‘Khula absolute, not subject to husband’s will’ — Kerala HC on Muslim woman’s right to divorce
New
Age Islam News Bureau
04 November 2022
•
Husband can reject Khula demand: Muslim
Personal Law Board
•
Taliban Arrests Women Human Rights Activists and Journalists in Afghan Capital
•
Syrian girl takes up role of teacher in absence of school in refugee camp
•
Mumbai: Suspended women's wing convener resigns from AIMPLB working committee
•
The Kerala Story teaser narrates tragic tale of 32,000 women abducted,
converted to Islam and sold as sex slaves to ISIS
•
UAE men and women claim four more medals at Jiu-Jitsu World Championship
•
Saudi princess says young people want to design their own future
•
Al-Baroudi wins two swimming gold medals in Saudi Games
•
US to seek Iran’s ouster from UN’s top rights body Commission on the Status of
Women
•
Pakistan: Women in Karachi afraid of city’s transport options due to safety
concerns
•
GB women call new bus service boon to ‘commute’ worries
•
Women play vital role in development of country: Ahsan Iqbal
•
U.S. provides seed funding to women entrepreneurs for growing business
•
Women and Justice Summit by Türkiye’s KADEM focuses on cultural codes
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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‘Khula
absolute, not subject to husband’s will’ — Kerala HC on Muslim woman’s right to
divorce
REWATI
KARAN
3
November, 2022
Kerala
High Court | Commons
--------
New
Delhi: A Muslim woman has the absolute right to terminate her marriage at will
and does not need her husband’s consent for it, held the Kerala High Court last
week, while dismissing a review petition filed by a man challenging the divorce
granted to his wife, under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act,1939.
The
verdict comes even as the discourse on introducing a Uniform Civil Code — to
bring in uniformity in the personal laws regulating succession, inheritance,
adoption, marriage, divorce, maintenance and alimony, for all religious groups
in the country — is gathering strength.
“We
declared that the right to terminate the marriage at the instance of a Muslim
wife is an absolute right, conferred on her by the holy Quran and is not
subject to the acceptance or the will of her husband,” said the division bench
of Justice A. MuhamedMustaque and C.D. Dias, of the Kerala High Court.
In
an order last week, the court noted that Muslim women have the extra-judicial
option of calling off the marriage “unilaterally” and went on to observe that
the husband’s petition against the divorce was not “innocuous” and appeared to
have been filed at the behest of “Muslim clergies and hegemonic masculinity”.
“This
is a typical review portraying that Muslim women are subordinate to the will of
their male counterparts. This review does not look innocuous at the instance of
the appellant, but rather appears to have been fashioned and supported by
clergies and the hegemonic masculinity of the Muslim community who are unable
to digest the declaration of the right of Muslim women to resort to the
extra-judicial divorce of khula, unilaterally,” observed the court.
The
review petition was directed against a divorce granted to a Muslim woman by the
Kerala High Court in 2020.
Dismissing
the review petition, the Kerala high court bench cited the three conditions to
hold khula, or the termination of marriage by a woman, valid — a declaration of
repudiation or termination of marriage by the wife, an offer to return dower or
any other material gain received by her during marital tie and that an
effective attempt for reconciliation was preceded before the declaration of
khula.
‘Court
in our country not guardian of an adult and able woman’
According
to the judgment, advocate Hussain C.S. — who was present in court at the time
of the proceedings and whom the court had allowed to submit arguments in favour
of the petitioner — said that if the husband refuses to pronounce talaq on the
request of the wife, a qadi (or qazi, magistrate or judge of a Sharia court)
has the power to pronounce talaq, and in the absence of a qadi, the modern
courts can exercise the power of a qadi, who can act as a conciliator, mediator
and also as guardian.
To
this, the court noted that qadi cannot be equated with a court in the modern
state, but it is to be analysed for what purpose the woman has to move the
court when the Islamic law acknowledged that the Muslim wife has the right to
demand termination of marriage.
“The
argument that if the husband refuses, she has to move court stares at us. For
what purpose she has to move the court, begs the question,” observed the court.
The
bench added: “The court in our country is not a guardian of an adult and able
woman. If there is nothing for a court to adjudicate, the court cannot assume
the role of a guardian and pronounce termination of marriage at the instance of
a woman.”
However,
in the absence of any mechanism in the country to recognise the termination of
marriage at the instance of the wife when the husband refuses to give consent,
the court said, it can simply hold that khula can be invoked without the
conjunction of the husband.
‘Court
won’t surrender to the opinions of the Islamic clergy’
The
petitioner’s counsel argued that though a Muslim woman has a right to demand
divorce of her own will, she does not have the absolute right to pronounce
khula, like the right of her counterpart (husband) to pronounce talaq.
According
to the judgment, the petitioner’s counsel further claimed that nowhere in the
world is a Muslim wife “allowed to unilaterally terminate the marriage” and
that the court is also “not competent to decide on religious beliefs and
pratices and should follow the opinion of Islamic scholars”.
