Islamic Jihad announces release of Israeli women, children held in Gaza
New Age
Islam News Bureau
29 November 2023
· Rajshri Deshpande Dedicates Filmfare Award to 'Innocent Lives Lost in Gaza'
· In the words of Maryam: “We assist women at every level to get justice”
· 500 Drug-Addicted Women Brought to Centers in Past 6 Months: Ministry
· Iranian Sports Official Sacked After Women Competed Without Hijab
· EU Court Says Public Employees May Be Barred From Wearing Head Scarf
· Amnesty Intl, OCHA Raise Concerns About Women's Rights in Afghanistan
· Muslim woman attacked in suspected hate crime on NYC subway had Palestinian flag broken
· Easton mosque wins national award for its space for women
· Kemaman by-election: I am proof DAP is not racist, anti-Islam, says Bentong MP Rara
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/islamic-jihad-israeli-women-gaza/d/131214
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Islamic Jihad announces release of Israeli women, children held in Gaza
29.11.2023
Ahmed Gouda
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group
issued a statement late Tuesday confirming the release of Israeli women and
children it had been holding in the Gaza Strip.
The Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Muhammad al-Hindi, confirmed that the group’s armed wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, handed over the civilian hostages.
"We can accept the all-for-all equation regarding the detainees. If Israel is ready to release all our prisoners, then we are ready," Al-Hindi said in an interview with the Al Jazeera Media Network.
"The enemy's choices are difficult regarding the hostages because it failed to recover them militarily. Israel's tone of preparing for war is to influence the course of the negotiations," he said.
"The performance of the resistance and the steadfastness of our people is what will decide the fate of the battle," he said, pointing out that "Israel may be forced to end the aggression in light of the increasing losses."
Qatar announced an agreement late Monday to extend an initial four-day humanitarian pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas for an additional two days, under which further prisoner exchanges will be carried out.
Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
It has since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.
The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.
Source: aa.com.tr
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/islamic-jihad-announces-release-of-israeli-women-children-held-in-gaza/3067452
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Rajshri Deshpande Dedicates Filmfare Award to 'Innocent Lives Lost in Gaza'
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Actor Rajshri Deshpande. Photo:
Instagram/rajshri_deshpande
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New Delhi: Actor Rajshri Deshpande on Monday, November 27, dedidcated her Filmfare OTT award for ‘Best Actor, Series (Female)’ for Trial By Fire to all the innocent lives lost in Gaza during the conflict between Israel and Hamas and people everywhere struggling to make ends meet.
In her speech, the actor said, “To all the Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy (the lead characters of Trial By Fire) in this world, to all the innocent people, children who lost their lives in the ongoing war which is happening in Gaza and Palestine. To all my villages, to my farmers, who are still waiting for basic necessities in their villages. To all the creators, writers, directors, actors, who are waiting for that one big chance to be seen, heard. I hope we all get empathetic people in the world for us, I hope we get love, kindness and compassion in the world for all of us because that is exactly what we want today and everyday.”
The Netflix show is based on the book Trial by Fire: The Tragic Tale of the Uphaar Fire Tragedy, which was authored by Neelam and Shekhar Krishnamoorthy. It tells the tale of the Uphaar Cinema fire, when 59 people were trapped inside a movie theatre in Delhi and died of asphyxiation. Several more were injured in the stampede after the fire broke out.
Since October 7, more than 14,000 civilians have died in Gaza, including about 6.000 children and 4,000 women. Israel started an offensive against Hamas after militants crossed the border and killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took several hundred hostages.
After the event, Deshpande shared two posts on Instagram. In the first post, the actor can be seen relaxing on her bed with the black lady with the caption, “Ufffff @filmfare for best actor No idea how I can respond to so much love and appreciation for me and my work in #trialbyfire So many people to thank and so many people to respond to. Till I form my words and post about it, let me hold my black lady close to my heart, take this sunshine, blessings and breathe for a bit (sic).”
In a subsequent post, she wrote, “Yesterday with my warm heart I was holding her in my arms and saying thank you for trusting my craft, passion and a mysterious dream of a small town village girl who never ever thought that one day she will have you in her life. I will never let you down and promise to take care of you forever. Long post coming soon (sic).”
