Khalilah Ali, Wife of Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali, To Visit Kabul to Build Victory Stadium
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 October2024
· Khalilah Ali, Wife of Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali, To Visit Kabul to Build Victory Stadium
· Hijabi Trekker Haaequa Awati Began by Exploring Forts Built by Shivaji Maharaj
· Iran Sentences Two Baha'i Women, for “Engaging in Activities Contrary to Islamic Principles”, to Ten Years in Prison
· Why Christians Should Care about Anti-Hijab Laws in North America
· China and Other BRICS Members Call for Lifting Ban On Girls’ Education in Afghanistan
· Celebrating Lebanon County’s Outstanding Women in History
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/khalilah-ali-boxing-legend-kabul/d/133533
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Khalilah Ali, Wife of Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali, To Visit Kabul to Build Victory Stadium
Khalilah Ali, the wife of Muhammad Ali, the legendary world boxer, will arrive in Afghanistan today to build a stadium.
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By Fidel Rahmati
October 24, 2024
Khalilah Ali, the wife of Muhammad Ali, the legendary world boxer, will arrive in Afghanistan today to build a stadium.
The General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports confirmed in a statement that Khalilah Ali, the wife of Muhammad Ali, the world boxing champion, will arrive in Afghanistan to construct a sports stadium.
Khalilah Ali is scheduled to arrive at Kabul airport on Thursday, October 24, to build a sports stadium named “Victory” and establish a sports association named “Muhammad Ali and Khalilah Ali.”
Mrs. Ali is also expected to meet with officials from the country’s Physical Education Directorate during this trip.
Previously, Mrs. Khalilah Ali visited Afghanistan to build a football stadium on eight acres of land in the Qargha area of Kabul.
In July 2022, Khalilah Ali openly criticized the Taliban at the inauguration of an Islamic center in the state of Maryland, USA, stating that the Taliban’s restrictions on Afghan women are contrary to Islam.
She emphasized that Muslim women should be able to enjoy the basic right to work and live in an Islamic environment rather than being oppressed.
Since then, nothing has changed for women in Afghanistan. However, Khalilah Ali, who was a critic of the group, is set to arrive in Kabul to build or inaugurate a stadium for men in a country where women are not allowed to participate in sports.
Despite the promising efforts to develop sports infrastructure in Afghanistan, the plight of Afghan women and girls remains dire. The ongoing restrictions on their education and employment undermine their fundamental rights and aspirations.
The international community must urgently address the challenges faced by Afghan women and girls. Denied access to education and the opportunity to work, they are left without the means to contribute to society or build a secure future for themselves, deepening the cycle of oppression and inequality.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/khalilah-ali-wife-of-boxing-legend-muhammad-ali-to-visit-kabul-to-build-victory-stadium/
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Hijabi Trekker Haaequa Awati began by exploring forts built by Shivaji Maharaj
Hijabi Trekker Haaequa Awati
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Aasha Khosa
24-10-2024
HaaequaAwati of Junnar in Pune, Maharashtra, known as Hijabi Trekker for her passion for trekking in a hijab, is on an exploration of all the forts built by the Maratha Warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It’s interesting to note that both were born in Junnar, a historic city of Maharashtra.
HaaequaAwati’s bio on her Instagram account @hijabitrekker includes a quote, "Nature's path is where the mind finds clarity, the body finds strength, and the heart finds freedom" Haika emerging as 'Hijabi Trekker' is creating a different identity through trekking.
Haaequa has been fascinated by forts since childhood. She feels drawn to the stories of Maharaj Chhatrapati Shivaji's bravery. She developed an interest in outdoor sports right in school. Inspired by Shivaji's stories, she picked up adventure sports.
Haaequa’s wanderlust started because of her passion for sports. She had been practicing taekwondo from the age of nine years. She is the first Muslim woman from Junnar taluk to earn a black belt.
“Being born in Shiv Janmabhoomi, I have had an adventurous spirit since childhood. I don't have a brother, so I felt responsible for the protection of my sisters… In that sense, I learned taekwondo for self-defense out of my love for sports… From that love, I developed the hobby of trekking.”
