Jordan’s Queen Rania: Opponents of Ceasefire in Gaza Are ‘Endorsing and Justifying Death’
New Age
Islam News Bureau
06 November 2023
·
Jordan’s Queen Rania: Opponents
of Ceasefire in Gaza Are ‘Endorsing and Justifying Death’
·
Palestinian Activist Ahed
Tamimi Arrested for Allegedly ‘Inciting Terrorism’ - Israeli Army
·
Sedigheh Vasmaghi, an Islam
Researcher Assaulted After Armita Geravand's Burial Reveals
·
Nigerian Army Rescues Woman from
Committing Suicide in Lagos
·
Muslim Iowa City Woman, Viana
Qadoura, Empowers Her Community
·
Woman Says Threatened, Harassed
at Gunpoint in Washroom of a South Delhi University
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/jordan-rania-gaza-death/d/131056
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Jordan’s Queen Rania: Opponents of
Ceasefire in Gaza Are ‘Endorsing and Justifying Death’
Jordan's
Queen Rania
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November 06, 2023
CAIRO: Queen Rania of Jordan on Sunday
urged a collective call for a ceasefire in Gaza and said those who are opposed
a truce were “endorsing and justifying the death of thousands of civilians.”
In an in-depth interview with CNN's
Becky Anderson, Queen Rania responded to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's
rejection of a ceasefire while in Amman.
After meeting Arab leaders on Saturday,
Blinken said a ceasefire in Gaza would only enable more Hamas attacks.
Queen Rania said: “There has to be a
collective call for a ceasefire and I know some who are against a ceasefire
argue that it will help Hamas. However, in that argument they are inherently
dismissing the death, and in fact endorsing and justifying the death of
thousands of civilians. That is just morally reprehensible, short-sighted and
not entirely rational.”
“If [Israel] manage to eliminate all of
Hamas, the root cause of this conflict is its illegal occupation, routine human
rights abuses, illegal settlements, disregard to UN resolutions and
international law. If we do not address the root causes, you can kill the
combatant but you cannot kill the cause.”
Queen Rania denounced the “catastrophic
humanitarian situation" in Gaza, and asked: “How many more people have to
die before our global conscience awakes? Or is it forever dormant when it comes
to the Palestinians?”
She noted that there had been nearly
10,000 deaths in Gaza since the war began, almost half of them children.
“These are not just numbers. Each one of
these children was somebody’s everything,” she said.
“There’s an acronym in Gaza, W.C.N.S.F.:
Wounded Child with No Surviving Family,” she added. “That’s an acronym that
should never exist, but it does exist in Gaza.”
When asked about Israel’s claims that
civilians were being used as human shields, Queen Rania stressed that while the
use of human shields was “criminal,” under international law, Israel had a
responsibility to avoid civilian deaths.
“Before firing any bullet, before
dropping any bomb, it is the responsibility of the nation to weigh the risk to
civilian life. And if that risk is disproportionate to the military target,
then it is deemed unlawful,” Her Majesty said.
Although many of Israel’s evacuation
orders are issued online or on television, Her Majesty said she does not
believe that these orders are for the benefit of the Gaza civilians, given the
fact that electricity in the Gaza Strip has been cut off for weeks.
“They are not the target audience; the
rest of the world is. It is Israel's attempt to try to legitimize their
actions,” she said.
“When 1.1 million people are asked to
leave their homes or risk death, that is not protection of civilians. That is
forced displacement,” she said.
“UN agencies and other agencies have
said that there is no safe place in Gaza. And even the areas that they have
asked people to seek refuge in – those so-called ‘safe zones’ – they have been
attacked as well.”
In response to a question on rising
bigotry in the United States against both Jewish and Muslim people, Her Majesty
“absolutely and wholeheartedly” condemned both antisemitism and Islamophobia,
adding that Muslims should be the first to condemn antisemitism as Islamophobia
is “the other side of the same disease.”
“We have had a long history of peaceful
coexistence. So this is not about religion. It is about politics,” she said.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2404021/media
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Palestinian Activist Ahed Tamimi Arrested
for Allegedly ‘Inciting Terrorism’ - Israeli Army
Palestinian
Activist Ahed Tamimi
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November 06, 2023
JERUSALEM: Palestinian activist Ahed
Tamimi was arrested during a raid in the West Bank on Monday for allegedly
‘inciting terrorism’ the Israeli army has confirmed.
The prominent 22-year-old Palestinian
activist was previously detained in 2017 accused of aggravated assault and 11
other charges when she was 16, after a video showing her kicking two Israeli
soldiers in her home village of Nabi Saleh went viral on Facebook after they
arrested her younger brother.
“Ahed Tamimi was arrested on suspicion
of inciting violence and terrorist activities in the town of Nabi Salih” near
Ramallah, an army spokesman confirmed with AFP.
