Lamya Al-Nahdi, The First Saudi International Referee In Basketball History
New Age
Islam News Bureau
19 Aug 2023
·
Lamya
Al-Nahdi, The First Saudi International Referee In Basketball History
·
'This Is
For Us': Edmonton Muslim Women's Group Launch Campaign Against Anti-Islamic
Hate Crimes
·
Woman
Sprays Quran-Burning Protester In Sweden With Fire Extinguisher
·
Bushra
Bibi Seeks Inquiry Into ‘Non-Provision’ Of Facilities To Imran Khan
·
'All Of Us
Have To Commit': New Campaign Aims To Make Public Spaces Safer For Muslim Women
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/lamya-al-nahdi--saudi-basketball-referee/d/130482
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Lamya Al-Nahdi,
The First Saudi International Referee In Basketball History
Lamya Al-Nahdi
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August 18,
2023
Al-Nahdi has
been accredited as the first Saudi international referee in the history of
basketball in the Kingdom
FIBA also
accredited three other Saudi international basketball referees
RIYADH: For
most teens, picking a sport to play in school relies on passion and love for a
particular game; for others, choosing is a tough decision. For Lamya Al-Nahdi,
opting to play basketball was not something she knew she wanted, as she had
played a few different sports, but basketball resonated with her the most.
“I have been
playing basketball since I was 13 years old; it is one of the unique sports
that relies on speed, intelligence and teamwork. Those three elements combined
really got my attention in this beautiful sport,” Al-Nahdi said.
“Basketball
is not only about being healthy and sporty and all of that, it gives you so
many values when it comes to teamwork, when it comes to the decision-making
phase in the court, it is so much more than just a sport,” she said.
After more
than ten years of devotion to the sport, Al-Nahdi has been accredited as the
first Saudi international referee in the history of basketball in the Kingdom,
having passed the test for becoming an international basketball referee set by
the international basketball federation FIBA.
FIBA also
accredited three other Saudi international basketball referees: Ahmed Hassan
Al-Khamis, Abdullah Marzouq Al-Hujaili and Razen Ahmed Al-Awfi. The
accreditation of the three Saudi referees follows them successfully passing the
FIBA theoretical and practical exams.
“I had to go
through a lot of preparation and training in basketball in the field, and also
with the legislation and laws,” Al-Nahdi said.
Al-Nahdi said
that becoming the first Saudi international basketball referee was both an
honor and a huge responsibility.
“I am not
only representing myself but also representing a beautiful sport that I grew up
playing for more than ten years, so it represents the love and passion for that
sport,” she said.
“And it also
represents my country, religion and lots of values that I took along with me.”
While playing
basketball, Al-Nahdi graduated from Dar Al-Hekma University with a human
resources management degree. After graduating, Al-Nahdi worked in human
resources for five years before joining her family business as a business
development manager of Blooming, a female clothing brand founded by Saudi
women.
Al-Nahdi
being accredited as the first Saudi International referee in basketball follows
the efforts made by the Saudi Sport Federation to empower Saudi women in the
sport sector, particularly Saudi female referees, and to support Saudi women
locally and internationally.
“Now is the
time for anything, particularly in the Saudi sports industry, with the support
system we have,” Al-Nahdi said.
“I am loving
the focus on females playing sports, specifically basketball,” she said. “I do
believe it is the number one sport when it comes to female sport, gaining much
attention among Saudi females compared to other sports.”
Encouraging
women to take up sport and providing job opportunities in several sports
fields, including football and basketball, has allowed Saudi women to excel in
professional and recreational sports.
“In my early
years of playing basketball, we actually used to do it not secretly, but no one
knew about us back then, compared to the attention, support and the number of
basketball coaches available to train Saudi women,” Al-Nahdi said.
“Now is the
time. The support structure is there, all you need to do is to believe in
yourself and work hard toward your goal.”
Al-Nahdi said
that believing in yourself was the first and most important step in achieving
anything, the second was surrounding yourself with supportive people to help
you along the way.
Her elevation
as the first Saudi international referee for basketball has been welcomed
enthusiastically.
The Saudi
Embassy in the US tweeted: “The @FIBA has approved LamiaFawzi Al-Nahdi as the
first Saudi international referee in the history of Saudi basketball. This is
the result of the efforts of the @sbfksa to empower Saudi female referees and
support them locally and internationally.”
Saudi
Arabia’s first female international referee for football was appointed by the
FIFA in January this year, when Anoud Al-Asmari was awarded the international
badge, less than a year after the Kingdom’s national women’s team made their
debut.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2357426/saudi-arabia
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'This Is For
Us': Edmonton Muslim Women's Group Launch Campaign Against Anti-Islamic Hate
Crimes
The women behind the campaign pose with an
advertisement on the side of a bus at the launch of the 'Muslim women tell it
like it is’ ad campaign at Commonwealth LRT station Friday where members of
Sisters Dialogue discuss the campaign and why it’s important after the
lingering impact of hate attacks against Muslim women in Edmonton. PHOTO BY
SHAUGHN BUTTS /Postmedia
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Aug 18, 2023
A local
grassroots Muslim women’s group has launched a campaign to showcase the
diversity of their community and push Edmontonians to challenge their biases.
