Man in viral Malaysia mosque video arrested for alleged sexual assault of girl
New Age Islam News Bureau
21 February 2025
· Man in viral mosque video arrested for alleged sexual assault of a girl in Malaysia
· Woman charged with assault of Muslim pair previously attacked woman in hijab, court hears
· Women Are Key to Intra-Islamic Dialogue, Experts Say
· Woman Burned to Death in Car by Husband in Northern Iran after Seeking Divorce
· Syria: doubts increase over new regime’s commitment to women’s rights and inclusivity
· Inside Tehran’s Metro ‘Repentance Rooms’: VR Meets Religious Propaganda
· Civil Rights Activist Arrested in Tehran, Daughter Left Alone
· UK Government pushing for Afghan women’s right to play cricket, Nandy says
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
------
Man in viral mosque video arrested for alleged sexual assault of a girl in Malaysia
21-02- 2025
Pix for representational purpose only – FREEPIK
-----------
PETALING JAYA: A man captured in a viral video grabbing a girl at a mosque here has been arrested, police confirmed today.
Hulu Selangor district police chief Superintendent Ahmad Faizal Tahrim stated that authorities are investigating the incident.
“We have arrested the suspect. Investigations are underway,“ he told New Straits Times.
The case gained public attention after CCTV footage went viral, showing a man entering the women’s prayer section of the mosque.
The footage allegedly captured the suspect lifting the girl while she was engaged in morning prayers behind a group of women.
A separate recording reveals the man attempting to grope the girl before fleeing when she resisted.
Source: thesun.my
https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/man-in-viral-mosque-video-arrested-for-alleged-sexual-assault-of-girl-PE13718250
--------
Woman charged with assault of Muslim pair previously attacked woman in hijab, court hears
Angus Delaney
February 20, 202
Police allege two women were targeted because they were wearing head coverings.
-----------
A woman who allegedly attacked two Muslim women at a Melbourne shopping centre has been granted bail, despite police telling the court her criminal history constituted 130 charges including an attack on a woman wearing a hijab.
Suzan Gonulalan, 31, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday evening charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault and aggravated assault of two women at the Pacific Epping shopping centre last week.
Police allege Gonulalan attacked two women wearing hijabs at the shopping centre in Melbourne’s northern suburbs in separate incidents on February 13, leaving both traumatised and fearful of being in public.
The court heard the accused woman, from Pascoe Vale, was on bail at the time. Police told the magistrate Gonulalan had a history of offences including threats to kill and contravention of a family violence order that made her an unacceptable risk to the community.
“[Gonulalan] was walking past when she … approached the [first] victim from behind and pulled at her hijab,” police sergeant Leanne Parfett told the court. “The victim was extremely fearful due to being heavily pregnant.
“As the accused is walking away, she continued shouting abuse while saying, ‘Shut up, shut up bitch.’”
The victim’s two young daughters, who were with her at the time, were upset by the incident, police said.
They said Gonulalan then walked around the shopping centre before approaching another woman – Ealaf Al-Esawie – and allegedly “slapped her” and pushed her, “causing the victim to fall on her back”.
Both incidents lasted no longer than five seconds and were captured on CCTV.
Parfett told the court the attacks had “caused outrage among the Muslim community” and that “the victims have personally expressed their concerns for their personal safety”.
In opposing bail, she said Gonulalan had previously been convicted for attacking a woman in a hijab in 2020.
In that incident, Gonulalan had bumped into the woman while leaving a health clinic and tried to strike her with a chair, the court heard. She had also prevented a receptionist from calling police, smacking the phone out of her hand.
For that assault and other previous offences, Gonulalan was in August 2021 sentenced to a community corrections order for 12 months, the court heard.
In granting Gonulalan bail on Thursday, magistrate Justin Foster said he believed any potential sentence imposed against her might be shorter than the length of time she would spend on remand.
He said Gonulalan was considered a vulnerable adult under the Bail Act, as she had mental health disorders that had developed after a car crash when she was 21.
Foster said that while there was a risk of her reoffending, it could be mitigated.
“I think there is a risk … but I think that the risk can be properly ameliorated,” he said.
Under the terms of her bail, Gonulalan will be required to report once a week to Broadmeadows police station, engage with a court integrated services program, abide by a family violence order imposed earlier this year and not attend Pacific Epping shopping centre.
