Two Muslim Girls Win Awards from UP CM For Jointly Topping The 2023 XII Board Exam at Maharishi Dayanand Inter College and Moradabad District Level
New Age
Islam News Bureau
27 July 2023
• Two Muslim Girls Win Awards from UP CM For
Jointly Topping The 2023 XII Board Exam At Maharishi Dayanand Inter College And
Moradabad District Level
• Spain Grants Nationality To Self-Exiled Iran
Chess Player Sara Khadem
• MQM’s Rana Ansar First Woman Opposition Leader
in Sindh Assembly
• Irish Singer and Activist Sinéad O'Connor
Changed Her Name to Shuhada After Converting To Islam
• AlUla Creates: Short Film Competition Launches
To Support Saudi Women Directors
• Amnesty Raises Concerns About Resurgence Of
Iran’s Hijab Police
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-girls-up-cm-maharishi-dayanand-board/d/130311
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Two
Muslim Girls Win Awards from UP CM For Jointly Topping The 2023 XII Board Exam
At Maharishi Dayanand Inter College And Moradabad District Level
Two UP Muslim girls being awarded
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27 July
2023
New Age
Islam News Bureau
Two
students from Maharishi Dayanand Inter College, Afiya Parveen and Ganiya
Akhtar, jointly topped the XII board exam in 2023 in this college and in the
district of Moradabad. Each student obtained 96.6% of marks or 483/500. The
following female student, Unnati Singh, achieved second position in this
college and also at the district level with a score of 481, or 96.2%. Then,
Alishma Parveen won the third position in the college and at the district level
by attaining 476 or 95.2% of the marks. Thus, three of the top four girls in
the entire district are Muslim. The next female student, Sumbul Siddiqui,
earned 472 points, or 94.4% of the marks, and came in fourth in this college
and fifth in the district.
Recently,
a lavish celebration and awards ceremony were conducted in Lucknow to honour
the students' outstanding accomplishments. On this occasion, Yogi Adityanath,
the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, presented Afiya Parveen and Ganiya Akhtar
with a laptop, a citation, and one lakh rupees in cash. District Magistrate
Moradabad presented Unnati Chauhan, who placed seventh overall at the state
level alone, with a tablet and a cheque for one lakh rupees. Alishma Parveen,
Sumbul Siddiqui, Kartikeya Sehrawat, and Sanchi Vishnoi were also each given a
laptop and a cheque for 21,000 rupees by the District Magistrate and the
District School Inspector. Ajay Kumar Vishnoi, the head of the school, Mukesh
Maheshwari, the principal, and others offered their congratulations to the boys
and girls on their outstanding achievements. They encouraged the students and
stressed the importance of diligence, dedication and hard work.
Two
UP Muslim girls being awarded
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Maharishi
Dayanand Inter College deserves congratulations and admiration for its
remarkable efforts in elevating its students to the top performance. This
college is certainly an example and a lesson for others to follow, especially
for Muslim educational institutions, schools, and government-aided Madrasas.
There are a lot more Madrasas in India than private Muslim schools, some of
which are funded by the state. However, compared to other public schools, the
educational offerings of these government-aided Madrasas are subpar.
Some
sources claim that individuals who have no prior experience with education and
the system in schools or Madrasas are running educational institutions with a
religious identity in order to elicit financial support and donations from the
Muslim community. They try to conserve as much money as they can while also
hiring teachers for only 10,000 to 12,000 rupees a month in this pricey age.
The greatest and most skilled teachers and trainers find it extremely difficult
to support themselves with this drastically reduced wage, so the committee
members look for teachers who make less money. This has a significant impact on
the quality of instruction. Students that register in these institutions of
higher learning do not succeed in achieving academic brilliance. The money
raised from numerous sources is used for personal advantage rather than to
improve the standard of education. One of the main causes of the Muslim
community's educational lag is due to this.
Muslim
students who want to pursue a top-notch education can now do so thanks to the
various non-Muslim secular colleges. This explains why Muslims enrolling in
schools like Maharishi Dayanand Inter College frequently perform well
academically and are ranked among the top students in their states. Another
advantage of this institution is that it organizes occasions to recognise and
thank its students with presents and cash so that existing students can keep
progressing and future students can be inspired to take the top spots.
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Spain Grants
Nationality to Self-Exiled Iran Chess Player Sara Khadem
Sara Khadem of Iran plays against Olga Girya of Russia [File: Pavel
Mikheyev/Reuters]
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27 Jul
2023
Sara
Khadem, the Iranian chess player who fled to Spain after competing in an international
tournament without wearing a mandatory hijab in solidarity with the mass
protests back home, has been granted Spanish nationality, according to a
government minister.
