New Age Islam News Bureau
01 May 2025
· Lebanese Women Learn To Shoot For Self-Defense, Apply For Gun Licenses
· Poll Suggests Growing Fear Among Almost Half Of Muslim Women In The UK
· Iranian Women Targeted by Surveillance System for Hijab Violations
· Afghan Women Want To Be Heard, Not Saved, UN Deputy Chief Says
· ‘Abolish Women’s Affairs Reform Commission’: Bangladesh Islamist Parties
· Tensions In Maharashtra As Right-Wing Group Sprinkles Cow Urine After Women’s Namaz
· For ‘Bread, Work, Freedom,’ Afghan Women Are Still Resisting
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/lebanese-women-shoot-self-defense-licenses/d/135393
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Lebanese women learn to shoot for self-defense, apply for gun licenses
01 May 2025
BEIRUT: The number of civilian women applying to the Ministry of Defense for licenses to possess firearms in Lebanon is on the rise.
Gun ownership in Lebanon is a phenomenon that dates back to before the civil war in the 1970s, and its complexities continue to have an impact due to the misuse of weapons and the consequences that follow.
While this phenomenon has been associated with masculinity, the participation of women in bearing arms alongside men in the military and security forces over the past two decades has broken this exclusivity. It seems to have opened the door widely for civilian women to dare to acquire firearms and even train in their use for security-related reasons.
Cynthia Yaacoub, 33, a Lebanese firearms instructor, said: “In Lebanon, we have a gun culture — and I do not mean a culture of weapon collectors — but we lack training on how and when to use firearms properly and safely, and what the consequences are of using them incorrectly, both technically and legally.”
In an interview with Arab News at the shooting range of the Lebanese General Security in Beirut, Yaacoub said: “Lebanese people from my generation — those in their 30s and 40s — are learning to shoot from YouTube, and even children have learned about guns through the game PUBG and have developed a fondness for firearms. As for those in their 50s, they are divided into two groups: one that has already experienced gun possession and used weapons during the civil war, and another that rejected firearms and still fears them and fears for their children.
“There are many reasons why Lebanese women acquire firearms,” she continued. “According to the women who request shooting training, the number one reason is self-defense. Some of them have husbands who work abroad and need to protect themselves. Others view shooting as a hobby, just like practicing any other sport. There are also women in their 50s and 60s who feel they have fulfilled their roles as mothers and now want to explore adventure and do things they did not do in their youth — so they turn to more extreme sports like horseback riding, shooting, and skydiving.”
HananDemian decided to learn shooting “after seeing instructor Cynthia doing it on social media. I believe this hobby enhances focus and self-confidence, and I love adventure.”
Based on over six years of training experience, Yaacoub says: “Lebanese women possess a high level of focus and calmness, which enables them to master shooting more quickly. When they leave the club, they experience a significant sense of empowerment, even if they are not carrying a weapon. They gain greater self-confidence and a sense of authority, which I also experience. Since I learned to shoot and became an instructor, no one has dared to disrespect me, despite my non-violent nature and the fact that I do not carry a gun.”
Yaacoub added: “Some husbands bring their wives with them to practice shooting. I have an entire family who trains in shooting. The clubs do not accept trainees under the age of 18.”
But is shooting not a means to master the act of killing, rather than to appreciate the value of life, particularly in Lebanon where firearms are often used for trivial reasons and many fall victim?
“Certainly, it serves as a method for all those who train in shooting to understand human value,” Yaacoub said. “They ask me, ‘how can one kill another?’ We train to shoot at a piece of paper and feel its terror, so how can one shoot at humans and animals? Part of shooting training is to educate the person to think carefully before shooting, except in the most extreme cases, where the choice is between life and death. During the training sessions I conduct in Beirut and Doha at the request of a shooting club there, we have a lawyer and a psychologist present to explain the consequences of gunfire.”
Previously, Yaacoub organized training sessions for Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day under the theme “Empowering Women.” Additionally, for Valentine’s Day, couples participated, and during Christmas, she issued vouchers that sold exceptionally well, “as people found them to be an unconventional gift compared to traditional options like perfume and gold.”
At a sports club in Beirut, Yaacoub organized training sessions for children on shooting with pellets “to teach children discipline and refined shooting skills, so they do not grow up to harm one another.”