Source: brisbanetimes.com.au
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/victoria/woman-charged-with-assault-of-muslim-pair-previously-attacked-woman-in-hijab-court-hears-20250220-p5ldwb.html
---------
Women Are Key To Intra-Islamic Dialogue, Experts Say
20/02/2025
By Noor Bakthtiar Ahmad
MANAMA (Bahrain), Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Women play a vital role in advancing intra-Islamic dialogue and societal development, contributing to the shaping of future generations through tolerance, mutual understanding, and respect for diversity, experts say. Speaking at the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference held here on Thursday, Vice-President of the Bahrain Supreme Council for Women (SCW), Dr Shaikha Maryam binti Hassan Al Khalifa, highlighted women’s pivotal role in fostering intra-Islamic dialogue and strengthening societal harmony. “As half of society, women play a crucial role in cultivating a culture of understanding from an early age,” she said. Building on this, she emphasised the importance of instilling values of tolerance and openness while equipping younger generations with the dialogue skills needed to navigate differences constructively. She further called for greater respect for religious and sectarian diversity, even amid differing viewpoints, while highlighting the shared values that unite Musli s and strengthen the collective future of the Islamic nation. Echoing Al Khalifa’s views, Dr Aisha Yousif Al Mannai, Director of the Muhammad bin Hamad Al Thani Centre for Muslim Contribution to Civilisation at the College of Islamic Studies, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, underscored the need for both men and women to actively engage in meaningful intra-Islamic dialogue. “Women are pivotal in cultivating a culture of dialogue from a young age by promoting respect for differences and instilling the values of tolerance and moderation,” she said. Al Mannai referred to the Al Azhar Declaration, which stresses that the progress of societies depends on the equal participation of men and women in building and advancing communities. She further highlighted that both genders play an essential role in upholding social, cultural, and religious values, contributing to the collective development of the Islamic world. As part of discussions on women’s resilience in Islamic societies, Al Mannai underscored the steadfastn ess of Palestinian women in times of crisis, noting their role in preserving identity and reinforcing Islamic values. She pointed out their perseverance as a key factor in maintaining cultural heritage and strengthening the fabric of Islamic communities. Meanwhile, a fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States, Dr Safinaz Suleiman, shed light on the challenges facing Muslim communities in the West and the role of Islamic institutions in addressing their needs. Building on this, she stressed that Muslims in Europe and the United States remain an integral part of the global Islamic community, contributing to its civilisational strength. To further reinforce these connections, Suleiman called for greater engagement with the broader Muslim world through cultural exchange programmes, academic cooperation, and initiatives that equip religious leaders with the necessary tools to promote a correct understanding of Islam. The Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference, jointly organised by Al Azhar Al Sharif, the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCIA) in Bahrain, and the Muslim Council of Elders, brought together over 400 Islamic scholars, religious leaders, intellectuals, and experts from across the Islamic world. The two-day conference, held under the theme “One Nation, One Shared Destiny”, aimed to foster unity and strengthen intra-Islamic dialogue. -- BERNAMA
Source: bernama.com
https://www.bernama.com/en/world/news.php?id=2394798
--------
Woman Burned to Death in Car by Husband in Northern Iran After Seeking Divorce
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
A 40-year-old woman was burned to death in her car by her husband in Rezvanshahr, northern Iran, after seeking a divorce, according to the human rights news outlet Hirkani.
Najibeh Hassankhani was reportedly lured to Rezvanshahr by her husband on February 16.
Her husband trapped her in their car, doused it with petrol, and set it ablaze with her inside, resulting in her death.
Hassankhani was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to severe burn injuries, authorities confirmed.
Shargh newspaper reported that the husband had been arrested.
According to Hamed Shadbahr, Rezvanshahr’s police commander, the man has confessed to deliberately setting the car on fire and killing his wife, citing “family disputes” as the motive.
The incident marks another case of domestic violence in Iran, where women face significant legal and social barriers when seeking divorce.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/139217-woman-burned-to-death-in-car-by-husband-in-northern-iran-after-seeking-divorce/
---------
Syria: doubts increase over new regime’s commitment to women’s rights and inclusivity
February 20, 2025
The capture of Damascus by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the collapse of the regime of Bashar al-Assad last December sent shockwaves through Syria’s political landscape, heralding an unprecedented shift in power. The rise to power of HTS, formerly the Al-Nusra Front, is a litmus test for assessing whether militant Islamist organisations can evolve through state-building.
