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Mosque Attacks Gave Auckland Woman, Rhanas Ali, Confidence to Start Wearing Hijab

New Age Islam News Bureau

15 March 2023

• Mosque Attacks Gave Auckland Woman, Rhanas Ali, Confidence to Start Wearing Hijab

• Security Forces Detain Iranian Teen Girls Who Publicly Danced To Selena Gomez Tune

• Afghanistan: Male Tailors Claim Restrictions on Making Clothes for Women

• Egypt Pays Women with Two Children or Less In Latest Population Control Tactic

• Syrian Women and Their Babies Lives Are At Stake, According To New Report

• Abu Dhabi: Women Entrepreneurs Showcase Products, Services at Ramadan and Eid Exhibition

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:  https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/mosque-auckland-hijab-rhanas/d/129327

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 Mosque Attacks Gave Auckland Woman, Rhanas Ali, Confidence to Start Wearing Hijab

 

Woman wearing a hijab. (Source: rnz.co.nz)

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15 March 2023

The tragic events of 15 March four years ago helped an Auckland woman gain the confidence to start wearing a hijab.

Rhanas Ali told RNZs First Up she was shocked to find out about the terrorist attacks at the Christchurch mosques on 15 March in 2019.

Even more so when she learnt she knew one of the 51 victims.

Soon after, Ali went to work where her office colleagues held a minute of silence for the victims. All her colleagues wore a hijab in respect of those who died.

As a Muslim woman herself, it was that day she decided she would try to start wearing a hijab.

Until then, Ali said she had been uncomfortable at the idea of wearing one.

"But I thought, 'No, I'll start. I'll give it a go. I can always take it off if I'm not confident'."

Ali told First Up she was "very nervous" to put it on. She used to walk to work and worried about what people on the streets may say.

But she started wearing it to work, matching her outfit to her hijab.

She tried a lot of different styles, and everyone was accepting and gave her compliments on how she styled it.

Wearing a hijab to work also helped her save money, as she used to spend "lots" of money on her hair.

Another Auckland woman, Ayesha, told First Up she had been wearing the hijab for four years when the attacks took place.

She, too, knew someone who died.

Despite the terrible event that took place, Ayesha said she felt more confident about being visibly Muslim now.

"Whenever someone does make a comment, I'm just like 'what do you mean by that?' Or I take that opportunity to educate them, whereas before I would've just ignored it.

"You have no right to judge me or question me."

Ayesha said she would spend today, the anniversary of the terror attack, praying and remembering those who lost their lives.

Plea to government

Abdur Razzaq speaking on behalf of the Federation of Islamic Associations at the coronial scope hearing on the Christchurch terror attacks.Abdur Razzaq Photo: Supplied

New Zealand's Muslim community is urging the prime minister to not renege on government promises, four years on from the Christchurch mosque attacks.

The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand has released a report that aims to hold the government to account following a royal commission inquiry into the attacks.

Former prime minister Jacinda Ardern promised to implement all 44 recommendations proposed by the inquiry in December, 2020.

Chairperson of the federation Abdur Razzaq said he hoped Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and the government would continue to deliver on implementing the inquiry's recommendations.

Source: RNZ

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/486025/mosque-attacks-gave-auckland-woman-confidence-to-start-wearing-hijab

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 'All or No One': In Afghanistan, a Woman, Zahra, Is Painting Walls to Protest University Ban

 

Zahra, an activist for women's rights who spray-paints messages of resistance on the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan. This message reads

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By Hamed Ahmadi

Mar 14, 2023

It only cost Zahra a few dollars to buy bottles of black and red spray paint. But if she were caught painting slogans in the streets of Kabul, messages that criticize the Taliban and advocate for women’s rights, the price would be high indeed.

In one video Zahra posted on social media, she scrawls “Education, employment, freedom” on a wall as a friend shouts at her to move quickly: “Hurry, hurry, Zahra, hurry up!”

In these videos, Zahra disguises herself with a cap and a face covering. She puts on a different jacket as she nears the area where she’s going to paint her message. She’s mindful of using different routes to get around the Afghan capital. Zahra said she is scared, but that she fears the Taliban for the same reason she fears “a forest full of wild animals in the dark.”

