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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 12 Jul 2023, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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4314 Muslim Women Are Returning After Haj Without Mehram: Delhi Haj Committee Chief Kausar Jahan

New Age Islam News Bureau

12 July 2023

• 4314 Muslim Women Are Returning After Haj Without Mehram: Delhi Haj Committee Chief Kausar Jahan

• Muslim Women’s Quest for Equality in Sri Lanka

• Suhba Sisterhood, an All-Women Group Offers Muslim Community Members A Safe Space In Rochester

• Boost Women’s Rights For An Arab World Of Possibilities

• Egyptian Women's National Team Crowned Arab Champions in Basketball

• Exceptions To Decision Against Granting Visas To Pregnant Women

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:   https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-haj-kausar-jahan/d/130197

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4314 Muslim Women Are Returning After Haj Without Mehram: Delhi Haj Committee Chief Kausar Jahan

 

Delhi Hajj Committee Chief Kausar Jahan (Photo Credit: ANI)

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Jul 12, 2023

Delhi Haj Committee chief Kausar Jahan says, "...Delightful that the numbers this time are record-breaking. 4314 Muslim women are returning after Haj without Mehram. In 2018, when the Mehram obligation was lifted, from 2018-2022 only 3400 women went for Haj...But in 2023 alone, 4314 women went on Haj without Mehram. This is a major step towards women empowerment. This shows our women trust the Indian passport and they feel safe outside the country..."

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/4314-muslim-women-are-returning-after-haj-without-mehram-delhi-haj-committee-chief-kausar-jahan/videoshow/101687156.cms?from=mdr

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Muslim Women’s Quest for Equality in Sri Lanka

 

Muslim women take part in a protest – OBJECTING to proposed laws to raise the minimum age of marriage for Muslim girls from 12 to 16 years, in Colombo, November 3, 2016. Photo: AFP / Ishara S. Kodikara

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By HyshyamaHamin

July 12, 2023

On a humid morning in June 2006, a mosque in Colombo, Sri Lanka, buzzed with the activities of my nikah (Islamic marriage) ceremony. The men, I imagine, were huddled together around the marriage documents, with the local imam explaining the duties of the husband and wife.

I can only assume this – because I wasn’t there. The ceremony and the men did not require my presence.

I was, instead, at home, dusting a shelf in an attempt to quell my anxiety. An aunt was on my case about still being in my “home clothes.” My 22-year-old mind was reeling with questions. Why wasn’t I physically present at my own nikah? Why wasn’t I also signing the marriage documents? Why did being a woman mean that I was excluded from this important day in my life?

A few minutes later, I got a call: “You’re married!” My heart skipped a beat and dropped to the floor.

I was mired with feelings of nervousness and injustice I couldn’t fully comprehend at the time. Two years later, I finally understood when I went to collect my divorce papers and saw the words: “Divorce by mutual consent (initiated by wife)” on the form. Those three words – “initiated by wife” –  evoked a powerful sense of autonomy, one that I felt for the first time in a two-year ordeal.

I had been denied agency by society and the family law that considered me a “minor” under the guardianship of men from birth to death, be they my father, grandfather, uncle, or husband. This law infantilized my existence – because I was born a woman.

The Sri Lankan Marriage and Divorce (Muslim) Act (MMDA) of 1951 does not mandate women be physically present or sign their own marriage documents. That role rests only with the wali (immediate male guardian) of the bride. If the bride does not have a wali, the local Quazi (judge administering Muslim family law) can sign as a wali. This is just the beginning of a string of discriminatory provisions and procedures in the MMDA.

The act does not have a minimum age of marriage for Muslims; it allows for polygamy without any conditions. The act also has a different, lengthy and disadvantageous process for women to obtain a divorce, and does not recognize and grant equitable financial rights for women at the time of divorce. The Muslim family laws of Muslim majority countries are far more progressive than the MMDA, which has remained unchanged since its codification during colonial times.

Change Begins Closer to Home

This is the first time I’ve told my story. But there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of women like me. Fortunately, in Sri Lanka, there is a powerful national advocacy movement led by Muslim women to reform the MMDA. It began over 30 years ago with the Muslim Women’s Research and Advocacy Forum (MWRAF), which documented and published resources and worked with local community women and Quazis to push for reform within the Muslim communities of Sri Lanka.