The
division bench of Mustaque and Dias held, however, that it cannot rely upon
Islamic clergy who have no legal training or knowledge in legal sciences to
decide on a point of law.
“The
courts are manned by trained legal minds. The court shall not surrender to the
opinions of the Islamic clergy, who have no legal training on the point of
law,” stated the judgment.
It
added that the high court had relied on Chapter II, verse 229, of the Quran,
where the right of a Muslim wife has been explicitly referred to, and said that
this “legal conundrum” is not an isolated one, but has evolved over the years.
It
observed that this was the result of “the scholars of Islamic studies, who have
no training in legal sciences who started to elucidate on the point of law in
Islam, on a mixture of belief and practice (sic).”
Khula
— Muslim woman’s right to end marriage at will
To
hold that the Islamic laws recognise Muslim women’s right to end marriage at
will without the husband’s consent, the division bench of Justices Mustaque and
Dias cited verses from the Quran and made an attempt to distinguish between
Hadith (narration of the conduct of Prophet Muhammad in any situation) and
Sunnah (the law deduced from it).
Referring
to the Hadith, the petitioner claimed that the Prophet has prescribed a
procedure for divorce according to which the husband has to pronounce talaq on
the demand of the wife.
The
petitioner’s counsel further argued that khula is legally effective only when
the husband accepts the wife’s offer of payment of dower and divorces her and
that all Muslim scholars are unanimous in their opinion that khula is a divorce
by mutual consent with the acceptance of the husband being an essential element
for a valid khula.
“We
are called upon to decide as to the true procedure to be followed for divorce
at the instance of the wife (khula),” the court said. For this, the court said
it is important to make a distinction between Hadith and Sunnah.
The
court said general law cannot be made from a procedure adopted in a particular
situation, but has to be understood from the purport of the authority given and
not with reference to the situation or circumstances under which it was
exercised. “That procedure adopted in a particular situation cannot itself be
made a general law relating to khula while analysing the right of the wife to obtain
divorce,” it said.
“The
Quranic verse relating to khula found in Chapter 2, verse 229, in unequivocal
terms, declares that a Muslim wife has the right to terminate her marriage,”
the bench held.
It
added: “The will of the wife so expressed cannot be related to the will of the
husband who has not expressed his choice to terminate the marriage.”
Source:ThePrint
--------
Husband
can reject Khula demand: Muslim Personal
Law Board
Ziya
Us Salam
NOVEMBER
03, 2022
The
husband reserves the right to accept or reject a woman’s demand for Khula, says
board in the wake of Kerala HC verdict
In
a move likely to have far reaching ramifications, the All India Muslim Personal
Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday pronounced that a Muslim woman does not enjoy a
unilateral right to end her marriage through Khula. According to the Board, the
husband reserves the right to accept or reject her demand for Khula.
In
a statement, the Board stated “ Khula is dependent on both husband and wife
agreeing to end marriage after a woman initiates the proposal”. “If the man
does not agree to Khula, the woman has the right to go in for faskh or judicial
divorce,“ Khalid SaifullahRehmani, general secretary, AIMPLB, stated.
The
Board’s response comes in the wake of Kerala High Court verdict earlier this
week wherein the court reiterated its stand of a Muslim woman’s right to end
marriage through Khula, a man enjoying no right to withhold his consent.
Justice A. MuhamedMustaque and Justice C.S. Dias stated, “In the absence of any
mechanism in the country to recognize the termination of marriage at the
instance of the wife when the husband refuses to give consent, the court can
simply hold that Khula can be invoked without the conjunction of the husband.
This is a typical review portraying that Muslim women are subordinate to the
will of their male counterparts. This review doesn’t look innocuous at the
instance of the appellant but rather appears to have been fashioned and
supported by clergies and the hegemonic masculinity of the Muslim community who
are unable to digest the declaration of the right of Muslim women to resort to
the extrajudicial divorce of Khula, unilaterally.”
The
Board accused the court of exceeding its brief. “The court was supposed to take
a call on the basis of the Shariah Application Act, 1937. Unfortunately, the
court seemed to exceed its brief on interpretation of the law. The court has no
authority to add to or amend the law.“
According
to Mr. Rehmani, a Muslim marriage can be ended through three ways, notably
Talaq, pronounced by man, Khula initiated by a woman and Faskh, judicial
divorce.
Incidentally,
in the ongoing Talaq-e-Hassan case, the Supreme Court had made an oral
observation, drawing a parallel between Khula and Talaq-e-Hassan stating that
just as a woman enjoys unilateral right to Khula, a man too has a unilateral
right to give Talaq-e-Hassan.
The
Board, however, insists that man has the final word in case of Khula which is
an instant form of divorce right available to a Muslim woman.
Source:TheHindu
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/aimplb-opposes-unilateral-khula/article66087788.ece
--------
Taliban
Arrests Women Human Rights Activists and Journalists in Afghan Capital
By
SaqalainEqbal
November
3, 2022
The
Taliban detained women journalists and human rights activists, as well as four
men, from a press conference in west Kabul, the Afghan capital, disrupting the
event and taking them to an undisclosed place.