Zahra, who asked to be identified only by her first name to protect her safety, has spray-painted these messages across the city on at least two occasions: in December, when the Taliban first announced that it would no longer allow women to attend universities, and earlier this month, when the group made good on its promise.

“[The] wall symbolizes women’s resistance against Taliban,” Zahra told HuffPost. “It is my podium when the Taliban silences our voices in the streets.”

Zahra was supposed to start her final term of university soon. She was on track to complete her senior thesis and graduate in the summer.

“My dreams were crushed,” Zahra said. “I always pictured myself the day when I am confidently presenting my thesis to the committee; the graduation day where I am walking across the platform in a gorgeous gown and towering heels with beautiful makeup on, receiving my diploma from my professor and celebrating my achievement.”

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, the group banned women from attending secondary education. Women were allowed to attend university, but they had to adhere to strict rules such as attending classes separately from male students, wearing full-body covering and only pursuing certain subjects. This past December, the Taliban said women would have to stop attending universities altogether. They claimed the ban would be temporary, and that they were trying to find a solution and create an environment for female students that they say would be compliant with Islamic law.

But Taliban officials have made no “firm commitments” about reopening schools and universities to the country’s women and girls, Tomas Niklasson, the European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, reportedly said earlier this month.

Zahra said she thinks the Taliban are issuing “empty promises” like they did when they were in power in the 1990s.

“I don’t trust the Taliban,” she said. “They are gradually removing us from all walks of life.”

In December, the Taliban also barred women from working for nongovernmental organizations.

Despite their desire for global recognition, Taliban leaders have defied international calls, including from renowned Islamic institutions, to lift the bans on women’s employment and education, claiming that the world should not interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

“Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women’s rights,” Roza Otunbayeva, a top United Nations official and former president of Kyrgyzstan, told the U.N. Security Council last week.

Afghanistan is the only country in the world where female students aren’t allowed to seek education after the sixth grade.

‘All Or No One’

The Taliban’s ban on women attending universities sparked nationwide protests and international condemnation. Female students took to the streets in Afghan cities, chanting slogans such as “All or no one” and “Education for all.” Some male students walked out of their classes in solidarity, and some university lecturers across the country have temporarily stopped working or quit.

Women have played a pivotal role in demonstrations against the Taliban, whose enforcers have used physical violence, such as beating and detention, to break up protests and discourage further demonstrations.

“Taliban are afraid of student movements, and of women even more,” said Zahra, who has helped organize some protests.

Zahra has written anti-Taliban slogans on Kabul’s walls, including “Death to Taliban.” She once wrote “Fuck you Taliban” on the wall of a bathroom at Kabul University, according to a video she sent to HuffPost. But her more recent wall-writing missions have featured a slogan now widely adopted among students ― “Everyone or no one,” which calls for male students to stand in solidarity with female students and stop going to classes. She has also painted a Persian expression that translates to “Empty the universities.”

“Universities are meaningless without students, so if all male students stop showing up to class, the Taliban will have to reconsider their position,” Zahra said.

She was also part of a group that wrote an open letter to male students that was published just before the start of the spring semester and widely shared on social media. The letter urged male students and faculty members to boycott universities, as they’d promised to do in December.

“We remember your promise and we are waiting for you to make another legendary act on Monday so that the world will see you stand by justice and freedom and not be ashamed in history,” the letter reads. “Millions of girls from all around Afghanistan will look at your stand with tearful eyes tomorrow.”

Zahra said some male students are afraid to boycott school because they fear violent backlash from the Taliban. Still, dozens of students have already joined the effort ― and the number is growing every day.

“It is the beginning of a larger movement,” she said. “I will fight until I regain my rights as a woman.”

On International Women’s Day last week, leaders around the world highlighted the plight of Afghanistan’s women and showed support for their bravery in fighting for their rights.

“Despite decades of progress, in far too many places around the world, the rights of women and girls are still under attack, holding back entire communities,” U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement. “We see it in Afghanistan, where the Taliban bars women and girls from attending school and pursuing employment.”