Yaacoub also promotes training courses in Poland on social media. “I trained at an academy in Poland, which was a distinct experience. The shooting takes place outdoors, and one can earn a certification that opens up job prospects in security agencies or enhances one’s career, potentially leading to becoming a trainer. Thus far, women who learn shooting tend to view it merely as a hobby akin to kickboxing. I have yet to meet a girl who has transitioned to professionalism or expresses a desire to do so. In this regard, I miss having a female partner to train with, someone whose advice I can hear as she hears mine.”
Source:arabnews.jp
https://www.arabnews.jp/en/middle-east/article_146340/
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Poll Suggests Growing Fear Among Almost Half Of Muslim Women In The UK
30 April 2025
Shehab Khan
Credit: PA
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Almost half of British Muslim women feel less safe than they did a year ago, blaming a rise in Islamophobia, according to a new poll.
Research carried out by pollsters Survation found that 30% of Muslim respondents said they did not feel safe going out at night, while more than half said politicians in the UK had made them feel less welcome.
Hina Khan, 27, told ITV News she regularly encounters Islamophobia online, including accusations that she supports extremism.
The Londoner said the experience has made her feel unwelcome in the UK.
“‘I will never understand how this kind of hatred can exist in the world,’” she said.
“You have to shut yourself off from it, and build a kind of wall to separate the emotion from the facts. But even with that wall up, it still chips away at you. Over time, it makes you feel small. You start to question how safe you really are in this country — or whether you truly belong here.
“I sometimes feel loathed and unwelcome just walking through the streets of London — not because of anything I’ve done, but simply because of who I am – a Muslim woman.”
The poll follows a warning earlier this year from Tell Mama, an organisation that monitors anti-Muslim hate, which reported that anti-Muslim hate in the UK had reached record levels.
Tell Mama recorded 6,313 incidents of anti-Muslim hate in 2024, representing a 43% increase on the previous year. Of those, 5,837 were verified by the organisation.
Its Director, Iman Atta, said the findings of the poll, along with Tell Mama’s own data, highlighted the growing problem of Islamophobia and its influence on daily decision-making for British Muslims.
“This sense of a collective self-enforced sense of restraint of what they can do and when they can go out is troubling since it has mental and emotional impacts, as well as economic impacts that are acutely felt by British Muslim women,” Iman Atta said.
More than a quarter of Muslims surveyed said they had stopped using social media entirely as a result of the abuse and harmful content they had encountered online.
Experts say this been driven by changes to social media algorithms, the Southport murders last July and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Tufail Hussain, UK Director of Islamic Relief, which commissioned the poll, said that too many people were increasingly feeling emboldened to post harmful content and that more needed to be done to protect minority communities.
“Our charity has also felt the brunt of a worrying rise in Islamophobia online, and particularly across social media. People increasingly feel they can post malicious and hateful content without any consequences,” Mr Hussain said.
“Social media has become a dangerous space for false news in which organisations such as Islamic Relief, who are committed to helping and saving people’s lives across the world including the UK, are instead subjected to hateful abuse.
“This survey is a wake-up call for the UK government to do everything it can do make the Muslim community safe and for tech companies to tackle hate speech and protect users online. We cannot tolerate abuse, harassment, or discrimination based on religion.”
Dr Naomi Green, Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, said the findings were “more evidence of the mainstreaming of Islamophobia”.
“Online spaces and weaponised algorithms like Musk's X/Twitter have become wastelands of abuse and misinformation towards Muslims and other vulnerable groups that is dragging our society into an ever darker space,” Dr Green said.
“Responsible digital regulation frameworks are essential to keeping our society safe both mentally and physically.”
Source:itv.com
https://www.itv.com/news/2025-04-30/british-muslim-women-feel-less-safe-than-a-year-ago-poll-suggests
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Iranian Women Targeted by Surveillance System for Hijab Violations
APRIL 30, 2025
Women in Isfahan, Tehran, and Shiraz have received threatening text messages for alleged hijab violations while walking in public areas.
The messages reveal that the Islamic Republic has expanded its surveillance methods targeting women, moving beyond license plate identification to broader monitoring tactics.
Experts say the system now combines AI technology, CCTV analysis, SIM card tracking, and banking information to identify people and monitor their movements.
Women without cars, previously less affected by these measures, now report receiving warning messages after simply walking through camera-monitored areas.
The messages typically warn: “Your case has been forwarded to legal authorities,” “Your information has been tracked by the surveillance system,” or “Your clothing does not comply with Islamic Republic laws.”
