New
Age Islam News Bureau
25
January 2021
• Pakistan-Born
Saima Mohsin Becomes First Federal Muslim Woman Prosecutor for Michigan's
Eastern District In US
• Nadia
Helmy Ahmed an Egyptian-Danish Boxer Breaking Many Stereotypes
• Sold
Into Syrian Servitude, Filipina Workers Tell Of Abuse, Rape And Imprisonment
• Meet
The First Female Pilot At Sharjah Police
• Afghanistan’s
1st Female Animator Receives Education In Turkey
• Indian
Union Muslim League May Field Women Candidates In Kerala Assembly Polls
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/kaja-kallas-become-estonias-first/d/124147
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Kaja
Kallas To Become Estonia’s First Female Prime Minister
January
25, 2021
Kaja
Kallas will become the first female PM of Estonia if approved by
politicians - Copyright
Raul Mee/AP
-----
TALLINN
— Estonia’s two biggest political parties clinched a deal on Sunday to form a
new government to be led by a female prime minister for the first time in the
Baltic country’s history, replacing the previous Cabinet that collapsed
following a corruption scandal earlier this month.
The
party councils of the opposition, centre-right Reform Party and the ruling
left-leaning Centre Party voted in favour of joining a Cabinet headed by
Reform’s prime minister-designate and chairwoman Kaja Kallas.
Both
parties are set to have seven ministerial portfolios in addition to Kallas'
prime minister post in the 15-member government, which would muster a majority
at the 101-seat Riigikogu Parliament.
A
joint statement said the Reform Party and the Centre Party “will form a
government that will continue to effectively resolve the COVID-19 crisis, keep
Estonia forward-looking and develop all areas and regions of our country.”
Earlier
this month, President Kersti Kaljulaid, who is expected to appoint Kallas’
Cabinet in the next few days, said tackling Estonia’s worsening coronavirus
situation and the economic turmoil caused by the pandemic should be an
immediate priority for the new government.
Kaljulaid,
Estonia's first female head of state since 2016, tasked Kallas to form the
government as her pro-business and pro-entrepreneurship Reform Party emerged as
the winner of Estonia’s March 2019 general election.
Pending
approval from lawmakers, Kallas, 43, will become the first female head of
government in the history of the small Baltic nation of 1.3 million, which
regained its independence amid the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
A
lawyer and former European Parliament lawmaker, she is the daughter of Siim
Kallas, one of the Reform Party’s creators, a former prime minister and a
former European Union commissioner.
Her
first Cabinet will see women in other key positions too as Reform's Keit
Pentus-Rosimannus takes over the finance minister post and diplomat Eva-Maria
Liimets becomes the foreign minister.
The
government formation marks the second such attempt for Kallas in less than two
years as she failed to bring about a Reform Party-led government after the 2019
election. That paved the way for the arch-rival Centre Party and its leader,
Juri Ratas, to form a three-party coalition without the Reform Party.
Ratas
and his Cabinet resigned on Jan. 13 over a scandal involving a key official at
his Centre Party suspected of accepting a private donation for the party in exchange
for a political favor on a real estate development at the harbor district of
the capital, Tallinn.
Estonia’s
prime minister since November 2016, Ratas won't be part of the new Cabinet.
Local media reported earlier that he could become the parliamentary speaker in
March.Estonia has been a member of the European Union and NATO since 2004. —
Euronews
https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/602857/World/Europe/Kallas-to-become-Estonias-first-female-prime-minister
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Pakistan-Born
Saima Mohsin Becomes First Federal Muslim Woman Prosecutor for Michigan's
Eastern District In US
Jan
25 2021
Saima
Mohsin. Photo: Detroit Free Press
------
It
has just been a week since President Joe Biden took over from Donald Trump and
America has seen several firsts during this short time.
Last
week, the administration made another record as it appointed the first Muslim
woman attorney in the US by naming Pakistani-born Saima Mohsin as the acting US
attorney for Michigan's Eastern District.
Mohsin
will be taking charge of the post in an acting capacity following the
resignation of incumbent Matthew Schneider. The prosecutor had resigned shortly
after President Biden was sworn into office.