“Tamimi was transferred to Israeli
security forces for further questioning.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2404041/middle-east
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Sedigheh Vasmaghi, an Islam Researcher
Assaulted After Armita Geravand's Burial Reveals Ordeal
06th November 2023
New details have emerged of the physical
assault on mourners attending the funeral of 16-year-old Armita Geravand, who
died after a confrontation with the morality police.
Sedigheh Vasmaghi, a writer and Islam
researcher, known for her stance against mandatory hijab, shared her experience
after her arrest at the funeral on the Zeytoon website.
She said: "Two women were also
among the attackers, dressed in uniform under their veils. The four assailants
began their assault. One was shouting, one was trying to take my bag, and one
was hitting me while uttering indecent language."
Referring to the death of Armita, a girl
who, like Mahsa Amini, died in the hands of morality police, Vasmaghi added:
"I asked them, 'You have taken one life, and her memorial is here. Do you
intend to take mine here as well?' They forcibly dragged me for about ten to
fifteen meters."
The burial and memorial service for
Armita took place in Tehran last Sunday, with several more attendees arrested.
Among them was also Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent human rights lawyer and
activist, detainees all reportedly subjected to physical abuse during their
apprehension.
On the day of the funeral, reports
received by Iran International indicated that Vasmaghi was attacked by security
officers after departing the ceremony. However, with the assistance of
concerned citizens, she managed to escape the clutches of four male and female
attackers.
Despite a week having passed since the
assault by security forces, the status of some detainees remains unknown. Negar
Ostad Agha, a journalist and senior editor at Etemad Online is currently
detained in Gharchak Prison near Tehran, with no specific information available
regarding her situation.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311066559
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Nigerian Army Rescues Woman From
Committing Suicide In Lagos
November 6, 2023
The Nigerian Army has rescued a woman,
Mrs Francesca Spark from committing suicide in Lagos State.
This was revealed in a press statement
released by Lt. Col. Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, Acting Deputy Director of Army
Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army.
Mrs Spark was reportedly rescued when
she plunged into the Lagos Lagoon around 81 Division Officers’ Mess, Marina,
Lagos in an attempt to commit suicide. However, the reason for her decision was
not disclosed by the Army.
The statement reads: “Nigerian Army (NA)
soldiers operating under 81 Division NA have gallantly prevented a suicide
attempt by one Mrs Francesca Spark who plunged into the Lagos Lagoon around 81
Division Officers’ Mess, Marina Lagos in an attempt to take her own life.
“The troops of 65 Battalion NA deployed
at the Officers' Mess, who sighted Mrs Spark quickly used their military
riverine skills and ingenuity to rescue her. She was given first aid and
stabilized by the battalion medical team.
“After stabilization, the family was
contacted and she was handed over to her husband, one Mr Spark Oghene Ovie
residing at Awoyaya Lagos.
“The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81
Division NA, Major General Muhammed Takuti Usman has commended the soldiers for
being observant and for their ingenuity, courage, and gallantry. The GOC said
he is pleased that soldiers brought their training in disaster management to
bear in such a critical situation that could have claimed the life of a fellow
citizen.
“Maj Gen Usman who said such an
operation is a military operation other than war conducted during emergencies
or natural disasters affirmed that troops have been trained to support leading
agencies during emergencies.
“He assured residents of the NA's
commitment to protect them and their properties even during emergencies.”
Source: saharareporters.com
https://saharareporters.com/2023/11/06/nigerian-army-rescues-woman-committing-suicide-lagos
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Muslim Iowa City Woman, Viana Qadoura,
Empowers Her Community
Nov. 5, 2023
Viana Qadoura has always loved books.
They were a luxury when she was growing up in a war-torn country in the Middle
East.
But since she moved to Iowa, she has had
trouble finding books that represent her Muslim identity. She’s trying to
change that.
Qadoura is the founder and director of
the Mariam Girls’ Club, a Muslim youth club for girls in Iowa City and the
surrounding areas. She’s the social events coordinator for the Iowa City
Mosque, called the Al-Iman Centre, and plans extracurricular events for its
weekend school. She also recently was appointed as a member of the Iowa City
Human Rights Commission.
Through her hardships as a Muslim woman
in the United States, she has met discrimination with kindness, ignorance with
education, conformity with community. And now she’s working on a literary
project that will ensure Muslims are properly represented and empowered in her
community.
“Nothing daunted me — all the cries, all
the bad, the sleepless nights or everything that I went through,” she said. “I
have to wipe my eyes. I have to get up in the morning. And I have to say, ‘OK,
what's next?’”
‘Like a war zone’
Qadoura moved to the United States in
1996. In 2002, she moved to Burlington, where about 85 percent of the
population is white. Her family was the only visibly Muslim family — adorned
with hijabs — in a sea of white Christian seniors and religious conservatives.
She said her children were called
“terrorists” at school. People would yell Islamophobic obscenities to her as
they drove by. Her family was turned away from restaurants because of her
Middle Eastern accent.
