‘Saving’ Muslim Women: How Hindutva Exploits Feminism To Propagate Islamophobia
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 Nov2024
· ‘Saving’ Muslim Women: How Hindutva Exploits Feminism To Propagate Islamophobia
· From Iraq, Libya To The United States - Women Across The World Pushed Back In Time
· Oppression Of Muslim Women
· Publicly Executes Serial Rapist Accused By Nearly 200 Women In 20 Years
· The declining fortunes of Afghanistan’s women
· Man allegedly killed mother to ‘send her to heaven‘
· Terror in Johor: Thief breaks into home, threatens elderly woman with knife; swift police action leads to arrest and seven-day remand
· Police searching for teen girl missing since Nov 7
· Empower women-led green SMEs
· Hiking group for Muslim women breaks barriers as hundreds flock to the outdoors
· Controversial Twitter historian who regularly lies about Hindus now says she is getting threats from Muslims for takling about Hijab, may not talk about religion other than Hinduism again
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-women-hindutva-feminism-islamophobia/d/133699
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‘Saving’ Muslim Women: How Hindutva Exploits Feminism To Propagate Islamophobia
Nov 13, 2024
Featured Image Source: © Ravi Prakash—Pacific Press/Light Rocket/Getty Images
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Hindutva and feminism are political ideologies that are irreconcilably at odds. While feminists have steadfastly critiqued the far-right ideology, Hindutva has just as fervently rejected feminism, often as a Western concept or a corrupting influence on Indian women. However, the same proponents of Hindutva are now co-opting feminism and expressing deep concern for women’s rights, following the protest by an Iranian woman against her country’s moral policing of women’s attire.
Hindutva is inextricably tied to the patriarchy. The far-right ideology might have prominent women at the helm of its politics and dedicated women’s organisations, yet it is steeped in patriarchal norms, gendered roles and expectations, and misogyny. But the sudden favour feminism has gained among Hindutva ideologues is no surprise when viewed for what it truly is: an effort to piggyback their Islamophobia utilising feminism. It is confounding that the same forces that fail Indian women and deny them their autonomy are advocating for women in Iran.
On November 2, 2024, an Iranian student stripped down to her undergarments outside her university in Tehran, reportedly in protest against the harassment she faced by security forces for non-compliance with the country’s strict dress code for women. An Iranian student media outlet reported that the student was harassed by members of the Basij, a voluntary paramilitary group, for not wearing a hijab, which women are legally mandated to wear in the country.
The protesting student gained international recognition and her courage was lauded by many across the globe, but her protest was used by the Indian right-wing ecosystem to spew Islamophobic rhetoric. Hindutva’s newfound concern for women and the heralding of women’s resistance against oppressive structures cannot be considered in good faith. When viewed alongside Hindutva’s track record with women in India, a very different picture is painted.
The intersection of misogyny and islamophobia
While Hindutva groups tout ideas of women’s empowerment, the ‘empowerment,’ that Hindutva boasts is not rooted in freeing women from patriarchal structures and furthering the exercise of their autonomy. The ‘empowerment,’ is the radicalisation of young women for the benefit of the Hindutva political agenda, all the while reinforcing patriarchal structures and teaching these women to adhere to them.
In camps conducted for girls by the DurgaVahini, the women’s wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, girls are taught traditional gender roles alongside anti-Muslim rhetoric. In 2023, a sub-wing of the RashtriyaSwayamsevakSangh (RSS)’s women’s wing started the GarbaSanskar campaign, wherein women were taught to instilsanskar (morality) and cultural pride in their fetuses while pregnant.
Hindutva also uses women to further alarmist Islamophobic propaganda about Muslim men posing a threat to Hindu women by subjecting them to violence or exploiting their naivety for their political and ideological benefit. This idea of the naïve, vulnerable woman being exploited by the demonised other, goes a long way in a deeply patriarchal society that views women as less than others and places great value on women performing respectability and upholding the family honour.
Hindutva propaganda such as Love Jihad, inter-faith relationships posing a danger to Hindu women’s lives, or ideas that Hindu women are likely to be disproportionately victimised by Muslims, all work by overlapping Islamophobia with misogyny and the desire to exert control over women.