The
US Justice Department said that Schneider’s last day as the United States
Attorney will be February 1.
The
US Justice Department said that Mohsin will "immediately assume office as
Acting United States Attorney" under the Vacancies Reform Act.
Earlier,
Mohsin was serving as the First Assistant United States Attorney since March
2018.
"She
is a career prosecutor, having served in the US Attorney’s Office since 2002,
and prior to that as a Deputy New Jersey Attorney General and an Assistant
District Attorney in Manhattan," said the Justice Department.
Mohsin
called the appointment a "great honour".
"I
am deeply committed to fulfilling our core mission to faithfully enforce the
law and seek justice for all,” Mohsin was quoted in the press release.
Saima
Mohsin's Profile
According
to the Detroit Free Press, the Pakistan born lawyer will bring diversity to an
important position.
The
publication reported that Mohsin is a graduate of the Rutgers University in New
Jersey where she earned a bachelor's degree and a law degree.
While
outgoing attorney Schneider said he was "pleased" to leave the US
Attorney’s Office for Eastern District of Michigan in Mohsin's hands who he
called "one of the finest federal prosecutors" he's ever known.
"Saima
is a dynamic trial lawyer and a talented manager. And, as the first woman,
immigrant, Muslim United States Attorney in American history, her service is
truly historic," said Schneider. He is confident that the lawyer will be
an "outstanding representative and defender" of the community.
Meanwhile,
the two leaders with Muslim advocacy Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) told the Detroit Free Press that they were not aware of any US attorney
or acting US attorney who has been Muslim.
"I
do not believe that there has ever been a Muslim US Attorney," Gaider
Abbas told the Detroit Free Press.
The
position of acting US attorney for which Mohsin has been named is not a
permanent one and US laws allow judges to select an interim US Attorney.
Not
only this, President Joe Biden could nominate someone to fill the position,
which would have to be confirmed by the US Senate.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/331637-pakistan-born-saima-mohsin-becomes
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Nadia
Helmy Ahmed an Egyptian-Danish Boxer Breaking Many Stereotypes
18
JANUARY 2021
Nadia
Helmy Ahmed
------
By
Sania Farooqui
New
Delhi, India — As a Muslim woman born and brought up in Denmark, Nadia Helmy
Ahmed broke many stereotypes when she started boxing at the age of 15.
"Back then it was not common for girls to take up elite boxing, let alone
common for Muslim girls, I used to be the only girl in my gym, along with ten
others boys," said Nadia to IPS News.
Elite
boxing is defined by who the boxers fight, how they fight and how they handle
top ranked competition on a consistent basis. Nadia has been an elite boxer for
over 15 years, and is one of the only ten Danish women in the sport,
representing Denmark in world championships.
"Being
a girl in a male dominated sport means that you have to learn to deal with all
the obstacles that come with it, sometimes you are treated differently, both
from inside the community of the sport and outside from the Muslim community as
well. Sometimes the tone in the gym can be a bit harsh, but I quickly learnt to
turn that direct language into positive fuel.
"Boxing
happened by chance in my life and I fell in love with the sport and it has
stayed on with me. I am lucky to say my family has always been very supportive,
and that's why I have been able to pursue my passion," said Nadia.
As a
boxer, Nadia continues to challenge various gender stereotypes and cultural
discourses. Nadia says, "by living my life the way that I have chosen to
live, I have challenged many norms and expectations of what a Muslim woman
should look like, what she should do, what her goals and ambitions should be. I
have chosen another way for myself, a different path and I feel at home when I
am training."
Nadia
is part Egyptian and part Danish and she says she no longer wants to be caught
between the discourse of identity and nationality, between her parents'
countries of origin, and her own country of residence.
Denmark
is home to almost 320,000 Muslims, which is about 5.5 percent of the
population, putting the country in a slightly higher proportion than in the
rest of Europe. According to a report published in Reuters, a growing number of
Danish Muslims say that they have faced verbal abuse, exclusion and hate crimes
since mainstream political parties began adopting anti-immigrant policies.
Immigration in Denmark has become a strong issue especially during elections.
