Minor Girl Can Marry Without Parents' Consent under Muslim Personal Law, Observes Delhi HC
New
Age Islam News Bureau
23
August 2022
•
48% of Saudi Arabia's Gamers Are Women
•
UAE: Women in Abayas Set to Vroom at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit
•
Muslim Mother, Daughters Wearing Burkinis (Full-Body Women's Swimsuits) Barred
From Pool in Canada
•
Women Accused Should Be Granted Bail As Rule Irrespective Of Offence: SC of
Pakistan
•
16% Muslim Girls Took Transfer Certificates from Mangalore University Colleges
after Hijab Ban
•
Female Afghan Judge Launches Appeal against UK Home Office Refusing Her Entry
•
Gaza Women Seek Outdoors Escape on Summer Nights
•
Afghanistan Vice and Virtue Ministry to Form Dept Staffed By Women
•
Arrests And TV Confessions as Iran Cracks down on Women’s ‘Improper’ Clothing
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/minor-marry-consent-muslim-personal-law/d/127780
--------
Minor
Girl Can Marry Without Parents' Consent under Muslim Personal Law, Observes Delhi
HC
Representative
Purpose
----
August
23, 2022
The
Delhi High Court on Tuesday observed that as per Mohammedan Law - the Muslim
Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 - a minor girl below the age of 18
can marry without the consent of her parents, reported legal news portal
LiveLaw.
The
court also observed that she would retain the right to cohabit with her
husband, even if she is below the age of 18.
The
plea, which was moved by the couple seeking directions to ensure that nobody
could separate them, was heard by Justice Jasmeet Singh, who granted the couple
protection as per the existing law of the land.
The
girl's parents had reportedly been opposed to the marriage, and had registered
an FIR against the husband under Section 363 of the IPC (kidnapping).
Subsequently, the parents filed further charges under Section 376 of the IPC
(rape) and under Section 6 of the POCSO Act (aggravated penetrative sexual
assault).
The
girl, for her part, alleges that she was regularly beaten by her parents, and
that her marriage was consummated by her own free will.
The
status report on the case filed by the state showed her birthdate as August 2,
2006, meaning that she was 15 years and 5 months old at the time she got
married.
Muslims
in India are governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act,
1937. This law deals with marriage, succession, inheritance and charities among
Muslims.
The
Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 deals with the circumstances in which
Muslim women can obtain divorce and rights of Muslim women who have been
divorced by their husbands and to provide for related matters.
These
laws are not applicable in the state of Goa, where Goa civil code is applicable
for all persons irrespective of religion. These laws are not applicable to
Muslims who married under the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
Source:
Free Press Journal
--------
48%
of Saudi Arabia's Gamers Are Women
With
gaming consumption in Saudi Arabia projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2030, up
from $959 million in 2020, women will play a huge part in that figure being
met.
-----
August
23, 2022
RIYADH
— Figures issued by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information
Technology show that 48 percent of the Kingdom’s gamers are women.
With
23.5 million gamers in Saudi Arabia – nearly 70 percent of the Kingdom’s
population – the popularity and potential of the gaming and esports sector in
the Kingdom is enormous.
In
addition, research produced this summer from consultants Redseer indicated that
69 percent of online women in the Kingdom are gamers – one percent more than
their male counterparts.
With
gaming consumption in Saudi Arabia projected to reach $6.8 billion by 2030, up
from $959 million in 2020 according to a Boston Consulting Group report, the
nation’s women will play a huge part in that figure being met.
Ghada
Almoqbel, owner and CEO of GCON, which stands for Girls Convention, the first
convention for women in gaming and esports in the Kingdom, has witnessed
firsthand the rise of Saudi women in the industry. Set up in 2012, annual GCON
conventions now attract around 20,000 female attendees.
