Muslim Women MPs Iqra Hasan, Sajda Ahmad’s Lok Sabha Wins Prove India’s Political Diversity
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 Jun 2024
· Muslim Women MPs Iqra Hasan, Sajda Ahmad’s Lok Sabha Wins Prove India’s Political Diversity
· Iranian painter and cartoonist AtenaFarghdani Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
· Odisha’s First Muslim Woman MLA Sofia Firdous Calls Her Win a Message of Brotherhood
· International Aid Needed to Combat Serious Risk of Maternal Mortality in Afghanistan
· UN Tourism Returns with Women in Tech Startup Competition Aimed at Female Empowerment
· A Report Says Women Were Abused in Nigerian Military Cells After Fleeing Boko Haram Captivity
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
Muslim Women MPs Iqra Hasan, Sajda Ahmad’s Lok Sabha Wins Prove India’s Political Diversity
11-06-2024
Tauseef Reza
Iqra Munawwar Hasan Chaudhary and Sajda
Ahmed
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The results of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024 have shown why the democratic system is the most beautiful form of electoral politics. It represents every section of society, irrespective of caste, class, or religion. The poll results have thrown a pleasant surprise with the people giving a chance to progressive women from the Muslim community.
This election saw a huge upheaval in the country's most populous state Uttar Pradesh.
One of the most interesting wins came from Kairana Lok Sabha's seat, where SamajwadiPartypatty’s 29-year-old Iqra Hasan emerged victorious by defeating BJP's Pradeep Kumar by 69,116 votes.
Iqra's family has been in politics for 40 years. As a Congress candidate, her grandfather Akht Hasan had contested and won the Lok Sabha elections from Kairana in 1984. He had defeated BSP supremoMayawati. That was Mayawati’s maiden electoral foray.
Later, Iqra’s father Munawwar Hasan was elected a Member of the Lok Sabha on a Samajwadi Party ticket in 1996. Unfortunately, he died in a road accident in 2008 and thereafter his wife Tabassum Hasan won the election from the same seat as a candidate of the BSP in 2009. Tabassum also emerged victorious in the by-election held after the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh in 2018.
Iqra's elder brother Nahid Hasan is a three-time MLA. He contested and won the assembly elections from jail in the year 2022.
The arrest of her elder brother under the Gangster Act became the turning point in Iqra's life; she took charge of her brother's election campaign and in the end, he won the election.
Iqra Hassan has studied at Queen Mary School, New Delhi. She has obtained a post-graduate degree in International Politics from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University. She also studied law at SOAS University of London.
Iqra says that after her father's death, there were changes in politics and communal issues became THE dominant political narrative. With Iqra securing 5208013 in the election and becoming one of the youngest MPs, she shoulders the hopes and aspirations of lakhs of youth in her constituency. He has also emerged as a role model for millions.
Similar is the case of Sajda Ahmed, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from the Uluberia Lok Sabha constituency in West Bengal. Sajda gave a crushing defeat to BJP's ArunUdaypal Chaudhary in the just concluded election. Sajda Ahmed secured 724 622 votes against Chaudhary bagging 505949 votes. Sajda Malik had also defeated BJP's Joy Banerjee in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Sajda Ahmed, 26, graduated from the Kolkata University in 1983. She supported his father Sultan Ahmed and took over his inheritance. After his death, Sajda Ahmed won the Lok Sabha elections for the first time by winning the by-election held in 2018 and since then she has retained the Uluberia Lok Sabha seat.
Sajda Ahmed’s husband late Sultan Ahmed was a two-time MP from Uluberia and prominent Muslim face of the TMC. He passed away in September 2017. “Long back, my husband wanted me to join politics but I declined. There were already two politicians in the family and I had my kids to take care of. I might not have actively campaigned, but I was like a shadow of my husband, during his 30 years political career.
“So many years down the line, today, when I am contesting, in a way I am fulfilling his wish,” Sajda had said during an interview before filing the nomination.
The presence of such progressive women in the Parliament will certainly boost the interest of the minorities and certainly boost India’s image in the world as being the most diverse democracy.
Tauseef Reza is an author and a research scholar at JamiaIslamia, Delhi.
Source: awazthevoice.in
https://www.awazthevoice.in/india-news/muslim-mps-iqra-hasan-sajda-ahmad-s-lok-sabha-wins-prove-india-s-political-diversity-29257.html
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Iranian painter and cartoonist AtenaFarghdani Sentenced to Six Years in Prison
JUNE 11, 2024
Atena Farghdani, a prominent Iranian
painter and cartoonist, has been sentenced to six years in prison by a
revolutionary court in Tehran, her lawyer Mohammad Moghimi announced on Monday.