In
December 2020, Denmark's government decided to separately classify people from
or with heritage in primarily Muslim countries and regions in their official
crime statistics. A move which was deeply criticized by many. Immigration and
integration minister Mattias Tesfaye supported the differentiation of people in
Denmark with Middle Eastern and North African heritage.
"Pluralism
is based on trust, and the recognition between people, whether they want it or
not, said Nadia. Religion plays an important role in cultural encounters,
partly because it highlights differences and opens up new understandings of
plurality and community. We as Muslim women have to use our understanding of
liberal European politics to protest against the exclusion of immigrants from
the public sphere.
"I
crave to find a stance of cultural dignity, to find a moral community of mutual
acceptance and purpose. The crucial issue for us has been to achieve a status
in which is is legitimate and acceptable to be both Muslim woman and Danish at
the same time," said Nadia.
Over
the past few years, Nadia has taken her passion for boxing to Muslim girls in
local communities living in Braband in Gellerup, an area of western Aarhus,
which holds the biggest housing associations in Denmark. Nadia encourages women
to empower themselves by teaching them how to tap in and use their physical and
mental strengths.
"When
I started coaching young girls from the community, I wanted to transfer my
passion for boxing to them. My mission was to enable them, to empower them, to
give them a space where they could be themselves, at the same time have fun
using their bodies to do so", said Nadia.
"Boxing
is a way of life. The combination of the mind and the body in sports gives a
smaller picture of life in itself. When you think you can't give anymore, there
is always a little more to give in sports. Without individual strength and
power, it is impossible to fight for your rights, for a better society,"
said Nadia.
Integration
remains a debate and challenge for those who come to Denmark, especially from
Muslim countries. Human Rights organizations have reported numerous violations
against refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers and have often described Danish
policies towards immigrants as some of the most aggressive in the western world.
In the current climate where European countries have been opening their doors
towards immigrants and refugees, it is important for Denmark to re-think it's
value-based policies which has become one of the biggest reasons for countries'
polarizations especially towards its immigrants, religion, identity and
culture.
According
to Nadia, the way forward for Denmark is to identify the challenge of
integration, without politicization, and interpret differences and similarities
in real contexts, defining common goals and interests.
Sania
Farooqui is a journalist and filmmaker based out of New Delhi. She hosts a
weekly online show called The Sania Farooqui Show where Muslim women from
around the world are invited to share their views.
https://allafrica.com/stories/202101250221.html
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Sold
into Syrian servitude, Filipina workers tell of abuse, rape and imprisonment
By
Katie McQue
Jan.
24, 2021
DUBAI
— Josephine Tawaging was being bundled off to the airport in a locked car,
begging to be let out.
She
had traveled from her home in the Philippines a month earlier to find work in
Dubai, the Middle East’s glitzy business hub, she later recalled. But her
recruitment agency instead locked her in a dark and dirty dormitory with
several other women, who soon learned they would all be sent to war-ravaged
Syria to be sold.
As
Tawaging, 33, was being driven to Dubai’s airport bound for Damascus, she
protested one last time — and was slapped across the face. “They got angry with
me and said, ‘If you don’t go, we’ll kill you,’ ”
she said in an interview, recounting the 2019 ordeal. Today, she remains
trapped in Syria.
Dozens
of Filipinas who were recruited to work in the United Arab Emirates have been
trafficked to Syria to work as maids, at times subjected to physical and sexual
attacks by their employers and denied the salaries they were promised,
according to interviews conducted with 17 of these women over Facebook
Messenger.
The
Filipinas are often imprisoned in their employers’ homes, and those who have
escaped have fled to the Philippine Embassy in Damascus, where some of them say
that about 35 women are now seeking shelter, unable to return home.
“My
employer slapped me and put my head into the wall. I escaped because he did not
give me a salary for nine months,” said Flordeliza Arejola, 32, who has been in
Syria since 2018. “I waited until he was asleep and climbed over the wall. I
had some money for a taxi [to the embassy].”
Tens
of millions of international migrants live in Persian Gulf countries like the
UAE, many employed in sectors such as construction and hospitality or as
domestic workers. Their cheap labor sustains the economies of the Arab region,
while their remittances are often vital to supporting families back home.