In the past two decades, grassroots community groups all around the country have stepped up their advocacy efforts, mobilizing women’s groups and working with religious leaders. Their daily effort to support Muslim women in securing justice and redress before the local Quazis and providing them with counseling and economic support is inspirational. They do so amidst fierce opposition and regular attacks from conservative groups.

In the past six years, younger Muslim women’s groups, like Muslim Personal Law Reform Action Group (MPLRAG), which I co-founded with like-minded Muslim women lawyers and researchers, have stepped up reform efforts significantly. Grounding our work in in-depth research on the impacts of the MMDA on women and girls, we expanded our advocacy to the national stage and online.

Notably the MPLRAG’s intergenerational “Let Her Sign” campaign in June 2021 saw Muslim women across age groups, ethnicities, and locations advocate for the right to sign their official marriage documents, and enter into marriage with consent, intent, and free will.

The cumulative efforts of all these groups have propelled us to a moment in which reform seems possible. The members of the Cabinet of Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) are currently considering an amendment bill. Should it pass, it will bring the MMDA a step closer to complying with the Sri Lankan Constitution, Islamic principles of justice and dignity, as well as international law and human rights standards. But it runs the risk of being heavily watered down due to pressure by conservative groups and MPs who uphold patriarchal ideologies of a woman’s role in the family.

From National Campaigns to Global Movements

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This reform story is not unique to Sri Lanka. For decades, women’s groups have been mobilizing and advocating for an end to discrimination in family law and practices of marriage and family. We have seen powerful movements in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Tunisia, Morocco, India, South Africa, Uganda, Nepal, and Egypt. These advocacy efforts have yielded long-overdue justice for women and girls.

Despite this progress, family laws and practices continue to be the most challenging to reform. Most are deeply entrenched in society’s notions of gendered roles of women and girls, with the “family” remaining the staunchest realm of patriarchal control. 

Coupled with the fact that a majority of discriminatory family laws, particularly in the Global South, have roots in religion, culture, and tradition, these laws and practices are further embroiled in religious misinterpretations, identity politics, and communal myths and misconceptions fueling the reluctance, and opposition to reform. This has meant that family law reform is often low on the priority list of issues for broader feminist movements and the human rights system.

From the Personal to the Political to the Powerful

All these movements have one thing in common – change is led by those most affected by legal inequality. Their stories power the demand for legal reform. The leadership these groups have demonstrated while simultaneously challenging and overcoming difficult contextual and personal circumstances within their own families and communities is what grounds these reform efforts.

Marshall Ganz in his framework of “People, Power and Change” refers to a quote by first-century Jerusalem sage, Rabbi Hillel, a sentiment which Ganz says is rooted in creating leadership within movements:

If I am not for myself, who am I?

When I am only for myself, what am I?

And if not now, when?

These questions highlight the crucial connections in movement-building – between the self and the community, the personal and the political, the historical and the immediate, and raise the sense of urgency for an issue(s) to be resolved.

My own commitment to family law and advocacy movements to reform these laws stems from my search for the autonomy I never had.

In the not-too-distant future is a Sri Lanka where Muslim women and girls will be allowed to sign their marriage documents and enter marriage as equal partners. They will be present during their nikah ceremony and take accountability and practice agency for their own decision to marry the person of their choice.

We are fighting for a future where family laws will not render women as second-class citizens, but citizens worthy of equality, dignity and justice. Our own stories and our movements will make this happen.

Source: thediplomat.com

https://thediplomat.com/2023/07/muslim-womens-quest-for-equality-in-sri-lanka/

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Suhba Sisterhood, an All-Women Group Offers Muslim Community Members A Safe Space In Rochester

By Rebecca Mitchell

July 11, 2023

ROCHESTER — As a high school student, Subban Hassan moved from Somalia to Minnesota.

“I didn’t have my parents with me,” Hassan said, describing her experience eight years ago. “The first place that actually helped me was sisterhood at the mosque.”

She had a safe place to strengthen her faith, have people understand her experiences and ask people for help. Along with a group of sisters she met through the mosque, Hassan formed the Suhba Sisterhood as an extension of those sisterly relationships. She let the idea inspire her again at the end of 2022 and reached out to her sisters to join the board.