“We survived there for 15 years. I call
it surviving,” Qadoura said. “I had to advocate for my kids and for all the
other minorities.”
She became involved at her children’s
schools, giving presentations about Muslim history and culture to combat
misinformation. She explained the teachings behind Islam, the meaning behind
her hijab. She educated teachers and faculty members. She submitted letters to
the editor to her local newspaper.
She also surveyed her local libraries
for Muslim representation and found books that talked about Arabs only in the
context of politics or terrorism — “not a single book about the reality or the
humanity of Arabs or Muslims in the Middle East,” she said. So, she started
buying and collecting books more representative of her Muslim faith and
culture.
Qadoura donated a $500 collection of
age-appropriate books to the school superintendent for the district’s
libraries.
“I'm not working for my own benefit
because I knew I was going to live there for a few years and then leave,” she
said. “But the impact that it could leave those people and try to help them get
out of their ignorance … it's a humanitarian thing.”
Creating community
After living in Burlington, Qadoura
moved her family to Iowa City in 2015. There, she breathed a sigh of relief:
There were other Muslims and minorities in sight.
The Al-Iman Center has a weekend school
that teaches children up to age 14 about Islamic studies, Arabic and the Quran,
the Muslim holy book. Qadoura wanted to offer extended support for Muslim
children integrating their religious identities into their everyday lives in
the Western world.
“We have a big disconnect in our
community, where they … teach those things without relating it to everyday
living,” she said. “Dual identities is not something they should fear, or that
should keep them from excelling or moving forward.”
In 2018, Qadoura created the Mariam
Girls’ Club — a social opportunity for young Muslim women to form an empowering
community. Qadoura named the club after Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is a
central female figure in Islam.
At least once a month, club participants
— about 20 Muslim girls in middle school and high school — meet up to talk
about their experiences and support each other. They dive deeper into Islamic
practices and beliefs, learning together as a community. Qadoura invites
successful Muslim women to speak to the girls as role models.
Qadoura organizes optional group bonding
activities, like archery, kayaking and fencing. She also coordinates
volunteering opportunities for the girls to give back to their community.
“This club is about empowering, uniting
and connecting those girls,” she said. “They feel seen, even from completely
different backgrounds or cultures. They feel confident enough when they walk
into this club that we are Muslims, we adhere to the same faith. They don't
have to fake their identity with you.”
1,000 Book Nook
Even in Iowa City, Qadoura struggled to
find books with Muslim representation on library shelves. She wanted to fix
that — just like she tried to in Burlington.
It started as a project for her children
during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, marked by daily fasting from dawn to
sunset and ending with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. They each searched
for books where they could read about people, faith and culture like theirs.
Then, they donated the books to their schools.
“I always believed in the power of
books,” Qadoura said. “It started by seeing the impact on children when it
comes to books and to feel self-represented.”
She wanted to take it a step further and
give back to the Al-Iman Center. Within five years, she was able to raise
$18,000 that went toward the weekend school and a new project: the 1,000 Book
Nook.
The 1,000 Book Nook will be a mini
library at Al-Iman Center that will serve young children with fiction,
non-fiction and bilingual books for free — each of which represent and empower
Muslim people.
Qadoura had collected more than 270
books before she received a $7,500 Racial Equity and Social Justice Grant from
the Iowa City Council for the project. It’s the first-ever grant to be granted
to the Al-Iman Center.
For now, the books will be housed at the
Al-Iman Center for its weekend school students. But for Qadoura, now 45, her
dream is to have a public library devoted to Muslim and Arabic books for anyone
to enjoy and learn about.
“Somebody has to do the work, and I
can’t count on somebody else and wait,” she said. “This is the time to speak. I
will never be a bystander.”
Source: thegazette.com
https://www.thegazette.com/people-places/muslim-iowa-city-woman-empowers-her-community/
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Woman Says Threatened, Harassed at
Gunpoint in Washroom of a South Delhi University
Nov 6, 2023
NEW DELHI: A woman has alleged that she
was threatened and sexually harassed by two men at gunpoint in the washroom of
a south Delhi university on Friday.
The complainant, 20, told police that
she heard some noise outside the woman's washroom on the second floor of the
library building. "It was dark inside and she switched on the flashlight
of her phone," police said. She saw two men standing with a
"gun-like" object. When she confronted them, they allegedly
threatened her by pointing the gun at her, after which she collapsed.
She alleged that she gained
consciousness after two hours and found her limbs tied. The woman informed her
friends and university staff. Police claimed she was unable to identify the
men. A police officer said the woman was not sexually assaulted. "We are
scanning the CCTV footage. We are verifying her claims," the officer said.
Tnn
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/woman-says-threatened-harassed-at-gunpoint-in-washroom-of-univ/articleshow/104996124.cms
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URL:
https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/jordan-rania-gaza-death/d/131056