Love Jihad, the Hindutva conspiracy theory that Muslim men are pursuing relationships with Hindu women to convert them to Islam in a systemic and coordinated effort is as much misogyny as it is Islamophobia. Women, as a result of such propaganda, are infantilised, stripped of their autonomy, and controlled in the name of protecting them. Regressive legislation like anti-conversion laws and Uttarakhand’s Uniform Civil Code work on a similar principle: exerting control over women while perpetuating Islamophobia.
Women’s role, in the Hindutva imagination, is limited to performing respectability and relegating their autonomy to external forces for their ‘protection.’ While Hindutva seeks to ‘protect,’ Hindu women for its political gain, it simultaneously seeks to ‘save,’ Muslim women for the same reason. The caveat, however, is that Hindutva’s interest in ‘saving,’ Muslim women is entirely dependent on who the perpetrator of their oppression is. Hindutva shuttles between positioning themselves as their saviours and oppressing them themselves, depending on context.
‘Saving’ muslim women
Hindutva, in both instances, denies women their autonomy, infantilising them, and propagating other sexist and misogynistic ideas. Further, Hindutva’s need for ‘saving,’ Muslim women is limited to when the perpetrators of misogyny and the enforcers of patriarchy against Muslim women are fellow Muslims. The Palestinian genocide has seen millions of women killed, maimed, displaced, and forced to live in horrific conditions, but Hindutva ideologues not only refuse to speak against the ongoing genocide, they align themselves with Israel. Without the potential to further Islamophobic narratives, Hindutva’s keenness to advocate for women is non-existent.
The student in Iran was denied access to her place of education due to how she was dressed. In India, Muslim women and girls have been denied access to their classrooms by Hindutva forces due to how they are dressed. Hindutva proponents, with no regard for women’s autonomy or right to choose, force Muslim women in India to give up the hijab.
In 2022, a row erupted over Muslim students wearing hijabs in educational institutions after a college in Karnataka’s Udupi barred six students wearing headscarves from entering the premises. The students protested against this discrimination but were met with counter-protests staged by Hindutva students to ban the hijab. Following this, the then BJP-led state government issued an order banning the hijab from classrooms.
A TNM investigation found that the counter-protests by Hindutva students in Udupi weren’t spontaneous and were instigated by a local Hindutva outfit called Hindu JagaranaVedike. A People’s Union of Civil Liberties – Karnataka (PUCL-K) report found that 1010 Muslim girls who wear the hijab dropped out as a consequence of the ban. After the ban was imposed at Mangalore University and affiliated colleges in the same year, 16 per cent of enrolled female Muslim students dropped out.
But Hindutva’s anti-women and Islamophobic rhetoric isn’t just limited to the issue of the hijab. When the 11 convicts in the BilkisBano rape case were released in 2022, they were felicitated and garlanded at the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s office. An ideology that allows its adherents to unabashedly felicitate rapists, and by extension, condone the horrific sexual violence committed by them, has no right to speak about feminism, women’s rights, or empowerment.
Apart from perpetrating Islamophobia, selective and performative Hindutva hand-wringing over Muslim women’s oppression helps to distort the reality of oppression and patriarchy within Hinduism and position women’s subjugation as a feature unique to Islam. Further, when it comes to misogyny Indian women are subjected to in online spaces, the most egregious perpetrators are often Hindutva trolls.
The most recent example of such policing and sexism online occurred over Diwali, when many women were slut-shamed for their Diwali outfits by users on X (formerly Twitter) for being too revealing, with an unfortunate, tedious, and sexist discussion about skimpy blouses and how women should dress raging for days. This, regrettably, is only one of many such instances. Outrage over dance performances by women in colleges has also been simmering online, and absurdly, the same Hindutva accounts that were advocating for Iranian women and against moral policing were shaming and policing Indian women.
Further, women who are anti-Hindutva are subjected to bullying and vile sexual harassment routinely for speaking against the ideology. Organised attacks by Hindutva trolls and death and rape threats are a quotidian feature of discussing anti-Hindutva politics online. On November 8, 2024, journalist Rana Ayyub was doxxed by Hindutva handles, following which she was incessantly harassed by the far-right. Instances such as this are the norm, rather than the exception, for women who resist Hindutva.
While discourse about patriarchy within religions is necessary, the voices that must be centred in discussing patriarchy within Islam should be that of Muslim women. Every woman, undoubtedly, should be free to choose what to wear for herself. States shouldn’t be allowed to mandate what women must wear, but states and political groups also should not be allowed to mandate what women must not wear.