According
to sources, the Taliban arrested women journalists and activists in Kabul,
including ZarifaYaqoubi, one of the demonstrators who attended a press
conference announcing the formation of the Afghan Women’s Movement for
Equality, on Thursday, November 3.
The
gun-wielding Taliban forces including women police officers invaded a women’s
press conference held in Dasht-e-Barchi, a Hazara neighborhood in west Kabul,
arbitrarily arresting women activists, journalists, and their male colleagues,
sources told Khaama Press.
A
source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that the Taliban
initially encircled the premises before intrusively disrupting the press
conference held by women, forcibly arresting them and taking their mobile
phones.
One
of the women detained by the Taliban was ZarifaYaqoubi, a member of the
Movement of Change for Afghanistan’s executive council, the country’s first
political party to be headed by a woman, FawziaKoofi, the former member of the
Lower House of the bicameral Afghan parliament.
The
Taliban’s arbitrary detention of journalists and human rights advocates in
Afghanistan has outraged Afghan civil society and the media, which has demanded
both their immediate release and an end to the group’s persecution of them.
FawziaKoofi,
the founder of the Movement of Change for Afghanistan political party, and one
of the members of the Afghan Peace Negotiation Delegation, in response to the
Taliban’s latest arrest, stated that the “Taliban must be held accountable for
the arbitrary arrest of women human rights activist in Afghanistan.”
“This
must end; women have the right to exercise their civic and social
participation. More pressure will result in more resistance. Don’t push people
to make hard choices,” Koofi added.
The
South Asia Campaigner for Amnesty International, Samira Hamidi, also reacted to
the Taliban’s arrests by tweeting, “Another act of HR violation & abuse.
Lack of accountability has enabled Taliban to continue with these violations
confidently.”
An
official statement from the Movement of Change for Afghanistan party also
demanded Yaqoubi’s immediate release. “We expect Ms. Yaqoubi and her colleagues
to be released as soon as possible. We demand an end to arbitrary arrests of
protesting women by the Taliban,” the statement reads.
Recognizing
journalists as the “bedrock” of an independent press, a statement from the US
Department of State on The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against
Journalists, November 2, called for justice for courageous journalists across
the world.
The
statement demanded further action by the international community against
violent assaults, legal claims of intimidation, transnational repression, and
regulatory pressures on journalists that muzzle media and information
dissemination.
According
to Reporters Without Borders, only 328 of the 547 media outlets that were
active in Afghanistan prior to the Taliban’s takeover are still operating, with
219 print, visual, and aural outlets being shut down under the Taliban rule.
This
comes since the Taliban’s assumption of power in mid-August last year, with
what the analysts call a “brain drain” in Afghanistan, many skilled journalists
and media professionals were forced to leave the country, in fear of
persecution.
The
Taliban’s arbitrary detentions and draconian measures and edicts imposed on
Afghan women have significantly contributed to the already-diminishing number
of women’s presence in the media.
Source:
Khaama Press
--------
Syrian
girl takes up role of teacher in absence of school in refugee camp
Omer
Koparan and EthemEmreOzcan
03.11.2022
AFRIN,
Syria
A
10-year-old girl teaches her peers how to read and write, math, and Quranic
recitation inside a tent-cum-classroom in northern Syria.
Meryem
Ahmed along with her mother had to take refuge in the Rahmet Camp in the
central city of Afrin after losing her father in a 2017 attack by Syria’s
Bashar al-Assad regime in Idlib.
At
the Rahmet camp, there is no teacher or school where children can continue
their education. So Meryem turned one of the tents into a classroom where she
teaches 20 children whatever she learned at the school in Idlib.
Meryem,
who wants to be a teacher when she grows up, told Anadolu Agency that her
father was killed in an airstrike when he was on his way to pick her from
school.
“My
school completely disappeared before my eyes. I can never forget that day,” she
said, talking about an airstrike on her school. “Here, I turned this tent into
a school and I support my friends.”
She
said her education was interrupted after her school was bombed and she does not
want her friends to lag behind in education because of their circumstances.
According
to Meryem, her peers have never gone to school before. In her makeshift classroom,
Meryem says she tries to give her friends “the joy of school.”
“I
told myself: ‘I will teach my friends everything I know',” she added.
One
of Meryem’s students, 11-year-old MuhammedAslan said that regime forces also
targeted his school in Idlib.
"We
moved to Afrin with my family. There is no school in this camp and I fall
behind in school,” he said. “Later, I learned that there is a teacher here.”
Muhammed
was expecting an older teacher, he said. “I was surprised when I saw that the
teacher was almost my age. Teacher Meryem is supporting us.”
“We
don’t have any desk in the classroom or any equipment. But I want to be a
doctor when I grow up,” he said.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
--------
Mumbai:
Suspended women's wing convener resigns from AIMPLB working committee
Ashutosh
M Shukla
November
04, 2022
Dr.