Almoqbel
said: “GCON contributes to building the gaming ecosystem by managing projects
in the entertainment, game development, and esports sectors. Our focus is on
being an ecosystem catalyst and community lead. We aim to make a change in the
industry through our research and understanding of the community and, furthermore,
we focus on empowering and supporting women in the gaming and esports
industry.”
On
Wednesday, a Devs Talk event will be held at Alfaisal University in Riyadh as
part of Gamers8, the biggest esports and gaming event worldwide.
The
Devs Talk panel event will be held under the title ‘The Art Behind Music
Composing in Video Games’ and features David Wise, the British video game music
composer and musician. Wise gained a following for his work on games such as
Nintendo's Donkey Kong Country series and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Almoqbel
said: “We are delighted to be working with Alfaisal University under Gamers8 to
organize this Devs Talk event. Devs Talk is a regular GCON event that provides
both educational and social platforms to game developers through a panel about
different subjects on game development. It also stands as an exhibition to
showcase the works of everyone in the game development scene – be they
programmers, designers, voice actors, artists, or many more.” — SG
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/624188
--------
UAE:
Women in abayas set to vroom at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit
by
Ashwani Kumar
23
Aug 2022
With
less than three months to go for the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where the likes
of Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton will burn rubber, around 100 women clad in
abayas and sheilas will be leading the way with exhilarating drives at the
iconic Yas Marina Circuit this Sunday.
Ringing
in Emirati Women’s Day in the most glamorous way, the second Abaya Rally will
feature engineers, athletes, entrepreneurs, actresses, bikers, singers, social
media influencers, car enthusiasts and even more talented individuals who have
overcome stereotypes in their respective fields.
Among
other events there will be a red carpet, abaya fashion show, panel discussions
and an award night honouring remarkable women leaders to be held at Al Raha
Beach Hotel.
Women
achievers of all ages are excited to showcase the ‘power of abayas’ on the F1
track.
“If
you can dream it, you can do it", said Dr Suaad Al Shamsi, the UAE's first
female Emirati Aircraft Engineer. "If you can do it, you can achieve it
and you will succeed in it. Just follow your dreams and believe.”
The
all-women car rally, promoting empowerment and equality, will see scores of
achievers drive for the change they stand for. It will be organised by Orbit
Events and Promotions with the support of the Emirates Motor Sports
Organisation.
Pragna
Vaya, managing director, Orbit Events, said the event celebrates the resolve of
these women to overcome the challenges they face and achieve great things.
“Abaya
Rally brings together women from different walks of life to show that they can
have all the fun as well as drive forward more empowered, stronger, and more
successful, towards a more sustainable world,” said Dr Walaa Ahmed Al Shehhi, a
multitalented electrical engineer, writer, and life coach.
“As
a woman, you are the power of now, and you hold the secret to creating the
impossible. You are the key to everything possible.”
The
panel discussions at Al Raha Beach Hotel will focus on the topics of women
empowerment, leadership, excelling in careers, well-being, and the steps to
achieving gender parity.
Kamal
Zayati, general manager, Al Raha Beach Hotel, said the event gives women in the
UAE the “recognition they deserve for their continuous outstanding contribution
to the development of the nation”.
The
first-ever Abaya Rally was held in 2020 on the UAE National Day.
Source:
Khaleej Times
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/f1/uae-women-in-abayas-set-to-vroom-at-abu-dhabis-yas-marina-circuit
--------
Muslim
Mother, Daughters Wearing Burkinis (Full-Body Women's Swimsuits) Barred From
Pool in Canada
Seyit
Aydogan and Seda Sevencan
22.08.2022
TORONTO
A
Muslim mother and her daughters wearing burkinis were not allowed to swim at a
water park in Canada.
Mother
Halima Jelloul, her husband and two daughters booked a room at the Lilac Resort
in Winnipeg, capital of the southern Manitoba province, on Friday, CTV News
reported.
The
family was told that they could not enter the pool as they were wearing
burkinis, full-body women's swimsuits covering everything except the hands,
face, and feet.