Informed critique of choice feminism and its shortcomings is not only fair but necessary. However, the one thing for which there is no room in this conversation is Hindutva voices. Women’s struggle is not for proponents of an extremist ideology to co-opt and use to peddle their Islamophobia. An ideology like Hindutva that is rooted in the violent oppression and othering of Muslims, a marginalised group, can never stand up for another marginalised group: women.
Source: feminisminindia.com
https://feminisminindia.com/2024/11/13/saving-muslim-women-how-hindutva-exploits-feminism-to-propagate-islamophobia/
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From Iraq, Libya To The United States - Women Across The World Pushed Back In Time
13 November 2024
Women Across The World Pushed Back In Time | Photo: AP
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In 2024, women across the world continued to remain engaged in a fight for their rights and freedoms. From Donald Trump's re-election in the United States coming as a setback for the women's movement to the Taliban's increasing control on women and girls in Afghanistan, it seems that women all across the world are being pushed back to regressive times.
Iraq and Libya seem to have taken a page out of the Taliban's playbook when it comes to clamping down on women's rights and liberties.
In the latest attempt to clamp down on women's rights, Iraq announced it would be working towards lowering the age of consent for girls eligible for marriage from 18 years to nine years. This law, if amended and passed, will allow men to marry nine-year-old girls, raising major concerns with human and women's rights activists across the globe.
Meanwhile, in Libya, the government has introduced the concept of morality police in the country's capital to ensure women are practicing "modesty".
Iraq On The Verge Of Stripping Women Of Rights
In Iraq, the amendment to lower to the age of consent has been pushed by dominant Shia Muslim parities in the parliament. With changes to the country's "personal status law", the world will be witness to another Taliban-style setback to women's rights.
Apart from lowering the age of consent, if this law is passed by the Iraqi parliament, it will also strip women of the right to divorce, child custody and inheritance.
DrRenad Mansour at UK's Chatham House states that not all Shia parties in Iraq are in support of this bill, but the ones who remain in power are the ones responsible for the push to clamp down on women.
Libya Ceases 'Personal Freedom', Introduces Morality Police
Libya on the other hand, has taken a page out of Iran's book and introduced morality police in the country's capital.
With the deployment of morality police, Libya will now work towards reversing the influence of "imported" European fashion and trends ranging from clothes to "strange haircuts".
As per a report by The Telegraph, the morality police will also have the power to shut down barbershops and shisha bars which do not comply with the interior ministry's new regulations.
As far as women's rights are concerned, from the age of nine, girls will be required to wear veils and women will not be allowed to step out in public without a male companion, a law which is also seen in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Women will also be forbidden from sitting "inappropriately" with men in public once the new rules are set in action.
The rules and regulations of the Libyan government are set to be implemented and come into force from December onwards.
Emad Al-Trabelsi, the interior minister for the African nation has stated that "personal freedom does not exist in Libya,” adding that those who wish want such freedom "can seek them in Europe".
War On Women
In the United States, Donald Trump's re-election as the 47th President as sparked fears among women in the leading country. With abortion rights already in a poor state across the 50 states and Washington DC, women across America continue to remain engaged in a fight for their rights.
Since the overturning of Roe v Wade, women have fought for the restoration of abortion rights and the right to reproductive healthcare. However, with Trump 2.0 and a Republican sweep of the Senate and House, women's rights remain in a dangerous state.
In South Korea, women continue to fight for equal pay and an end to gender-based violence. Seoul's '4B Movement' - which is a strike against marriage, childbirth and heterosexual relationships - made waves across the globe and has now reached the US, where women have declared a sex strike.
In France, the government passed a law banning women from wearing hijabs. While many viewed this move as "liberating", it reflected the double standard in Western countries when it comes to women's rights. The hijab ban, which had been enforced for the Paris Olympics had been condemned as discriminatory by Amnesty International and UN officials
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, women continue to be suppressed in the name if "Islamic values". The Taliban has already banned the right to education and jobs for Afghan women since its takeover in 2021. Three years later, the extremist government has now banned women's from speaking out in public.
With women being suppressed across the globe and being pushed back in time, it's safe to say a war on women has been declared.
Source: outlookindia.com
https://www.outlookindia.com/international/from-iraq-libya-to-the-united-states-women-across-the-world-pushed-back-in-time
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Oppression Of Muslim Women
NOV 12, 2024
Highlighting the education and empowerment of many Muslim women, the speaker argues that instances of oppression are due to individuals not adhering to Islamic principles.