Syria,
after nearly a decade of civil war, is a far less desirable destination for
migrant workers, but affluent Syrian families are prepared to pay thousands of
dollars to obtain a maid. This has fueled demand for trafficked female
migrants.
When
asked about the trafficking of Filipinas to Syria, Paul Raymund Cortes, the
Philippines’ consul general in Dubai, said, “Of course we are very concerned
about their plight.” He said migrant workers should coordinate their overseas
employment with Philippine government agencies and seek their help if they “are
being lured to work outside the UAE.”
Expired
tourist visas
The
Filipinas said in interviews that they arrived in the Middle East on 30-day
tourist visas for the UAE, expecting it to be their final destination. But the
recruitment agencies kept them locked up until the visas expired, making
employment in the UAE no longer possible.
“The
accommodation was dirty. There were more than 20 women in my room, and we slept
on the floor,” Arejola said. “Our phones were confiscated.”
While
they were being held, the women were told repeatedly by agency staff that Syria
is a great place to live, that the civil war is over, and that they would
command high salaries and have one vacation day per week. At the same time, the
women said they were often physically abused and threatened, especially if they
objected to going to Syria.
Six
of the interviewed women identified two UAE employment agencies as having
played a role in the trafficking. The Washington Post has not independently
corroborated the claims, and the agencies did not respond to multiple requests
for comment.
Research
for this story began after a reporter saw a Facebook video in which more than
15 Filipinas inside the Damascus embassy appealed for help, and individual
women were then identified via Facebook and contacted for interviews.
After
being held in the UAE, the women were put on flights to Damascus in groups of
two or three. When they arrived, the women said that they were held in communal
accommodations owned by local brokers until they were placed in a household and
that they were forced to line up for prospective customers.
“I
felt like a prostitute because we all stand in a line, and the employers choose
who they want,” said one woman, a 48-year-old grandmother who spoke on the
condition of anonymity because she felt ashamed.
The
selling price was typically between $8,000 and $10,000, according to several of
the women, who said their employers told them how much they were purchased for.
The women who were not quickly sold were subjected to increasing violence by
the Syrian brokers.
“I
was told to be good, so I won’t get raped and hurt. I stayed quiet and just
said yes,” said Joymalyn Dy, 26. The agency boss “wanted to sleep beside me and
touch me. Luckily, the next day, my employer took me.”
'I'm
afraid to escape'
Once
behind the closed doors of their new homes, the women said they were subjected
to physical and sexual attacks by their employers. Geraldine Pahigon, 30, said
she was repeatedly assaulted by her employer. “I was slapped, kicked and bitten
many times,” she said. “I endured this for four months.”
She
also said she was never paid for her work, echoing a complaint by other women
who said the salaries they were promised by the UAE employment agencies — about
$500 a month — did not materialize.
Another
woman who was brought to Syria a year ago described 18-hour workdays starting
at 5 a.m. with no days off. She said her employer is a member of a prominent
Syrian family and lives in a home with guards at the front gate.
“I’m
afraid to escape,” said the 32-year-old woman, whose name is being withheld for
her safety. “I want to go home, but I don’t [know] how I will get there.”
Four
of the women identified the broker agency in Damascus that sold them as Nobalaa
Alsham.
Contacted
by WhatsApp, a lawyer for that company, Ramdan Mohammad, said the women’s
accounts were “absolutely incorrect.” He said the women “consent to come to
work in Syria and that is [confirmed] by video with their voice and pictures by
the sending office before they travel, and we do our part to secure sponsors,
homes and people who treat them very well and humanely.” He said, “We check in
on them and that they receive their full wages periodically and ask about their
communication with their families via the Internet.”
Mohammad
added that the agency helps any workers who raise concerns and that there have
been no complaints similar to those made by the women interviewed by The Post.
Employer
knew she was 12
Lailanis
Abduljaber said she was 12 years old when she was trafficked three years ago.
“While
I walked home from school, I was thinking about ways to escape the struggle of
poverty, and of girls that went abroad and have a good life, and their
relatives could build their own house,” she says. “I felt sorry for my family,
so I wanted to help them.”
