"
leadership.
Vasmaghi
said she will not appear for a hearing at the Islamic Revolutionary Court over
the charges because of its "unjust judges" and a system she does not
recognize as lawful.
Some
sources say Vasmaghi's health has deteriorated significantly while she was
detained, as she suffers from heart and blood-pressure issues.
She
has reportedly refused to wear the mandatory hijab during her transfer to the
prison infirmary, prompting prison officials to deny her medical attention with
only a nurse with limited medical supplies attending to her in jail.
Mohammad
Ebrahimzadeh, Vasmaghi's husband, has detailed the circumstances of her arrest,
noting that agents threatened to "break down the door" before
confiscating her personal items, including mobile phone, computer, and
medication.
The
case has highlighted the ongoing struggle for human rights and freedom of
expression in Iran, particularly concerning women's rights and the mandatory
hijab law.
The
death of Mahsa Amini in police custody in September 2022 after her arrest for
allegedly improperly wearing the hijab led to months of nationwide protests
that thrust women's rights and public disapproval of the hijab law to the
forefront.
Iranian
authorities responded by carrying out a violent crackdown that resulted in the
deaths of over 500 protesters. They also implemented a stricter hijab law with
harsher penalties and longer prison sentences for those who disobey it.
The
fact-finding committee of the UN Human Rights Council labeled these government
actions against women as a "crime against humanity."
Source:
rferl.org
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-vasmaghi-court-illegitimate/32869783.html
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Maryam Bunfour: First Female
Specialist In Renewable Energy Spearheading Green Building Drive At Dubai
Police
Engineer
Maryam Bunfour
------
March 20, 2024
Dubai:
Engineer Maryam Bunfour has become the first female specialist in renewable
energy investment and building efficiency improvement at Dubai Police.
She
joined the General Department of Logistics Support in 2019 after graduating
from the University of Sharjah with a degree in renewable and sustainable
energy engineering.
Today,
Maryam is director of the energy efficiency improvement projects portfolio for
Dubai Police buildings.
Sustainable
facilities
She
explained that the portfolio includes three projects: “The first is focused on
retrofitting Dubai Police buildings to improve energy consumption and
efficiency,” she said.
“The
second involves installing solar panels on building rooftops and car park
shades, integrating renewable and non-renewable energy sources in buildings
towards supporting sustainable development goals; the third entails obtaining
LEED certification for green buildings, implementing best practices in sustainable
construction and renewable energy.”
Maryam
is an innovator. She received an intellectual property (IP) certificate for her
research in waste-to-energy conversion in 2021. She also won the General
Director’s Award for Best Specialist Civil Staff at the General Department of
Logistic Support level.
After
joining Dubai Police immediately after graduation, Maryam worked in the Energy
Rationalisation Section of the Environment, Health, and Safety Public
Administration.
Environmental
sustainability
She
was a board member of the Dubai Police Scientists Council between 2020 and 2022
and participated in several sports championships representing Dubai Police,
including the Shaikha Hind Women’s Sports Tournament in 2022 and 2023 and the
Gov Games in 2023.
Maryam
and her team visited Johnson Controls Research and Development Centre in the
US, where they explored best practices, equipment, and operational mechanisms,
and learned about energy management systems that will be integrated into
buildings in the coming years.
Maj
Gen Ali Ghanem, Assistant Commandant for Logistics and Community Happiness
Affairs, said that Dubai Police is committed to enhancing the role of Emirati
women and showcasing their capabilities in various fields.
He
affirmed that environmental security is crucial to Dubai Police’s objectives.
This
commitment was evident in the sustainable projects announced by Dubai Police at
their pavilion during the COP28 conference. These projects include solar energy
initiatives and building development.
Source:
gulfnews.com
https://gulfnews.com/uae/maryam-bunfour-meet-the-specialist-spearheading-green-building-drive-at-dubai-police-1.101708589
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Emirati Stars Amna And Hamda Al
Qubaisi Named Yas Heat Racing Ambassadors As F1 Academy Season Begins
March
19, 2024
With
the new season of F1 Academy underway, Emirati stars Amna and Hamda Al Qubaisi
have been named as official ambassadors for the Yas Heat Racing, following on
from their long-standing history of racing at Yas Marina Circuit to represent
the UAE’s racing community on the international stage.
The
Emirati sisters, beginning their second season in F1 Academy with impressive
drives at the season opening round in Jeddah with their new teams in Red Bull
Racing and Visa Cash App RB, will serve as the official ambassadors to the Yas
Marina Circuit-based team across the 7-round season aligned with Formula 1’s
international schedule.