Source: thewire.in
https://thewire.in/film/rajshri-deshpande-dedicates-filmfare-award-innocent-lives-gaza-farmers
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In the words of Maryam: “We assist women at every level to get justice”
29 November 2023
Maryam, an activist supporting Muslim
women. Illustration: UN Women Sri Lanka/Dinuk Senapatiratne
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The trauma in my family inspired me to work for vulnerable women. My father left my mother and married another woman, providing us with no allowance or care. I grew up feeling the impact. My mother worked tirelessly in the paddy fields and then abroad to educate and care for us.
Despite being raised by our mother's hard work and warmth, we had to get our father’s permission to marry. Under Sri Lankan Muslim marriage law, a girl’s marriage is only valid if her father signs.
But my father said he would not take part in the wedding.
I was also affected when my husband ended our marriage, abandoning me and my child who has special needs. I dreamt of going to Mecca with my daughter, but I needed her father's permission to get her a passport. Yet, he had vanished.
So I went to the Quazi courts for a divorce. This is where the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) is enforced. They questioned my reasons for the divorce and told me the village officer needed to confirm my husband’s absence. I suffered so much and wondered how other women who have been at home their whole lives would cope. This motivated me to do this work. I started in 2013, and since then, I have fought for the rights of women and girls.
Under Muslim marriage law, marriage can take place without a woman’s knowledge or consent. It can occur with the signature of the girl’s ‘Wali’ (male legal guardian). A family may force a girl to marry against her will.
Under the MMDA, there is no minimum marriage age. A man can legally marry a minor. I met a girl a few days ago who was married at 13. She had a child by 14.
People in rural areas do not register their marriages. A marriage is valid as long as the ‘Nikah’ (religious marriage ceremony) is performed. This makes it difficult to register children’s births. And if her husband abandons her, it becomes difficult for her to file a case.
A man can also divorce without providing a reason or a maintenance allowance. If the woman opts for divorce, she receives no allowance. Some Quazi courts say that even if the husband tries to kill her, the wife must live with him. All these issues result from outdated laws.
Women who do not work outside the home have no options for survival if their husbands leave. Some cannot even eat. One client shared how her husband even threw away the rice. Another took the firewood.
When a woman leaves a marriage, society rarely speaks of the husband’s flaws. Instead, they see problems in her. Some families do not recognise a woman who returns to her parents, no matter what happened.
After I went to the Quazi court for my case, I started helping other women there. My peers and I discussed their concerns and offered support. Some don’t know how to file a case, register a marriage, or what to do if their husband leaves. They face traumas like domestic violence.
We began to face objections. Rumours were spread that we were trying to eliminate Islamic practices. When we met women, husbands scolded and threatened us. Men called at night to harass us, and even followed us.
Still, we kept working.
A lack of clear documentation had meant pending cases were not being referred to the Quazi court. Because we handled documentation properly, they started to support us. Documents, letters and affidavits that had been defective for so long were now correct. It took time, but today, society understands us. Now, people are directed to us. They volunteer support. If we don't go to court, we get a call asking why we didn't come. Quazi judges inform us that there are divorce cases and we should speak for those women.
We assist women at every level to get justice. For example, if they have to go to the Magistrate's Court, we arrange for them to meet lawyers beforehand. As there is no process to provide psychologically distressed women with counselling at the Quazi court, we direct them to the Divisional Secretariat, where there are psychosocial officers.
We serve women every day. We also teach them what is in the law and what is in the religion and hold regular discussions.
The Quazi courts, which are mostly accessed by poor women, should be monitored. Many women in our village don’t go to the court, saying that they will not get justice, but be degraded.
A change in the law is needed.
I want a society where women lead better lives.
In my village, 15-year-old girls have faced the hardships of 45-year-old women because of early marriage. It shouldn’t be like that. Quazi courts should become courts that can maintain justice.
That is my dream”.
Source: asiapacific.unwomen.org
https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/stories/in-the-words-of/2023/11/maryam
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500 Drug-Addicted Women Brought to Centers in Past 6 Months: Ministry
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
Within the past six months, nearly 500 female drug addicts have been taken to rehabilitation centers, the counter-narcotics department of the Interior Ministry said.
The head of the office of the deputy minister for counter-narcotics, Haseebullah Ahmadi, said 250 children affected with drugs were also taken to rehabilitation centers within this period.