By contrasting issues faced by women in the Western world, such as exploitation and high rates of prostitution and abortion, with the situation in the Muslim world, the speaker calls for a fair and objective discussion.
Source: islamicity.org
https://www.islamicity.org/103366/oppression-of-muslim-women/
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Iran Publicly Executes Serial Rapist Accused By Nearly 200 Women In 20 Years
13 November 2024
An Iranian man convicted of raping dozens of women over the past two decades has been executed in public, the country's state media reported on Wednesday.
The state-owned IRAN newspaper said Mohammad Ali Salamat was hanged after Iran's Supreme Court confirmed his death sentence earlier in October. He was put to death at dawn Tuesday in a cemetery in the western city of Hamedan.
Some 200 women had accused Salamat, a 43-year old who ran a pharmacy and a gym in the city, of rape. He is said to have committed the crimes over the past 20 years.
Reports by Iranian media said that in many of the cases, Salamat raped his victims after proposing marriage or dating them. He allegedly provided some with abortion pills, which are illegal in Iran.
He was arrested in January in what was the biggest number of rape case ever attributed to a single offender in Iran. Following his arrest, hundreds of people gathered at the city's justice department, demanding capital punishment for Salamat.
UN experts said in September that Iran is among the world's top countries that carry out executions. Increasing number of executions in Iran has prompted an outcry by human rights groups.
Rape and adultery are among offences in Iran punishable by death. In 2005, Iran publicly hanged a 24-year-old man who raped and killed 20 children. In 1997, authorities hanged a 28-year-old man for kidnapping, raping and killing nine girls and women in Tehran.
Source: outlookindia.com
https://www.outlookindia.com/international/iran-publicly-executes-serial-rapist-accused-by-nearly-200-women-in-20-years
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The declining fortunes of Afghanistan’s women
13 Nov 2024
More than three years after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the rights of women and girls have plummeted in the country. While the international community has watched the dire situation unfold with a sense of powerlessness, women have been banned from attending school, talking in public, and even singing.
As actress Meryl Streep put it at an event at the United Nations in September:
In recent years, high-profile Afghan women have fought fiercely to keep the issue on top of the agenda, but the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East inevitably took the spotlight. While the subject is a recurring topic of discussion at UN Headquarters and other venues, few concrete steps have been taken to help Afghan women. Many countries, especially Western ones, appear to have few pressure points on the de facto authority in the country, and direct intervention seems to be out of the question after the messy withdrawal of August 2021. As one diplomat told me, “What are we going to do, re-invade?”
That was until a few weeks ago. On 25 September in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, Australia, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands announced their intent to sue the Taliban at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its numerous violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The following day, 22 other countries including Morocco, South Korea and Malawi followed suit in a statement.
Afghanistan ratified CEDAW in 2003 without reservation, which means the ICJ has jurisdiction over the matter. Should the case move forward, it would be the first time a country faces charges for discrimination against women. Members who have agreed to the convention’s dispute mechanism can challenge other members over alleged breaches of CEDAW.
It's still unclear what impact such a case may have on the situation for women in Afghanistan. No government has, so far, officially recognised the Taliban as the legitimate representative of the people of Afghanistan. And many non-governmental organisations and observers are growing increasingly concerned that countries have not put women’s rights at the centre of talks with the Taliban in recent months. In June, a UN-led meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, excluded women civil society representatives from the official talks.
Human Rights Watch argued in May that bringing the issue before an international court could offer “a potential platform where the voices of Afghan women could echo, demanding justice and accountability”. While an ICJ decision would technically be legally binding for Afghanistan, the court has few enforcement mechanisms. Recent decisions and provisional measures issued by the ICJ, including on Russia–Ukraine and Israel–Palestine, were mostly ignored by member states.
Women and activists will have to be patient. The official grievance against the Taliban cannot be submitted immediately. The court’s regulations require a formal announcement indicating that there is a disagreement, followed by a six-month timeframe during which the involved parties are expected to attempt to resolve their conflict. The ICJ is infamous for taking years to come to decisions. As one UN observer said, the ICJ is usually “a place countries send issues when they want them to die”.