Ali
Al Beshr, Executive Director of Motorsport Development said: “It is a proud
moment as we announce our new ambassadors of Yas Heat Racing in Amna and Hamda
Al Qubaisi, two inspiring young Emirati talents who are truly making history on
the international racing stage.
“Having
been witness to the growth of their careers from their early beginnings here at
Yas Marina Circuit, I’m delighted to welcome Amna and Hamda back as official
ambassadors to the programme and for them to represent our team on the global
stage across their season. I’m sure they’ll do us proud and we wish them all
the best for the upcoming season.”
Amna
and Hamda join fellow young Emirati driver Rashid Al Dhaheri as official
ambassadors to Yas Heat Racing as part of the team’s efforts to inspire and
support the next generation of young racing talents in the UAE and beyond.
On
the announcement of their new ambassadorial role, Amna, said: “It’s an honour
to become an ambassador of Yas Heat Racing, a young driver programme that will
support young talents here at my home track at Yas Marina Circuit. I’ve enjoyed
some incredible moments in my racing career with my family here, and I am proud
to be a part of the Academy in supporting new drivers to continue their
development.”
As
a returning Yas Heat driver, Hamda added: “It was a unique experience during my
time with the team, and it was a privilege to be a part of their debut season
on track. I’m delighted to come back to the team as an ambassador to the team
across the new season and look forward to working with the team and its new
drivers in the coming months.”
Amna
and Hamda have been prominent figures in the racing history of Abu Dhabi and
the UAE ever since Amna’s first race victory at the Formula 4 UAE
season-opening Trophy Round at the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand
Prix 2019, with Hamda recently competing with Yas Heat’s F4 team in the Formula
4 UAE season in 2023 before making the step to F1 Academy.
The
dynamic duo, who raced for Yas Heat as part of the F4 UAE trophy round at Abu
Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in November, will support the Yas Heat Racing’s growth
on a regional and international level, providing their wealth of experience
competing on the international stage to the Academy’s young drivers in the
years to come.
With
the 2024 season underway for Amna representing Visa Cash App RB and Hamda with
Red Bull Racing, the opening round of action provided a promising start for the
sisters in Jeddah, Hamda securing a Top-5 finish to cap off the first race
weekend of the year. With two and four-race wins in 2023, Amna and Hamda will
be looking to build on their impressive debut season across the 7-round series
over the coming months.
Source:
gulftoday.ae
https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2024/03/19/amna-hamda-named-yas-heat-racing-ambassadors-as-f1-academy-season-begins
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An Asian Woman Beggar Using
Witchcraft Arrested In Dubai
March 19, 2024
Aghaddir
Ali
Dubai:
Dubai Police apprehended an Asian beggar who possessed witchcraft talismans
that she believed would help her influence individuals to give her money.
The
woman’s arrest took place as part of the ‘Combat Begging’ anti-begging
campaign, launched by Dubai Police. The primary objective of this campaign is
to raise awareness about the importance of preserving the essence of a
civilised society by combating and preventing the crime of begging.
Brigadier
Ali Salem Al Shamsi, Director of the Suspects and Criminal Phenomena Department
in the General Department of Criminal Investigation, disclosed that the beggar
was apprehended in a residential area with “papers, tools, witchcraft talismans
and a magic veil” in her possession. The beggar believed that these items would
aid her in getting people to donate money to her.
Brigadier
Al Shamsi said the arrest was facilitated by a community member who promptly
reported the individual to the Command and Control Centre of the General
Department of Operations.
He
urged the public to refrain from sympathising with beggars or providing them
with money. He emphasised the importance of not falling victim to beggars’
schemes that aim to manipulate people’s emotions during the holy month of
Ramadan. He explained that these methods often involve fabricated stories and
deceptive tactics commonly employed near mosque entrances, clinics, hospitals,
markets and streets.
He
said the public should promptly report beggars by contacting the toll-free
number 901 or through the ‘Police Eye’ service on the Dubai Police smart app,
and to report cyber beggars thought the e-Crime platform.
Source:
gulfnews.com
https://gulfnews.com/uae/crime/woman-beggar-using-witchcraft-arrested-in-dubai-1.101723734
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'Systematic' Rape in Detention
Centres: UN Fact-Finding Mission Slams Iran
MARCH
19, 2024
Viviana
Krsticevic, one of the experts on the United Nations fact-finding mission
investigating the suppression of the 2022 protests in Iran, described the rape
of detained women as "terrible."
She
emphasized that the security forces of the Islamic Republic have perpetrated
these acts in a "systematic" manner.