Wati Rahmat,
founder of Sisters Dialogue, said with the rise of Islamophobia, particularly
against women and girls, the main goal of the campaign is to allow Muslim women
and girls to see themselves in public spaces.
“We’ve been
in the shadows for too long because we are in fear,” said Rahmat.
“We are
scared. This is for us to take up space and see ourselves because oftentimes
we’ve heard from many Muslim women when we have our healing circles, that their
needs and their fears are often erased — even their own identity.”
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Rahmat said
the campaign is a start. The goal is to remind people that the Muslim community
is diverse and they are not a monolith. She hopes the campaign will help dispel
assumptions and work towards ending Islamophobia.
Since June
2021, Sisters Dialogue logged 16 Islamophobic incidents. They cited an incident
from December 2022 where a young Black Muslim woman was assaulted in northeast
Edmonton. According to the organization, only nine out of 16 incidents were
reported to the police.
The
organization came together in the summer of 2021 following a series of
hate-motivated attacks, which was amplified due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Article
content
On Aug. 16
police charged a man for hate motivated threats and indecent acts. City police
said the man threatened and exposed himself to a couple and their 15-year-old
son in the area of 82 Avenue and 111 Street. Police said the man uttered
xenophobic and homophobic comments towards the family.
Timiro
Mohamed, a member of Sisters Dialogue, said she believes art has the ability to
transform how people see themselves in public spaces, citing how the campaign
was created and directed by Muslim women. When asked if she thought hate
against the Muslim community is getting better, she said on a large scale it
has not.
“We still
live under so much oppression, that gender islamophobia and misogyny is still
costing us our lives and our safety,” said Mohamed.
Article
content
“Part of what
has made this such a painful experience is that in addition to experiencing
violence, there’s a lack of conversation and a lack of action. We need to do
more because like the tagline in the campaign, individual safety is a communal
responsibility.”
She said
collaboration from all levels of government is necessary and with it policies
ned to be in place to protect the rights and lives of members of the Muslim
community.
The bus
campaign will run for eight weeks. There is one billboard on Jasper Avenue and
108 Street. On Saturday there will be a playback theatre from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
along with a photo exhibition at city hall until Sept. 8.
Source: edmontonsun.com
https://edmontonsun.com/news/local-news/this-is-for-us-edmonton-muslim-womens-group-launch-campaign-against-anti-islamic-hate-crimes/wcm/3c0ba616-0e4d-49b5-8e0b-11d18cc3bdbd
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Woman Sprays
Quran-Burning Protester In Sweden With Fire Extinguisher
18 August
2023
Salwan
Momika, a refugee from Iraq, has desecrated the Quran in a series of anti-Islam
protests that have caused anger in many Muslim countries.
Swedish
police have detained a woman who sprayed an anti-Islam activist with a fire
extinguisher as he held a Quran-burning protest outside the Iranian embassy in
Stockholm.
Video showed
the woman going up to Salwan Momika and spraying white powder at him before she
was intercepted by plainclothes police who led her away.
Momika, who
appeared stunned but unhurt, then resumed his demonstration, which had been
authorised by police.
Police
spokeswoman ToweHagg said the woman, who was not identified by police, was
detained on suspicion of disturbing public order and violence against a police
officer.
Sweden Quran
Momika, a
refugee from Iraq, has desecrated the Quran in a series of anti-Islam protests
that have caused anger in many Muslim countries.
Swedish
police have allowed his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech while filing
preliminary hate speech charges against him.
Prosecutors
are investigating whether his actions are permissible under Sweden’s hate
speech law, which prohibits incitement of hatred against groups or individuals
based on race, religion or sexual orientation.
Momika says
his protests target the religion of Islam, not Muslim people.
The Quran-burnings
have sparked angry protests in Muslim countries, attacks on Swedish diplomatic
missions and threats from Islamic extremists.
Sweden on
Thursday raised its terror alert to the second-highest level, saying the
country had become a priority target for terrorist groups.
Sourcre: lbc.co.uk
https://www.lbc.co.uk/world-news/af9c77b662ef42a7ba6a9453a696ce1f/
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Bushra Bibi
seeks inquiry into ‘non-provision’ of facilities to Imran Khan
August 19,
2023
Asif Mehmood
Butt & Sher Ali Khalti
LAHORE:
Bushra Bibi, wife of the PTI chairman, called upon the Punjab Additional Chief
Secretary Home to hold a legal inquiry into the “non-provision of facilities to
her husband.”
