Muslim Girls Face Trouble at NEET Examination Centres in Rajasthan's Kota and Maharashtra's Washim for Wearing Hijabs
New Age Islam News Bureau
18 July 2022
• Muslim Civic Head Builds Bathrooms for Women Kanwarias
in Just Seven Days in UP
• 1,700 Women Summoned for Improper Veiling to
Kermanshah’s Police In Iran
• Wife of Kuwaiti UK Ambassador Dalal Yaqoub
Al-Humaidhi Awarded Honorary Freedom by City Of London
• Supreme Court of India to Hear Plea Challenging
Talaq-e-Hasan on July 22
• Khaled Hosseini’s Support for His Trans Daughter
Haris Wins Hearts in India
• How The Population Growth Law Strips Iranian Women
Of Their Rights?
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-girls-neet-kota-washim-hijab/d/127509
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Muslim Girls Face Trouble at NEET Examination Centres
in Rajasthan's Kota and Maharashtra's Washim for Wearing Hijabs
NEET aspirants from
Rajasthan were stopped at the entrance of the examination center for wearing a
hijab, students from Maharashtra claimed that their hijabs were removed outside
the examination hall.
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July 18, 2022
Several Muslim students, who went to appear for the
National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET) 2022 examinations in Rajasthan's Kota
and Maharashtra's Washim on Sunday, faced trouble for wearing hijab.
In Kota, Muslim students were stopped at the entrance
of the Modi College and asked to remove their hijabs. This created a dispute
between the students and the police outside the centre.
The observer was called and the students were allowed
to enter the premises after they signed a written application that if any kind
of misconduct will be recorded during the examination, it would be his
responsibility.
While students from Kota were allowed to give the
examinations in their hijabs after a ruckus, several students from Washim were
forced to remove their hijabs before giving the tests.
Nearly six students, including Iram Mohammad Zakir and
Ariba Saman Azhar Hussain, complained about administrative officers and exam
centre officials misbehaving and forcing them to remove their hijabs.
The students were called out of the examination hall
at Matoshri Shantabai Gote College Mahavidyalaya and their hijabs were forcibly
removed.
This irked the Muslim community and a large crowd
gathered outside the campus. The police superintendent appointed a force
outside the college for the safety of other students.
NEET DRESS CODE
As per the official guidelines of the National Testing
Agency, candidates are advised to wear casual and weather-appropriate clothing.
However, avoid light-coloured clothes with full sleeves during the NEET examination.
The aspirants are not allowed to wear shoes. While
students can wear customary or culturally appropriate outfits, they must report
to the NEET exam centre a minimum of two hours prior to the reporting time to
allow proper checking.
Source: India Today
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Muslim Civic Head Builds Bathrooms for Women Kanwarias
in Just Seven Days in UP
The idea came after he
observed women faced problems a year ago
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Jul 18, 2022
MUZAFFARNAGAR: Keeping in mind the need for privacy of
women Kanwarias, Purkazi Nagar Panchayat chairman, a Muslim, has built a
permanent washroom with seven bathrooms in just seven days only for women
devotees.
The idea behind his laudable move came after he
observed that last year women had faced problems and were anxious in using
temporary toilets set up along the roadside. There were no proper and permanent
facilities for women.
"The new facility has seven cabins with separate
showers that will give the much-needed privacy to women devotees," said
Chairman Zaheer Farooqui. Purkazi town in Muzaffarnagar district is on the
UP-Uttarakhand border. "During the last Kanwar Yatra, we observed that
many women visited the Nagar Panchayat office to use the bathroom. Then I
realised that separate bathrooms are needed for women devotees," he said.
500 CCTVs installed, cops deployed along Kanwar route
On Sunday, former BJP MLA Parmod Untwal inaugurated
these bathrooms. Additional district magistrate Narendra Bahadur Singh said,
"His (Farooqui) initiative is appreciable. The administration has also
built temporary bathrooms for women. Moreover, mobile bathrooms have been
placed in many places."
Meanwhile, keeping in mind the increasing numbers of
devotees passing through Muzaffarnagar, SSP Vineet Jaiswal led a heavy police
force and conducted a foot march in various parts of the city.