Haaequa spent her childhood in a village. Her father has a small tailoring business and her mother is a school teacher. Haaequa is the eldest of three sisters.
Haaequa came to Pune to pursue higher education. Sports and trekking are popular in her community, but higher education among women is not common. She completed her education while maintaining her passion for sports.
Haaequa got inspired to play sports, she says, “Being born in Shiv Janmabhoomi, I have had an adventurous spirit since childhood. As I didn't have a brother, I felt responsible for protecting myself and my sisters… In that sense, I learned taekwondo for self-defense out of my love for sports… From that love, I developed the hobby of trekking.”
She came to Pune and completed her MBA from a reputed college and soon got a job. Soon she started coaching schoolchildren in sports and would use her weekends for trekking.
She started trekking from the Shivjanmasthan Fort Shivneri, a fort build by Shivaji Maharaj. So far, she has collected that information by wandering in many places like Torna, Harishchandragad, Korigad, Kokandiva, Rajmachi, Bhuikot, Sea forts, and Mountain forts. Her travel vlogs have also become popular on YouTube and Instagram.
She says, “My mother, being a teacher, is always innovative. She knows a lot about social media and technology. So she gave me the idea to start the channel. After that, I started my channel on social media called 'Hizbi Trekker'."
Along with showing the beauty of Sahyadri through her social media, Haaequa tries to convey the culture of Maharashtra and the history preserved through the forts. She chooses a high-altitude fort or a mountain and climbs it wearing casual clothes that blend in with the forest. Haaequa decided to trek wearing a hijab. The idea behind it was to break the stereotype of a Hijab-wearing Muslim woman.
Haaequa has shown how modernity can be embraced while still maintaining religiosity and modest dressing. On being asked about her Hijab while trekking Haaequa said, “When I performed Umrah and Hajj in 2019, I gained more respect for the hijab. That's when I realized that religion or culture never comes in the way of your ambition. We can fulfill our dreams even by wearing hijab. Because hijab is not compulsory but a matter of choice.”
Haaequa adds, “Many people think that being religious means you can't live life as per your choice. I wanted to break this misconception. So I decided to wear my religious identity on my sleeves while pursuing my passion for trekking. That is how the concept of 'Hijabi Trekker' was born."
On her logo on her social media pages, she says, “There is a lot of respect for our tricolor. It is also a place of inspiration. Inspired by the three colors of the tricolor, I created my Hizbi Trekker logo.”
Speaking about her journey from a passion for sports to trekking, Hayka says, “I'm trying to prove myself through this. I want to show that Muslim women are also leading the way in sports. Today, my social media followers refer to me as Hizbi Trekker. Hijabi Haaequa has become my identity.”
When asked about the difficulties she faced in her early days of trekking as a woman, she says, “While trekking, you have to wear loose but skimpy clothes. But I feel comfortable in full body coverings. So that one thing bothered me, but luckily some companies in Kerala have marketed full-body clothing used during trekking. It solved the problems of many girls like me.”
She further says, “I have met a lot of girls who want to do trekking. However, when it comes to trekking by women, many people wonder about where they would stay. Sometimes, the trekkers may also carry their children. I mostly get such reactions, especially from Muslim families. While searching for answers to such questions, I thought that we should curate trekking groups for women."
Haaequa feels education is an important component of development and empowerment. Unfortunately, the level of education of Muslims in India especially in higher education is not very satisfactory. Although this society has been somewhat backward due to the lack of education, today it seems to be undergoing many positive changes.
Women face many problems due to lack of education. Therefore, Haaequa has expressed his strong opinion on the importance of education. "I got married in 2017," Haaequa adds, adding that women should be educated and empowered. Opinion I had to separate from my husband within a year of marriage. After that, I had to face the questions of relatives and society. The couple also started a huge court battle for divorce and that battle is still going on. I realized that this battle could not be fought effectively without knowing the law.”