The board of eight women largely grew up in Rochester and ventured into college education and careers without the guidance of family members. By focusing on Islamic education, mental and physical health, and school and career mentorship, the Suhba Sisterhood hopes to support the next generation of Muslim sisters. Director of community outreach assistant Nasra Arte and director of marketing AyanMohamoudBedri said supporting another sister means having a friend you can turn to on any topic.

“We didn’t have any guidance. We didn’t have any people that are going to tell us, ‘Hey, maybe look into this field, look into this classes that you can do ahead,’” Hassan said of many of the sisters’ college experiences. She is the executive director of the Suhba Sisterhood. “We wanted to use our experience to guide younger sisters. ”

A smaller group of women gathered for knowledge circles at one of the Rochester mosques starting in 2018. Otherwise, they traveled to Minneapolis for conferences and opportunities to gather as Muslim sisters.

“We had to drive approximately two hours there just to go get the knowledge that we needed or the sisterhood that we needed,” Hassan said. “Then we thought of having that space in our own hometown, instead of maybe making our younger generation go through the same experiences that we did.”

As an all-women group, they now have opportunities not otherwise available when spaces include men and women intermingling. Muslim women and men are limited in their interactions together. Arte said it “(gives) us sisters a place where we can be ourselves and explore different things in our community.”

The board members said that one of the “biggest” struggles is an all-female space to work out and go swimming. The limited locations available require extra fees and separate times. Muslim women observe modesty, such as not displaying their beauty to males, by wearing a hijab and outer coverings, Hassan said.

The group trained in a private area at 125 Live, including a boxing class, where “everybody felt comfortable enough to even some of us didn’t even wear the hijab at that time,” Hassan said.

“There is so much emphasis on maintaining how we look, our body. Although majority of our appearance and older generations, they’re like, ‘Ope, you’re wearing the hijab nobody sees you,’” Hassan said. “But that comes with you risking not even physical look but even with your health there is increased chances of obesity, increased chances of you getting diabetes, hypertension and all of that.”

As a part of the sisterhood community, Hassan said they’re addressing the Islamic teaching based on the idea that if one part of the body of Muslim sisters and brothers is hurting then the whole body is in pain. The knowledge circles first welcomed Arte to the group, and now she’s grateful for all the times Hassan has offered her advice.

“We want to be there for everyone, whether they are struggling through education, whether it is mental health … and also with our physical health,” Hassan said.

Women of all faith communities can join the events. “Our doors are open,” Hassan noted. Over the summer, the sisterhood has sunset hikes on Sundays and bi-weekly Islamic circles on Fridays. A calendar of events is available on the Suhba Sisterhood website, www.suhbasisterhood.com .

They plan to offer Umrah trips, a religious pilgrimage of traveling to Mecca, Saudia Arabia, as a worship act, in the coming years. Camping and nature retreats are also in the plans.

“A lot of the outdoorsy things, we do we do it as a group of girls, it just brings us all closer to each other, even though we don’t know each other that well outside of the circle. We’re just so close whenever we’re together,” Arte said.

Whether walking on trails, working out in kickbox classes or gathering to learn, the Suhba Sisterhood is open as a safe space.

“When you come in that circle everyone there is your friend … during your lowest times you have people to turn back to,” Arte said.

Source: postbulletin.com

https://www.postbulletin.com/lifestyle/a-shoulder-of-support-this-all-women-group-offers-muslim-community-members-a-safe-space-in-rochester

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Boost women’s rights for an Arab world of possibilities

12-07-23

The Arab world is brimming with talent, and a future of limitless possibilities is ours if we step up and empower women and girls to realize their rights and potential.

Realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights is the foundation for gender equality, dignity and opportunity. Nevertheless, over 40 percent of women worldwide cannot exercise their right to make decisions as fundamental as whether or not to have children.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

To tackle big issues we face – from conflict to climate change and demographic challenges – we must unlock the energy and ingenuity of half of our people by ensuring their sexual and reproductive health and rights and nurturing their desires for their lives, families and careers.

But there’s a long way to go.