“In
response to the exceptional circumstances concerning Mrs Sarasadat Khadema lsharieh,
I have just granted her Spanish nationality,” Justice Minister Pilar Llop was
quoted in the country’s Official Journal of the State (BOE) as saying on
Wednesday. He used Khadem’s full name.
A
26-year-old chess grandmaster, Khadem participated in a World Cup event in
Kazakhstan in December 2022, without wearing the headscarf, which is compulsory
for women in Iran.
As she
explained in an interview with the AFP news agency in February, she did so in
support of the protest movement that erupted in Iran following the death in
police custody of MahsaAmini in September last year.
Amini,
22, had been arrested by Tehran morality police for an alleged breach of the
country’s strict dress code for women.
A
relative warned Khadem that she would be arrested if she returned to Iran.
She
decided to travel to Spain in January with her husband, film director Ardeshir
Ahmadi, and their 10-month-old son Sam.
They
obtained residency in Spain through a “golden visa” scheme after investing at
least 500,000 euros ($556,000) in property.
In
January, she met Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, with whom she played a
game of chess.
“How
much I have learned today from a woman who inspires me,” Sanchez said on social
media after hosting Khadem at his official residence, the Moncloa Palace.
“All my
support to women athletes. Your example contributes to a better world,” he
added.
Iranian
female athletes are required to abide by the Islamic republic’s strict dress
code for women, mainly by covering their heads, when representing their country
at international events.
She had
said she started thinking of moving abroad after the birth of her son.
“I
started to appreciate living in a place where Sam could go out in the streets
and play without us being worried, and many things like that. Spain emerged as
the best option, thinking of Sam,” she said.
Khadem
is ranked 771st in the world, according to the International Chess Federation’s
website, and 9th in Iran.
Source: aljazeera.com
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/7/27/spain-grants-nationality-to-self-exiled-iran-chess-player-sara-khadem
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MQM’s
Rana Ansar First Woman Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly
July 27,
2023
The
decision to replace Mr Sheikh with Ms Ansar appears to be a result of a tacit
understanding between the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and opposition MQM-P to
finalise with consensus the caretaker chief minister as the assembly is going
to complete its five-year tenure next month.
PA
secretary Umar Farooq notified the order of removal of Mr Sheikh and appointment
of Ms Ansar as opposition leader in the assembly.
As many
as 39 opposition members — 20 belonging to the MQM-P, 10 to the Grand
Democratic Alliance and nine to the PTI — had moved a notice to the assembly
secretariat for the removal of Mr Sheikh from the slot of the opposition leader
saying that he had lost the confidence of majority of opposition members.
They
also moved an application for the appointment of the MQM-P leader as the leader
of the opposition.
The PTI
members have not been attending the assembly sessions since May 9 and the seat
of the leader of opposition has remained vacant since then.
The nine
PTI members who signed the notice for removal of Mr Sheikh and the application
for appointment of Ms Ansar were Karim Bakhsh Gabol, Bilal Ahmed, Mohammad Ali
Aziz, Syed Abbas Jafri, Umar Ammari, Imran Ali Shah, Rabia Azfar, Sanjay
Gungwani and SachanandLakhwani Sachal.
During
the proceedings in the assembly, Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani informed the house
that an application had been submitted by majority of opposition lawmakers for
Ms Ansar’s appointment as the opposition leader.
Congratulating
her in advance, the speaker said that he had instructed the assembly secretary
to process the application according to the rules and regulations. “However, I
congratulate Rana Ansar in advance that she has been elected as the first woman
leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly,” Speaker Durrani remarked
getting her seated on the opposition leader’s chair.
Separately,
while talking to the media after the session, Rana Ansar thanked her party
leadership as well as the GDA for nominating her for the slot.
She said
that now the things would move ahead for formation of a caretaker government in
the process.
“A name
for caretaker chief minister would be decided by holding talks [with the
incumbent chief minister],” she said, adding that a person who could run the
caretaker government in a better way would be chosen.
Rana
Ansar has been a member of the Sindh Assembly since August 2018.
She had
been also previously elected on a reserved seat for women in 2013. Born on Aug
17, 1966 in Hyderabad, she did her master’s in Islamic Culture from the
University of Sindh.
Concern
over drug menace
Meanwhile,
MQM-P lawmakers asked the provincial government to take effective steps to
control the menace of drugs and worsening law and order situation in the city.
MPA
Sadaqat Hussain said the district west had become a hub of illegal business of
drugs and narcotics.
He
alleged that illegal petrol shops were selling Iranian petrol openly in Orangi
Town under the supervision of police.