Asma Zehra | YouTube screengrab
----------
Mumbai:
DrAsmaZehra, convenor of the suspended women’s wing of the All India Muslim
Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), quit its working committee on Oct 23, saying she
was treated “unjustly”, “not given a fair trial”, and that “activities of women
are being curtailed in the name of unity”.
FPJ
had reported about the suspension of the women's wing in its October 23, 2022
edition. Hyderabad-based Dr. Zehra had stated that differences over the
approach to be taken for the Hijab issue had led to the suspension of the wing
even before the matter had reached court. While the wing wanted to send a
delegation to the aggrieved sisters in Udipi, the Board was of the view that it
was being raked up for political mileage and electoral benefits in UP
elections.
In
her letter to the board's president Maulana Syed RabeyHasaniNadvi, Dr. Zehra
mentions that she was invited to a meeting in Delhi by the general secretary of
the Board, Maulana Khalid SaifullahRahmani in which she was told that she is
responsible for the "damage caused to AIMPLB, its image and
reputation". She was then forced to give an apology.
"When
they called me, I thought they were sincere regarding the issue. But some were
only concerned why we have an objection to suspension because it was they who
formed it. They had an issue with why I informed them about the suspension of
the wing on social media. We made that account during Covid. While making the
social media account, they had come for the inauguration. Now they had a
problem with it. The grassroots women who were not members but associated were
asking about the issue. I had to tell them. When they say boundaries are
crossed, all we ask is to tell us what these boundaries are," said Dr.
Zehra while talking to FPJ.
FPJ
tried contacting MaulanaRahmani, but the person who answered the phone said he
was travelling and would not be able to speak.
Source:
FreePressJournal
https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-suspended-womens-wing-convener-resigns-from-aimplb
--------
The
Kerala Story teaser narrates tragic tale of 32,000 women abducted, converted to
Islam and sold as sex slaves to ISIS
Nov
4, 2022
Adah
Sharma
----------
The
teaser of Adah Sharma's upcoming film, The Kerala Story, is out and it narrates
the story of 32,000 women, who went missing in Kerala, were converted to Islam
and was sold as ISIS slaves. The teaser portrays Adah as a converted Muslim
woman Fatima Ba.
In
the clip, Fatima Ba (played by Adah Sharma) narrates her ordeal of how she
wanted to become a nurse to help humanity but was abducted from her home and
turned into an ISIS terrorist.
The
film, helmed by SudiptoSen, shows the heartbreaking story of a terrorist
organisation that manipulates women to turn them into terrorists.
The
teaser opens with Adah's character saying, "My name was
ShaliniUnnikrishnan and I wanted to become a nurse and serve humanity. Now I am
Fatima Ba, an Islamic State terrorist in jail in Afghanistan. I am not alone.
There are 32,000 girls like me who have been converted and buried in the
deserts of Syria and Yemen. A deadly game is being played to convert normal
girls into dreaded terrorists in Kerala and that too in the open. Is there
nobody to stop them? This is my story and the story of those 32,000 girls. This
is The Kerala Story."
The
teaser is quite impactful with a very real and unbiased narrative of events
that shook Kerala.
In
July 2018, a case was registered against two persons for allegedly helping
Muhammad Riyaz convert a woman and attempting to sell her off as a sex slave in
Syria. The woman claimed that she was forced to take a training programme at a
Madrasa in Bengaluru.
During
the same year, Kerala police busted a major case in which a girl was forcibly
converted to Islam. The police said that she was tricked into marriage after
being converted to Islam and her husband tried to sell her as a sex slave to
ISIS.
Source:TimesNowNews
--------
UAE
men and women claim four more medals at Jiu-Jitsu World Championship
November
04, 2022
ABU
DHABI: The UAE jiu-jitsu national team enjoyed another standout performance on
the sixth day of the Jiu-Jitsu World Championship, clinching four more medals,
including one gold, one silver and two bronze.
In
the adult competitions held at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena at Zayed Sports City, the
team, sponsored by Mubadala Investment Company, improved their tally to 29
medals in total.
Khaled
Al-Shehhi grab gold in the all-Emirati final in the 62kg weight class while
Omar Al-Fadhli secured silver. They were joined on the podium by Hessa
Al-Shamsi (48kg) and Saeed Al-Kubaisi (85kg) with bronze medals.
Praising
the UAE national jiu-jitsu team’s performance, Youssef Al Batran, board member
of the UAEJJF, said: “We are proud of this generation of champions who shows
the highest levels of commitment, self-confidence and lack of fear of
opponents, as they take on the mighty rivals from different parts of the world.
The willpower and determination of our athletes are unparalleled. They have the
uncompromising desire to improve the nation’s medal tally and retain the
title.”
Marwan
Ali Al-Kaabi noted that the championship provided the ideal environment for
both the players and the spectators.