"About
10-15 minutes, the owner approached us and said that due to the burkini me and
my daughter were wearing we aren't allowed on the waterslide. My daughters were
crying. It wasn't really a pleasing moment for us, so I had to check in with my
daughters to see if they were okay and wanted to stay or leave,” the mother
said.
"On
a daily basis we experience that at the beach. People looking at you not
knowing what it is, which is okay, and some education needs to happen,"
Jelloul added.
"I
was very uncomfortable, obviously. I wasn't shocked it happened," said
Jelloul's daughter Salma Douida.
"And
I think that Muslim women or anyone who dresses modestly should have the right
to and that if this happens to them, they should speak up," the
14-year-old added.
Owner
of facility apologized
After
that, a health inspector was called to solve the problem. The family was given
permission after the inspector stated that it was not against public health
rules to enter the pool or water park with a burkini. However, the family chose
to leave.
"As
long as the burkini in question is properly constructed, there are no safety
concerns," said Christopher Love, the organization's safety management
coordinator.
Dan
Manaigre, the resort's owner, said he approached the family because he didn't
know what a burkini was and thought it was streetwear -- a major public health
violation if worn in a pool.
"I
want to apologize to the family because I just didn't know," said
Manaigre.
The
ban on Muslim women entering the beach or pools with burkinis, which started in
France in 2016 and spread to some European countries, was also requested to be
implemented in Canada at that time.
In
the province of Quebec, which is known for its pro-French practices, Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau rejected the ban on burkini.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
--------
Women
Accused Should Be Granted Bail As Rule Irrespective Of Offence: SC of Pakistan
Nasir
Iqbal
August
23, 2022
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday held that bail should be granted to women
accused as a rule irrespective of the category of offence, but in case of
refusal then it should be an exception.
“In
cases of women, as mentioned in the first proviso to Section 497(1),
irrespective of the category of the offence, bail is to be granted as a rule
and refused as an exception in the same manner as it is granted or refused in
offences that do not fall within the prohibitory clause of Section 497(1)
CrPC,” observed Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah in a judgment he wrote.
Section
497 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) deals with the bail in cases of
non-bailable offence and says: (1) when any person accused of any non-bailable
offence was arrested or detained without warrant by an officer-in-charge of a
police station, or appears or is brought before a court, he may be released on
bail. But he shall not be so released if there appears reasonable grounds for
believing that he has been guilty of an offence punishable with death or
imprisonment for life or imprisonment for 10 years; provided that the court may
direct that any person under the age of 16 years or any woman or any sick or
infirm person accused of such an offence be released on bail.
Justice
Shah was a member of the two-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Qazi Faez
Isa, which had taken up an appeal of Tahira Batool against the June 6, 2022,
denial of post-arrest bail to her by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Observation
comes in judgement on appeal against rejection of bail plea of maid arrested in
house robbery
She
was booked in a December 16, 2021, case registered at the police station of Loi
Bher, Islamabad. According to the FIR, five unknown people entered the house of
the complainant, forcibly detained him and his family along with their maid
(Tahira Batool). They robbed the family of cash, jewellery, mobile phones and
also took away the maid with them.
Through
a supplementary statement made the same day, the complainant implicated the
petitioner as a partner of the five suspects.
During
the hearing, Advocate Mohammad Shahzad Siddiqui, the counsel for the
petitioner, argued that in the crime report one Sidra was mentioned as being
the maid in the house of the complainant and detained along with his family.
There is no material on the record to show that the petitioner (Tahira Batool)
was the maid.
Besides,
according to the crime report, the maid (Sidra) had not been ascribed any role
in the commission of robbery.
Advocate
General Islamabad Jahnagir Khan Jadoon on behalf of the prosecution contended
that the petitioner was in league with other co-accused who had committed the
robbery in the house and some of the stolen items such as artificial jewellery
and two mobile phones had been recovered from her.