The
MQM-P member added that the area SHO had been suspended over complaints of drug
business in the vicinity, but he was reinstated only after a day by the SSP
West.
Responding
to the call attention notice on behalf of the chief minister, who also holds
home department portfolio, the parliamentary affairs minister said that the
Iranian petrol was being smuggled earlier but now it was strictly prohibited.
He said
that a high-level committee had also been formed to curb the drug menace.
Adeel
Shahzad of the MQM-P in his call attention notice said that street crimes and
sale of drugs were on the rise in the city particularly in district West and
the law enforcers had failed to curb the same.
“The
MQM-P lawmakers tried to approach the concerned SSP but he did not respond,” he
added.
The
MQM-P lawmaker said that there were four party MPAs in district West, but the
SSP never attended their calls. “Nor is he ever available at his office,” he
added.
Mukesh
Kumar Chawla asked the MQM-P member to provide specific information to the
provincial government regarding the sale of drugs, assuring that they would
take strict action against it.
He said
that he personally knew the SSP and he was a good police officer.
The
minister said that a crackdown would be launched on drug mafia after Ashura.
Question
Hour
Only one
out of five starred questions was taken up during the Question Hour as most of
the members who had forwarded written queries about the industries and commerce
department were absent in the house.
The
Speaker took exception to the absence of the members and said that the movers
did not seem to be interested in getting answers to their questions.
Legislation
The
house passed five government bills — The Sindh Medicolegal Bill, 2023; The
Sindh Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2023; The Sindh Faculty of Paramedical and
Allied Health Sciences Bill, 2023; The University of Mirpurkhas Bill, 2021; and
The Sindh Higher Education (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
The
Sindh Immunisation and Epidemic Control Bill, 2023 was also introduced in the
house and sent to standing committee.
Later
the house was adjourned to Aug 2.
Source: dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1766992/mqms-rana-ansar-becomes-first-woman-opposition-leader-in-sindh-assembly
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Irish
Singer and Activist Sinéad O'Connor Changed Her Name to Shuhada After
Converting To Islam
July 27,
2023
Irish singer and activist Sinéad O'Connor, who
has died at the age of 56 after years of mental health battles, converted to
Islam in 2018.
O'Connor
changed her name to Shuhada, but continued to perform under her birth name.
The
Irish Grammy-winning singer, whose cause of death is not yet known, became
world famous in 1990 with her heartrending cover of Prince's Nothing Compares 2
U.
The
singer's family has confirmed her death in a statement, saying: "It is
with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad.
"Her
family and friends are devastated and have requested privacy at this very
difficult time."
Taoiseach
(Irish PM) Leo Varadkar paid tribute to her, saying her music "was loved
around the world and her talent was unmatched and beyond compare".
In 1991,
O’Connor was named artist of the year by Rolling Stone magazine on the back of
the song’s success. She was presented with the inaugural award for Classic
Irish Album at the RTÉ Choice Music Awards earlier this year.
O'Connor,
as a teenager, was placed in Dublin's AnGrianan Training Centre, once one of
the notorious Magdalene laundries, originally set up to incarcerate young girls
deemed to be promiscuous.
One nun
bought her a guitar and set her up with a music teacher - which led to the
launch of O'Connor's musical career. She released her first critically
acclaimed album The Lion And The Cobra in 1987, which entered the top 40 in the
UK and US.
Her
follow up I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got, which included Nothing Compares 2
U, reached number one around the world including in the US and the UK. She
released 10 studio albums between 1987 and 2014.
O'Connor
was outspoken in her social and political views. In 1992, one of the most
notable events of her career took place when the singer ripped up a portrait of
Pope John Paul II on the US TV show Saturday Night Live (SNL), where she was
the invited performer.
Following
an acapella performance of Bob Marley's War, she looked at the camera and said
"fight the real enemy", a protest against the Catholic Church. After
her action, she was banned for life by broadcaster NBC and protests rose
against her in the US, which saw copies of her records destroyed in New York's
Times Square.
"I'm
not sorry I did it. It was brilliant," she said in an interview with the
New York Times in 2021.
The
mother-of-four's son Shane, 17, took his life in January 2022 after escaping
hospital while on suicide watch.
Writing
on social media following his death, she said he had "decided to end his
earthly struggle" and requested "no-one follows his example".
The singer later cancelled all live performances for the rest of 2022 due to
her "continuing grief" following the death of her son.
Source: thenews.com.pk
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1094649-sinead-oconnor-changed-her-name-to-shuhada-after-converting-to-islam
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AlUla
Creates: Short Film Competition Launches To Support Saudi Women Directors
July 26,
2023
LONDON:
Film AlUla, the film agency of The Royal Commission for AlUla, today announced
that it has partnered with production company Vertigo Films and award-winning
Saudi filmmaker Haifaa Al-Mansour to launch AlUla Creates short film
competition.