“As
the UAEJJF’s partners, we have pledged to promote the sport that is becoming
more and more popular among the Emirati community and all over the world. We
will not hesitate to provide any form of support for the advancement of
jiu-jitsu in the country and consolidating Abu Dhabi’s position as the global
capital of the sport,” he said.
Al-Shehhi’s
gold victory enhanced the national team’s prospects of retaining the World
Championship title won last year.
“It
is an amazing tournament. I am glad I could win all five fights today. I feel
so proud to represent the UAE in the World Championship and win the medal. I
met my friend Omar Al-Fadhli in the final. I want to congratulate him for the
top-notch performance today,” said Al-Shehhi after winning the gold.
Al-Fadhli,
who is competing in his first world championship after earning the blackbelt,
said: “I am incredibly proud of my brother Khaled for his outstanding
performance today; he truly deserves the medal. The UAE is the ultimate winner.
I am so grateful to everyone who has stood with us during this journey. I want
to dedicate this medal to the visionary leadership of the UAE. Their limitless
support is the best inspiration for us to move forward.”
Christopher
Mueller, coach of the German jiu-jitsu team, predicted that his team will
finish among the top three nations as the competition nears its conclusion. “My
team is performing incredibly well; as of right now, we are ranked third in the
world championship’s overall medal count. We all work as a team, strive to
better ourselves, have fun together, and the teamwork is producing the intended
outcomes.” he said.
“As
a jiu-jitsu practitioner, I couldn’t be happier with how the sport of jiu-jitsu
is growing.
If
you compare the sport with where it was a few years ago and where it is now,
you can see the change,” he added.
Similar
sentiments were also voiced by the coach for Greece, DimitriosMarinakis, who
praised the organizers for delivering such a “fantastic event.”
“The
Greece team is clearly on fire; they were great on the mats and won numerous
gold medals. Abu Dhabi is, honestly, a terrific host city, I’m delighted we
came here. We are expecting that the team will do well in the following
competitions and win more medals” he said.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2193556/sport
--------
Saudi
princess says young people want to design their own future
Mariam
Nihal
Nov
04, 2022
Saudi
Princess Nourah Al Faisal has said young people in the kingdom are eager to
take control of their future in new and inventive ways.
“They
want to create a new world and they want to do it yesterday; they do not want
to wait,” Princess Nourah told The National at Tanween, an annual event that
focuses on creativity and design through workshops and activities.
The
jewellery designer and entrepreneur also emphasised the importance of teamwork
for the country's future.
“The
old ways of working in silos and competing with each other, this is a dead way
of thinking. It causes failure and there is no time for that or to slow down.
We must create a new world.”
Collaboration
is this year's theme for Tanween, which is organised by the King Abdulaziz
Centre for World Culture, better known as Ithra, which means “enrichment” in
Arabic.
“Collaboration
is the single most important thing we can do excel,” Princess Nourah said.
As
the founding designer and owner of the Paris-based Nuun Jewels, she spoke at
Tanween about her experiences and said a dynamic new landscape in Saudi Arabia
had made it easier for women to lead their lives and run businesses.
Looking
back on her career, she said becoming a designer “wasn't a first choice or an
option”. It was a step she took when she was well into her thirties.
Younger
women have better chances in today's Saudi Arabia, Princess Nourah said, giving
the example of her niece.
“My
12-year-old niece asked me how she can become an interior designer. This is not
how it was when I was growing up, and it fills me with hope,” she said.
“My
goal is for people to walk out as individuals and to look at their work and
home life, aspirations, dreams and understand what their goals are.”
Princess
Nourah said young Saudis were also playing a big role in Vision 2030, a
programme of economic and social changes intended to reduce the kingdom's
reliance on it vast oil wealth.
“The
country's youth are so hungry [to achieve],” she said. “It's amazing.”
Source:
TheNationalNews
--------
Al-Baroudi
wins two swimming gold medals in Saudi Games
November
04, 2022
RIYADH
— Kawthar Al-Baroudi has won two gold medals in the women’s swimming
competitions, which were held on Wednesday at the Aquatics Hall of the Prince
Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex as part of the Saudi Games 2022, being held in
the capital city.
In
the women’s 50-meter freestyle competition, Al-Baroudi bagged the first
position and the gold medal in 29:29 seconds, followed by Hana Jaber in second
place with a time of 30.01 seconds, and Mashael Al-Ayed won the bronze medal
with a time of 30.70 seconds. Al-Baroudi won her second gold in the women’s 50m
breaststroke competition, recording a time of 38:20 seconds. Maryam Mustafa
came in second with a time of 39:37 seconds, and Mashael Al-Ayed placed third
with a time of 41:00.
A
total of 32 male and female players representing 13 clubs are participating in
the badminton competitions that started at the Leaders Preparation Institute at
Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex on Wednesday. The women’s volleyball
group stage competitions continued at Al-Hilal Club Hall, where Phoenix
defeated Al-Ittihad 3-0, while Al-Hilal defeated Esperance 3-0. In the men’s
competitions, Al-Ibtisam defeated Al-Nasr 3-0, and Al-Ahli defeated Al-Ittihad
3-0. score.