In a letter,
she demanded the provision of “B” class to her husband, shift him to Adiala
jail, access to a private doctor and allow him home-cooked food. She wrote,
“The court had directed my husband to be shifted to Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. He
has been imprisoned in Attock Jail without any justification, according to the
law she should be transferred to Adiala Jail. He is the former Prime Minister
of Pakistan, a graduate of Oxford and former captain of the national cricket
team.”
Bushra Bibi
said that facilities were not available in Attock Jail according to the
position held by Imran Khan. “Even basic facilities suitable for my husband’s
position are not available in Attock Jail. There have been two murder attempts
on my husband, but the accused have not been arrested yet. His life is still in
danger and there is a fear that he might be poisoned in the jail. Being a
former prime minister, he should be allowed to have home-cooked meals, as per
the jail rules. All facilities were to be provided within 48 hours, but it has
not happened even after 12 days. Under the prison rules, he also has the right
to undergo a medical examination by a private doctor. I demand a legal inquiry
for not providing facilities to my husband as per the jail rules,” she added.
On the other
hand, the Punjab government said it had provided various facilities to the PTI
chairman in Attock Jail. Highly reliable sources told “Jang” that the four
cells allocated for Imran Khan are 8 feet wide and 12 feet long each. In front
of the four cells is a veranda where he can walk or exercise. From the cell in
which Imran Khan sleeps, the toilet has been removed and built in another cell,
while a large-sized shower room has been built in place of the toilet. A basin
has been placed outside the cell for hand washing. Imran Khan is being given
prison food, but three doctors check it.
Sources said
that on his first day in jail, Imran Khan was given a place to pray, the Holy
Quran and famous Israeli writer and historian Yuval Novah Harari’s famous novel
Homo Deus and other books to study. He was provided with a shaving kit as soon
as he came to jail. Sources said that the Punjab Home Department had issued a
notification on August 11 to give “B” class to him in the jail. Sources said
that no decision had been taken for shifting him to Adiala Jail. In response to
her letter, the Punjab government has decided to send her a notification of
proving “B” class to him.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1101677-bushra-bibi-seeks-inquiry-into-non-provision-of-facilities-to-imran
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'All of us
have to commit': New campaign aims to make public spaces safer for Muslim women
Aug. 19, 2023
A group of
local Muslim women is trying to help their community feel seen and fight
negative assumptions in Edmonton.
The Sisters
Dialogue unveiled a new campaign Friday showcasing the diversity of Muslim
women and calling on Edmontonians to help make public spaces safe for everyone.
The tagline
for the campaign, "Individual safety is all of our responsibility,"
will be featured alongside images of Muslim women on a Jasper Avenue billboard,
an ETS bus and digital ads in LRT stations.
"If one
of us needs to feel safe, all of us have to commit to making our community
safer," said Timiro Mohamed, a director of Sisters Dialogue.
The group,
which supports racialized Muslim women and girls, was founded in 2021 after a
string of attacks on Muslim women in the city, most of them Black.
Mohamed said
the campaign is the culmination of its work since then and has been created
entirely by Muslim women for their own community.
"Seeing
ourselves reflected in this way in public spaces, in photos taken by Muslim
women ... featuring us in all of our different forms, ages and backgrounds, is
so important because we live here, we build lives here, and so we need to see
ourselves reflected here," she added.
The Sisters
Dialogue received funding from the City of Edmonton's anti-racism grant program
to create the campaign.
They
consulted local Muslim women on their experiences and ideas during its
production.
That kind of
work has sometimes been missed by other anti-Islamophobia and anti-racism
initiatives, said the group's founder, Wati Rahmat.
She hopes
that by highlighting the diversity of Muslim women, the campaign will help
dispel assumptions and stereotypes and help all Muslim women feel safer in
public spaces.
"This
awareness campaign, first and foremost, is for Muslim women and girls. For us
to see ourselves," Rahmat added. "We've been in the shadows too long
because we are in fear, we are scared.
"This is
for us to take up space and see ourselves."
According to
Statistics Canada, the number of hate crimes reported to police in Canada rose
by 72 per cent between 2019 and 2021.
The Sisters
Dialogue said many attacks on Muslim women are not reported to police and
safety remains a concern for the community despite the city's anti-racism strategy.
"I think
that we still live under systemic oppression, that gendered-Islamophobia and
misogyny are still costing us our lives and our safety," Mohamed said.
"But I do think that we are a resilient community, that we're constantly
creating space in defense of one another.
"That
Muslim women show up for Muslim women, and that programs like this are
necessary."
The campaign
officially launches Saturday at 2 p.m. at City Hall with the unveiling of a
photo exhibition.
The campaign
and exhibition will run until Sept. 8.
Source: edmonton.ctvnews.ca
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/all-of-us-have-to-commit-new-campaign-aims-to-make-public-spaces-safer-for-muslim-women-1.6525218
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/lamya-al-nahdi--saudi-basketball-referee/d/130482