So, Afghan women will have to hold their collective breath until March 2025 to see if the case progresses, and then wait even longer for the judicial process to take place. One of those women is FawziaKoofi, a former Afghan parliamentarian who currently lives in exile. She welcomed the initiative, but expressed the urgency to act when it comes to the fate of women in her country. She wrote in a post on X:
Source: lowyinstitute.org
https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/declining-fortunes-afghanistan-s-women
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Man allegedly killed mother to ‘send her to heaven‘
13-11- 2024
PETALING JAYA: A man has been arrested for allegedly murdering his elderly mother in 2021, having stored her body in a freezer following a religious disagreement.
According to police sources, the suspect, who is in his 50s, claimed he killed his mother with the intent of ensuring her entry to heaven, New Straits Times reported.
Police reported that he finally confessed to the crime after running low on savings and struggling with a chronic illness, which prompted him to approach the authorities.
Following his admission, police officers searched the suspect’s house in Taman OUG, where they allegedly found the suspect “standing next to the freezer”.
Authorities revealed that the woman had been punched to death, then wrapped in a towel and plastic sheets before being stored in the freezer.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk RusdiMohd Isa confirmed the case is now being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
An anonymous neighbour said he hadn’t seen the victim since the Covid-19 Movement Control Order.
“She had her own house but would come to visit her son as he lived alone and was unmarried. I thought she had gone back to her place,“ he was quoted as saying.
Police are appealing to anyone with information related to this case to contact the KL police hotline at 03-2115 9999 or visit the nearest police station.
Source: thesun.my
https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/man-allegedly-killed-mother-to-send-her-to-heaven-NH13279958
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Terror in Johor: Thief breaks into home, threatens elderly woman with knife; swift police action leads to arrest and seven-day remand
13 Nov 2024
By Malay Mail
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — An elderly woman faced a terrifying ordeal when a male thief entered her home in Taman Kota Masai and held a knife to her neck in the early hours of the morning yesterday.
Seri Alam district police chief Superintendent MohdSohaimiIshak, said that the incident occurred at 12.57am when the 79-year-old victim was alone in her house, according to a report published in Kosmo! Online today.
“At the time of the incident, an unidentified man entered the house, placed a knife at the victim’s neck, and demanded that she hand over her valuables. The estimated loss suffered by the victim is approximately RM2,000,” he said in a statement to the press today.
MohdSohaimi said acting on a tip-off, the police were able to arrest the suspect at 4.30am and seize the victim’s mobile phone, a tablet, a knife, and a backpack.
The suspect has 15 prior criminal records related to crimes and drugs.
“Urine tests showed the suspect tested positive for methamphetamine. He has been remanded for seven days until November 18 to assist in the investigation. The case is being investigated under Sections 392/397 of the Penal Code,” he said.
Source: malaymail.com
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/11/13/terror-in-johor-thief-breaks-into-home-threatens-elderly-woman-with-knife-swift-police-action-leads-to-arrest-and-seven-day-remand/156717#google_vignette
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Police searching for teen girl missing since Nov 7
BERNAMA
13-11- 2024
KOTA BHARU: Police are searching for a 14-year-old girl who has been missing since Nov 7 after leaving her home in KampungSemutApi, here.
Kota Bharu District Police Chief ACP MohdRosdiDaud said the identity of the girl is CheNorQurratuAiniMohd Zaidi, who was last seen leaving her home around 5 pm to go to a convenience store.
He said police received a report regarding her disappearance at 1.15 pm on Monday at the Kota Bharu District Police Headquarters.
“According to CheNorQurratuAini’s family, she has not returned home to this day, and efforts to locate her are still ongoing.
“The girl was last seen wearing a black blouse outfit and is described as 150 cm tall, weighing approximately 60 kilogrammes, with a tan complexion,” he said in a statement today.
The public who have any information regarding CheNorQurratuAini are urged to come forward at any nearby police station or directly contact the investigating officer, SjnMohdAzmeyMohdYunus, at 017-3430221 or 09-7752200.
Source: thesun.my
https://thesun.my/malaysia-news/police-searching-for-teen-girl-missing-since-nov-7-DH13279749
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Empower women-led green SMEs
Nov 13, 2024
Innovative financing and collaboration with financial institutions is needed to support climate-resilient small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly those led by women in vulnerable communities, said speakers at a roundtable yesterday.
The event, titled "Climate-Resilient Cooperatives to Green SMEs: Enabling Resilience for Climate Vulnerable Women," was jointly organised by UNDP's LoGIC project and The Daily Star at the newspaper's office.