Lailanis,
from Cotabato City in the southern Philippines, found a recruitment agency that
said it would arrange a passport for her with a falsified age and place her in
a job in Dubai. Instead, she was taken to Syria.
She
said she initially worked hard for her employer in Damascus, who knew she was
12. But when Lailanis received news after several months that her brother back
home had died, she was overwhelmed by grief and her work suffered.
As
punishment, she said, her employer slapped her and denied her food. When she
begged to be allowed to go home to her family, he dropped her off at the
Philippine Embassy, expecting it would fly her back. It did not. Now 15 years
old, she said she has been living at the embassy for the past 20 months.
Lailanis
does not know when she will get to go home, and embassy staff members have
asked her if she would like to go back to work instead.
“It
is like being a prisoner. I want to go home,” she says. “I miss my mom and
dad.”
Stuck
at the embassy
As
soon as an opportunity arose, many of the women chose to escape their
employers’ homes and flee to the Philippine Embassy. But they were not greeted
with the sanctuary they had hoped for.
Some
of the embassy staff members are strict, the women said. A common punishment
for minor offenses — such as sneaking some extra food from the kitchen — is the
denial of breakfast for two weeks. The dormitory-style rooms are cold in the
winter, and the women are locked inside each night.
To
prevent them from complaining to their families about the living conditions at
the embassy, their phones were confiscated. “For almost five months we couldn’t
communicate with our families because our phones were taken by the ambassador,”
said the 48-year-old woman. “It’s like being in prison.”
In
response to a request for comment, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
said it had launched an “investigation into allegations of poor treatment while
under temporary shelter and recommend the necessary actions accordingly.” The
department said it “has actively taken measures to ensure the safety and
well-being of Filipino victims of trafficking” in Syria and has been trying to
secure exit visas for the women and pay any outstanding fees and fines imposed
by the Syrian government. Since December, when the department was contacted for
comment, Philippine officials said they have begun repatriating some of the
women.
Of
the 35 female trafficking victims who were staying at the embassy in December,
some said they had been stuck there for as long as two years because they were
unable to obtain Syrian exit visas and money for flights home.
Several
women reported being pressured by embassy staff members to return to the Syrian
households they’ve escaped from.
“I
want to die,” said Juvie Balondo, 27, who has been staying at the embassy for a
year. “We are all so stressed.”
Tawaging,
who recalled being bundled off to Damascus two years ago, has been marooned in
the embassy after fleeing her employer early last year. “I ran away because my
employer tried to rape me, and it made me too nervous [to stay],” she said.
Now,
she spends most of her days in bed with little to occupy her. For more than a
year, she said, she has been unable to speak with her children in the
Philippines, ages 9 and 10, because the family has no Internet service. A
widow, Tawaging had come to the UAE for work to provide a future for her
children.
“I
really miss them,” she said. “We are still hoping and waiting to hear when we
can go home.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/trafficking-migrant-workers-syria-uae/2021/01/24/1d79e43c-3f0d-11eb-b58b-1623f6267960_story.html
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Meet
The First Female Pilot At Sharjah Police
January
23, 2021
Aghaddir
Ali
Sharjah:
Nada Al Shamsi, 32, is literally aiming for the sky. A trailblazer in the true
sense of term, she is Sharjah Police’s first female police pilot.
Al
Shamsi, said: “Emiratis are probably the luckiest citizens to be part of this
great nation. Our leaders are way ahead in their vision in support of gender
equality. Thanks to Major General Saif Ziri Al Shamsi, commander-in-chief of
Sharjah Police and his support, women in Sharjah Police are not only supported
but offered all sorts of opportunities and access in the workplace, together
with a stimulating environment to thrive. For this, I’m grateful and proud to
be one of Sharjah police staff.”
Al
Shamsi also praised her family role and how they supported her throughout her
life. Recalling her training days, she said: “ It was equally a physical and
mental challenge and having to adjust my body to flying at different times of
the day.” Al Shamsi said that she faces many challenges but she overcame all of
them. “Many of my instructors were actually tough with me because they wanted
to make sure all the grades I got were well-earned.”