In the worst-affected areas, nearly two-thirds of Arab women report suffering some form of violence in their lifetimes. Conflicts compound the problem, with women and girls hit the hardest while their stories are often locked away, overlooked and buried beneath the headlines.

Reports of horrific sexual violence against women and girls in Sudan and elsewhere are abhorrent violations of international law, human rights, and basic human decency. In Sudan, conflict brings new dangers as protection services break down and vital medicines run low.

The dismal, dangerous and degrading practice of female genital mutilation is still high in the region. In Somalia, nearly 99 percent of girls between 5- and 11-years report being cut. In Sudan – where the rates are rising – nearly three-quarters of girls are affected.

Forcing girls into marriage robs them of their childhoods and futures, yet despite progress, more than 20 percent of girls in the Arab region are married before age 18.

The Arab region has the world’s lowest rate of women’s economic participation, at just 26 percent, while the global average is well over half. According to the World Bank, closing gender gaps in employment could raise GDP per capita by an average of 20 percent.

Gender inequality is at the root of all this. Pervasive injustice keeps women and girls out of schools, the workforce and leadership roles. It limits their agency and ability to make decisions, and it heightens their vulnerability to violence, forced marriage and other harmful practices.

But there is hope, with many bright spots in the region.

Tunisia has halved violence against women and girls in the last ten years and has the region’s lowest rate of early marriage at just 2 percent. The United Arab Emirates is one of just six countries where half of all national Parliamentarians are women. Most Arab countries have ensured that nine-in-ten births are attended by health professionals, saving countless lives.

Advancing gender equality through sexual and reproductive health and rights, improved education, appropriate labor policies, and equitable norms in the workplace and home will result in healthier families, stronger economies, and resilient societies.

Governments must work with women and girls on laws, policies and programs that protect human rights, dignity and equality. They must close legal loopholes around violence against women and strengthen services for survivors.

All Arab states must put in place laws that put the minimum age of marriage at 18. They must improve data around gender equality, including violence against women and girls, and we must work with communities to chip away at the norms and barriers that hold women and girls back.

Thirty years ago, at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, the world united behind a shared vision of the future, recognizing women’s and girls’ rights as central to global development.

That message of gender equality is as powerful today as it was then, and on World Population Day – and every day – our resolve must be as well. We must redouble our efforts to build a world where everyone – all 8 billion of us – enjoys a future bursting with promise and potential.

Source: english.alarabiya.net

https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2023/07/11/Boost-women-s-rights-for-an-Arab-world-of-possibilities

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Egyptian Women's National Team Crowned Arab Champions in Basketball

July 11, 2023

The Egyptian women's national team have won the Arab basketball Championship after beating Morocco in the final.

The Queens were able to defeat the Moroccan national team 96-75 in the final match of the tournament

The Arab arab championship was held in Egypt from the 3rd to the 10th of July in the covered halls of cairo international stadium.

Egypt advanced to the Arab Basketball championship final after thrashing Kuwait 99-32, while Morocco qualified beating rivals Algeria 78-67.

The first half saw Egypt coming out on top with the result of 56-27 before the match ended with a score of 96-75.

It's noteworthy that this is the fifth time that the Egyptian women's team has won the Arab Basketball Championship.

Source: kingfut.com

https://www.kingfut.com/2023/07/11/egypts-women-arab-champions/

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Exceptions to decision against granting visas to pregnant women

KUWAIT CITY, July 11: The Ministry of Interior is inclined to adopt five exceptions to the decision to not grant entry visas to women except after the visitor provides a recognized medical certificate stating that she is not pregnant, reports Al-Anba daily.

The concerned authorities submitted a request to the Assistant Undersecretary for Citizenship and Residency Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, stressing that there are some special cases that the administration must consider exempting from the requirement of presenting a medical certificate.

The cases to be excluded from requirement are – domestic workers who are accompanied by citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, domestic workers accompanied by diplomats coming to Kuwait, girls under the age of 16 and women over the age of 50 years, and foreigners who are granted entry visas electronically (online), as they are linked to the agreements signed with Kuwait for granting them entry visas directly upon their arrival in the country.

Source: arabtimesonline.com

https://www.arabtimesonline.com/news/exceptions-to-decision-against-granting-visas-to-pregnant-women/

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URL:   https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-haj-kausar-jahan/d/130197

 

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