Presenting the keynote, AKM Azad Rahman, project coordinator of LoGIC, highlighted the role of collaborations in fostering socio-economic empowerment and climate action.
"Under this project, 247 Climate Resilient Cooperatives have been formed across seven districts, pooling capital through shares and savings to start green businesses," he said.
"Of these, 99 cooperatives have invested in green businesses, 219 have developed green business plans, and 55 green enterprises are operational. In total, Tk 30 million has been invested in green businesses, with 14 cooperatives currently generating BDT 500,000 in revenue."
MalihaMujammel, climate change specialist at UNDP Bangladesh, said UNDP is working closely with the SME Foundation, Bangladesh Bank, and the Securities and Exchange Commission to identify financial barriers and design an innovative blended finance facility to support resilient green SMEs in vulnerable areas.
SonaliDayaratne, UNDP Bangladesh's deputy resident representative, stressed the importance of involving youth in sustainability efforts, which she said are critical for the long-term success of climate-resilient enterprises.
She also called for support from international financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and Islamic Development Bank to scale proven models through concessional loans.
Nayoka Martinez Backstrom, first secretary at the Embassy of Sweden, highlighted the transformative impact of the LoGIC project and suggested collaboration with government sectors like Agriculture and Fisheries, which are developing climate-resilient products and techniques.
"Women must be empowered to negotiate with government actors independently for the project's sustainability," she said.
Syed Matiul Ahsan, development programme adviser at the Embassy of Denmark, proposed frameworks to ensure long-term sustainability and market access by leveraging government support, private partnerships, and technology.
"Certification is crucial for green products to gain credibility," he said. Involving men and other stakeholders is necessary to foster broader community acceptance, he added.
Dhaka University professor Dr Tania Haque said, "A gender-neutral market system is essential to provide women with equal access, and impact analysis is crucial to measure effectiveness."
She called for a shift towards a green and gender-equal mindset.
MousumiPoervin, senior climate change officer at ADB, underscored the importance of improving the value chain to ensure fair prices for women in remote areas and highlighted the need for advanced green technologies, continuous capacity building, and networking opportunities to help women-led SMEs thrive.
Other speakers included Nazim Hossain Sattar, general manager at the SME Foundation; Syed MuntasirRidwan, co-executive director of Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative; Shakhawat Hossain, joint director of Bangladesh Bank; Esrat Karim Eve, founder of Amal Foundation; and Tahmina Islam, M&E analyst at UNCDF.
The event was moderated by TanjimFerdous, in-charge of NGO and Foreign Mission at The Daily Star.
Source: thedailystar.net
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/empower-women-led-green-smes-3751391
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Hiking group for Muslim women breaks barriers as hundreds flock to the outdoors
byAtra Mohamed
When Nasrieen Habib launched a hiking group for Muslim women in 2022, she didn’t know if anyone would show up.
Nine women responded to her initial social media post. “And we have never stopped since,” Nasrieen said.
In the two years since, Hiking Hijabie — and an offshoot for families, Hiking Ummah — have grown into a local force, drawing more than 870 participants for outdoors activities including hikes, camping, kayaking and even snow-tubing.
Our mantra is “rain or shine, we are hiking,” Nasrieen said.
The energetic Minneapolis mom of two has launched an umbrella organization, Amanah Recreational Projects, to channel multiple social and outdoors ventures for Muslims, including Hiking Hijabie, Hiking Ummah, EcoJariyah, and Chai and Chat.
She said her goal is to create a safe space for Muslim families and the whole community to spend time outdoors.
Nasrieen said adapting to cold weather can be challenging or even overwhelming for many newcomers, especially those from warmer regions like Somalia.
“Many Somali families don’t go out during the winter season, so my goal is to educate people that being outdoors in the winter time is not that bad once you are used to it,” Nasrieen said. “Winter activities are actually pretty fun; that is why I encourage people to come outdoors.
“I want to make sure my community feels safe and comfortable in their environment, where they can engage in physical activities and enjoy the outdoors.”
The idea of women hiking by themselves is also unusual in the Somali community, so the group is pushing new boundaries.
Surviving the long winters
Nasrieen, 38, spent her early years in Somalia and Uganda, then grew up in the subtropical temps of Houston, Texas.
So she was not prepared for the polar blast when her family moved to Minnesota in January 2009. The giant snow piles, frigid temps and icy sidewalks made simple activities, like stepping outside and getting enough sunlight impossible.