Foreign ministers of several countries issued a joint statement in which they also said they stand behind the women fighting for equality.

“We unite in acknowledging the extraordinary courage of women and girls in Afghanistan,” the statement read. “We support the calls by the people of Afghanistan for women and girls’ full access to quality education at schools and universities and women’s unrestricted ability to work in all sectors.”

But many women in Afghanistan feel these responses are insufficient, and that the international community has done nothing tangible to pressure the Taliban.

“Nothing has been done by global leaders,” Zahra said, “except to sit around and wait for the next Taliban decision to condemn.”

Source: Huff Post

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/afghan-woman-protest-education-taliban_n_640f8cd4e4b0a3902d2c728b

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Security Forces Detain Iranian Teen Girls Who Publicly Danced To Selena Gomez Tune

14 March ,2023

A group of Iranian teen girls who published a video dancing to the tune of a Selena Gomez song were detained and pressured into making a false confession.

Citing a post from the Twitter account Shahrak Ekbatan, news site Radio Farda reported that the five girls were initially summoned and received a warning, and later, called in again and detained for two days before being pressured into making a forced confession.

A blurry image shared alongside the same tweet showed all five of the teens now covered in headscarves and with their heads lowered.

Shortly after the video, shot in Ekbatan town west of Tehran, gained traction online the five girls were sought by security forces.

They were dancing to the famous Selena Gomez song with Rema, Calm Down, without a headscarf which is mandatory for women in Iran.

The now-trending video was published on International Women’s Day.

The search by Iranian security forces for the girls was confirmed by the Shahrak Ekbatan Twitter account which posts about events and incidents in the neighborhood. It had warned of possible arrest and detention.

The authorities reportedly viewed CCTV footage and questioned the guards at the property. It is not clear whether the dance was a form of protest.

A similar incident in February where a young couple was dancing near Tehran’s Azadi Square led to a prison-sentence.

Iran sentenced the couple to five years each for backing anti-regime protests. Astiyazh Haghighi and her fiance Amir-Mohammad Ahmadi, both in their early 20s, were charged with “collusion against national security” for “encouraging” protests on Instagram, where they have a large following.

More and more women in Iran have been defying the regime’s strict dress rules since anti-regime protests that followed the September death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year Iranian Kurdish woman who had been arrested over an alleged violation of the dress rules for women.

In some cities, women took off and burned their headscarves at the peak of the protests in late 2022.

Source: Al Arabiya

https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2023/03/14/Security-forces-detain-Iranian-teen-girls-who-publicly-danced-to-Selena-Gomez-tune

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Afghanistan: Male Tailors Claim Restrictions on Making Clothes for Women

March 15, 2023

Several male tailors in Charikar, the capital of Parwan province, said that they had received verbal orders from officials of the department of virtue and vice prohibiting them from making clothing for women.

Tailors said that with the closing of their shops, they are facing economic challenges.

"10,000 Afs is the rent of the shop, there are student expenses, and we used to meet all our expenses from sewing women's clothes,” said Mukhtar Sekandari, a tailor.

According to the representatives of the Parwan tailors' union, most of the tailors in this province lost employment as a result of the restrictions, and some had to leave the country.

"All the tailors who made clothing for women lost their jobs and some even went to Iran,” said Imamuddin, representative of the Charikar Craftsmen and Shopkeepers group.

"Our shops are on the brink of collapse, there is no business,” said Mohammad Saber Qudous, the representative of Parwan tailors.

However, local Parwan officials deny this claim and said that some recommendations have been given to the tailors.

"They are permitted to make clothes and there is no barrier in the field for them, but when they take the size of women who personally come to them, that is forbidden by the department of virtue and vice,” said Hikmatullah Shamim, the spokesman of the governor of Parwan.

This comes as many of the country's youth have migrated illegally over the past two years as a result of unemployment and the country's growing poverty.

Source: Tolo News

https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-182489

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Egypt pays women with two children or less in latest population control tactic

Nada El Sawy

Mar 15, 2023

Egypt will pay married women aged between 21 and 45 with two children or less an annual incentive of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($32).

