Mural Of Killed Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Inaugurated in Bethlehem
New Age
Islam News Bureau
31 Aug 2023
·
Mural Of
Killed Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Inaugurated in Bethlehem
·
Iran Journalist, Nazila Maroufian, Rearrested
for Defying Headscarf Law
·
Intimidating Behaviour, Online Threats Lead to
Cancellation of Auckland Protest for Women's Rights in Iran
·
Reports
Detail Abuse of Detained Women's Rights Activists in Iran
·
Iran Steps
Up Crackdown Ahead of Anniversary of Amini's Death, Activists Say
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/mural-shireen-akleh-bethlehem/d/130576
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Mural Of
Killed Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh Inaugurated in Bethlehem
Bethlehem mayor Hanna Hanania said that Shireen Abu Akleh was a ‘martyr
of the truth’ [Ghassan Banoora/Al Jazeera]
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30 Aug
2023
A mural
in memory of Al Jazeera’s slain journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, has been
inaugurated in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.
The
municipality of Bethlehem unveiled the mural on Wednesday, saying that it was a
tribute to Abu Akleh and her reporting on the Palestinian cause.
The
ceremony took place on al-Mahd Street in Bethlehem in the presence of Abu
Akleh’s relatives and colleagues, as well as local officials.
Speakers
at the event stressed the need for justice for Abu Akleh, who was killed by an
Israeli soldier on May 11, 2022, while she was reporting from Jenin. No one has
been held accountable for her killing.
Walid
al-Omari, the head of Al Jazeera’s bureau in Ramallah, said the mural conveyed
a moral message.
“We’re
thankful to the Bethlehem municipality for this work, and we’ll continue to
follow up on Shireen’s case so that we can achieve justice,” al-Omari said.
Abu
Akleh’s brother, Tony, echoed that message.
“This
mural is in memory of Shireen, especially in the city of Bethlehem, from where
her origins come,” said Tony. He went on to explain the close relationship
between Shireen Abu Akleh and the “city of Christ”, as he described it.
“This
mural is not only for Shireen, but rather in memory of every martyr who was
killed at the hands of the Israeli occupation,” Tony said.
For his
part, Hanna Hanania, Bethlehem’s mayor, said that Abu Akleh represented the
city, as well as Jerusalem, where she was born and eventually laid to rest, and
the Palestinian people as a whole because she is “a martyr of the truth” who
conveyed the Palestinian cause to the world.
“It’s
our duty to immortalise her name in ‘the city of peace’, Bethlehem,” Hanania
said.
Nida
Ibrahim, Al Jazeera’s correspondent in the occupied West Bank, expressed her
sadness when she first saw the mural. “For me, it was a bittersweet moment,”
she said.
“It’s a
reminder of the loss we endured after she was killed, both as her colleagues
and as Palestinian journalists,” Ibrahim said. “A reminder that justice has not
been served and that the killer is probably on the beach right now or enjoying
coffee or living their life.”
“It’s
really touching to see Shireen’s pictures and memorials in different places in
Palestine and abroad,” Ibrahim added. “It shows the deep impact she has on
people, as someone who was passionate and deeply interested in the human part
of the story.”
“It’s
been almost 500 days – but she’s still with us and her memory lives on and on.”
The
killing of the late Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American dual nation, garnered
international attention, and at first, Israel attempted to falsely accuse
Palestinian fighters of fatally shooting the veteran reporter, who had been at
Al Jazeera since 1997, and was renowned across the Arab world.
Months
after the killing, Israel acknowledged that one of its soldiers likely killed
Abu Akleh but dismissed the incident as unintentional. The Israeli government
has not opened a criminal probe into the killing – but Al Jazeera has taken the
case to the International Criminal Court.
Numerous
media outlets, rights groups and witnesses have documented that there was no
fighting in the immediate vicinity of where Abu Akleh was shot.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/8/30/mural-in-memorial-of-shireen-abu-akleh-inaugurated-in-bethlehem
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Iran
Journalist, Nazila Maroufian, Rearrested for Defying Headscarf Law
FILE - A woman looks at a screen image of Nazila Maroufian, Nov. 4,
2022. Maroufian, once detained in Iran for coverage of protests, has been
rearrested for running afoul of Iran's dress code for women.
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August
30, 2023
TEHRAN,
IRAN —
A
journalist who defied Iran's strict dress code and was freed on bail this month
has been rearrested for not wearing the headscarf in public, a news agency
reported Wednesday.
"Nazila
Maroufian has been arrested for wearing inappropriate clothing in public
places, and for publishing these photographs on social media," the Tasnim
agency reported.
Since
the Islamic revolution of 1979, women in Iran have been required to wear
scarves to hide their hair in public. But over the past year, more and more
women have been appearing bareheaded in major cities.