In
the handball competitions held in the King Saud University Hall, Al-Khaleej
defeated Al-Qarrah 31-28, while Mudar tied with Al-Zulfi 27-27. In the tennis
quarter-finals, held at the headquarters of the Saudi Tennis Federation,
Suleiman Al-Qasim, Saud Al-Haqbani, Ammar Al-Haqbani, and Rakan Al-Qaoud
emerged winners in the men’s singles competitions while Yara Al-Haqbani and Sarah
Al-Obaidan advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s competitions.
Riyadh
Emir Prince Faisal bin Bandar opened the first edition of the Saudi Games at
King Fahd International Stadium on Oct. 28. Minister of Sports and Chairman of
the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal
also attended the inaugural ceremony of the biggest Saudi national sporting
event, which will conclude on Nov. 7.
The
Saudi Games competitions are being held in 22 sports facilities in Riyadh, with
the participation of more than 6000 male and female athletes, competing in 45
sports events, including five events dedicated to the Paralympic Games, under
which 180 sports competitions fall. Around 2000 technical and administrative
supervisors are involved in organizing the event.
The
participating athletes will be motivated to provide their highest performance
by allocating the highest prizes in the history of the Gulf region, with a
total of more than SR200 million. The gold medal winner in any game will get
SR1 million, while the silver medalist will receive SR300,000, and the bronze
winner will get SR100,000. The first edition of the Saudi Games 2022 aims to
increase the popularity of various games in the Kingdom and to achieve an ideal
sports environment for competition among athletes in various sports.
It
also seeks to raise the level of Saudi Arabia’s capabilities to organize major
sporting events in order to achieve the targets of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
--------
US
to seek Iran’s ouster from UN’s top rights body Commission on the Status of
Women
November
03, 2022
UNITED
NATIONS: The United States has announced
it will seek to oust Iran from the UN’s premiere global body fighting for
gender equality because of its violation of the rights of women and girls and
its ongoing crackdown on demonstrators who took to the streets in September
after the death of a 22-year-old woman taken into custody by the morality
police.
Vice-President
Kamala Harris made the announcement of the US intention to work with other
countries to remove Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women, saying no
nation that abuses women’s rights “should play a role in any international or
United Nations body charged with protecting these very same rights.’’
She
said Iran is “unfit’’ to serve on the commission and its presence “discredits
the integrity’’ of its work.
At
an informal meeting of the UN Security Council later Wednesday on the protests
in Iran, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield added that Iran’s membership “is
an ugly stain on the commission’s credibility’’ and “in our view it cannot
stand.’’
Established
in 1946, the Commission on the Status of Women plays a leading role in
promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives around the
world and shaping global standards to empower women and achieve gender
equality. It’s 45 members, from all regions of the world, are elected for
four-year terms by the UN Economic and Social Council. Iran was elected from
the Asian region and its term ends in 2026.
Thomas-Greenfield
said that “while Iran’s systematic oppression of women is not new, thanks to
the bravery of the Iranian people, the regime’s abuses have been brought to the
fore.’’
The
nationwide protests first erupted over the September 16 death of 22-year-old
MahsaAmini in the custody of the country’s morality police. She was detained
for allegedly violating Iran’s strict dress code for women, accused of wearing
her headscarf improperly.
Although
the protests first focused on Iran’s mandatory headscarf, or hijab, they have
since transformed into a campaign for women’s rights and one of the greatest
challenges to the ruling clerics since the chaotic years following the 1979
Islamic Revolution.
Before
the Security Council meeting, Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saied Iravani read a
statement accusing the United States “a disinformation campaign in a blatant
hypocrisy,’’ and of interfering in the country’s internal affairs in violation
of the UN Charter.
He
claimed that Iran “has always been and continues to be committed to the
promotion and protection of human rights.’’ He added that “Every government is
responsible to protect its people against insecurity and violent and terrorist
acts, and upholding law and order, and Iran is no exception.’’ He refused to
answer any questions.
At
the informal council meeting, Prof. JavaidRehman, the UN special investigator
on human rights in Iran, called the situation since Sept. 16 an unfortunate
reflection of the impunity and absence of accountability for rights violations
in the country.
“Women
and girls in Iran have for decades been brutalised,’’ he said.
Rehman
called for “the prompt establishment of an independent investigative mechanism
to investigate all human rights violations leading up to and since the death of
MahsaAmini.’’
Thomas-Greenfield
said the United States strongly supports his call “for an independent,
international investigation to hold Iranian officials accountable for the
violence we’re seeing.’’
Source:GulfNews
--------
Pakistan:
Women in Karachi afraid of city’s transport options due to safety concerns
3
November, 2022
Karachi
[Pakistan], November 3 (ANI): Women in Karachi are afraid of utilizing the
city’s transport options due to a spike in incidents of molestation in cabs,
and rickshaws.