"Foot patrolling in every police station area is
being conducted to ensure a peaceful yatra. Adequate police force has been
deployed in the district. As many as 500 CCTVs were installed along the
"Kanwar Marg". We have also set up a control room at Shiv Chowk from
where police personnel are monitoring the Kanwar Yatra," the SSP said.
Source: Times Of India
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1,700 Women Summoned for Improper Veiling to
Kermanshah’s Police In Iran
July 15, 2022
Some 1,700 women have been called to the province’s
police stations for improper veiling since March 2022. The police chief of
Kermanshah Province, western Iran, announced during a news conference.
Ali Akbar Javidan said more than 22,000 public notices
had been given concerning moral security, failing to observe the mandatory
Hijab, improper veiling, or falling back on the regime’s dress code in three
months and 20 days. Furthermore, 230 vehicles were seized and sent to the
parking lot in the province during the same period.
Javidan said, “The police will not allow for a few
people to promote improper veiling with any sort of excuse or pretext.”
He also pointed out numerous public sites have been
under surveillance since October. These sites include leisure, historical,
tourism, commercial, civic service centers, and even travel agencies and
tourist tours (The state-run tabnak.ir – July 12, 2022)
Nevertheless, the police chief admitted that the
regime’s 26 agencies enforcing the mandatory Hijab had failed to do their job.
Javidan said, “26 organizations are directly involved,
and six others are working indirectly to impose the mandatory Hijab.
Undoubtedly, we would have witnessed better conditions if they all had
fulfilled their duties. However, the police know they must fulfill their duties
regarding the Hijab and chastity, which today has become a popular demand. The
police will act as a custodian to establish order and security in society.”
Javidan emphasized the regime’s repressive plans
against Iranian women.
“In this path, the police will also coordinate with
the province’s Judiciary and authorities responsible for cultural affairs to
implement the plans to promote moral security with greater significance and
power.”
About implementing the Nazer1 Plan in Kermanshah
Province, Javidan explained, “This plan seeks to deal with those who take off
their Hijab inside the car or have improper veiling. In such cases, our
colleagues will first give a notice. If the owner of the car repeats, the moral
security police will invite the owner to sign a commitment. Suppose the person
summoned to the Moral Security Police, does not refer within ten days. In that
case, the owner’s car will be seized and taken to the parking lot.” (The
state-run tabnak.ir – July 12, 2022)
Dealing with women’s Hijab in Iran is a political
issue
Nasser Ghavami, former head of the Judiciary
Commission in the 6th parliament, commented on the regime’s latest escalation
of the crackdown on women.
“The guidance patrol officers who deal with women are
in no way acting according to Islamic standards. Journalists have observed that
the guidance patrol officers violate women’s privacy when touching their bodies
to detain them. I do not understand how some of these agents, who are women
themselves, can pull another woman’s hair and start beating her. Whether it be
to find an opportunity or feed their mouths, there is no justification! I saw a
female officer who forcibly grabbed a woman by her hair while male officers
grabbed her body and started beating her to push her into the patrol van.
What the officials are doing to women for being
improperly veiled is a political matter. Do not ever think that these groups
care about people’s religion or beliefs.” (The state-run baharnews.ir – July
13, 2022)
Thousands of women are arrested in Iran every day for
improper veiling and defying the mandatory Hijab. Enforcing the veil on Iranian
women is state-sponsored violence carried out systematically against Iranian
women.
Source: Women NCR
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2022/07/15/improper-veiling-1700-women/
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Wife of Kuwaiti UK Ambassador Dalal Yaqoub Al-Humaidhi
Awarded Honorary Freedom by City Of London
July 17, 2022
LONDON: Mrs. Dalal Yaqoub Al-Humaidhi, wife of the
Kuwaiti ambassador to the United Kingdom, was awarded Honorary Freedom by the
City of London on Saturday for her volunteer work in a number of British
charitable societies, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
Lord Mayor of London's financial district, Vincent
Keaveny, told KUNA that Al-Humaidhi played an integral role in supporting her
husband's diplomatic career, Ambassador Khaled Al-Duwaisan, for 30 years, and
that this is in recognition of the Al-Duwaisan family's generous efforts across
various fields.