The
apex court in its order observed that being a woman the petitioner’s prayer for
post-arrest bail should have been examined under the first proviso to Section
497(1) CrPC if she was not found entitled to bail under Section 497(2) of CrPC.
“The
courts below have not adverted to it. Thus, the interest of justice requires
the Supreme Court has to examine it,” the judgment explained, adding Section
497(1) CrPC which prohibits the grant of bail in certain offences was popularly
known as the prohibitory clause and such accused was presumed innocent until
proved guilty and bail cannot be withheld as punishment without conviction.
The
court said it had examined the record of the case and did not find any material
that would attract any exceptions in order to refuse bail to the petitioner.
“We
are cognizant of the fact that the persons involved in the commission of
offences of robbery or dacoity are usually the professional criminals and there
is a likelihood that they would repeat the offence if enlarged on bail,” the
order said.
“But
the case of the present petitioner is distinguishable as she was working as a
maid in the house of the complainant as per his own version; therefore, she
does not appear to be a professional robber or dacoit and we do not find a
likelihood of her repeating the offence if released on bail.”
The
IHC order is, thus, not sustainable under the law and calls for interference by
the apex court, the judgment said, adding the petition is converted into an
appeal and the IHC order set aside.
The
petitioner is also admitted to post-arrest bail subject to her furnishing bail
bond worth Rs50,000 with two sureties in the like amount to the satisfaction of
the trial court, the order said.
But
the concession of bail may be cancelled by the competent court under Section
497(5) CrPC if she misuses it in any manner, including causing delay in the
expeditious conclusion of the trial, the order added.
Source:
Dawn
--------
16%
Muslim Girls Took Transfer Certificates from Mangalore University Colleges
after Hijab Ban
Aug
23, 2022
By
Arun Dev
Amid
a controversy over hijab ban in Karnataka, particularly in the coastal region,
16% Muslim girl students studying in colleges affiliated to Mangalore
University (MU) have taken transfer certificates.
As
per the data provided by Mangalore University, in response to a query filed
under the Right to Information (RTI), these dropouts were reported from
government and aided colleges.
Out
of the total 900 Muslim girl students, who had enrolled for various courses in
2020-21 and 2021-22, 145 had collected their TCs from government, aided and
constituent colleges of MU in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
A
closer look at the data shows that a higher number of TCs were reported in
government colleges, while the number was lower in aided colleges. There are 39
government and 36 aided colleges in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.
When
compared with the data across the state, the number of Muslim girls students,
who got TC in Udupi district, was 14%, while in Dakshina Kannada district the
percentage was 13%. Both districts were at the epicentre of the hijab
controversy.
In
Dayananda Pai Government College in Mangaluru, where a confrontation took place
between two groups of students when some Muslim students came to the college
wearing hijab, 35 out of 51 Muslim girl students collected their TCs. In
Government First Grade College in Haleangadi, 20 girl students sought transfer.
Government First Grade College in Ajjarkad, the epicentre of the hijab row, saw
nine students collecting their TC.
Among
the government-run colleges, Muslim girl students have collected the highest
number of TCs from Ujire’s SDM College (11) and Kundapur’s Bhandarkar College
(13).
According
to local media, while some students have taken admission in colleges where
hijab is allowed, others have dropped out due to reasons like inability to pay
the fee. However, in Kodagu district, all 113 Muslim girl students continue
studying in their colleges. There are 10 government, aided and constituent
colleges of MU in Kodagu district.
Gausia,
who studied till fifth semester at University College, Mangaluru was one of the
students in the forefront of the fight for the right to wear hijab. After
getting the TC from the college, she took admission in a private college.
“The
reason for the dropouts is education minister BC Nagesh. His policies, which
are part of his religious politics, resulted in these TCs. Even though students
asked for their right to education, which is provided by the constitution. Many
Muslim students were denied education because of the government’s policy,” said
Gausia.
Responding
to the information and student’s statement, the vice-president of the
Development Committee of the Udupi Government PU Girls’ College, Yashpal
Suvarna, said those not ready to follow the rules should leave the college.