Maroufian
last year interviewed the father of Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini, 22, whose death
in police custody last September for allegedly violating the dress code sparked
months of protests.
In the
interview, Amjad Amini accused authorities of lying about the circumstances of
his daughter's death.
Iranian
authorities have indicated she died because of a health problem, contesting
accusations from the family and activists who have said she suffered a blow to
the head while in custody.
Maroufian
was released on bail on August 13 from Tehran's Evin prison after spending more
than a month behind bars.
She had
again posted on social media a photo of herself without a headscarf, in
defiance of the dress code.
Maroufian,
a Tehran-based journalist from Amini's hometown of Saqez in Kurdistan province,
was first arrested in November 2022.
She was
later released but in January said she had been sentenced to two years in jail,
suspended for five years, on charges of propagandizing against the system and
spreading false news.
On
Wednesday, the daily Etemad newspaper reported the trial had begun for Amini's
lawyer Saleh Nikbakht, who was charged with spreading "propaganda against
the system."
Nikbakht's
trial and Maroufian's rearrest came just days ahead of the first anniversary of
Amini's death on September 16.
https://www.voanews.com/a/report-iran-journalist-rearrested-for-defying-headscarf-law/7247972.html
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Intimidating
Behaviour, Online Threats Lead to Cancellation of Auckland Protest for Women's
Rights in Iran
Aug 31
2023
A
protest calling out the actions of the Iranian government has been cancelled
after organisers were threatened online with what they described as “symbols of
violence”.
Say Her
Name was due to take place on September 16 in Auckland’s Mission Bay to commemorate
the one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini.
The
16-year-old died in custody in Tehran after being arrested by the Iranian
morality police for not wearing a hijab, sparking global protests in support of
women’s rights.
The
event was organised by community groups Woman Life Freedom NZ and Voice of
Iranians.
"It
is disheartening and, frankly, disgusting to see acts of bullying, and even
death threats, emerging from some members of the community,” a Woman Life
Freedom NZ spokesperson said on Wednesday.
"Due
to these safety concerns, our group will no longer participate in any protests.
Instead, we will harness the power of online platforms and continue our fight
through other channels."
The
spokesperson said the event was cancelled following advice from the police due
to intimidating behaviour from some within the Iranian community.
"The
aforementioned threats and insults will, in due course, be addressed
legally."
Police
confirmed they were aware of the change to the planned event and that the organiser
had been in touch with them, but would not comment on the security threats or
whether police were investigating them.
Iranian
New Zealander Samira Taghavi is a lawyer and the member of Woman Life Freedom
NZ.
She said
the threats did not originate from the broader Iranian community but rather a
specific subset with extreme ideologies.
"These
individuals identify as monarchists... we've been vigilant in monitoring their
activities, and as a result of many reports from our community members, their Instagram
page was taken down. However, they promptly initiated a new one, demonstrating
their persistence and determination."
Taghavi
said members of the radical group have been intimidating Iranian Kiwis through
social media.
"The
group has been using explicit stickers such as knives, guns, and other symbols
of violence. These visuals, while they may seem benign as digital
representations, carry a heavy weight of implication, especially in the current
context,” she said.
The
Security Intelligence Service (SIS) accused Iran of interfering in New
Zealand's democracy by conducting foreign interference in a security threat
environment report earlier this month.
Iran was
identified as “monitoring and providing reporting on Iranian communities and
dissident groups”.
“Globally,
Iran has sought to silence dissenting Iranian voices in response to perceived
threats to the Islamic Republic,” the report read.
"Such
activity has historically been unlikely in New Zealand, although the NZSIS
continues to assess the threat in light of Iran’s increasingly aggressive
behaviour internationally."
https://www.stuff.co.nz/pou-tiaki/132846703/intimidating-behaviour-online-threats-lead-to-cancellation-of-auckland-protest-for-womens-rights-in-iran
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Reports
Detail Abuse of Detained Women's Rights Activists In Iran
August
30, 2023
Women's
rights activists imprisoned in Gilan province in northern Iran have been
subjected to severe beatings and mental abuse, Iran International can reveal.
According
to information obtained by Iran International, Sara Jahani, a doctor at a
hospital in Rasht, refused to share her phone's passcode with authorities and
was beaten for this resistance.
Meanwhile,
in the Ministry of Intelligence's detention center, Hooman Taheri, a
Gilan-based activist, also suffered repeated severe assaults. Days after being
transferred to the public ward, he still bears visible signs of a broken tooth,
extensive facial swelling, and bruises on his neck and body.
It has
been reported that some detainees have been denied communication privileges and
visitation rights to prevent the disclosure of abuse.
Last
Thursday, the Islamic Republic's security forces arrested several women's
rights activists in the cities of Rasht, Fooman, Anzali, and Lahijan.
Condemning
these detentions, hundreds of activists have called for their immediate
release.