They will receive the entire sum when they turn 45.

This is the government’s latest effort to control population growth, the cabinet said.

The initiative, under President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s National Project for the Development of the Egyptian Family, was signed between the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning and Economic Development.

“Our strategy is twofold: first, to provide financial incentives for Egyptian women to curb population growth, and second, to ensure that every woman and every child receives a comprehensive package of health, education and economic services to promote growth and human dignity,” said Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El Said.

The country of 104 million people, now growing at a rate of one million every 10 months, has struggled with overpopulation for decades.

But it has become a national priority in recent months, as population growth continues to put a strain on government sectors.

A World Bank report published last month estimates that reducing Egypt’s fertility rate from 2.9 births per woman to 2.1 would result in a cumulative gain in gross domestic product between 2020 and 2030 of around 569 billion pounds and savings in the health, housing and education sectors of 26 billion pounds.

President El Sisi launched the national family development project in February last year to tackle the health, education, social, cultural and economic dimensions of population growth.

The government had previously run a “Two is Enough” campaign that included free family planning services, but this is the first time direct financial incentives are being offered.

Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said the government will create an account under the unified treasury account to issue government bonds.

Women must commit to the terms of the project to be eligible, including periodic follow-up. A woman’s right to claim any money is forfeited if she gives birth to a third child.

The ministries will also create a database for the project with statistics related to the women who are targeted by the project, including their level of commitment.

It is unclear how effective financial incentives will be, as some population experts say there is a cultural belief in Egypt that more children will eventually bring in more income.

The reactions of social media users were mixed, with some praising the government’s unorthodox initiative and others saying it does not address the root of the problem or that the amount is too small to make a difference.

As Egyptians contend with record-high inflation and the economic fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war, one user wrote in response to the cabinet’s Facebook post: “You will get three kilos of meat every year, lucky girl”.

Source: The National News

https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/egypt/2023/03/15/egypt-pays-women-with-two-children-or-less-in-latest-population-control-tactic/

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Syrian Women And Their Babies Lives Are At Stake, According To New Report

By Rowaida Abdelaziz

Mar 14, 2023

Syria is facing a reproductive health care crisis that is putting women and their babies at risk of serious issues, including death, a new report has found.

The report, released on Tuesday, documents the human cost of the 12-year conflict in the country and the consequences it has had for women. It was co-authored by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Syria Relief & Development (SRD) and Syrian American Medical Society.

The country’s health care infrastructure was already crippled by years of civil war. The strain on facilities only worsened after a series of earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey last month. As a result, women’s mental and physical health took a hit, aid workers and physicians were operating beyond capacity, and life-saving resources remained scarce.

Access to reproductive care, in particular, has been hindered, and without immediate intervention, advocates and experts inside Syria told HuffPost that women’s lives are at stake.

“It’s important to recognize that behind these numbers, behind these pages of the report, we have horrifying stories about people and their bad experiences. Stories of losses of their children and their babies because of lack of services,” said Houssam Al-Nahhas, a Middle East North Africa researcher with PHR and lead author of the report.

Hospitals and health care facilities are nearly decimated, many targeted by airstrikes.

Since 2011, PHR has documented 601 attacks on medical facilities throughout Syria. Only 64% of hospitals and 52% of primary health care centers are functioning, while an estimated 70% of the health workforce has fled the country, according to a 2021 report by the IRC.

As a result, vulnerable populations continue to face life-threatening consequences. For example, half a million children are chronically malnourished, and roughly one-third of the population needs reproductive, maternal or neonatal health care.

This new report, which examined the impact of attacks on health care on sexual and reproductive health care services in northwest Syria from 2017 to 2022 and interviewed more than 260 women and health care workers, found that women were resorting to harmful coping practices, including delaying critical appointments. In addition, due to widespread poverty and intense fighting, many people from vulnerable populations were residing on the frontlines of the war, where housing was more affordable; meanwhile, civilian infrastructure, non-profit centers, and hospitals were relocating away from fighting zones.