Some recipients have been summoned to court, where high-quality images captured by city cameras were presented as evidence.
The system uses banking transactions and SIM card data to confirm identities.
Women have noted increased scrutiny of their appearance, with even minor adjustments to headscarves triggering additional messages.
Initially concentrated in Isfahan, the surveillance program has quickly spread to Tehran, Shiraz, and other major cities, with numerous women reporting warnings despite not using any vehicles.
Source:iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/140793-iranian-women-targeted-by-surveillance-system-for-hijab-violations/
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Afghan women want to be heard, not saved, UN deputy chief says
By Siyar Sirat
May 1, 2025
KABUL — Tom Fletcher, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said after visiting Kunduz province that women in Afghanistan are not asking to be rescued, but to be seen, heard, and supported in reclaiming their rights amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
“A brilliant female colleague on the front line of the humanitarian effort said to me that as women in Afghanistan, we don’t want to be saved. We want to be seen. We want to be heard,” Fletcher said, echoing the message of Afghan women during his recent visits to Kabul, Kandahar and Kunduz.
In remarks reflecting both anguish and urgency, Fletcher described the impact of deepening funding cuts on Afghan women, particularly in northern provinces like Kunduz. “These cuts are not theoretical,” he said. “They are hitting women like these — women of great courage and hope and resilience.”
He recounted meeting women who are eager to return to schools and universities but remain shut out under Taliban restrictions. Others, he said, have suffered life-altering consequences from the collapse of local healthcare infrastructure.
“In Kunduz, I met women who have had to cycle three hours while heavily pregnant to reach the nearest hospital — because all nearby clinics have closed — only to lose their children as a result,” he said.
Since April, aid cuts have forced closures of critical health facilities across the country, placing basic care out of reach for many rural families. Fletcher emphasized that these stories are not isolated cases but the reality for millions, especially for women already pushed to the margins.
“The women of Afghanistan say they don’t want to be saved. They want to be heard. Please listen to them,” Fletcher urged.
Source:amu.tv
https://amu.tv/171781/
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‘Abolish Women’s Affairs Reform Commission’: Bangladesh Islamist Parties
May 1, 2025
Islamist parties under the banner of Jatiya OlamaMashayekhAemma Parishad yesterday demanded immediate abolition of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission.
They also rejected the recommendations of the commission and called for a new commission comprising "pious, educated, and socially conscious women who truly represent the country's female population".
Expressing concern, they said the government had taken comprehensive reform initiatives to cleanse the remnants of past autocratic rule, a step supported by the public, and some commissions, like the Constitution Reform Commission, reflected commendable intentions.
However, speakers said the recommendations made by the Women's Affairs Reform Commission are contrary to, what they say, the nation's beliefs, values, and traditions, and have directly hurt religious sentiments.
The speakers claimed that many of the commission's recommendations are inspired by Western ideologies and contradict Bangladesh's social realities and the true needs and struggles of the country's women.
Addressing the event held at the Diploma Engineers' Institution, Shafiqur Rahman, ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, said the entire commission and its recommendations must be rejected.
"We don't want a movement, but if forced, we won't hesitate to take to the streets," he warned.
Criticising what he called contradictions in the commission's approach, he said, "On one hand, they talk about equal rights, and on the other, they push for women's quotas everywhere. If rights are equal, why the need for quotas? Let women earn positions based on merit, not reservation."
Threatening the government not to move forward with the recommendations, Mamunul Haque, ameer of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, said, "If the government tries to implement even a single part of the commission's recommendations, it will have to do so over our dead bodies."
He alleged the reform proposals were part of a foreign agenda, and criticised the Chief Adviser's Office for quickly announcing its intention to implement them.
Mamunul said they have not seen such urgency for the recommendations of any other commissions, and suggested this was a pre-planned conspiracy, with involvement of the highest level.
At the event, speakers claimed that instead of addressing the issues of women who fall into prostitution due to trafficking, sexual abuse, and poverty, the commission has attempted to legally recognise prostitution as a profession, thereby legitimising a "cursed life for women".
Speakers also said Bangladesh's family laws have long been religion-based and there has been no major public dissatisfaction. They claimed that the women's reforms commission is attempting to abolish this religious foundation and impose a religion-neutral family structure.
They warned that this may provoke the religious populace and mirrors the recent strategy of social division used by India's BJP, and that such proposals would provoke public outrage and create an opening for "reactionary fascism" to resurface.
