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