Al
Shamsi’s course was split into two phases — ground school training and flying,
which includes solo and dual flying. “Women can be whatever they want to be,
that’s what I think my example shows. All women should follow a career path
that inspires and makes them happy.” She currently flies Sharjah Police
aircraft A6-XRK.
“I’m
proud and extremely grateful to be serving my country being part of Sharjah
Police. This is a very rewarding role where I get to help the community and
have a job that I love.” She hopes her story inspires “all young females still
searching for a path and show them there is still space for women in serving
our country”.
Al
Shamsi became a member in Al Jazirah Aviation Club in November 1, 2018 and she
obtained her pilot’s licence on November 11, 2019.
“My
favourite moments are during take off and landing. Having all the high-end
technology is great for things like navigation and troubleshooting, but when it
comes to the take offs and landings, I like to have a hands-on manual approach.
I am doing constant checks on things like fuel, time, navigation and also just
checking that all the instruments are functioning correctly. As you fly more
regularly you get used to the long hours as well, at first I thought it would
be really difficult, but it’s really normal for me now.”
“Flying
is so exciting,” she shares. “When you’re flying alone, you feel in charge. It
was a beautiful experience.
Poetess
In
addition to her work in Sharjah Police, Al Shamsi is also a well-known poetess
and participated in number of events. She is an employee in the Media and
Public Relations Department of the Sharjah Police General Headquarters and
presented the morning traffic broadcasts in English on the emirate’s police
social media platform. She is also a member of the Emirates Poets Forum and a
member of the Al Jazirah Aviation Club in Ras Al Khaimah.
She
is the first to obtain a pilot’s licence from the female component of the
Sharjah Police General Command, and she also participated in the shows of the
Al Jazirah Aviation show for Light Aircraft in 2020.
She
holds a Master in Strategy and Leadership Management and a Diploma in
International Leadership Development from the United Nations Institute for
Training and Research, UNITAR in Switzerland, and an LSA pilot license approved
by the General Civil Aviation Authority.
https://gulfnews.com/uae-success-stories/meet-the-first-female-pilot-at-sharjah-police-1.76678995
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Afghanistan’s
1st Female Animator Receives Education In Turkey
JAN
24, 2021
Sara
Barackzay, the first female animator and illustrator in Afghanistan, continues
her struggle for digital art in Turkey while setting an example for hundreds of
women in her country interested in learning about animation, illustration and
graphic design.
Born
in Herat, a historic city in western Afghanistan known for its artistic
architecture, Barackzay, 27, spent her childhood and youth amid the devastating
consequences of the war in Afghanistan, which broke out in the country when she
was 7 following the U.S. invasion.
During
her high school years, Barackzay started to depict some characters in the
cartoons she had watched and the atmosphere of her country to the digital
environment through her drawings. After high school, she applied to the Turkish
Scholarships program and was admitted to the Department of Cartoon and
Animation, Faculty of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture in Başkent University
in Istanbul.
Barackzay,
who strove to learn digital arts under difficult conditions in her country,
improved her talent through further training in Turkey. While continuing her
education at the university, she also held over 30 animation and illustration
courses in Afghanistan when she went there. More recently, the artist has
continued giving the courses online.
Through
these courses, Barackzay has introduced hundreds of women to digital art. She
has become Afghanistan’s first female animation artist thanks to her
achievements against all odds.
Following
her university education, she started children’s book projects with the United
Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and UNESCO and
maintained them in the capital Ankara and Istanbul in Turkey. She seeks to
produce content for world-famous animation studios such as Pixar and Disney and
opened a department of digital design and animation in Afghanistan.
Barackzay
spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) about the process and dreams that led her to
become Afghanistan’s first female animator. Stating that she was born in the
city of Herat and had a challenging childhood due to the environment of
insecurity in her country, Barackzay said: “The schools are still blown up in
my country. Girls have dreams and goals, but there are problems with their
going to school. The war environment makes this situation even more difficult.
The girls are trying to achieve them against all odds and one of them is me.
Despite all these problems, I want to achieve my dreams. My parents also help
me a lot.”