The
initiative, organized with the support of renowned director, producer, and
actor Katie Holmes, aims to support and establish three Saudi women directors
in the international marketplace.
“As we
continue to develop our AlUla Creates initiative and secure more incredible
mentors like the trailblazing Haifaa Al-Mansour, we are delighted to welcome
Vertigo Films as a partner for the film phase of program,” Charlene
Deleon-Jones, executive director at Film AlUla, said.
Deleon-Jones
emphasized that the experience and knowledge that the new partners bring to the
table will be “vital” in providing a platform for the next generation of Saudi
women filmmakers.
AlUla
Creates is a platform designed to create an ecosystem around film, arts and
fashion by nurturing creativity and empowering Saudi Arabia’s future generations.
Following
the second phase of the program, which championed the fashion aspect of the
film industry, the filmmaking mentor program will aim to elevate and support
rising female Saudi talent by equipping them with the right tools and guidance.
“Film
AlUla Creates Program presents a genuine opportunity to amplify the voices and
artistic talents of Saudi female filmmakers on the global stage,” commented
Jane Moore, executive producer and CEO at Vertigo Films.
“By
providing a platform for their unique perspectives and craft, we aim to develop
their professional growth and nurture their creative identity.”
The
competition is open to Saudi women directors of all experience levels and
submissions will be evaluated by a panel of industry experts, including Al-Mansour,
Holmes, and representatives from Vertigo Films and Film AlUla.
The
three winning directors will receive three months of mentoring and training
from Al-Mansour and Holmes, as well as production support from Vertigo Films
and a $20,000 production grant to shoot the film in the UNESCO World Heritage
Site of AlUla.
The
selected filmmakers will also be invited to London to learn about the
international marketplace, meeting with key sales, distribution, post and VFX
companies, with each of the filmmakers also being supported through submissions
to local and international film festivals.
Haifaa
Al-Mansour expressed her honor at the opportunity to help young female talents
enter the international stage, emphasizing how the Saudi film industry has come
a long way in supporting a new generation of filmmakers
“When I
first started making films the idea of working as a female Saudi director
seemed outlandish,” she said. “But I knew that the world was curious to hear
from us, to hear our side of the story, and that films from home would strike a
chord with audiences around the world.”
Launched
in March earlier this year, the program’s first phase included a partnership
with the British Fashion Council, Saudi actor Mila Al-Zahrani, Kloss Films
founder Alec Maxwell, and fashion icons Helena Christensen and Eva Herzigova as
ambassadors to support the long-term mission of the platform.
The
initiative comes under Film AlUla’s strategy to further the film sector in
Saudi through homegrown talent, while also supporting the AlUla region’s
socio-economic development.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2344626/media
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Amnesty
Raises Concerns About Resurgence Of Iran’s Hijab Police
In a
recent report, Amnesty International has expressed concern over Iranian
authorities' intensifying oppression of women and girls who defy compulsory
hijab.
The
human rights organization is calling for international communities to stand by
Iranian women who choose not to wear headscarves in public and has published
detailed analysis of police patrols enforcing the veiling and threatening legal
action against those who defy it. They have said it signals a resurgence of
Iran’s morality police. Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary
General, commented, “Morality policing in Iran is back. The authorities are not
fooling anyone by removing the insignia of the ‘morality’ police from uniforms
and patrol vans… while emboldening the enforcers of the Islamic Republic’s
oppression.”
The
report coincided with videos circulating on social media showing women being
violently assaulted in Tehran and Rasht and security forces using teargas
against people trying to help women escape arrests.
Callamard
added, “Today’s crackdown is intensified by mass surveillance technologies
capable of identifying unveiled women in their cars and pedestrian spaces.”
According
to official announcements from Iran's Police Force spokesman, since April 15,
2023, more than a million women have received text messages warning that their vehicles
could be confiscated after being caught on camera without their headscarves.
Additionally, numerous women have been suspended or expelled from universities,
denied access to banking services and public transport, and hundreds of
businesses have been forcibly closed for not enforcing compulsory veiling.
Amnesty
International has repeatedly called for the abolition of compulsory hijab, the
quashing of all convictions and sentences related to defying veiling laws, and
the unconditional release of all detainees. Furthermore, the organization urges
the international community to take strong action, including legal pathways, to
hold Iranian officials accountable for the human rights violations perpetrated
against women and girls.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202307266929
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-girls-up-cm-maharishi-dayanand-board/d/130311