As the
anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death at the hands of the hijab police approaches,
the government's efforts to suppress activists, students, and teachers have
escalated. Security agencies have recently been summoning and issuing threats
over the phone to dozens of students across Iranian universities.
Various
reports also highlight security pressure on families of those killed in the
uprising, aiming to prevent gatherings on the anniversary of their children's
deaths as well as desecration of victims’ graves.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202308308291
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Iran
Steps Up Crackdown Ahead of Anniversary of Amini's Death, Activists Say
August
30, 2023
PARIS —
Iran is
ratcheting up a crackdown ahead of the one-year anniversary of the death of
Mahsa Amini, arresting prominent personalities, campaigners and relatives of
those killed by security forces in protests last year, activists say.
The
death in custody on September 16, 2022, of Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd
who was arrested for allegedly violating the strict dress rules for women,
sparked months of protests that included calls for an end to Iran's Islamic
system.
Despite
sporadic outbursts, the protests have largely subsided after a crackdown that
saw thousands detained, according to the United Nations, and hundreds shot dead
by security forces, according to activists.
But
campaigners outside Iran say the authorities are acutely aware that the
anniversary could spark more protests, and they say security forces have
stepped up repression to prevent a repeat of the events of last autumn.
Those
arrested this month have included the prominent singer Mehdi Yarrahi after he
released a song urging women to remove their headscarves in defiance of the
law.
Eleven
women's rights activists were detained in Gilan province, one of the flashpoint
areas for protests last year, according to the Human Rights Activists News
Agency, or HRANA.
Meanwhile,
Amnesty International has said families of those killed in the crackdown on the
movement have been subjected to "arbitrary arrest and detention" in a
bid to enforce "silence and impunity" over the fate of their loved
ones.
"These
arrests are a blatant attempt by Iranian authorities to instill fear within the
population ahead of the upcoming anniversary [and] to deter more
protests," Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the New-York-based Center
for Human Rights in Iran, or CHRI, told AFP.
Cruelty
'knows no bounds'
In a
report, Amnesty said families of victims killed in the crackdown across the
country have been subjected to abusive interrogations, arbitrary arrest and
detention, and or unjust prosecution and sentencing in recent months.
"The
cruelty of the Iranian authorities knows no bounds," said Diana Eltahawy,
Amnesty's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa,
accusing the Iranian authorities of a "sinister attempt to cover up their
crimes."
In a new
example, security forces on Sunday arrested three family members, including the
mother, of Hananeh Kia, a woman in her early 20s shot dead by security forces
in September 2022 during the initial phase of the protests, HRANA and the
Hengaw rights group said.
The CHRI
said in just eight days this month, 21 family members of victims were either
summoned to court or detained in Iran.
Roya
Boroumand, executive director of the U.S.-based Abdorrahman Boroumand Center,
said "victims' family members have been targeted pretty
systematically."
"They
have been arrested, summoned repeatedly and interrogated, or their houses are
raided," she said, adding that pressure was being put on them not to post
anything on social media, gather for commemorations, or speak out.
The protests
broke taboos that have prevailed in the Islamic republic since the fall of the
shah in 1979, with women taking off their headscarves and slogans chanted
against Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in street protests.
In a
separate report, Amnesty has said Iran has renewed its crackdown against
unveiled women, with stepped-up patrols backed by surveillance cameras that can
even identify women inside their cars. Images shared on social media indicate
some women, however, are continuing to show defiance.
'Killing
machine'
Meanwhile,
Norway-based Iran Human Rights says 486 people have been executed in Iran this
year, with the use of capital punishment aimed at "creating fear in
society and to prevent more protests."
While
seven men have been executed in cases related to the protests, causing an
international outcry, most of those hanged are convicted on drug and murder
charges and are "low-cost victims of the Islamic republic's killing
machine," it added.
According
to the CHRI, Mashallah Karami, the father of executed protester Mohammad Mehdi
Karami, who was hanged in January, was detained by security agents in Tehran on
August 22.
There
also have been reports of arrests in the Kurdish-populated area of western Iran
— from where Amini originated — that were the scene of the earliest protests.
Kurdish-focused
Hengaw, based outside Iran, said SaroMostajer — the brother of one of its board
members, Jila Mostajer — had been arrested in Amini's hometown of Saqez and
taken to an unknown location.
Boroumand
said the "coordinated" repression "aims at preventing the
dissemination of news, videos and images of victims, commemorations, and other
gatherings and avoid a renewed public mobilization inside and outside
Iran."
Ghaemi
warned the "silence of the international community" in the face of
the crackdown risked giving a "green light to the state security apparatus
to continue muzzling civil society."
https://www.voanews.com/a/iran-steps-up-crackdown-ahead-of-anniversary-of-amini-s-death-say-activists/7247936.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/mural-shireen-akleh-bethlehem/d/130576