She adds, “There are many laws for women in our country. But I did not know how to use those laws. So I decided to study law to fight my own battle effectively.”
Source: awazthevoice.in
https://www.awazthevoice.in/women-news/hijabi-trekker-haaequa-awati-began-by-exploring-forts-built-by-shivaji-maharaj-32234.html
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Iran Sentences Two Baha'i Women, for “Engaging in Activities Contrary to Islamic Principles”, to Ten Years in Prison
OCTOBER 24, 2024
The authorities of the Islamic Republic sentenced two members of the persecuted Baha'i religious minority to a total of ten years in prison.
Suzan EidMohammadzadegan and NioushaBadi’iSabt, each received a five-year sentence from Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in northern Babol, according to the Hengaw human rights organization.
The court convicted them of “engaging in educational and promotional activities contrary to Islamic principles.”
In addition to their prison terms, both women face an 18-month ban on participating in educational or training activities.
Security forces arrested the women on August 15, 2023, in Babol. After nearly a month in detention, they were released on bail on September 11, 2023, pending the outcome of their trial.
For decades, Baha'is have faced systematic discrimination in Iran, as the Islamic Republic does not recognize their faith.
The government often accuses Baha'is of being spies or opposing the regime, but the Baha'i International Community asserts that no evidence has been provided to support these claims.
In the past two years, the Iranian government has intensified its crackdown on members of the Baha'i faith, imprisoning dozens of them on spurious charges, denying them access to higher education and livelihoods, and confiscating or destroying their properties.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/bahais-of-iran/135359-iran-sentences-two-bahai-women-to-ten-years-in-prison/
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Why Christians Should Care about Anti-Hijab Laws in North America
10/23/2024
The West (International Christian Concern) – The idea of religious clothing is foreign to most nondenominational Western Christians. And I’m not referring to a graphic T-shirt sporting a (debatable) clever pun of a Bible verse.
Religious clothing, from a single article to an entire outfit, plays a profound and sacred role in many global religions (including in several Catholic and Orthodox denominations). Wearing these items is not merely a sign of passive affiliation but an act of faith-driven obedience.
Several Western states in Europe and France, however, have banished religious clothing in public to enforce secularism. While these laws can be applied to nearly every religion, they mostly affect Muslim women and their head and body coverings. The prominence (and on some occasions, targeting) of cases involving Islamic religious dress have earned these laws the nickname, “anti-hijab laws.” They are usually justified by the government’s interest in state security and secular government.
Why discuss these laws in a magazine from a Christian ministry dedicated to serving the persecuted church? Because anti-hijab laws most certainly affect the Western Church.
First, there are several cases of Christians who have been fired from government jobs for wearing a cross, specifically in England. Any law that can be used against one religion can be turned against another.
The Western legal tradition generally doesn’t distinguish between different faiths but lumps them all into a single broad category of “religion” or “belief.” A law that targets one religion inherently threatens all, including Christianity.
Second, these laws are migrating from Europe. The Canadian province of Quebec passed its own anti-hijab law in 2019 commonly referred to as “Bill 21.” This law banned the display of any religious affiliation by government employees. While Muslim women were most affected, the ban applies to Christian crosses, Jewish yarmulkes, and Sikh turbans, too. The law bars citizens of faith from public service if their faith is accompanied by any public display of that faith.
Finally, respecting the rights of people of different faiths is as old as the Old Testament. In Leviticus 19:33-34, God instructs the Israelites that, “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
In the same way the Israelites were told to “love” the stranger because they were once “strangers in the land of Egypt,” Christians in the West should remember our brothers and sisters overseas are often “strangers” in countries where other religions dominate. We should model and exemplify the same love and compassion we wish our brothers and sisters would receive overseas as modern strangers in the land of a global Egypt.
Source: persecution.org
https://www.persecution.org/2024/10/23/why-christians-should-care-about-anti-hijab-laws-in-north-america/
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China and other BRICS members call for lifting ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati
October 24, 2024
The leaders of China, Russia, and other BRICS member countries urged the Taliban on Wednesday to lift the ban on education for girls and women in Afghanistan.