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AtenaFarghdani, a prominent Iranian painter and cartoonist, has been sentenced to six years in prison by a revolutionary court in Tehran, her lawyer Mohammad Moghimi announced on Monday.
In a post on his X account, Moghimi said that Farghdani received a 5-year sentence for "insulting the sacred" and an additional 1-year term for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic" from the 26th Branch of the Revolutionary Court.
The lawyer said the court imposed the maximum punishments for the two charges against Farghdani by treating them as separate crimes, despite them stemming from the same alleged actions.
Moghimi had previously disclosed that Farghdani was arrested in June 2023 after visiting the Evin Prosecutor's Office.
He said she was "severely assaulted" by authorities, with visible injuries to her face.
According to Moghimi, Farghdani refused bail as an act of protest over her "arbitrary arrest" and was subsequently transferred to the notorious Qarchak prison.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/130458-iranian-artist-atena-farghdani-sentenced-to-six-years-in-prison/
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Odisha’s First Muslim Woman MLA Sofia Firdous Calls Her Win a Message of Brotherhood
10 June, 2024
Bhubaneswar: Studied in a Missionary school and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore, Sofia Firdous who scripted history by becoming the first Muslim woman MLA of Odisha said her victory has sent a message of brotherhood to the entire country.
Firdous, who also takes part in Durga Puja, said she was born in a Muslim family but was raised among the people of Cuttack, who are mostly Hindus.
But first, she is a “proud Odia”, she asserted.
Congress candidate Firdous won the Barabati-Cuttack Assembly seat defeating her nearest candidate Purna Chandra Mahapatra of the BJP by 8,001 votes.
Speaking to PTI, Firdous said the people of Cuttack believe in “brotherhood” and they proved that religion has no place when the matter is about development.
“Religion for me is nothing other than a medium of worship to the Supreme Power, the Unseen Force. I believe spirituality is essential for all — Hindus, Muslims, Christians and any other community. It (spirituality) keeps oneself united and gives strength,” she said.
The 32-year-old MLA said she has close friends among Hindus who never see her as different from them.
“In my childhood, I offered prayer in school, participated in Durga Puja in my locality, and enjoyed all the festivals of different religions as Cuttack in the city of brotherhood,” said Firdous, an engineering graduate.
On becoming the first Muslim woman MLA of Odisha, Firdous said, “First of all, I am a proud Odia and Indian. People have voted for me as I am a daughter of Cuttack. It is a coincidence that I am Muslim and it had not happened before.” Over 140 women have been elected to the Odisha assembly in nearly 90 years of its history, but there was no Muslim among them.
“The tag of being the first Muslim woman MLA of Odisha came automatically. Thank God for all that. I am happy,” she said.
Firdous, who also heads a real-estate firm set up by her father, said her ideal politician is NandiniSatpathy who was the chief minister of a Congress government in Odisha between 1972 and 1976.
Asked why she joined politics despite her engineering and management background, Firdous said she was made for politics as her father Mohammed Moquim is a “popular Congress leader” whose entanglement in a legal case forced her to enter this field “so early”.
Her father Mohammed Moquim was elected from the same Assembly seat in the 2019 election. He could not contest in the 2024 polls after being convicted in the Odisha Rural Housing and Development Corporation Limited (ORHDC) loan irregularities case.
“As my father was entangled in a legal case and he could not fight elections this time, I had to enter into electoral politics. I had never thought to come to politics so early. I contested the 2024 elections in order to retain my father’s legacy and complete his work in the Barabati-Cuttack assembly segment,” she said.
The young Congress leader said she had campaigned for her father in the 2019 elections and also looked after his poll management previously.
“The people of my constituency have elected me keeping a view on my father’s work during the last five years and my profile. They trusted their daughter and I will stand by them in all situations,” Firdous said.
Asked about her father’s conviction ahead of the elections, Firdous said, “My father has been targeted for political reasons. The people of Odisha have shown the BJD government its place in this election.” BJD, which has been in power in the state for 24 years, was defeated by the BJP in the elections. In the constituency of Firdous, the BJD came third after Congress and BJP.
The Congress had raised its strong voice over many issues inside the Assembly even when it had just nine MLAs, said Firdous, an engineering graduate and an alumnus of IIM Bangalore.