At the heart of transforming Syria must be the development and safeguarding of women’s rights. This will prove a revealing lens through which to measure the sincerity of HTS’s professed reforms.
But so far a stark disparity has emerged between their rhetoric of inclusivity and reality. This appears to involve perpetuating entrenched institutional practices of patriarchal conservatism.
After seizing Damascus, HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa took pains to project an image of inclusive governance. He claimed: “Syria is a nation of many identities and beliefs, and our duty is to ensure they coexist peacefully within a just system.” He highlighted that 60% of university students in the city of Idlib are women, and portrayed HTS as a moderate force that values women’s roles in society.
Yet interviews with senior regime figures as well as policy decisions and governance practices expose these statements as hollow. Instead they suggest a deep-seated commitment to hardline religious conservatism.
The new administration’s official spokesperson, Obaida Arnaout, said recently that appointing a woman to a role in the ministry of defence would not “align with her essence, her biological and psychological nature”. This was framed as acknowledging women’s suitability for other roles, but it ultimately reflects a deeply conservative, patriarchal attitude.
Likewise, the appointment of Aisha al-Dibs to lead the office for women’s affairs initially appeared to signal progress. But her first few statements suggested a regressive agenda.
Blaming civil society organisations for “rising divorce rates”, she vowed that “the constitution will be based on Islamic Sharia”. She added that she would “not allow space for those who disagree with my ideology”.
Al-Dibs’s vision of empowerment appears to be rigidly conservative. It effectively reduces women’s roles to family, husband and domestic priorities.
These two examples highlight in HTS what appears to be a strategy of commandeering state institutions to enforce a radicalised version of Islam, a key trait of political Jihadism.
The new HTS-backed justice minister, Shadi al-Waisi epitomises this trend. In 2015, as a judge in the northern city of Idlib – at the time under the control of the Al-Nusra Front – he was recorded on video ordering women to be executed for adultery. An HTS representative has since dismissed this as “a phase we have surpassed”. But Al-Waisi still argues that since most people in Syria are Muslim, religious Sharia law should take priority.
As far as women’s role in the judiciary is concerned, a statement from Arnaout casts doubt on whether they will be allowed to continue to act as judges, a hard-won right under the Assad regime. In 2017, 30% of judicial posts were occupied by women.
But in an interview with Lebanese TV channel Al-Jadeed in December 2024, Arnaout said: “Certainly, women have the right to learn and be educated in any field, whether in education, law, the judiciary, or other fields, but the job has to suit her nature.” He added: “For a woman to assume a judicial position, this could be examined by experts, and it is too early to talk about it.”
Education policy has also become a key battleground. The new administration has introduced sweeping reforms. These include dropping evolution and big bang theory from science and changing the history curriculum to reflect a more Islamic slant.
Education minister, Nazir Al-Qadri, has downplayed these revisions as “small deletions and corrections”. But the changes reveal a deliberate effort to embed conservative radical Salafi ideology.
Beyond the classroom, HTS’s hardline policies pervade public life. Women are segregated on buses, strict dress codes are heavily propagated. Meanwhile building new mosques is taking precedence over rebuilding war-torn infrastructure.
HTS’s unwillingness to embrace genuine pluralism suggest the regime is more interested in rebranding its ideology than in reforming it.
Diplomatic promises and realities on the ground
While determining how to engage with the HTS regime, other countries need to be aware of this. They must act in the knowledge that rhetoric of inclusivity appears – at present at least – to be simply that: rhetoric. Firm pressure from international stakeholders such as the United Nations will be needed to hold HTS accountable to a transition to a fully inclusive new system of government.
A conference held in Paris on February 13 and attended by representatives of a broad range of Arab and European countries underscored the international commitment to this principle. Delegates produced a joint statement that called for: “A peaceful, credible, orderly and swift inclusive transition … so that a representative and inclusive governance that represents all components of Syrian society and includes women from the onset can be formed.”
The explicit mention of women and inclusive representation in this statement stands in stark contrast to the reality of the transitional process. Just a day earlier, on February 12, the appointed preparatory committee for the upcoming National Dialogue Conference, which will thrash out a new “political identity” for Syria, revealed the limitations of this commitment.