She fled back to Texas but returned to Minnesota a few years later, when she was diagnosed with seasonal depression. That was a turning point for her.
Instead of medication, she decided to look for other ways to treat her condition by going outside and engaging in sports activities.
“When my condition was diagnosed, I decided to take vitamin D, seek therapy, and go outside and get whatever little sun was available,” she said.
But first she had to dress for the weather. She said she was self-conscious about her style, and snow boots were not something that could be found in Nasrieen’s shoe rack. “That’s why my toes were always cold,” she said.
Building community
Nasrieen now has Hiking Hijabie groups all over the Twin Cities. And members have taken trips to destinations as far away as Glacier National Park, Mount Rainier and the Grand Canyon.
The women who participate in Hiking Hijabie and Hiking Ummah, say the hikes and other activities offer a chance to enjoy the outdoors and to connect with other like-minded people.
Malika Dahir moved to Minnesota with her family in 2015 from Memphis, Tennessee, and said it was challenging to find a community she could relate to.
“The pandemic was especially difficult for me, and when I found Hiking Hijabie on Instagram, I immediately reached out to them,” Malika said.
“I definitely missed my small friend-group in Memphis, but here in Minneapolis, my family came to a big Somali community that feels like home,” Malika said.
She said her family has participated in many outdoor activities, including hiking, snow-tubing, kayaking, snowshoeing and more.
“These activities help families build core memories,” she said
DilekHanedar also found it challenging to connect with others when she moved to the U.S. from Germany with her family in 2014.
She joined the Hiking Hijabie and Hiking Ummah, and she is now a leader and an active participant in the group.
She said Muslim communities in the U.S. are either immigrants themselves or children of immigrants, and getting adequate information on important issues such as finances and property ownership have always been a challenge.
“That’s why coming together as a community, learning from each other, and choosing a healthy lifestyle are important for our survival,” she said.
Focus on sustainability
Nasrieen left Somalia as a toddler for Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. At age 12, she was admitted to the United States as a refugee.
“I don’t know much about how we got to the refugee camp. The only thing I remember is my family walking and being very thirsty, and then we drank water from the rain,” she recalls.
Nasrieen said even at this moment, there are children who are going through the same experience, and that’s why she wants to use this opportunity and the privilege to make a difference in her community both at home and in the diaspora.
She launched EcoJariyah to sell sportswear for Muslim women. The name combines eco, for the environment and jariyah, which means charitable work. She said 15% of the profit from everything she sells goes to the American Relief Agency for the Horn of Africa.
She and the volunteers at Amanah Recreational Projects are currently discussing how to help the environment, practice minimalism, and recycle things that they do not need.
“Islam tells us to care for each other and the environment; that’s why we not only participate in a healthy lifestyle but also care for the environment,” she said.
With the Twin Cities Hiking Hijabie community thriving, Nasrieen said she hopes to start hiking groups in other states, such as Washington, Texas, and Ohio, where large Muslim communities are already present.
“Most of our Muslim families don’t go out or participate in any sports activities. Someday, if we get the support we need, I want to create a place where we have all the amenities that our families need,” she said.
Source: sahanjournal.com
https://sahanjournal.com/arts-culture/muslim-hiking-groups-minnesota-women-somali-owned/
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Controversial Twitter historian who regularly lies about Hindus now says she is getting threats from Muslims for takling about Hijab, may not talk about religion other than Hinduism again
13 November, 2024
On 12th November, The Print published an article in support of self-proclaimed historian and YouTuber DrRuchika Sharma, who claims to have a PhD in history from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), after she faced backlash from pro-hijabi individuals on social media as she criticised hijab. Interestingly, while speaking to The Print, Ruchika claimed that “none of her peers came to her rescue.” Furthermore, she declared that she would “think twice” before talking about any other religion. She said, “What’s happened to me speaks volumes. After the threats, I’m afraid. Next time, I’ll think twice before discussing other religions, perhaps, other than Hinduism.”
How it all started
It all began on 3rd November when Ruchika quoted Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist on a mission against compulsory hijab in Islamic nations. In a post, Masih had shared a video of an Iranian student who was harassed by her university’s morality police over her “improper” hijab. In protest, the student stripped down to her underwear. The video went viral, and reports emerged that the student was later arrested and labelled as “troubled”.Travel guides
Quoting Masih, Ruchika wrote, “I’m so proud of this woman. This is your daily reminder that the hijab is a symbol of oppression. From its origins being both classist and misogynistic to it being used as a weapon to oppress scores of women today.” Her post garnered over 500,000 impressions on social media, with hundreds of comments and reposts, most of them hateful towards her.