The
mission's report documented various instances of rape and other forms of sexual
and gender-based violence, including gang rape, rape with objects, electric
shocks to the genitals, forced stripping, and inappropriate touching of women
and girls.
Krsticevic,
a human rights advocate from Argentina and Executive Director of the Center for
Justice and International Law, condemned the heinous acts committed by the
forces of the Islamic Republic and labeled them as shocking.
"The
gang rapes of women and girls in detention centers were particularly shocking
to me. As a woman, it is always deeply distressing to hear about such
atrocities," she told IranWire in Geneva.
She
urged the international community to provide humanitarian visas to the victims,
saying, "Knowing the consequences that those types of torture which have
physically as well as psychologically, it is difficult to overcome that, that
pain and that lasting harm, that tortured lives and, people [sic]."
"So
I hope that the international community takes significant steps as well to make
sure that those who have suffered torture and that those who have suffered
sexual torture, have the necessary medical treatments, psychological
rehabilitation and are given humanitarian visas or visas as refugees," she
added.
The
summary of the fact-finding committee's report was released on March 8. A
meeting was held on March 18 to review the report's details, and
representatives from various countries, including Iran, were in attendance.
During
this meeting, several victims were present as witnesses before the UN Human
Rights Council to testify about the atrocities committed by the forces of the
Islamic Republic.
Representatives
from Canada, Belgium, and the United States led the discussion on Monday,
condemning human and women's rights violations, suppression of protests,
executions, and pressure on journalists.
The
Islamic Republic objected to the American representative's portrayal of the
situation.
Meanwhile,
some of Iran's regional allies, including China, Russia, and North Korea,
opposed the report's findings, particularly regarding the systematic violation
of human rights during women's protests against mandatory hijab.
Mercedeh
Shahinkar and Kowsar Eftekhari, victims of the Islamic Republic's bloody
crackdown on the 2022 nationwide protests, attended the UNHRC meeting as
witnesses. They expressed outrage at the defense offered by Iran's allies.
Krsticevic
highlighted the cruelty displayed by the security forces in their handling of
the bodies of the deceased.
"One
story that stayed with me is the cruelty that I've seen is bargaining with the
bodies of the dead," she said. "In those situations in which family
members were told that they would not receive the bodies of those who were
killed back if they did not say that they had died in different
circumstances."
"So
incredibly cruel," the member of the fact-finding mission added.
"There's something about mourning, about respecting the lives of people,
also the space for honoring the dead. That is pretty, pretty shocking to
me."
The
committee's report documented arbitrary arrests by the Islamic Republic's
security forces, targeting individuals for activities such as dancing,
chanting, graffiti, car honking, or expressing opinions on social media
advocating for women's rights and equality. These arrests aimed to quell
protests.
The
report urged holding the perpetrators accountable for violations of rights.
Additionally,
the report revealed that security forces blindfolded and transported many
individuals in unmarked vehicles, including ambulances. Hundreds of children,
some as young as ten years old, were apprehended and separated from their
families, with their whereabouts undisclosed.
Krsticevic
acknowledged that the protesters were subjected to systematic intimidation at
close range.
According
to IranWire reports, hundreds of individuals suffered eye injuries following
the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations by security forces. The injuries were
caused by pellets, tear gas, paintballs, and other projectiles.
Doctors
estimated that at least 580 protesters in Tehran and Kurdistan alone lost one
or both eyes. Given the nationwide scale of protests, the actual figure is
likely significantly higher.
The
report of the UN fact-finding mission brought a sense of relief to Zaniar
Tondro, an injured eyewitness set to testify at the UNHRC.
Reflecting
on the impending recognition of the Islamic Republic's crimes against humanity,
Tondro expressed mixed emotions, stating, "While I am glad these
atrocities will be acknowledged, I am deeply saddened by the suffering of the
Iranian people."
Explaining
the mission's objective, Krsticevic emphasized the importance of providing comprehensive
information and analysis to the UNHRC to facilitate protective measures for
victims' rights.
Highlighting
the significance of advocating for victims' rights, she added, "We also
would like victims to know that they do have rights. They have a right to
truth, to equality, to justice, to accountability, to reparations, and those
should be protected."
"The
report says it very clearly, and we hope that the government takes note of that
and takes steps," she said.
The
21-page report includes findings related to the 2022 protests.
These
findings have been submitted to the UNHRC, which stated that Mahsa Amini died
from "physical violence." Mahsa Amini's death in custody sparked the
2022 protests known as the Woman, Life, Freedom movement.