While the seven-member committee includes two women, five members have strong ties to Islamist movements and three of the seven are directly linked to HTS.
The committee’s composition notably fails to represent Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities, with no Kurdish, Alawite, or Druze representatives. This raises questions about the genuine commitment to inclusive governance in the transition process.
The contradiction between HTS rhetoric and its actions on diversity and inclusivity, especially when it comes to respecting women’s rights, is not just a domestic issue but a critical test of its global standing.
The new regime’s treatment of women and its enforcement of conservative ideology in violation of legal and human rights expose its broader intentions. Failing to address these signs risks condemning Syria to a repressive future.
Source: theconversation.com
https://theconversation.com/syria-doubts-increase-over-new-regimes-commitment-to-womens-rights-and-inclusivity-249305
--------
Inside Tehran’s Metro ‘Repentance Rooms’: VR Meets Religious Propaganda
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
SHIMA SHAHRABI
A surreal theater unfolds in a dimly lit corner of Tehran’s metro.
With their fingertips adorned with forbidden nail polish, young women stretch trembling hands toward an artificial shrine.
Tears stream down their faces as rebellious locks of hair - symbols of defiance - escape from beneath hastily arranged scarves.
Their voices, thick with emotion, profess sudden devotion to Shia imams and General Qasem Soleimani.
The walls are covered with framed photos of Basij members killed during protests and deceased members of the Axis of Resistance.
A woman’s voice, with exaggerated kindness, can be heard offering them a “blessed” headscarf as a gift, asking them to wear it and promise to maintain their hijab from now on.
A video titled “Repentance Room in Tehran’s Tajrish Metro” has been widely shared on social media this week.
The footage, repeatedly circulated since yesterday, shows the strange and sudden transformation of girls who previously did not wear a headscarf.
It captures them becoming emotionally overwhelmed upon seeing a simulated shrine of the third Shia imam, along with images of Qasem Soleimani and key figures admired by the Islamic Republic.
After the video gained traction on social and cultural media, some attributed the “repentance room” to another initiative by Alireza Zakani, Tehran’s mayor.
However, in a broadcast on the Quran Channel, Bahareh Jangravi, head of the Daughters of the Revolution group - which promotes government-approved culture and religious enforcement - claimed responsibility for the concept and implementation of the "repentance room."
The Revolutionary Girls are a group of Basij members and hijab enforcers dedicated to confronting women who refuse to wear headscarves and propagating state-approved ideologies.
They have arranged weddings for a Lebanese man who lost half his face in Hezbollah pager explosions.
They have held conventions promoting the chador, met with Khamenei, and claimed to persuade hijab opponents through “cultural work” and persuasion.
In April 2023, at the height of women’s civil disobedience against mandatory hijab, Jangravi told Fars News Agency that they deliberately appropriated their name from the Girls of Enghelab [Revolution] Street—a movement in which women protested by raising their headscarves on sticks.
“When we witnessed the anti-value behaviors of the Enghelab Street movement, we decided to counter it with our own influential movement of hijab-wearing women,” she said.
“We sought a name that would overshadow theirs - one rooted in revolutionary culture, the Imam’s path, and the ways of the martyrs.”
What’s Really Happening in the Tajrish Metro?
Maryam, a Tehran-based sociologist who commutes via the metro daily, explains, “These are the same metro hijab enforcers. Previously, they would start arguments and conflicts - now they’re trying to manipulate people’s emotions to provoke religious and nationalist sentiments. They’ve replaced confrontation with honeyed words to impose their will.”
Jangravi describes their tactics: “When girls approach the shrine, we put 3D glasses on them and transport them to Bayn al-Haramayn [a religious site in Iraq].
“They see the space of Imam Hussein’s shrine as they turn their heads. When they cry, we take them inside the hexagonal shrine. We’ve placed a stone from Imam Hussein’s shrine inside, given to us by the shrine’s servants.
“Surrounding them are photos of all martyrs - from Haj Qasem to Martyr Ajamian, to Arman [referring to Arman Aliverdi, a Basij member killed during the 2022 nationwide protests], and Martyr Nasrallah. We ask if they know these martyrs. Most of them respect Haj Qasem.”
Maryam, the resident of Tehran who spoke with IranWire adds skeptically, "All those standing at the booth wear chadors with 'Revolutionary Girls' ribbons, and most people avoid them to prevent engagement.
