'1 In 5 Muslim Women In UK Faced Hate Crimes In The Past Year'
New Age Islam News Bureau
16 January 2025
· '1 In 5 Muslim Women In UK Faced Hate Crimes In The Past Year'
· Germany Calls for Lifting Restrictions on Women in Afghanistan
· Behind The Veil: Recounting The Lives Of Afghan Women In Books
· Unstoppable Indian Women Storm Into Quarter-Finals With Emphatic Win Over Iran
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-women-hate-crimes-year/d/134352
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'1 in 5 Muslim women in UK faced hate crimes in the past year'
JAN 15, 2025
BY ANADOLU AGENCY
Muslim women attend an open-air funeral service in Summerfield Park, Birmingham, England, Aug. 18, 2011. (AP File Photo)
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The head of Muslim Women's Network U.K. stated Wednesday that one in five Muslim women reported experiencing hate crimes over the past year.
The law should treat racial and faith-based hate crimes alike as both aim at harming people and resulting in hostility and violence, Baroness Shaista Gohir, who is also a member of the House of Lords, said after a survey.
Gohir said that negative political rhetoric, "particularly" from some politicians in the last government as well as online social media spaces, and public commentators resulted in rising "gendered Islamophobia."
"I’d like it to be defined as gender-based violence ... because if you look at the stats again the vast majority of the perpetrators tend to be males, white males," she told at Women and Equalities Committee, aiming to understand the specific challenges facing Muslim women in the U.K.
Mentioning that Muslim women and girls are easily targeted more due to headscarves or traditional dresses, Gohir pointed out the increasing hate crimes targeting British Muslim women not only on the streets but also online.
Source: dailysabah.com
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/islamophobia/1-in-5-muslim-women-in-uk-faced-hate-crimes-in-the-past-year
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Germany Calls for Lifting Restrictions on Women in Afghanistan
January 16, 2025
Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada have urged the Islamic Emirate to remove the current restrictions on women.
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A statement from Germany’s foreign ministry said that the Islamic Emirate must adhere to Afghanistan’s commitments to international laws.
The statement said: “We have repeatedly and urgently called on Afghanistan and the de facto Taliban government to meet all of Afghanistan’s obligations under international law and to lift all legal restrictions on women and girls. In particular, women and girls must no longer be denied the right to an education.”
“It’s been almost a month since they closed institutes to girls. I am one of the midwifery students. My request is that all women should be able to continue their studies,” Fazila, a midwifery student, told TOLOnews.
The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is one of the most important international documents supporting women’s human rights. The German Foreign Ministry stressed that Afghanistan is also a signatory to this convention, and the “Taliban”, after taking power in Afghanistan, must abide by it.
The statement from Germany’s foreign ministry said: “Together with Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, Germany has decided to hold Afghanistan and the de facto Taliban government accountable for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). By citing the dispute resolution mechanism referred to in the Convention, we have jointly called on Afghanistan to meet its obligations under the Convention.”
“One of the most important international documents for supporting women’s rights is the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Under the current circumstances in Afghanistan, Afghan women are facing extreme restrictions. To remove these restrictions, this convention needs to be implemented to eliminate discrimination in political, economic, cultural, and social spheres,” BaharaAtaei, a university professor, told TOLOnews.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on this matter, but it has previously stated that women’s rights in Afghanistan are ensured based on Islamic laws.
Source: tolonews.com
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-192632
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Behind the veil: recounting the lives of Afghan women in books
January 16, 2025
DebasreePurkayasthaDEBASREE PURKAYASTHA
Afghan women sew clothes at a handicraft workshop in Kabul on November 10, 2024. | Photo Credit: AFP
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The Taliban government’s Morality Ministry in their November 2024 decree banned women from speaking to one another. They not only disallowed women from singing or reciting but also introduced a “vice and virtue” law that imposed sweeping behaviour codes, including the mandate that women’s voices, like their bodies, should be “concealed” when outside their homes. This disturbing move even prompted Oscar-winner Meryl Streep to address the issue at a United Nations event, drawing a stark comparison by stating that “even a cat in the country has more freedom than the women.” In a recent move by the Taliban, the authorities on December 30 ordered the closing down of all national and foreign non-governmental groups in Afghanistan employing women, allegedly because they didn’t wear the Islamic headscarf correctly.
However, for centuries, Afghan women have displayed remarkable courage as their country endured invasions and upheaval.
Voices of heartbreak
My Dear Kabul (2024) is a vivid portrayal of a year in the life of an Afghan women’s writing group, translated from Dari and Pashto by ParwanaFayyaz and Dr. NegeenKargar. A group of 21 women writers came together in August 2021 as the Taliban closed in on Kabul. The various authors — a final-year university student, a lawyer, a teacher, and many others — joined a WhatsApp group to share their everyday experiences of horror, uncertainty, and despair.
What unfolds is a collective narration of brutality and heartbreak yet tinged with resilience and hope. Sadaf, a teacher, writes to Maryam, a law graduate from the University of Kabul: “I don’t know who sold this country again. But I saw that some named its price.” Her anguish is palpable as she confronts a reality where the President has fled, paving the way for the Taliban’s return. Marie, another member, in her plaintive observation writes, “The barbaric Taliban won’t follow any rules,” encapsulating the shared fear of what the future holds.