“They
have said that the minister is responsible for them not getting education, but
the truth is that they don’t know the importance of education. Now, if they
want to leave and join other colleges, let them do. We don’t care. For us, in
our college, we won’t give any special privilege to anyone. For us, our
admission numbers have gone up this year, which means people still believe in
our college. What some mislead people do is beyond us,” said Suvarna.
In
December last year, at least eight Muslim girl students were stopped from
entering class wearing the hijab. On January 1, the college development council
(CDC) passed an order banning the hijab inside campuses, leading to students
sitting outside the college building, but within the campus, in protest.
College
authorities maintained that the hijab was never allowed inside classrooms. By
February, as the controversy spread across the state, there were
counter-protests with some students wearing saffron shawls.
On
February 3, a video of the government PU college principal shutting the gates
on at least 25 hijab-wearing students in Udupi’s Kundapura turned the issue
into a wider movement. The controversy has since manifested in ugly ways in
Karnataka where right-wing groups have extended demands to ban halal meat,
azaan prayers on loudspeakers, restricting Muslims from taking part in temple
fairs and getting the Hindu community to stop doing business with Muslims.
Source:
Hindustan Times
--------
Female
Afghan Judge Launches Appeal against UK Home Office Refusing Her Entry
August
20, 2022
LONDON:
A female Afghan judge has appealed against a ruling by the British government
refusing her entry to the UK.
The
judge, known only as Yosra, is hiding unlawfully in Pakistan, where her family
fears for her health.
Her
appeal, lodged on her behalf by lawyers in the UK, is the first of potentially
dozens of cases brought by Afghans denied entry to the country by the Home
Office.
Yosra,
42, was a judge in Afghanistan for two decades and presided over cases that
involved Taliban members.
During
her career, she received multiple death threats from the group, and her house
was targeted.
She
fled her homeland with her son after the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan
in August last year, fearing for her life.
Yosra,
who has a sister in the UK and whose nephew works as a civil servant there, was
told she was eligible for resettlement in the UK under the Afghan relocations
and assistance policy.
Ten
months after applying, though, she was rejected, with the Home Office stating
in a letter: “There is no provision for someone to be allowed to travel to the
UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.
“Those
who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country
they reach — that is the fastest route to safety.”
Her
family have now raised concerns for the state of her mental health, fearing
that she could attempt suicide faced with the prospect of returning to
Afghanistan.
Oliver
Oldman, a solicitor at the law firm representing Yosra, told The Times: “The
commitments made to those at risk in Afghanistan (are) seemingly already
forgotten.”
The
Home Office said the UK “is taking a leading role in the international response
to supporting at-risk Afghan citizens and has made one of the largest
commitments to resettlement of any country.
“This
includes welcoming over 21,000 Afghan women, children and other at-risk groups
with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK and we are working as fast as
possible to house everyone.”
Last
week, the Court of Appeal for England and Wales told government officials to
reconsider the cases of two other Afghan judges denied entry to the UK.
There
are thought to be around 150 other female Afghan judges seeking refuge abroad,
with 70 still living in the country.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2146626/world
--------
Gaza
women seek outdoors escape on summer nights
23
Aug 2022
From
card games to horse rides, women in Gaza are spending their summer nights
outdoors to seek solace from daily hardships in the Palestinian enclave.
“We
wait for the sun to be gone to escape to the sea,” said Yusra Hmedat, 43, while
playing cards at a beachfront cafe in Gaza City.
“Women
leave their houses, from the pressures of life, and try to stay out as long as
possible,” said the civil servant, as she put her cards in order.
Fifteen
years into an Israeli-led blockade on Gaza, residents of the densely populated
territory endure regular power cuts amid stifling summer heat.
One
of Hmedat’s competitors, Nawal Yassin, said she often returns home at 2am or
3am.
“Women
try to adapt and overcome the circumstances more than men,” said the
66-year-old.