"Honestly, I don't believe these videos. We don't know what circumstances these people are under. They might even be actors. I know they exploit people's religious sentiments, but people don't fall for their games anymore."
She says whenever she sees hijab enforcers in the metro, she thinks of Armita Geravand - the 16-year-old who suddenly collapsed at Shohada metro station, fell into a coma, and later died at Tehran's Fajr Hospital.
Eyewitnesses had reported Armita's confrontation with metro hijab enforcers before the incident.
Jangravi's group claims they've converted 300 girls to wearing hijab in just six days of their metro booth operation.
They share their videos under the title "Clean Cultural Work for Hijab."
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/features/139215-inside-tehrans-metro-repentance-rooms-vr-meets-religious-propaganda/
---------
Civil Rights Activist Arrested in Tehran, Daughter Left Alone
FEBRUARY 20, 2025
Gelareh Abbasi, a civil and political rights activist in Tehran, was arrested by Intelligence Ministry agents on Wednesday and transferred to Evin Prison, according to human rights sources.
HRANA news agency reports that intelligence officers entered Abbasi’s home on Wednesday morning, searched the premises, and confiscated her electronic devices and mobile phone during the arrest.
Voice of America reports that Abbasi’s teenage daughter has been left alone at home “without a guardian” following the arrest.
According to reports, Abbasi’s arrest appears to be connected to her efforts to sell handicrafts made by prisoners to help support their livelihood.
Abbasi, who suffers from a heart condition, was previously sentenced to two years and six months in prison by Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court on charges of “assembly and collusion.”
She was released from Evin Prison in February 2023 after serving several months of that sentence.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/139230-civil-rights-activist-arrested-in-tehran-daughter-left-alone/
--------
UK Government pushing for Afghan women’s right to play cricket, Nandy says
20 February 2025
Afghan women have the right to play cricket and the UK Government is “bringing all the pressure that we can”, the Culture Secretary said, after England was urged to boycott its upcoming match against Afghanistan.
As the Champions Trophy kicks off, England men’s cricket team has continued to face calls to sit out the match in Lahore on Wednesday, in protest at the assault on women’s rights under the Taliban regime.
All female sport has been effectively outlawed, leaving the majority of Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team living in exile.
Lisa Nandy said a boycott of the upcoming match would be “counterproductive”, after a cross-party group of more than 160 MPs and peers called for it in a letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
ECB chief executive Richard Gould has written to the International Cricket Council condemning the “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan, but rejected the idea of a unilateral decision to withdraw from the game and instead called for cohesive action.
During a visit to Stratford-upon-Avon on Thursday, Ms Nandy said it is not the “fault” of athletes, as she supported the decision for the match to go ahead.
She told the PA news agency: ”The Prime Minister made clear, we believe that the rules ought to be upheld and that the Afghan women’s team have the right to play in international tournaments.
“We want the ruling body of international cricket to take that stance.
“We’ve been working closely with the England cricket board in order to make that clear. We think that’s the right approach.
“It’s not the athletes’ fault, it’s not the cricket team’s fault, that this has happened, and we do think that boycotts can be counterproductive.
“But we are absolutely crystal clear that the rules must be upheld, and we’re bringing all the pressure that we can to bear to make sure that that generation of Afghan women can play cricket as they deserve.
“They’ve earned the right to do so, and they ought to be able to do so.”
Pressed on whether the match should continue, she added: “I don’t think we are doing business as usual. I think there’s been very strong statements, there’s been work behind the scenes to try and bring co-ordinated pressure to bear to ensure that the right of Afghan women to play cricket is upheld.
“And there is, of course, a much wider issue about women’s rights in Afghanistan, which the Foreign Secretary has pursued relentlessly since we took office back in July.
“This Government takes the rights of women in Afghanistan incredibly seriously, and we’re doing everything that we can to try and uphold those rights.”
Following a meeting of the ECB board earlier this month, ECB chairman Richard Thompson confirmed the game would be going ahead.
He added: “We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council, our England men’s players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan.”
England’s white-ball captain, Jos Buttler, has also said the game should be played, saying “as a player, you don’t want political situations to affect sport”.
Source: independent.co.uk
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lisa-nandy-afghan-england-government-uk-government-b2701736.html
--------