Lord Keaveny added that the award, which dates back to
1237 and is given to those who have made significant achievements in their
chosen fields, exemplifies the nature of the special relations that exist
between Kuwait and the United Kingdom.
The late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and South
Africa's late President Nelson Mandela were among those honored with the
Honorary Freedom of the City of London.
In addition, the Children and Families Across Borders
Society presented Mrs. Al-Humaidhi with a memorial shield in recognition of her
contributions to the organization.
According to Caroline Hausmann, CEO of the Society,
Mrs. Al-Humaidhi was given honorary presidency of the Society for her work in
helping children all over the world.
Mrs. Al-Humaidhi also worked on the annual charity
fundraiser held in the backyard of Kensington Municipality for 30 years, and
she was also a point of reference for new diplomats as she helped them adapt
and assimilate to life in London.
Mrs. Al- Humaidhi's work also extended to the
International Red Cross, Alzheimer's Society, Royal Academy of Arts, and many
other organizations.
Source: Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2123996/world
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Supreme
Court of India to Hear Plea Challenging Talaq-e-Hasan on July 22
18th
July 2022
New
Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday said that the plea challenging the practice
of Talaq-e-Hasan will be listed on July 22.
Senior
Advocate Pinky Anand, appearing for the petitioner, apprised the court that the
woman has received a third notice of talaq and she has a minor child.
A
bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said to list the matter after
four days.
A
plea was moved in the Supreme Court by a Muslim woman seeking to declare
“Talaq-E-Hasan and all other forms of Unilateral Extra-Judicial Talaq” as
unconstitutional and sought to issue direction to the Centre to frame
guidelines for gender neutral – religion neutral uniform grounds of divorce and
uniform procedure of divorce for all.
“The
practice of Talaq-E-Hasan and other forms of unilateral extra-judicial talaq is
neither harmonious with the modern principles of human rights and gender
equality, nor an integral part of the Islamic faith. Many Islamic nations have
restricted such practices, while it continues to vex the Indian society in
general and Muslim women like the petitioner in particular,” the petitioner
submitted.
The
petitioner further submitted that the practice also wreaks havoc on the lives
of many women and their children, especially those belonging to the weaker
economic sections of society.
The
petition has sought to declare that “Talaq-E-Hasan and all other forms of
Unilateral Extra-Judicial Talaq” are void and unconstitutional.
The
petition has been filed by one Muslim woman, who claimed to be a journalist as
well as a victim of Unilateral Extra-Judicial Talaq-E-Hasan.
The
petitioner was married to a man as per Muslim rites on 25 December 2020 and has
a son from wedlock. The petitioner claimed that her parents were compelled to
give dowry and later she was tortured for not getting a big dowry.
The
petitioner also claimed that her husband and his family members tortured her
physically-mentally not only after the marriage but also during the pregnancy
which made her seriously ill. When the petitioner’s father refused to give
dowry, her husband gave her Unilateral Extra-Judicial Talaq-E-Hasan through a
lawyer, which is totally against the Articles 14, 15, 21, 25 and UN
Conventions, the petitioner’s lawyer said.
The
petitioner has urged to direct and declare the practice of “Talaq-E-Hasan and
all other forms of unilateral extra-judicial talaq” void and unconstitutional
for being arbitrary, irrational and violative of Articles 14, 15, 21, and 25.
The
petitioner also sought to direct and declare Section 2 of the Muslim Personal
Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937 void and unconstitutional for being
violative of Articles 14, 15, 21, 25, in so far as it validates the practice of
“Talaq-E-Hasan and other forms of unilateral extra-judicial talaq”.
It
also sought to declare the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939 as void
and unconstitutional for being violative of the aforesaid Articles 14, 15, 21,
25 in so far as it fails to secure for Muslim women the protection from
“Talaq-E-Hasan and other forms of unilateral extra-judicial talaq”.
Source:
Siasat Daily
https://www.siasat.com/sc-to-hear-plea-challenging-talaq-e-hasan-on-july-22-2372091/
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Khaled Hosseini’s support
for his trans daughter Haris wins hearts in India
Chintan
Girish Modi
July
18, 2022
Afghan-American
novelist Khaled Hosseini, known for writing books such as The Kite Runner (2003),
A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007), And the Mountains Echoed (2013), and Sea
Prayer (2018), won a new legion of LGBTQIA+ fans on July 13. His public
declaration of unflinching support for his transgender daughter, Haris, went
viral on Instagram.