In The Bookseller of Kabul by Norwegian journalist AsneSeierstad, readers gain a profound understanding of the impact of Taliban rule on Afghan women’s lives. Even after the Taliban’s fall in the early 2000s and the establishment of democracy, women continued to live as second-class citizens. Seierstad, who spent months with the family of Sultan (a pseudonym for a bookseller in Kabul), poignantly recounts the stark differences in the lives of men, women, and children.
Walking through the streets of Kabul in a burka, she describes: “Burka-women are like horses with blinkers; they can only look in one direction. Where the eye narrows, the grille stops, and thick material takes its place; another trick by the burka-inventor: a man must know what his wife is looking at.”
Unequal society
The book also reflects on pivotal moments in Afghanistan’s history, like in 1959, when then-Prime Minister Prince Daoud’s wife appeared in a national daily without a burka, sparking a wave of women abandoning the purdah (veil). Women stepped out in long coats and hats, and by the 1970s, they were wearing skirts and working shoulder-to-shoulder with men in various professions.
Yet, Seierstad’s account of early 2000s Kabul reveals the grim inequality that persisted within households. Behind four walls, women had little autonomy, with the man of the house reigning as the ultimate authority. While some may argue that Seierstad’s perspective is shaped by a Western lens, the discomfort at the systemic denial of even the simplest joys of life to women based solely on gender is undeniable. The book also equally depicts the challenges faced by the men, often caught between ambition and duty, and battling a lack of opportunity in a broken economy.
However, to explore the compelling history and enduring mystique of Afghanistan, one can turn to Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul by Taran N. Khan. In this deeply personal narrative, the Indian author recounts her experience of Kabul through a series of extended visits spanning eight years. Her journey captures a city in flux — taking tentative steps toward recovery from decades of conflict, only to spiral back into instability.
Discovering Kabul on foot
Arriving in Kabul five years after the Taliban’s initial fall, the author navigates the city on foot, inviting readers to join her as she uncovers its layers. From the muddy paths leading to ancient Buddhist monasteries to the vibrant yet chaotic markets, she paints a vivid picture of Kabul’s streets and its resilient spirit. Through bullet-pocked windows, she witnesses a city shaped by both history and hardship. Khan’s narrative offers a sharp and heartfelt exploration of a nation trapped in a cycle of destruction and renewal, portraying Kabul as a place of both profound beauty and enduring tragedy.
While all the books mentioned here are non-fiction, there are hidden gems like The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N. Murari, which weaves a fictional yet hard-hitting narrative about the life of a woman striving to survive atrocities by the Taliban and ultimately escape her beloved country.
In times like these, when every day brings a new challenge and another freedom is stripped away, forcing women to the margins of life, perhaps Afghanistan needs its own Svetlana Alexievich. The Nobel laureate, in her moving work The Unwomanly Face of War, gave voice to over 200 women whose bravery and sacrifices during World War II were long forgotten. As we begin a new chapter in the new year, it’s crucial to keep reading and remembering the stories of Afghan women who continue to fight, endure, and resist in the face of unimaginable hardship. Let us hold on to the message of Afghan sprinter Kimia Yousofi, who held a placard after completing the women’s 100m at the Paris 2024 Olympics: “Education, Sport, Our Right.”
Their courage demands not just our attention, but our unwavering support.
Source: thehindu.com
https://www.thehindu.com/books/behind-the-veil-recounting-the-lives-of-afghan-women-in-books/article69100785.ece
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Unstoppable Indian women storm into quarter-finals with emphatic win over Iran
Jan 15, 2025
New Delhi [India], January 15 (ANI): Fresh from their historic 175-18 demolition of South Korea, the Indian women's Kho Kho team secured their quarter-final berth with another commanding performance, overwhelming Iran by 84 points at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. The Women in Blue, demonstrating their tournament favourites' status, dominated proceedings from the opening seconds to cement their position atop their group, as they scored 100-16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night, according to a release from Kho Kho World Cup.
The match began with India's trademark aggressive start, as they eliminated Iran's first batch within 33 seconds. Ashwini spearheaded the attack, while Meenu continued her brilliant form with multiple touchpoints, helping India amass an impressive 50 points in Turn 1. The onslaught continued through all four Turns, highlighted by a remarkable 6-minute-8-second Dream Run in Turn 3, which effectively sealed the match. Led by Wazir Nirmala's tactical brilliance and contributions from skipper Priyanka Ingle, Nirmala Bhati and Nasreen, Team India demonstrated their championship credentials with another emphatic victory, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the tournament.
The best attacker of the match was Mobina and the best defender was Meenu. The best player was awarded to the captain, Priyanka Ingle
Before Iran, they demolished South Korea in a dominant display, the Indian women's Kho Kho team delivered a masterclass against them, securing a commanding 175-18 victory.
Women in Blue showcased their prowess with exceptional dream runs and remarkable defensive strategies that left their opponents struggling at the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 being held at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, in what was their opening match of the tournament.
On the other hand, in a thrilling display of strategic prowess, Team India secured a 64-34 victory over Brazil on Tuesday night at the Kho Kho World Cup 2025.
The match, which kept spectators on the edge of their seats at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, showcased exceptional skill from both sides, with India ultimately proving their mettle in a spectacular finish to Day 2 of the tournament. (ANI)
Source: tribuneindia.com
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sports/unstoppable-indian-women-storm-into-quarter-finals-with-emphatic-win-over-iran/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-women-hate-crimes-year/d/134352