In the declaration of the 16th BRICS Summit, the leaders stressed the importance of securing the fundamental rights of Afghan citizens, including women, girls, and different ethnic groups within the country.
The declaration highlighted the urgent need for uninterrupted humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan and called on the Taliban to revoke the ban on secondary and higher education for girls.
BRICS leaders emphasized the need for “more visible and verifiable actions in Afghanistan” to ensure that terrorists do not use Afghanistan’s territory.
The declaration expressed the group’s support for Afghanistan as an independent, united, and peaceful country free from terrorism, war, and narcotics.
BRICS reiterated the importance of regional platforms and neighboring countries in resolving Afghanistan’s issues and welcomed regional initiatives to facilitate peace.
The 16th BRICS Summit, attended by 36 countries and six international organizations, began on Tuesday, October 23, in Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and will continue until Thursday, October 25.
This report underscores the growing global concern over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, especially the restrictions imposed on the education of Afghan girls. The BRICS leaders’ call for lifting the ban reflects international pressure on the Taliban to respect fundamental human rights.
The plight of Afghan girls remains a grave issue, as they are deprived of education and essential freedoms. Without immediate intervention and substantial efforts from both regional and global actors, the future of countless Afghan girls remains uncertain, denying them their right to knowledge and a better future.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/china-and-other-brics-members-call-for-lifting-ban-on-girls-education-in-afghanistan/
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Celebrating Lebanon County’s Outstanding Women in History
Oct 24, 2024
LEBANON, Pa. — A recent collaboration between the Lebanon County Historical Society and Lebanon County’s Commission for Women has resulted in a special exhibit highlighting the accomplishments of Lebanon County women — some well-known and others unsung.
Located in the historical society’s front parlor, the exhibit kicked off with an opening reception on Sept. 26 and will run through Women’s History Month in March 2025.
The commission approached the historical society with the concept back in February 2024. Eight categories of achievement were selected — the arts, politics, sports, education, philanthropy, women in war, medicine and business. Then began the difficult task of determining the most prominent female contributors in each group, from the county’s earliest history through present day.
Some of the women featured were from the local area but rose to prominence on a larger stage — literally in the case of Newmanstown sisters Helen and Josephine Yeiser.
Known professionally as the Trix Sisters, the singers became an internationally-known vaudeville act in the early decades of the 20th century, headlining in places such as the Hippodrome in Nottingham, England, in December 1922.
They popularized novelty songs like “A to Z” and “League of Notions,” and in the process they performed for the British royal family, becoming friends with King Edward VIII. The exhibit includes a recording of the sisters singing one of their songs from 1929.
Mary Jane Zimmerman, a gym teacher at Cedar Crest High School and Lebanon Junior High, excelled in playing field hockey. In 1968, she was among the first female field hockey referees authorized to officiate both national and international matches.
After being hired as a secretary by Bethlehem Steel in 1940, Edith Irons Schanbacher eventually went on to serve as superintendent of Bethlehem Steel’s Cornwall Railroad, the railroad’s highest-ranking position. She is believed to be the only woman in America to hold such a position at the time, reporting directly to the corporation’s vice president of railroads.
Schanbacher was also considered Cornwall Railroad’s only female engineer after being invited to take the controls of an ore train while she was making an inspection tour of the railway line.
Doris Long, who came to Lebanon County as a professor of English at Lebanon Valley College, rose to prominence as president of Lebanon’s chapter of the Pennsylvania Woman Suffrage Association.
When the Women’s Liberty Bell came to Lebanon in December 1915, Long spoke to those in attendance. The traveling exhibit displayed a replica of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, with its clapper chained to symbolize women had no voice in the electoral process at that time.
Rose Adams Grumbine is remembered for her 1890 founding of the first women’s club in Lebanon, the Harmonia Circle. Grumbine was a music teacher and principal of the music department at Myerstown’s Palatinate College.