He
wrote, “Yesterday, my 21-year-old daughter Haris came out to the world as
transgender. I have known about Haris’ journey since last year and I’ve watched
her navigate some very trying personal times. Transitioning is such a
complicated undertaking – emotionally, physically, socially, psychologically –
but Haris has met each challenge with grace, patience, and wisdom.” The note
was accompanied by photographs featuring Haris and himself.
Hosseini
added, “As a father, I have never been prouder of her. I am delighted to now
have not one but two beautiful daughters. Most of all, I am inspired by Haris’
fearlessness, her courage to share with the world her true self. She has taught
me and our family so much about bravery, about truth. About what it means to
live authentically. I know this process was painful for her, fraught with grief
and anxiety. She is sober to the cruelty trans people are subjected to daily.
But she is strong and undaunted.” Hosseini’s other daughter is Farah.
In
a befitting conclusion to this heart-warming note, the author wrote, “I love my
daughter. I will be by her side every step of the way, as will our family. We
stand behind her. It’s a privilege to watch her enter the world as the
beautiful, wise, and brilliant woman that she is. May God bless her.” Hosseini
also posted an abridged version of this note on Twitter.
Dr.
Aqsa Shaikh, a trans woman who serves as Associate Professor of Community
Medicine at the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in Delhi,
pointed out that Hosseini’s statement of solidarity is a significant
development for “young trans persons who practise the Muslim faith, not only in
the US but also in South Asia and the Middle East”.
She
said, “The parents of trans and non-binary individuals are constantly looking
for acceptance and validation of their children. When they see celebrities
welcoming trans and non-binary children with open arms, it gives them courage.
They feel less alone. In Islamic societies, trans persons tend to be more
accepted than lesbian, gay and bisexual people.”
Drawing
attention to the fact that Hosseini “was a practising physician for almost a
decade”, she added, “In the US, there has been much debate and controversy
around trans rights. With Hosseini’s background in science, especially
medicine, I hope families with young trans people will take him seriously.”
Hosseini’s website mentions that he got a medical degree at the University of
California, San Diego, and completed his residency in Los Angeles.
Nilakshi
Roy, a retired college professor from Mumbai, and active member of Sweekar – a
support group for parents of LGBTQIA+ people in India – welcomed Hosseini’s
statement. As the mother of a queer daughter, she could empathize with
Hosseini’s feelings. In the past, she has initiated a Change.org petition
urging the National Council of Educational Research and Training to reinstate
its training manual on inclusion of trans and non-binary children.
Roy
said, “When I read Hosseini’s statement, I was moved by his intention to be
there for his trans daughter in the face of every difficulty that life throws
at them. In fact, I remembered a line from his novel The Kite Runner – ‘For
you, a thousand times over!’ His words will serve as an example to many other
parents, regardless of their religion, nationality and gender. As a writer of
international repute, he is a person beyond borders. His message will travel
widely.”
Ritushree
Panigrahi, a Mumbai-based trans woman who is a stand-up comic and also a
diversity and inclusion professional in the corporate sector, said, "To
know that you have the backing of your family is a deep source of confidence
and encouragement. Unfortunately, family support is rare for people in the
trans community.” She was of the opinion that Hosseini's act of allyship on
social media “will have a broader reach than many advocacy and sensitization
programmes” because “our society pays attention when celebrities speak.”
Panigrahi
said that Hosseini’s statement about Haris is “a ray of hope, a positive
contribution to the conversation around trans rights not only in the US but in
countries across the globe.” Striking a note of caution, she added that
“visibility can bring forth a backlash in terms of deadnaming and misgendering
by trolls.” Deadnaming means using a birth name that a trans person has stopped
using because it is associated with their identity prior to transitioning.
Misgendering means referring to a trans person by the gender identity assigned
at birth.
Tashi
Choedup, a Hyderabad-based transfeminine Buddhist monastic and queer-trans
rights activist, said, “We have many legislations, judicial interventions and
official statements from the United Nations supporting trans rights but
oppression continues to hurt trans people in their own families. For me, every
parent who refuses to participate in violence is worth celebrating. It does not
matter whether they are influential or not. Their support counts.”