Ruchika argued in a reply to her own post that she had written about the “oppressive origins of hijab” long ago and shared a screenshot of her article from Firstpost published in 2019.
In another reply to a person who claimed only one in a million women say hijab is oppressive, while millions of others wear it willingly as a badge of modesty, Ruchika wrote, “Hijab is oppressive. There’s history to show that. That said, even now, it’s utterly oppressive. And just because the other million women don’t say it out loud doesn’t mean they aren’t oppressed. Even if a single woman is forced to wear it, it’s oppressive!”
Over the next ten days, she was hounded by Islamists for her comments, and at one point, she called God an “invisible burger in the sky,” which was linked to the ongoing controversy she had sparked and was interpreted as “blasphemy” for referring to Allah. Screenshots of her reply to an X user, Mufasa, where she said, “Decency, shamelessness — your invisible burger in the sky won’t decide that. Sit down, kid. Every woman can decide her morality for herself. The illusion here is that wearing hijab somehow protects you, makes you better in the eyes of some invisible burger in the sky,” went viral on social media.
Those who felt she insulted Allah, demanded scrict action against her and trended hashtag #ArrestRuchikaSharma.
How Ruchika Sharma distorted history and mocked Hinduism
This particular incident was not the first time Ruchika came face-to-face with the reality of how speaking against a religion can make someone’s life difficult. While she spoke against Hinduism conveniently without much drama or online abuse, speaking against Islam has been a completely different story for her. Over the past few years, she had made headlines for all the wrong reasons as she attempted to present a mockery in the name of history revolving around Sanatan Dharma.
Ruchika Sharma has a strong penchant for presenting her views as history to her gullible audience. However she has repeatedly come under fire for it, sometimes even from her followers which consist of radical Muslims and leftists. Her Muslim supporters even lambasted her for calling the Muslim veil’s origins “classist and sexist,” threatening to stop her from speaking out against the hijab if she wanted to continue earning their support.
The former student at JNU, who runs the “Eyeshadow &Etihaas with DrRuchika Sharma” YouTube channel saw one of her articles taken down by Scroll for presenting false claims. In 2017, the website published an article titled, “History lesson: Padmavati was driven to immolation by a Rajput prince, not Ala-ud-din Khalji” penned by her. The article, was later taken down as it presented wrong facts about history.
It stated that Rani Padmini dreaded being raped by Devapala of Kumbhalner after he defeated and killed her husband, RawalRatan Sen and hence performed Jauhar (the Hindu Rajput tradition of mass self-immolation to elude capture, captivity and rape by Turko-Persian Islamic invaders). Unsurprisingly, the piece had to be taken down because it was ridden with glaring inaccuracies and the media portal was denounced for spreading misinformation.
Ruchika Sharma is also an ardent cheerleader of Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan and even praises them for their alleged ‘generosity’ in her tweets and interviews to media outlets that share her ideology. Notably, there is no empirical data on their noble deeds except the manufactured claims of leftists and liberals.
However, there is an abundance of evidence demonstrating how these two oppressors murdered, maimed and plundered Hindus as well as their temples and religious places. She regularly glorifies and humanities evil Muslim rulers who are remembered for their large-scale massacres, imposing jizya and their cruelty and hatred for Hindus. She regularly glorifies and humanises evil and atrocious Muslim rulers who are remembered for their large-scale massacres, imposition of jizya (tax on non-Muslims) and their animosity for Hindus.
The so-called boldness in criticising religion finally bows down to Islamists
In conclusion, Ruchika Sharma’s so-called “boldness” has clearly met its match. It’s easy for her to criticise Hinduism without facing much trouble, but when she dared to comment on Islam, she quickly realised it wasn’t the same game. From twisting facts about Hindu history to praising tyrants like Aurangzeb, her version of being a “historian” has backfired in the most royal way possible, drawing the kind of backlash she probably did not expect.
Source: opindia.com
https://www.opindia.com/2024/11/controversial-twitter-historian-getting-threats-from-muslims-for-takling-about-hijab-may-not-talk-about-religion-other-than-hinduism-again/#google_vignette
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/muslim-women-hindutva-feminism-islamophobia/d/133699