Describing
the grim situation of Karachi regarding transport, a woman, Hira said, “I get
free from work around 9.30 pm and all the buses and minibuses available in the
afternoon are long gone by that time,” as she lamented her plight, reported The
Express Tribune.
Another
woman, Khalida Begum, who is a housemaid and works in Nazimabad and Karimabad
in Pakistan stated that the situation of roads in Karachi with no security
worries them.
“I
have to wait for a rickshaw which has a majority of female passengers as male
passengers make me worry for my safety,” she said.
However,
refuting the claims, the President of the Karachi Transport Ittehad,
IrshadBukhari, said that women prefer buses and minibuses because they have
reserved seats for women. Somehow, the statements of women victims describe a
different picture.
According
to The Express Tribune, advisor to Chief Minister Sindh, Waqar Mehdi, when
asked if the government planned on addressing the plight of women by
introducing female-friendly public transport, said, “the government was trying
to solve public transport problems for everyone in Karachi.”
Pakistan’s
Global Gender Gap Index has worsened over time. In 2017, Pakistan ranked 143,
slipping to 148 in 2018.
According
to the last year’s ‘Global Gender Gap Report 2021’, Pakistan ranked 153 out of
156 countries on the gender parity index, that is, among the last four.
The
country’s situation has become more conservative and only worsened over time.
(ANI)
Source:ThePrint
--------
GB
women call new bus service boon to ‘commute’ worries
November
4, 2022
GILGIT:
Commute was one of the biggest challenges faced by Fazila, a student of
Karakoram International University in Gilgit, who had to reach for her class in
the morning.
However,
since the government started a dedicated bus service to facilitate female
travellers, her concerns for a safe and secure mode of transportation have been
allayed significantly.
“With
the start of this service, we can travel in a safe environment from home to
university,” she told Dawn.
She
was one of many women travellers who are using the ‘pink bus service’
introduced by the Gilgit-Baltistan government in October.
Working
women and female students have hailed the service, saying that it has solved
their transportation issues.
Although
Fazila is rejoicing in the service, she feels the current number of buses is
inadequate and should be increased.
The
women-only bus service was the first of its kind in Pakistan, said a press
release issued by GB Chief Secretary Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani.
“The
buses for female students, teachers and professionals are running on various
roads in six districts,” the statement said, adding that after Gilgit, Skardu
and Hunza districts, the service has started in Ghizer and Nagar districts as
well.
Source:
Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1718770/gb-women-call-new-bus-service-boon-to-commute-worries
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Women
play vital role in development of country: Ahsan Iqbal
November
3, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor
Ahsan Iqbal said that women play a vital role in the development of any country
and the development process remains slow where women are not given equal
opportunities.
The
Minister made these remarks while addressing at 19th Inter-Provincial
Ministerial Group (IPMG) meeting organized by the National Commission on the
Status of Women (NCSW) in collaboration with UN Women, and the Bureau of
International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) of the US Department of
State, said a press release issued here.
Speaking
at the occasion, the minister said that Islam has given equal rights to women
but unfortunately, these rights were misinterpreted.
Ahsan
Iqbal said the Planning Commission has established a Gender Unit in the
ministry in which all development projects would be planned according to
principles of gender responsiveness so that the projects should not be approved
without ensuring the interests of the women.
According
to the minister, in vision 2025 several projects were added to empower women.
Similarly, in recent floods, several initiatives were taken during their
rehabilitation.
The
planning minister assured the NCSW to entertain their recommendations in order
to implement them.
The
objective of the 19th IPMG meeting was to understand the data architecture at
the national and provincial levels and finalize the data collection mechanisms
for the National Gender Data Portal (NGDP).
While
welcoming the participants, Chairperson, NCSW NilofarBakhtiar said, “The Global
Gender Gap Report states Pakistan has closed the gender gap by 56.4 % but still
ranks us at second lowest from the bottom. It is important to know our ground
reality to form law, legislation, and quotas to bring change.”
The
NGDP was developed in 2021 to collect high-quality data and evidence on gender
statistics from across Pakistan.
The
Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan Country Office, SharmeelaRassool emphasized
the importance of credible data for the development of the country and for
gender equality and said, “IPMG is an innovative platform for identifying
solutions that are tailor-made for Pakistan. NGDP is one such example of such
solution. Data is important as it helps in identifying gaps in the policy along
with helping officials to make informed decisions.”
The
IPMG was established in 2009 to enhance inter-provincial coordination on gender
equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan. Eighteen meetings have been
conducted so far, to facilitate the exchange of experiences and insights
between national and provincial women’s machinery.
Source:
Pakistan Today
--------
U.S.
provides seed funding to women entrepreneurs for growing business
November
4, 2022
The
United States (U.S.) has provided seed funding to women entrepreneurs to grow
their businesses in Pakistan.
According
to a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Pakistan on Thursday, more than 30
participants from the second Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program,
sponsored by the United States, competed for seed funding for their business
start-ups on October 28.