She
emphasized that Hosseini could have kept his solidarity a private affair but
his choice to make it public “with the consent of his daughter” is “an act of
courage” especially given the current political environment in the US where
“trans people face discrimination on various fronts including housing, bathroom
access, gender affirming healthcare, and employment”.
A
gay Muslim doctor based in India, who prefers to be identified by his Twitter
handle, @udhan_khatola, said, “Hosseini is an influential public figure for
Muslim households. His decision to accept the truth of his courageous daughter
will have a trailblazing effect. It is possible to overcome stigma and embrace
different lived realities. His words will help Afghan parents understand their
queer kids. They will motivate other Muslim parents too.”
Chintan
Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based journalist who tweets @chintanwriting
Source:
Firstpost
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How
the Population Growth Law strips Iranian women of their rights?
July
15, 2022
SDG
5.6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals wants to ensure
universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as
agreed in the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population
and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action.
In
this podcast, the NCRI Women’s Committee will get into the details of how the
Iranian regime has failed to give the minimum response to this SDG and even
adopted a law that cripples women’s rights in this regard.
We’re
going to discuss the Iranian regime’s Population Growth Law which has in
practice had many grave consequences for women in Iran, the dangers posed to
women by this plan and its impact on social ills, also the UN Experts reaction
to the plan.
The
Population Growth Law was adopted in December 2020 upon the order of the
mullahs’ supreme leader Ali Khamenei and turned into law
Its
official name of the Population Growth Law is the Youthful Population and
Protection of the Family law.
Like
other measures, plans, and laws concerning women in Iran, the population growth
plan aims to marginalize women and isolate them at home, deny their fundamental
human rights, and suppress them because they are the most dissatisfied with the
mullahs’ regime and are seen at the forefront of all protests.
By
cracking down on women, the regime seeks to create an atmosphere of fear and
terror in the entire society. This’s been the regime’s plan from the outset. By
forcing women to wear the mandatory Hijab against their will, the regime
expelled many women from their jobs and dared to attack them on the streets
with clubs, pushing thumbtacks on their foreheads and splashing acid on their
faces.
The
Iranian regime doesn’t care about a youthful population because without any
exaggeration, it is killing and jailing hundreds of young people every day. The
only goal of its Population Growth Plan is to preoccupy people with secondary
issues and the crackdowns in this regard, while the society is simmering with
discontent and in a terribly volatile state due to the bankrupt economy, inflation,
unemployment, poverty, and most of all, lack of freedom of speech and other
fundamental freedoms.
They
want to force this on women and the entire Iranian society. Let me read to you
from the statement issued by UN experts in November 2021.
The
UN rights experts called on the Iranian regime to repeal the new law that
“severely restricts access to abortion, contraception, voluntary sterilization
services and related information in direct violation of women’s human rights
under international law.” They also said the consequences of this law will be
crippling for women and girls’ right to health and represents an alarming and
regressive U-turn” for the Iranian regime.
I
really want to highlight this part of the statement which says, “This law
violates the rights to life and health, the right to non-discrimination and
equality, and the right to freedom of expression by making it illegal to access
a range of reproductive health services and share information on reproductive
rights, which amounts to the instrumentalization of women’s bodies and their
reproductive capacity.”
The
fact is that fertility rate in Iran has dropped nine folds in the past 36
years. In 1986, every Iranian woman gave birth to an average of 5.6 children.
But now this rate has dropped to 0.6 children per woman. This is mainly due to
poverty and repression. Young people are poor and they cannot buy a house or
even rent an apartment and pay the expenses of a married life. Married couples
are poor, and they cannot afford to feed their children, so they’d rather not
have any children. Add to this the repressive conditions in society that
discourage people from having children born into such heavily repressive
society.
Therefore,
the Population Growth law wants to force women to do what they really don’t
want to. They don’t want and do not afford to have more children.
The
regime also plays a dirty trick. They provide incentives to men to put pressure
on their wives to have children. For example, they give exemption from
conscription service to young men who have two children.
Source: Women NCR
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2022/07/15/population-growth-law/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-girls-neet-kota-washim-hijab/d/127509