"in the country's zones, 20,000 drug addicts are being treated in the centers every three months,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), said that over 1,000 female drug addicts are under treatment across the country.
Aisha (alias), 38, is in a rehabilitation center in the capital Kabul. Aisha said she has three children, and they are staying with her in the center.
"When I saw my life condition, I said there will be winter, what should I do. I called the doctors. They told me to come back to the hospital, otherwise, you will be addicted again," she said.
“We have had economic problems. I was having kidney pain for two nights and days, then my husband told me to use this drug and will go to the doctor in the morning. Once I used it, I became addicted to it," said a drug addict.
Dozens of other women drug addicts are under treatment alongside Aisha. They called on the Islamic Emirate to address their needs.
The head of the rehabilitation center, Shahista, said that they are facing various challenges.
"We don't have electricity. When we don't have electricity, we don't have water as well. This is our main problem," Shahista said.
"The main reasons that they become drug addicts are the economic hardship, family violence, and psychological pressure,” said Najia, a nurse.
However, the MoPH said that there are no exact details about the number of female drug addicts but based on a survey conducted in 2018, from 3.5 million drug addicts 58,0000 of them are women.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186253
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Iranian Sports Official Sacked After Women Competed Without Hijab
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
The head of Iran’s deaf sports federation was dismissed from his post this week after images emerged of a foreign woman athlete without a compulsory headscarf at a tournament in Tehran.
Mehran Tishehgaran was removed from his position "due to events that happened in the Asian Deaf Athletics Championships," the semi-official ISNA news agency said late on November 27.
Sports Minister Kioumars Hashemi named Alireza Khosravi to replace Tishehgaran.
The moves came after Iranian media published images of a woman athlete wearing shorts and a tight tank top at the November 26-27 tournament in Tehran.
Tishehgaran denied any wrongdoing in a statement carried by the Mehr news agency, saying that the event was conducted in “full compliance” with Islamic principles and the laws of the Islamic Republic.
Speaking to the Fars news agency, he said that "only women were present in that area and the security officials collected all the cameras and mobile phones."
Images of the athlete were taken by her team from Kazakhstan, he added.
In May, the head of Iran's athletics federation was forced to resign after a number of women without a mandatory head covering joined a marathon race organized by the authorities in the central city of Shiraz.
All women in Iran must conceal their hair with a headscarf and wear loose fitting trousers under their coats while in public.
But a growing number of women have appeared in public since monthslong demonstrations erupted in September last year following the death of a 22-year-old woman, MahsaAmini, in police custody.
Amini had been arrested in Tehran for allegedly wearing her headscarf improperly.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/122979-iranian-sports-official-sacked-after-women-competed-without-hijab/
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EU Court Says Public Employees May Be Barred From Wearing Head Scarf
NOVEMBER 29, 2023
(Reuters) - The top European Union court ruled on Tuesday that public authorities in member states can prohibit employees from wearing signs of religious belief, such as an Islamic head scarf, in the latest decision on an issue that has divided Europe for years.
The case came to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) after an employee of the eastern Belgian municipality of Ans was told she could not wear an Islamic head scarf at work.
The municipality subsequently changed its terms of employment to require its employees to observe strict neutrality by not wearing overt signs of religious or ideological belief.
The woman concerned launched a legal challenge, saying her right to freedom of religion had been infringed.
The hijab, the traditional head scarf worn around the head and shoulders, has been a divisive issue across Europe for years.
The CJEU said a policy of strict neutrality that was intended to establish a neutral administrative environment may be regarded as being objectively justified by a legitimate aim. It added that another public administration would also be justified if it decided to authorise, in a general and indiscriminate manner, the wearing of visible signs of belief.
The court said authorities in member states had a margin of discretion in designing the neutrality of public service they intended to promote. However, this objective must be pursued in a consistent and systematic manner and measures must be limited to what is strictly necessary, the court said.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/index.php/world-186255
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Amnesty Intl, OCHA Raise Concerns About Women's Rights in Afghanistan
NOVEMBER 28, 2023
Amnesty International and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have expressed concern about the violation of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
The statement of Amnesty International said that the "Taliban" did not fulfill what they promised about women's rights in Afghanistan.
This organization has called for an end to the violation of women's rights in Afghanistan.
In a part of the statement of Amnesty International said: “Not only the Taliban de-facto authorities have broken their promise of protecting Afghan people’s rights, especially women’s rights, they have resumed the cycle of violence and committed a litany of human rights abuses and violations with full impunity.”
Amnesty International called for respect and guaranteed protection of human rights in Afghanistan.
At the same time, OCHA also expressed concern about the increase in human rights violations against women in Afghanistan and called Afghanistan one of the most challenging countries in the world for women.
OCHA added: “Even before the Taliban de facto authorities (DfA) took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, it was already one of the world’s most difficult countries in which to be a woman, both personally and professionally. But since the takeover, the hurdles facing women – especially those living in rural areas – have only grown.”
"We witness that any demonstration or any protest is suppressed and protesters are illegally imprisoned and tortured," said ZamanSultani, Amnesty International’s South Asia Researcher.
"Our request to the government of the Islamic Emirate is to reach the rights of all the people of Afghanistan, especially women, to open the closed doors, and everything that is the right of women in the Afghan society today should be given to them," said Tafsir Syahposh, a women’s rights activist.
But the Islamic Emirate, rejecting the findings of these two institutions, said that the rights of all citizens of the country are protected.
"In Afghanistan, people have their rights and we are trying to ensure that the rights of our people are still respected. The government is Islamic, it recognizes the rights of the people and has pledged to grant them their rights and they do not have to worry," Mujahid said.
Meanwhile, the 16-day annual campaign aimed at supporting women around the world was launched on November 25 and runs to December 10, which is International Human Rights Day.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186249
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Muslim woman attacked in suspected hate crime on NYC subway had Palestinian flag broken
Nov. 29, 2023
Sakshi Venkatraman
Following a viral video that captures an attack against a Muslim woman on a New York City subway earlier this month, a 33-year-old man has been arrested and charged with several hate crimes.
Days after the clip made the rounds, showing a man who appears to strike a young woman and destroy her Palestinian flag, police arrested Greg Kutzin, a Manhattan-based finance director, on Nov. 20. The woman told NBC News that police in the subway station initially dismissed her claims and that it took the video going viral for an arrest to be made.
The 23-year-old, who is Yemeni American and Muslim, said she was on her way to a pro-Palestinian rally in Bryant Park on Nov. 17 when the man began to glare at her. He called her a “terrorist,” snatched and broke the flag she was carrying, and hit her in the chest, according to both her interview and a police statement. She said this led her to take out her phone and start recording.
In the video, the man can be seen holding her flag and swiping at her as she yelled back and cried out for help. Fellow passengers can be heard gasping as he appears to lunge forward and she stumbles for a moment.
She continued to record as the two deboarded at Times Square-42nd Street, and she filmed him throwing her broken flag to the ground. In the police report, she alleged he threw it onto the subway tracks.
The young woman, who said she moved to the U.S. from Yemen when she was 15, asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
“I always felt safe, especially in New York City,” she said. “I was always aware of crazy people, but not that people were going to target me because of my beliefs.”
Kutzin has been charged with six hate crimes including assault, robbery, grand larceny, petit larceny, criminal mischief and harassment, police said. He pleaded not guilty to all counts and was released on his own recognizance.
His lawyer did not return a call from NBC News.
When she first got off the train, the woman said she flagged down a police officer who dismissed her story, telling her the video didn’t prove anything. He questioned if she really wanted to make a police report and deal with the hassle, so she didn’t file one at the time.
It was only after the video went viral that she was encouraged by viewers and friends to make an official report. A day after she visited the precinct and gave her statement to police, Kutzin was arrested, she said.
“What if I didn’t have a video? What if it didn’t go viral? He would have never even got arrested,” she said.
The New York Police Department did not respond to questions about the initial officer’s handling of the incident.
Shared by civil rights organization Yemeni Alliance Committee, the clip of the incident has gained over 1 million views on X and TikTok. The woman who filmed her attack said it’s the first time she’s ever experienced Islamophobia with physical violence. Standing at 4 feet, 10 inches tall, she was scared when the man approached her, and she said when no one on the train stood up for her, she decided to take it into her own hands with the video.
“I don’t want to think that this is ever going to happen again, but if something ever do — because of what’s happening now with the increase in hate crimes — I’m always going to initially record,” she said.
Kutzin’s employer, financial services franchise StoneX Group, put out a statement on social media saying it was aware of what happened, but it was not clear if the company was investigating the incident or had taken any action.