Women living in those areas often had to make dangerous and expensive trips for medical appointments. They needed to pay for a private car to take the journey to see a doctor if they could afford it and were often worried about airstrikes that targeted medical facilities clustered in one region.

Some women hitchhiked rides if they couldn’t afford a private car. Many others didn’t make the trip, forgoing routine visits and not seeing a doctor until they delivered their babies.

The long, treacherous journey and targeted attacks on hospitals also meant a spike in cesarean births, a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby, which can be planned ahead of time but carries more risk than a vaginal delivery and requires a longer recovery.

According to the report, 12% of women had cesarean deliveries. In March 2020, that number jumped to 33% amid increased violence. Between January 2021 and September 2022, the average cesarean section rate was 23%.

Some women were unable to see a medical professional in time, contributing to a rise in maternal deaths, Okba Doghim, a physician and the programs director at SRD based in Syria and Turkey, told HuffPost.

Doghim recounted the story of a patient who was suffering from postpartum hemorrhage after delivery. The mother wasn’t able to reach the hospital in time. She died shortly thereafter.

If these women are lucky enough to make it to the hospitals, many are stuck waiting, contending with overloaded facilities, a lack of medical supplies, and proper doctors and staff. Additional barriers, such as the lack of information surrounding reproductive health, also contribute to maternal complications and even death, Doghim said.

After the earthquake, critical care centers languished even further. The surge in displaced populations, the destruction of roads, fuel shortages, and limited health care services and medical resources will likely impact as many as 148,000 pregnant women, 37,000 of whom are due to give birth in the next three months, according to the report.

“Even though Syria just got into the headlines recently because of the earthquake, it’s a long-term, protracted conflict that needs continuous attention. It’s not enough to support Syrians and the Syrian health system in the short term,” Al-Nahhas said. “It’s a long-term crisis that requires continuous attention and continuous support to make sure that communities will recover from the impact of the protracted conflict as well as this natural disaster.”

Source: Huff Post

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/syrian-women-and-babies-new-report_n_64109646e4b0fef1524073c8

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Abu Dhabi: Women entrepreneurs showcase products, services at Ramadan and Eid exhibition

by Ismail Sebugwaawo

14 Mar 2023

The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCCI), hosted the Ramadan and Eid Exhibition, which provided female entrepreneurs across a range of sectors with a platform to showcase their products and services.

Organised by the Council, the initiative aimed at supporting the businesswomen’s community in Abu Dhabi and enabling startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to promote their products and expand their reach.

The exhibition attracted 32 exhibitors, during which, female exhibitors presented their products and services across a range of sectors, including fashion, accessories, perfumes, handicrafts, food and beverages to name a few.

Mohamed Helal Al Mheiri, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, said: “The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council plays a pivotal role in supporting and empowering female entrepreneurs in Abu Dhabi and enhancing their productivity and success by creating opportunities for women to grow and expand their businesses. This comes in line with the vision of the UAE government to empower women and contribute to the overall sustainable economic development of the country.”

Asma Al Fahim, Chairwoman of the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, said: “We are pleased to see the high turnout at the Ramadan and Eid Exhibition, which showcases the entrepreneurial spirit of women in the UAE. Organising this event comes in line with the Council’s efforts to uncover opportunities for women to grow in the labour market, and develop and expand their businesses to achieve extraordinary results. The Council is steadfast in its commitment to supporting businesswomen and strengthening their contribution to the national economy.”

“It is truly inspiring to see so many female entrepreneurs come together to showcase their unique products and services, and support one another in their pursuit of success. We are proud to be taking part in shaping this vibrant businesswomen community, and look forward to seeing even more businesses emerge in the years to come,” she added.

The Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Chamber, aims to lead the development of women’s roles in the private sector and enable them to be a key partner in Abu Dhabi’s sustainable economic development. The Council provides top-quality services, including training, development, consultancy, professional guidance, and more.

Source: Khaleej Times

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/abu-dhabi-women-entrepreneurs-showcase-products-services-at-ramadan-and-eid-exhibition

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URL:  https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/mosque-auckland-hijab-rhanas/d/129327

 

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