Mufti Syed Muhammad Rezaul Karim, ameer of Islami Andolon Bangladesh, said he wanted to remind the government that it was not elected by the people, but was formed as the outcome of the sacrifice of thousands who were killed or wounded.
"We have always been with you and are still with you. We urge you to keep this in mind so that the fascists and opportunists cannot take advantage by bringing us face to face on the streets," he said.
The seminar was presided over by Nurul Huda Fayezi, president of JaityaOlama, MashayekhAemma Parishad while Mufti Abdullah Masum presented the keynote speech.
Source:thedailystar.net
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/abolish-womens-affairs-reform-commission-3884486
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Tensions in Maharashtra as right-wing group sprinkles cow urine after women’s Namaz
April 30, 2025
Members of a right-wing group, Hindu Sakal Samaj, have stirred controversy in PimpriChinchwad, Maharashtra, after they were seen sprinkling cow urine and performing a purification ritual at a public park where two Muslim women had reportedly offered namaz.
The park is located near the MoryaGosaviGanpati temple, a prominent religious site in the area.
Though the exact date of the incident remains unclear, a video showing the group’s actions surfaced on social media on April 27. In the video, individuals are seen sprinkling a liquid—believed to be cow urine—on the park grounds while chanting “Shiv Vandana,” a Hindu religious mantra.
The act was framed by the group as a “cleansing ritual” in response to the Muslim women’s prayers.
The incident has drawn criticism from several quarters. Zubair Memon, president of the Maharashtra Muslim Conference, condemned the act and called attention to what he views as double standards in the use of public spaces for religious activity. “Many parks here have in-built temples and daily poojas are held.
If the government has a problem with Muslims offering namaz in their personal capacity, then public gardens should carry signs saying: ‘Yaha par poojakarna allowed hai, par koi bhi Islamic prarthnakarna allowed nahi’ (Performing Hindu worship is allowed here, but Islamic prayer is not),” he said, highlighting the perceived bias with sarcasm.
The incident underscores growing communal sensitivities in shared public spaces and has reignited discussions on religious freedom, inclusivity, and equal treatment under the law. Authorities have not yet commented on whether any action will be taken regarding the purification ritual or the original namaz offering. — With Agencies Inputs
Source:muslimmirror.com
https://muslimmirror.com/tensions-in-maharashtra-as-right-wing-group-sprinkles-cow-urine-after-womens-namaz/
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For ‘Bread, Work, Freedom,’ Afghan Women Are Still Resisting
April 30, 2025
It has been over three and a half years since Afghan women from all walks of life first took to the streets chanting “Bread, Work, Freedom,” a fierce assertion of their right to work and to be free from the Taliban’s systemic oppression. This International Workers’ Day, their call is more urgent than ever.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, they have imposed draconian restrictions on Afghan women, including barring them from most professions and severely curtailing paid employment, including in the aid sector. Taliban policies have effectively shuttered most women-run businesses outside the home, including beauty salons, which formerly employed an estimated 60,000 women.
Even when not banning women from entering specific professions, the Taliban have imposed measures that inhibit their access to paid occupations. This includes mandating that women be accompanied by a mahram (male guardian), sometimes preventing unmarried women from working, and banning women’s voices from being heard outside their houses. Officials from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, who are empowered to enforce these measures, often harass women who leave their homes to work and sometimes detain them.
Coupled with Afghanistan’s severe economic crisis, it is nearly impossible for women to access formal employment. As a member of the International Labour Organization since 1934, Afghanistan is obligated under international law to prevent all discrimination against women at work.
Before the Taliban takeover, female labor participation was already low at 19 percent. Now, it is estimated to be a mere 5 percent. This has driven even more families into extreme poverty, in a country where only 16 percent of Afghans say they can satisfy their daily material needs easily, while a further 22 percent more or less manage to meet their basic needs.
Despite all this, Afghan women have shown extraordinary resilience and ingenuity as they find new ways to make ends meet and demand agency. Whether running microenterprises from their homes, managing online businesses, or leading a campaign to make gender apartheid a crime under international law, Afghan women are at the front line of resistance against the Taliban’s oppression.
As Afghan women continue to defy their erasure from public life, the world needs to stand by them in their fight to assert their rights: for bread, work, and freedom.
Source:hrw.org
https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/04/30/bread-work-freedom-afghan-women-are-still-resisting
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/lebanese-women-shoot-self-defense-licenses/d/135393