It was a widowed Lebanon native, Elizabeth ShindelHutter, who in 1853 founded Philadelphia’s Northern Home for Friendless Children and headed it as president for 42 years.
She also left her mark during the Civil War era, when she raised the remarkable sum of $250,000 for the 1861 Great Sanitary Fair in Philadelphia.
Hutter later became the first woman who traveled to aid the wounded following the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. In 1867, Pennsylvania’s governor appointed her as the Soldiers’ Orphans Schools’ first inspector. She was included in the 1931 Book of Honor of Notable Pennsylvania Women.
The 1925 teaching contract between Martha Kreider and the South Annville Township board of school directors is on display. It reflects her annual salary of $720, as well as the condition that her employment would be discontinued if she were to marry, which applied only to female teachers.
Lebanon County women were involved in military-related activities dating back as far as the Revolutionary War, when Rosina Kucher Orth made clothing for the ill-clad Continental Army.
Another Lebanon County woman, Elizabeth Meier Reily, daughter of Myerstown’s founder, Isaac Meier, contributed to that same war effort. She accompanied her husband to Valley Forge to clothe and cook for the Continental Army’s troops during the brutal 1777-78 winter they spent there.
Fast forwarding to the American Civil War, Amelia Karch sewed a 34-star American flag, which was carried into battle at Gettysburg. Along with other members of the local Women’s Aid Society, Karch also helped feed hungry Union troops passing through Lebanon.
Working at the Middletown Air Depot during World War II, Lorraine ShaakKoons was a “Rosie the Riveter” who helped repair aircraft that had been damaged by enemy fire. She worked on a crew with four men fixing bombers, cargo planes and fighter planes.
Deborah Norris Coleman Brock, a member of Lebanon County’s wealthy Coleman family, contributed financially to worthy causes such as the founding of Lebanon’s Good Samaritan Hospital around 1889.
She was also a founder of the Lebanon Woman’s Club as well as organizer of the Girl’s Friendly Society and Lebanon’s chapter of the Needlework Guild of America. Surprisingly, she was not a proponent of giving women the right to vote; rather, she served as president of Pennsylvania’s Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage.
The Brock family’s seamstress, Florence “Mildred” Gardner, is also highlighted in the historical society’s exhibit.
An example of Gardner’s accomplished handiwork, an elegant evening gown adorned with decorative beading, is on display. Living in the Brock mansion located in what is now Lebanon’s Coleman Park, Gardner became almost like a family member.
She later moved to Philadelphia with the widowed Pauline Biddle Brock and became Brock’s traveling companion.
The story of nurse Lillian G. Light is one of service and sadness. The Lebanon native moved to Blair County but came home in 1902 to assist with a smallpox outbreak. She succumbed to sepsis just nine years later at age 37 after she was bitten by a patient.
Born in 1794, Mary Martin “Granny” Forney of Annville was twice married — once widowed and once divorced. A woman on her own with children, she supported them with a day job working for neighbors, then made cake and beer at night to sell.
“Granny Forney’s Cake and Beer Shop,” a book by her grandson, Thomas Stein, tells her story and includes some of her recipes. It’s available in the historical society’s library.
Hannah Royer began raising African violets on a windowsill in her home during the Great Depression as a way to raise extra money.
She and her husband, Lester, eventually acquired greenhouses, and around 1945, they repurposed their garage to serve as a flower shop.
The resulting business was primarily run by Hannah. What started out as Royer’s Southside Flower Shop in Lebanon has grown into Royer’s Flowers & Gifts, a family-run business with multiple locations.
This sampling of prominent women from Lebanon County’s past is just a portion of those highlighted in the historical society’s exhibit at its headquarters, 924 Cumberland St.
Source: lancasterfarming.com
https://www.lancasterfarming.com/country-life/antiques-and-history/celebrating-lebanon-county-s-outstanding-women-in-history/article_21b8238d-af2e-5eed-9996-4c3a0f42bf73.html
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/khalilah-ali-boxing-legend-kabul/d/133533