The
fact-finding mission expressed frustration over the lack of meaningful
cooperation from Iranian authorities throughout the investigation, despite
repeated requests for information on various aspects, including deaths and
injuries of security forces.
Since
its start, the Islamic Republic of Iran dismissed the mission as
"political and illegitimate" in response to Germany's proposed
resolution in the UNHRC to establish an independent fact-finding mission.
Source:
iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/126589-systematic-rape-in-detention-centers-un-fact-finding-mission-slams-iran/
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Afghan
girls and women cling to glitchy, lonesome online learning
Aysha
Safi and Susannah Walden
March 20, 2024
Sequestered
at home in a remote Afghan town, 18-year-old Shekiba often roams the house
hunting for the patchy internet signal that is her last link to an education.
Shekiba
has turned to online learning since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and
shut her out of classrooms, signing up for live economics lectures she squints
at on a pocket-sized phone screen.
She
hopes to save for a laptop but is forced to buy expensive mobile data packages
that still don't guarantee a signal in the town of Ishkashim perched high in
mountainous Badakhshan province.
"If
there were no internet issues, it would be much easier," she told AFP by
phone. "But it's better to carry on, instead of sitting and doing
nothing."
"I
just hope to study, to succeed, to progress. If one person progresses in a
family, the whole family progresses, as well as the whole society."
Boys
and men returned to classes with the start of the Afghan new year, but girls
and women will be left behind again by a Taliban government education blockade
that is part of a raft of restrictions the United Nations has labelled "gender
apartheid".
While
online alternatives have sprung up, a dearth of computers and internet, as well
as the isolation of learning via screen, makes them a poor substitute for
in-person learning, students and teachers say.
Many
of those alternatives also cannot provide diplomas, which offer a promise that
qualifications will be acknowledged.
-
'No perspective of future' -
It's
unclear exactly how many girls and women are involved in online learning, but
two higher education platforms report Afghans registering or applying in the
tens of thousands since the Taliban takeover.
Begum
Academy, an online platform with some 8,500 free videos in Dari and Pashto
covering the Afghan secondary school curriculum, launched in December 2023 and
quickly had more than 3,000 users.
Director
Hamida Aman said parents are grateful but it's hard for girls to stay driven.
"It's
difficult to get motivated when everything is closed to you and there's no
perspective of future," she told AFP from France, where she is based.
"These
girls cannot have certificates, or they cannot have the ambition to go to the
university or to have any job later."
Education
for girls and women was a key aim of the US-backed government but gains were
largely limited to cities, with only 23 percent of girls aged 13 to 18 in
school nationwide, according to the International Crisis Group.
The
think tank said that figure dropped to 13 percent after the Taliban government
issued its edicts barring female education in 2022.
Zainab
was soon to start high school when it came into effect and was twice rebuffed
by an online school that was at capacity before she finally secured a place.
"Before
taking online classes, we were idle at home. We were worried. We used to sleep
most of the time, which made us depressed," said Zainab, who asked not to
use her full name for fear of reprisal.
Online
classes "keep us busy", she told AFP, but they "cannot replace
schools".
Twenty-two-year-old
Ruhila teaches English classes online while trying to continue her university
education, also virtually, and says the teaching helps her spirits.
"The
only thing that gives me energy in the current situation is teaching these
girls," she said.
"But
when you accept that it's going to be online forever then you lose enthusiasm
and you don't put in the same effort," she said. "Mentally, online
classes are very tough. They are stressful, and boring."
Taliban
authorities have insisted since girls were barred from secondary school that
they are working on establishing a system that aligns with their interpretation
of Islamic law.
-
Poor internet, few computers -
Widespread
virtual schooling during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated it was "at
best, a rather partial substitute for in-person instruction", a UNESCO
report found.
Afghan
students face the burden of trying to log on in a country where the internet is
often down -- or painfully slow -- and where electricity outages are common.
Less
than a quarter of the population uses the internet, according to online
insights company DataReportal. With stark poverty rates in Afghanistan,
computers are also a luxury many cannot afford.
Some
90 percent of Begum Academy students use their phones to learn, according to
Aman.
But
even more than those frustrations, 18-year-old Aisha misses the social aspect of
school.
"Online
classes cannot be as effective as physical classes where we meet our peers and
our teachers and exchange our ideas," she said.
"Online
courses can only give us a hope," she added. "But we can never say,
'I have studied online so I have graduated from school.'"
Source:
yahoo.com
https://www.yahoo.com/news/afghan-girls-women-cling-glitchy-060721211.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-rights-activist-vasmaghi/d/131962