Indicating
that she began to develop an interest in art and design at the age of 4 or 5,
Barackzay continued: “As Afghanistan lacks an environment of confidence, people
cannot easily achieve their goals. I have loved art and design since I was a
kid. I started drawing myself. Unfortunately, this kind of art is underrated
while fields like medicine and engineering are valued more in Afghanistan. When
I was a kid, I wanted to study art. I have faced a lot of obstacles, but I have
not given up.”
Barackzay
stated that she took an art class to attain her goal of mastering in animation
and cartoons, adding: “This field, as well as the media, is poor in
Afghanistan. People say that girls shouldn’t do this kind of works. However,
animation and cartoons have always been my biggest dream. I wanted my drawings
to move and talk. I worked for this and won the Turkish Scholarships program.”
1st
animation team in Afghanistan
Underlining
that the training she received in Turkey has brought her one step closer to
achieving her dreams, Barackzay noted: “During my years in Afghanistan, I tried
to introduce and teach painting, animation and illustration especially to
women. After coming to Turkey, I learned this area thoroughly. In the following
period, I opened a lot of courses in Afghanistan and trained women. I have held
30 face-to-face and online courses. I designed cartoons and children’s books
for my country. I drew in cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF, and these books
were distributed at schools.”
Stating
that she went through difficult situations, Barackzay continued: “When I
started animation, they were mocking my work. It was widely known in my
country. I wanted to teach, but the students did not show up. Sometimes the
power went out, and there was no place to teach. The parents did not let the
girls come. But we are slowly overcoming these obstacles. We even managed to
work in the dark without electricity. We formed the first animation team in
Afghanistan. There are now 400 students in this group. I am very happy because
we can finally design animations and books together,” she expressed.
Pointing
out that the children’s books drawings she prepared for UNICEF reach children
who cannot go to school, Barackzay stated that she made simple drawings that
can be understood by children, especially ones to combat the coronavirus
pandemic.
Thanking
Turkey for its role in her becoming the first female animator and digital
designer in Afghanistan, Barackzay said: “I could study in this field and
realize my dream thanks to Turkey. I seek to expand the field of animation and
cartoons and establish a studio in Afghanistan now. I want to work with other
countries as well as with Pixar and Disney. I want to introduce and teach in
this field, especially for girls, in our country. I aim to open a digital
design and animation department in Afghanistan.”
Barackzay
lastly said that Istanbul is an important source of inspiration for works of
art, continuing: “Istanbul is the city that inspired my art the most. It is
beautiful with its historical places like the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, sea
and nature. After seeing these, one wants to be an artist because Istanbul
itself is like a work of art. I am very happy to live in Turkey.”
https://www.dailysabah.com/arts/afghanistans-1st-female-animator-receives-education-in-turkey/news
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Indian
Union Muslim League May Field Women Candidates In Kerala Assembly Polls
Jan
25 2021
Thiruvananthapuram,
Jan 25 (IANS): The Indian Union Muslim League, which has in its history fielded
only one woman in Assembly elections back in 1996, may change its policy and
field more women candidates in the 2021 Kerala polls.
In
1996, Muslim Women League leader, Khamarunnisa Anwar was fielded as the party
candidate from Kozhikode North seat but she could not win.
Since
then IUML had cold shouldered women candidates for Assembly and parliament
polls while several of these leaders are elected members in gram panchayats,
block panchayats, district panchayats, municipalities and corporations.
The
IUML which is male dominated, was preventing the candidature of women
candidates in citing the religious zeolots who might oppose the presence of
Muslim women in elections.
IUML
organising secretary and Member of Parliament, E.T. Mohammed Basheer while
speaking to IANS said "Party has not taken a call on the same but there is
a large section of the leadership who want women candidates in certain sure
seats. I will give my opinion in the party state executive."
However
sources in the party says that there is a major possibility of women
contestants in the next election. It will need women candidates as CPM will
certainly field young women as candidates as well as professionals.
P.
Kulsul, Muslim Woman League ,state secretary and former member, Kerala state
woman's commission said "We welcome women candidates in the next assembly
elections as it has been a long wait since 1996 when our then president
Khamarunnisa Anwar contested from Kozhikode. We are hoping for the party to
field some women in this elect
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=794699
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/kaja-kallas-become-estonias-first/d/124147
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