In
another cafe northwest of the city, housewife Umm Saeed described her nightly
rendezvous as a way of coping with the impact of repeated wars between
Palestinian militants and Israel.
“We
try to overcome the stresses by going out, sharing our concerns and
sympathising with one another,” she said.
“You
see people laughing, but from within everyone is devastated, psychologically.”
Umm
Saeed said she spends all of her disposable income at the cafe, amounting to
around 15 shekels ($4.50) a day.
But
with Gaza’s unemployment rate hitting 47 per cent last year, according to the
Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, such outings are an unaffordable
luxury for many.
At
Al Shati refugee camp, which overlooks the sea, Faten Abdul Rahman instead sits
outside with her daughters and neighbours.
“The
majority of women in the camp gather together at the door of their homes
because of the poor economic situation,” said Rahman, who relies on social
welfare to support her seven children.
“The
heat is unbearable at home. We spread out a sheet and sit with guests on the
beach, which is the only free entertainment,” she added.
Switching
on fans or air conditioning is often out of the question in Gaza, where
residents received an average of 11 hours of electricity a day last month.
This
plummeted to just five hours on August 7, during the latest bout of fighting
between Palestinian militants and Israel, data from the UN humanitarian agency
(OCHA) shows.
Women
like Umm Jaber Abu Assi minimise their spending by heading to the park,
bringing homemade pastries and renting a chair for a shekel.
“If
we went out to the sea I would need to pay more,” she said, as crowds of women
and children gathered at the park to the west of Gaza City.
“There’s
a lack of options in Gaza; leaving the house (makes us) feel that we’re human,”
said the 43-year-old, who sometimes faces criticism for getting home after
midnight.
“I
don’t care about the criticism. I walk home with my daughter without being
scared (because) the streets are crowded,” she said.
For
some women, sports such as horse riding are on offer each evening.
At
a club southwest of Gaza City, 22-year-old Menna Kahil is feeding her horse
Ripple.
“I
spend most of my time here in the evenings. I’m afraid to go out in the evening
in public places alone, for fear of shelling or rocket fire,” she said.
Such
weapons killed at least 49 Gazans in three days of cross-border fighting this
month, according to a health ministry toll.
Despite
riding for a decade, Kahil said she still comes under pressure over her chosen
hobby.
“I
face a lot of criticism because I’m not veiled when I ride my horse at the
sea,” she said.
“Although
it’s only natural — even the horses need a change of atmosphere.”
Outside
the sports club, Mervat Al Ghalayini is playing pickleball, which incorporates
elements of badminton, tennis and table tennis.
“I
love joining anything new,” the 41-year-old said enthusiastically.
“I
work in the morning and practice sports in the evening; I leave the house to go
to a place where there’s light and people.”
Source:
Khaleej Times
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/mena/gaza-women-seek-outdoors-escape-on-summer-nights
--------
Afghanistan
Vice And Virtue Ministry to Form Dept Staffed By Women
August
23, 2022
The
Ministry of Vice and Virtue’s (MoVV) spokesman said that a "women
employees" department will be formed to continue activities within the
ministry.
Spokesman
Akif Mahajar said that the department will help to bring reforms.
“The
ministry is trying to form a department to bring reforms for women,” he
said.
Talking
at a press conference of the MoVV’s annual report on the current Afghan
situation, Mahajar said that the MoVV has received nearly 2,000 complaints,
many of which have been addressed.
Based
on the numbers of the MoVV, more than 900 members of the Islamic Emirate have
been dismissed for various reasons.
“If
a teenager was appointed, we have dismissed him. We have dismissed those who
were using drugs. If anyone was shaving their beards, we have dismissed them.
We have carried out this process in Kabul and 15 other provinces and will do it
in other provinces as well,” said Abdulrahman Munir, military deputy of the
MoVV.
Mahajar
talked about the women’s hijab:
"A
Muslim sister must be covered with hijab that won’t be too tight, too thin, not
too fashionable—and don’t use the clothes that are used by non-Muslims,” he
said.