A
panel of judges, comprised of Pakistani and American businesswomen, selected
the top four proposals after reviewing participants’ business plans and hearing
their pitches.
The
four winners of the seed-funding competition, AmnaAfridi, NayabGohar,
KhushBakhatHussain, and Asia Umar Khan, will receive $5,500, $4,500, $3,500,
and $2,500, respectively, to launch or grow their business in Pakistan.
Deputy
Counselor for Public Diplomacy Jacqueline Deley congratulated the graduates
during the closing ceremony, stating: “Your success is Pakistan’s success, and
we are proud to support you to become Pakistan’s dynamic entrepreneurs,
business leaders, and economic influencers.”
It
is pertinent to mention here that the AWE is a three-month, rigorous course of
online study using the DreamBuilder (https://dreambuilder.org) platform
developed by Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management
and the American company Freeport McMoran. AWE is designed to cultivate
entrepreneurial know-how, help women entrepreneurs connect with funding
opportunities, enhance opportunities for business expansion, and increase the
likelihood of entrepreneurial success.—APP
Source:PakObserver
https://pakobserver.net/u-s-provides-seed-funding-to-women-entrepreneurs-for-growing-business/
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Women
and Justice Summit by Türkiye’s KADEM focuses on cultural codes
NOV
03, 2022
The
biannual Women and Justice Summit, jointly organized by the Women and Democracy
Association (KADEM) and the Ministry of Family and Social Services, begins on
Friday in Istanbul, with the participation of speakers from around the world.
The two-day event at Atatürk Cultural Center delves into the “norms” women are
forced to be confined into. Held under the theme of Cultural Codes and Women,
the event is the latest edition of the summit which concentrates on women’s
rights and the problems they face in daily life.
President
RecepTayyipErdoğan, Minister of Family and Social Services DeryaYanık and KADEM
chair SalihaOkurGümrükçüoğlu are keynote speakers of the event. The summit
brings together ministers, academics, researchers, journalists, businesspeople
and representatives of various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). On the
first day, a ministerial-level meeting will be held, with the participation of
guests from Libya, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Algeria, Germany, Hungary and
Singapore, under the title of “Towards More Inclusive Societies: Women as
Agents of Change.” On the second day, panels will be held.
The
first panel, entitled “Women as Subject” focuses on discussions on a fair
social structure and empowerment of women as the subject of civic society, as
well as challenges women’s movements may face in the future, along with
questions on the potential of the women’s movement to reshape civic society as
a movement questioning male-dominated public space. Associate professor
MerveSafaKavakçı from Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry, Afghan peace negotiator and
women’s rights activist Fatima Gailani, TesniKhrijiChirchi, an academic from
IbnHaldun University who also serves as executive director of Jasmine
Foundation for Research and Communication and SharifaNoaman al-Emadi from
Qatar, executive director of Doha International Family Institute will speak at
the panel.
The
second panel, entitled "Public Space and Working Life" tackles the
questions including norms defining women’s position in working life and how
fragile women’s situation in working life is and ways to increase the quality
and quantity of workforce opportunities for women, as well as their empowerment
in accessing economic power. The panel will also discuss maintaining a balance
between working and family life for women. Hayat Sindi, a biotechnologist from
Saudi Arabia, will join LedBy Foundation founder RuhaShadab, YaseminGürSolmaz,
a member of the executive board of Türkiye’sGürmen Group and Marlyse R. Ndjenga
from Cameroon, a publishing director of ValeursAjoutees magazine, at the panel.
In the "Public Spaces and Market Rules" panel, participants will
discuss how daily life and public space establish womanhood norms while
creating social reality and challenges women face in public space and working
life, as well as their response to those challenges, in addition to a
discussion on mechanisms required to protect and endorse women in working life.
King’s Counsel Sultana Tafadar from the United Kingdom, World Hijab Day CEO
Nazma Khan from the United States, chef and social entrepreneur
EbruBaybaraDemir from Türkiye and award-winning American journalist
RowaidaAbdelaziz will attend the panel.
The
“New Lifestyle and the Construction of Culture” panel on Saturday will discuss
the impact of new lifestyles on existing norms and how new lifestyles impose
their legitimacy and whether this transformation is an opportunity or obstacle
for women. The panel will also tackle the womanhood experiences in different
cultures and how to build women-friendly media. Among the panel's participants
are Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, a former basketball player from the U.S. turned
motivational speaker who was prohibited from attending international matches
because of her headscarf, Rizwana Hamid, a filmmaker and journalist from the
U.K., Syrian filmmaker and activist Waad al-Kateab and Australian actor
ReshadStrik.
The
“Pictures of Womanhood” panel will delve into how women are associated with art
and how visual and audio art forms build images and norms on womanhood and
transform them, as well as how art criticism can intersect with women’s
activism. Ayşe Taşkent from Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, historian, author
and presidential adviser HümeyraŞahinOktay, filmmaker and producer Samah Safi
Bayazid and designer and podcaster Ayşe Akova will speak at the panel.
Source:DailySabah
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