“We are aware of the social media discussions regarding a StoneX employee. This unfortunate incident occurred outside of work and has been turned over to the proper authorities,” the tweet said.
StoneX did not respond to a request for comment.
The young woman who was attacked said she’s deeply concerned by the rise in Islamophobia since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. More than anything, she wants full accountability for attackers and justice for other victims.
“I have a lot of friends telling me, ‘Wow, you were brave,’” she said. “I thank God I was brave.”
Source: apnews.com
https://apnews.com/article/muslim-us-military-service-three-chaplains-film-2d3dd2a36d787baab31a5567d600245e
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Easton mosque wins national award for its space for women
28 NOV 2023
A Bristol mosque won a national contest for the work it has done this year to provide a space for women. Easton Jamia Masjid in St Mark's Road, Easton, took home a trophy from British Mosque Beacon Awards for the best Sisters' Service in the country this Saturday, November 25 in Manchester.
An extensive renovation of the 'sisters' section' of the mosque was completed earlier this year. On the opening day, Muslim women and girls from all over Bristol and from the wider community visited.
Abdul Malik, chair of Easton Jamia Masjid, said: “This is a huge honour for our community and congregation. Over the past decade, we’ve transformed our mosque, and this would not be possible without the support of our local sisters.”
In a video shown at the award ceremony, Sadef Rashid who volunteers at the mosque, spoke about the beauty of the space: “It’s a side of Islam that people don’t always see. For us women we are now able to spend more time contemplating and reflecting. The actual beauty around us is definitely reflected on to it. Holistically it’s just a beautiful place to be in.”
Mr Malik added: “This is a healing space, dedicated to the women and sisters. It’s meant to develop them into future leaders and have all the opportunities they require in order to be equal within society and our community.”
This year, 300 mosques entered the competition and the Bristol mosque was one of 33 finalists in 11 categories. The award ceremony was attended by two Labour MPs - Naz Shah and Afzal Khan.
Source: bristolpost.co.uk
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/easton-mosque-wins-national-award-8937979
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Kemaman by-election: I am proof DAP is not racist, anti-Islam, says Bentong MP Rara
28 Nov 2023
CHUKAI, Nov 28 — The member of Parliament for Bentong, Young Syefura Othman said she is living proof that DAP is not a racist and anti-Islamic party, as claimed by the opposition.
The DAP Wanita vice-chief who is more affectionately known as Rara said throughout her 10 years with the party, she is still a Malay Muslim and wears a hijab, despite being in a party that is alleged to be a communist, traitorous and racist party.
“We respect Islam as the religion of the Federation, we respect the rights of the Malays, even I myself am a Malay. I don’t want to let my party oppress the rights of the Malays? I don’t want to let my party oppress my own religion?
“We respect the Malay Rulers” she said when appearing as a panelist in the Talk on Common Points in Strengthening Unity in conjunction with the Kemaman by-election campaign, here, today.
The by-election which is set for voting day, this Saturday saw BarisanNasional candidate Tan Sri Gen (R) Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor facing Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar representing PAS.
Young who is also a member of the DAP central executive committee asked the voters to make a wise choice by rejecting racist politics and those that play with religious sentiments.
Meanwhile, Umno secretary-general Datuk AsyrafWajdiDusuki who was also a panelist in the programme assured that the unity government formed with the cooperation of DAP among others will not compromise on all matters enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
He said this was among the agreements with all the parties reached before the formation of the unity government.
“We (Umno) met that night and made a difficult decision, but we finally agreed to comply with the order of the Yang di-PertuanAgong (for the formation of a unity government) on the condition... not the Agong’s condition but any party that wants to form a government unity.
“That is to say, don’t belittle Islam as the Federal Religion, don’t underestimate it, don’t talk about it in terms of policies, principles, conduct, conversation, don’t ever hurt the feelings of Muslims.
“Secondly, the privileges of the Malays, bumiputeras, cannot be compromised, what is in the Constitution must be respected, the institution of the Malay Rulers must be defended as well as the Malay language as the national language,” he said. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/28/kemaman-by-election-i-am-proof-dap-is-not-racist-anti-islam-says-bentong-mp-rara/104737
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/islamic-jihad-israeli-women-gaza/d/131214