Source:
Tolo News
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-179507
--------
Arrests
And TV Confessions as Iran Cracks down on Women’s ‘Improper’ Clothing
Rosie
Swash
23
Aug 2022
There
were protests and condemnation last week after an Iranian woman who was
arrested for defying newly hardened hijab laws appeared on state television to
give what observers claimed was a forced confession as a result of torture.
Sepideh
Rashno, 28, was arrested in July soon after footage of her being harassed on a
bus over “improper clothing”, was circulated online.
Rashno,
a writer and artist, is among a number of women arrested after the introduction
of a national “Hijab and Chastity Day” on 12 July.
According
to the Hrana human rights group, she was taken to hospital with internal
bleeding shortly after her arrest and before her appearance on television.
Iranian
women have been required to wear the hijab in public since the 1979 Islamic
Revolution, but president Ebrahim Raisi signed an order on 15 August to enforce
the country’s dress code law with a new list of restrictions.
According
to Hrana, which says forced confessions are on the rise in Iran, five women
were arrested for not observing the dress code, and four were forced to
confess, in the days before and after 12 July.
They
also reported that three women were arrested for dancing in public, 33
hairdressing salons were shut down and 1,700 people were summoned to law
enforcement centres for reasons related to the hijab.
After
her arrest, Rashno appeared on state television on 30 July, wearing a
headscarf, to give an apology. In the footage, Rashno looks pale and subdued,
and has dark circles around her eyes.
“There
were clear signs of physical beatings on her face,” said Skylar Thompson, of
Hrana. “It is clear that in addition to the psychological torture of being
coerced into confessing, she has been physically beaten.”
Rashno
remains in custody, Hrana said.
The
confessions have provoked outrage and alarm among Iranians online. This week
groups of women’s rights activists gathered in Tehran, carrying placards
asking: “Where is Sepideh Rashno?”, and a video was released of Iranian women
reciting a poem called The Confession.
Masih
Alinejad, a journalist, activist and dissident, described the arrests as an
“act of terror”. Alinejad spearheaded the White Wednesday movement, which began
in 2014 and encouraged women to wear white and discard their headscarves. She
was the target of a kidnap attempt in 2021 and last month a man with a rifle
was arrested outside her house in New York.
Prof
Ali Ansari, a specialist in Middle Eastern politics at St Andrews University,
said the tightening of hijab rules was part of a “systematic wider pattern of
repression” within Iran that had worsened in the year since the election of
Raisi in August 2021.
Raisi,
who is more hardline than his predecessor Hassan Rouhani, took office at a time
of economic crisis after the reintroduction of sanctions by the US and a wave
of protests against crippling inflation.
His
first year in office has been marked by “a programme of Islamisation from the
ground up”, which has seen a resurgence of the guidance patrol, also known as
the “morality police”, and a crackdown on any perceived western influence on
Iranian society.
“State
security has become pretty severe across the board,” Ansari told the Guardian.
“The women’s movement is presented as a threat to national security, because it
represents a breakdown in social norms and western influence penetrating
society.”
Tara
Sepehri Far of Human Rights Watch said forced confessions were intended to
intimidate people and spread fear, but in the case of Rashno it was unlikely to
be effective because, “she was visibly pale. She was visibly tired. There was
no effort put into trying to portray that this was a voluntary narrative.”
She
pointed to the introduction of a population bill in November 2021, which
restricts access to abortion and contraception in an attempt to increase Iran’s
falling birthrate, as part of political process aiming “to put women back in
the house.”.
Thompson
said that in the past year, “we’ve seen a surge in crackdowns against women
like we have not seen for some time. It is something the international
community needs to keep an eye on. These injustices are yet another consequence
of the lack of accountability in Iran.”
Source:
The Guardian
--------
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/minor-marry-consent-muslim-personal-law/d/127780
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism