320 Activists Demand Release of Jailed Iranian Scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi
New Age Islam News Bureau
12 April 2024
·
320 Activists
Demand Release of Jailed Iranian Scholar Sedigheh Vasmaghi
·
Nurul
Akmal Emerges As 10th Indonesian Athlete Qualifying For Paris 2024
·
Sheikha
Bodour Praises Winners Of Publisher Excellence Awards Which Celebrate Women
·
Over 100
Female Israeli Draftees Decline Service In Surveillance Unit: Report
·
Swedish Ombudsman
Rules Against Airline That Fired Muslim Woman For Wearing Headscarf
·
Business
Activity Licenses Issued to Nearly 30,000 Afghan Women
·
Hibatullah
Akundzada, Taliban Leader Doubles Down On Treatment Of Women In Annual Address
Compiled by New Age Islam News
Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/jailed-iranian-scholar-sedigheh-activists/d/132126
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320 Activists Demand Release of Jailed Iranian Scholar
Sedigheh Vasmaghi
Jailed Iranian Scholar
Sedigheh Vasmaghi
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APRIL 11, 2024
Nearly a month after the arrest of prominent religious
scholar and university professor SedighehVasmaghi, a group of 320 Iranian
political and civil activists has issued a statement demanding her immediate
release.
Vasmaghi was arrested on March 16 on a charge of
"opposition to the mandatory hijab."
She is currently being held in Evin prison and has
been denied access to medical care despite her urgent need for treatment.
The activists' statement expresses deep concern about
Vasmaghi's health and well-being. It condemns her continued detention and
criticizes the Iranian government's broader crackdown on dissent.
The signatories, including notable figures such as
Hashem Aghajari, AlirezaRajaei, Hassan YousefiAshkuri, and Mehdi Nasiri, argued
that such practices violate fundamental rights enshrined in the Iranian
constitution.
"Imprisoning dissidents, critics, and reformers
not only goes against basic human rights but also harms the nation's
interests," the statement reads.
The statement further emphasized the importance of
upholding the rule of law.
The activists warned that the judiciary's inaction on
Vasmaghi's case undermines judicial independence.
Vasmaghi, who suffers from high blood pressure,
elevated blood sugar, and severe chest pain, received initial treatment at the
prison clinic on April 2.
However, despite a doctor's recommendation for further
hospitalization, prison authorities refused to facilitate her transfer.
She faces charges of "propaganda against the
Islamic Republic" and "public appearance without a hijab."
Her case is being heard by Branch 26 of the Tehran
Revolutionary Court.
Since March 24, Vasmaghi has been denied family visits
due to her refusal to comply with mandatory hijab regulations.
Source: iranwire.com/
https://iranwire.com/en/women/127348-320-activists-demand-release-of-jailed-iranian-scholar-sedigheh-vasmaghi/
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Nurul Akmal Emerges As 10th Indonesian Athlete
Qualifying For Paris 2024
Archive - Woman weightlifter
Nurul Akmal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on October 7, 2023.
ANTARA FOTO/M Risyal Hidayat/foc.
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April 11, 2024
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Youth and Sports
announced that woman weightlifter Nurul Akmal is the 10th Indonesian to have
qualified to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"Nurul Akmal managed to qualify for the 2024
Paris Olympics in the +81 kilogram class," the ministry stated on its
official Instagram account @kemenpora from here on Thursday.
According to the ministry, a reallocation of the +81
kg class quota led to Nurul Akmal being confirmed as the 10th athlete from
Indonesia to take part in the world's biggest sports competition in Paris.
Earlier, the Indonesian National Olympic Committee had
stated that as many as nine Indonesian athletes have bagged tickets to compete
in the Paris Olympics.
The athletes are weightlifters Eko YuliIrawan and
RizkyJuniansyah, archery athletes Arif Dwi Pangestu and Diananda Choirunisa,
sport climbing athletes Desak Made Rita KusumaDewi and Rahmad Adi Mulyono,
RifdaIrfanaluthfi for gymnastics, FathurGustafian for shooting, and Rio Waida
for surfing.
NOC Chairman Raja SaptaOktohari noted that the number
of Indonesian athletes who qualify for the Paris Olympics can increase, as
qualification competitions are still underway for several sports until June
2024.
The NOC will set a medal target for the 2024 Paris
Olympics after all qualification matches end in June 2024.
"After all sports finish the qualification, we
will sit along with the Ministry of Youth and Sports to determine the medal
target at the Olympics," he remarked.
On a separate occasion, Oktohari stated that the
weightlifting branch never disappointed, as it never missed sending athletes
and always contributed medals at the Olympics.
Oktohari also sought the public's support, so that the
weightlifting athletes can snatch gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"Hopefully, the 2024 Paris Olympics will be a
breakthrough for weightlifting to achieve gold medals," he affirmed.
Source: antaranews.com
https://en.antaranews.com/news/310584/nurul-akmal-emerges-as-10th-athlete-qualifying-for-paris-2024
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Sheikha BodourPraises Winners Of Publisher Excellence
Awards Which Celebrate Women
12.04.2024
The winners of the inaugural PublisHer Excellence
Awards, which celebrate women who have brought positive change to the
international publishing industry, have been announced during a glittering
ceremony at the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Addressing the award ceremony before the announcement,
PublisHer founder Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi paid tribute to the winners and
runners-up and thanked the professional jury for their vital contribution.
She said: “The phenomenal work showcased through the
Awards is truly heart-warming. It’s a powerful testament to the impact women
are making in publishing on a global scale. To our winners, your contributions
are leaving a lasting mark on this industry and your stories are inspiring us
all. To our nominees, thank you for your participation and passion for the
PublisHer Excellence Awards, and please continue to shine brightly.”
The jury in charge of selecting the winners from among
the 113 applicants comprised leading female figures from the international
publishing industry: Emma House, Director at Oreham Group, Arpita Das, Founder
and Publisher at Yoda Press, Latoya West-Blackwood, Publishing and
Communications Consultant, Caroline Fortin, President at Quebec Amerique
International and TrasvinJittidecharak, Founder and Publisher at Silkworm
Books.
Following six-months of careful deliberations, the
jury selected the winners from among the nine shortlisted finalists, and in
Bologna it was announced that Anne Friebel, Publishing Director at Palomaa
Publishing, was the recipient of the PublisHer Excellence Award in the
Innovation category. Anne established “The Female Publisher” network – a
free-to-join digital platform that connects and supports women publishers,
programme managers and decision makers within the German-speaking publishing
market, encouraging discourse and exchange. As co-host of “Die
BücherunsererZukunft” podcast (Books of Our Future), Anne has demonstrated
commitment to the amplification of female voices, industry best practice, and
methods which address publishing’s major challenges.
Following this, Mitia Osman, CEO and Publisher,
Mayurpankhi and Executive Director at AgameePrakashani, was announced as the
recipient of the Emerging Leader Award. Demonstrating dedication and leadership
in founding her publishing house Mayurpankhi in Bangladesh, she is the first
woman to establish a children’s publishing house there. She is further
recognised for her advocacy in campaigning for greater gender diversity in
publishing, both at home, and internationally.
Lastly, Shirley Yvonne Carby, Chairperson at Carlong
Publishers Caribbean Ltd. was announced as the recipient of the Lifetime
Achievement Award in recognition of her dynamic 45-year publishing career. A
leader in publishing in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, Shirley has
steadfastly supported the training of authors and industry professionals and
expanded the skills and knowledge of Caribbean societies throughout her career,
while promoting literacy throughout her community.
The ceremony was part of a diverse PublisHer programme
in Bologna, which included keynote speeches and daily panel discussions with
big-hitting figures from international publishing, and networking coffees on
the PublisHer stand each afternoon.
The PublisHer Excellence Awards shine a spotlight on
women who are improving publishing and blazing trails for others to follow.
They empower female publishers to aim higher and help each other and raise
awareness of the continuing challenges many women still face in the publishing
business.
PublisHer is a global platform dedicated to advancing
women in the publishing industry, with a mission to provide a space for women
to connect, learn, and support each other. The platform offers mentorship
programmes, networking events, and initiatives to enable women publishers’
careers to thrive.
Recently, Sheikha Bodour revealed nine shortlisted
nominees for the inaugural PublisHer Excellence Awards, which recognise
outstanding women who have made a clear difference to the publishing industry.
Source: gulftoday.ae
https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2024/04/12/sheikha-bodour-praises-winners-of-publisher-excellence-awards
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Over 100 female Israeli draftees decline service in
surveillance unit: Report
12 April 2024
A new report has revealed the mass refusal of female
Israeli draftees to serve as surveillance soldiers amid the regime’s ongoing
war on the Gaza Strip.
Israel's Ynet news site reported that 126 out of the
326 Israeli women who were conscripted to the army this week refused to go from
their draft center to a training base.
It was the third draft since early October that has
seen significant numbers refusing to join the Israeli military’s surveillance
unit, the report said.
Most of those serving in the unit are female soldiers,
who are tasked with monitoring surveillance cameras along the border between
the Israeli-occupied territories and the Gaza Strip and dispatching troops to
potential incidents.
The report attributed the mass refusal to the historic
operation on October 7, when the Palestinian Hamas resistance group killed 15
Israeli forces and took six captives during an attack on the Nahal Oz military
base.
The attack on the base, which is located less than a
kilometer from Gaza, came at the very start of Hamas’ Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.
Israeli media later said that at least three months
prior to the operation, surveillance soldiers at the Nahal Oz base reported
signs that something unusual was underway at the Gaza barrier, but their
warnings were disregarded as unimportant by intelligence officials.
Israel unleashed its war on the besieged Gaza after
the Hamas operation against the regime in retaliation for its intensified
atrocities against the Palestinian people.
However, more than six months into the offensive, the
Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its objectives in Gaza despite killing at
least 33,545 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 76,094
others.
The Israeli military is now suffering a manpower
shortage that has sparked calls to end military service exemptions for the
ultra-Orthodox community.
Most Israeli men are required to serve nearly three
years followed by years of annual reserve duty, while many women serve two
years.
However, the politically powerful ultra-Orthodox Jews,
who make up roughly 13 percent of Israeli society, have received exemptions if
they are studying full-time in religious schools.
Late last month, Israel’s Supreme Court ordered an end
to subsidies for many ultra-Orthodox men who do not serve in the military.
Source: presstv.ir
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/04/12/723514/Over-100-female-Israeli-draftees-decline-service-in-surveillance-unit
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Swedish ombudsman rules against airline that fired
Muslim woman for wearing headscarf
AtilaAltuntas
12.04.2024
Sweden’s Equality Ombudsman ruled Thursday in favor of
a Muslim woman who complained that she faced discrimination for wearing a
headscarf.
“An airline company that does not allow religious
symbols and implements a uniform dress code policy dismissed a woman without
employing her for wearing a headscarf, even though her job application was
accepted, which is discrimination," Lars Arrhenius said in a statement.
"Equality in the labor market and freedom of
religion should not conflict with the interests of the employer. However, in
such a balance, freedom of religion should prevail,” he added.
Consequently, it ordered the airline to pay the woman
150,000 Swedish Krona ($13,982) in compensation.
The woman filed a complaint with the Ombudsman last
year on the grounds that she faced discrimination.
Source: aa.com.tr
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/swedish-ombudsman-rules-against-airline-that-fired-muslim-woman-for-wearing-headscarf/3188918
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Business Activity Licenses Issued to Nearly 30,000
Afghan Women
11.04.2024
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs reported
that last year activity licenses were issued to nearly 30,000 women.
According to Samiullah Ebrahimi, the spokesperson for
the Ministry of Labour, women who received activity licenses are currently
employed in various sectors in both government and private institutions.
"Work permits have been distributed to women in
sectors where there is a need and they can provide services to other
women," Ebrahimi said.
Roya, who runs a tailoring workshop in the capital,
said she established this workshop to support women who are the breadwinners of
their families.
Nearly 30 women and girls are working in this
workshop.
Roya told TOLOnews: "I built this workshop with
my own funds and provided work for thirty women. If the government cooperates,
perhaps the number of these women could reach 100 to 150."
Fifteen-year-old Rubina, who sews Afghan dresses in
this workshop, says she works here due to economic challenges and to support
her family.
Rubina calls on the Islamic Emirate to provide more
facilities for women in the country.
"I have been working here for six months and am
very happy with the opportunity provided. I work to support my family,"
said Rubina.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment
said women's activities in various
sectors are beneficial for the economic growth of families and the creation of
profitable employment opportunities.
KhanjanAlkozai, a member of the Board of Directors of
the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: "Opportunities for women
should be facilitated; they should take part in both the production and
commerce sectors of Afghanistan's economy. They represent a very large segment
of society."
Salma Yusufzai, the head of the Women's Chamber of
Commerce and Industries, said: "In provinces where we had no connections
two years ago, today we see women's businesses flourishing, and now almost all
provinces are involved."
According to information from the Women's Chamber of
Commerce and Industries, over nine thousand women are currently working across
Afghanistan in sectors like agriculture, health, animal husbandry, handicrafts,
and carpet weaving with activity licenses.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/business-188261
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HibatullahAkundzada, Taliban Leader Doubles Down On
Treatment Of Women In Annual Address
APRIL 12, 2024
HibatullahAkundzada, the reclusive leader of the
Taliban government in Afghanistan, rejected the idea of compromising when it
comes to restrictions on women's life in the country this week.
The leader of the Islamic theocracy, which retook
Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of American forces that summer,
addressed thousands of worshippers on the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, marking the
end of Ramadan.
Speaking and leading prayers at the central mosque of
Kandahar, Akhundzada proclaimed that he "will not take even a step away
from the Islamic law," according to a report in Voice of America.
"I am administering God's Hudud," Akundzada
said, using an Arabic word that literally translates to "limits," and
refers to the sets of laws and punishments prescribed by Islam. "They
object to it, saying public stoning and hand-cutting are against their laws and
human rights... Islam is a divine religion that deserves respect, but you
insult it instead."
The Taliban has suspended girls' education past the
sixth grade and banned many women from the workplace, as well as from public
spaces such as parks, gyms, and bathhouses, VOA reported.
There is only one publicly available photograph of
Akhundzada, who has led the Taliban since 2016. His speech was broadcast on
Taliban radio, according to VOA.
Source: jpost.com
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-796677
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/jailed-iranian-scholar-sedigheh-activists/d/132126