“Now, the party has 14 MLAs while the principal opposition party BJD has 51 in the 147-member House. As the opposition has become very strong now, it will play a major role,” she stated.
Source: theprint.in
https://theprint.in/india/odishas-first-muslim-woman-mla-sofia-firdous-terms-her-victory-a-message-of-brotherhood/2125041/
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International Aid Needed to Combat Serious Risk of Maternal Mortality in Afghanistan
June 11, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that 24 mothers and 167 children die daily across Afghanistan. The organization released a report on Sunday, June 9, stating that an additional $352 million is needed to combat the serious risk of maternal mortality. According to the WHO, these mothers and children lose their lives due to preventable diseases related to pregnancy and childbirth in Afghanistan. The organization has warned that if the necessary funding for humanitarian aid in Afghanistan is not provided by the international community, maternal and infant mortality rates will increase. The report indicates that in 2023, 428 fixed and mobile health centers were closed in Afghanistan due to severe budget shortages. Additionally, the WHO emphasized that lack of access to healthcare has affected over three million people, including more than 600,000 children under five and over 240,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women. This comes after the former acting minister of public health said at the opening of a maternal and children’s hospital in Kabul that although the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan was higher than in any other country, the maternal mortality rate last year reached more than five hundred people, and in 2023 it was 250 people so far. According to MoPH, there is a need for female health professionals in the health sector, and the Islamic Emirate is trying to pay serious attention to the sector. The ministry has said that providing good services at mother and child clinics and taking care of patients on time has caused the death rate of mothers and children in the country to decrease to 256. Based on the information of the Ministry of Public Health, with the Islamic Emirate takeover, over 300 health centers have been built in different provinces of the country, and the ministry plans to build new health facilities in three hundred districts of the country during the current 2024 year. Previously, several global health organizations have warned about the rising maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan, stressing that women are facing increased vulnerability in the country. According to a report by the Emergency Organization, Afghanistan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. With the Islamic Emirate takeover and the improvement of the security situation across Afghanistan, the number of patients seen in health facilities around the country has grown significantly, but there are still problems and difficulties in accessing healthcare services in provincial hospitals. The healthcare system in the country, which has for decades been struggling with underfunding, inadequate infrastructure and slow response to the needs of the population suffered further following funding cuts since mid-August 2021. Patients often struggle to access even basic care, meaning their problems deteriorate and require more advanced treatment later. Mukhtar Safi
Source: thekabultimes.com
https://thekabultimes.com/international-aid-needed-to-combat-serious-risk-of-maternal-mortality-in-afghanistan/
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UN Tourism returns with Women in Tech Startup competition aimed at female empowerment
June 10, 2024
RIYADH: Middle East UN Tourism has called on Saudi women entrepreneurs to get involved with this year’s Women in Tech Startup competition to help scale up their businesses.
The event proved a success last time around and UN Tourism Executive Director Natalia Bayona told Arab News that this year’s competition will focus on three categories: people and skills, green tourism and travel solutions, and market innovators.
She said: “In the people and skills category we are looking for innovative startups that develop and nurture human capital capacities and needs through education tech, social and messaging platforms, or wellness and health solutions.
“In the green tourism and travel solutions section we are looking for startups with eco-friendly and sustainable approaches in green tech, green infrastructure, sustainable travel and logistics, urban development, or rural development.”
Bayona added that with rapid digitalization and significant changes occurring in the Middle East, the region was advancing toward smart destination approaches in tourism, leveraging various emerging technologies.
She said: “The market innovators category calls for startups working with new technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality, cryptocurrency, the internet of things, blockchain and Web3 technology, digital twinning, and the metaverse.”
Finalists in the competition will pitch their startups at the UN Tourism Tech Adventure in AlUla later in the year.
Bayona said: “This event will allow those finalist entrepreneurs to present their creative ideas, in one of the most ideal backdrops, to potential investors and industry experts.”
Startups will receive industry insights and strategic counsel from UN Tourism and industry leaders and participate in a variety of tourism, sustainability, and business-related activities, including attending the annual Gala WITH Female Leaders taking place at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.
Winning startups will also have the opportunity to obtain scholarships for the UN Tourism Online Academy, which has over 20,000 alumni and offers massive open online courses.
Bayona said: “Startups will gain media, public relations, and communications support, which will increase their visibility and help them establish their brand on a global platform.
“Finally, speaking opportunities: The winning startups will speak on panels and as keynote speakers at UN Tourism events.”
Bayona added that with women constituting around 54 percent of the tourism workforce, the competition had a mission to empower females, aligning with the multiple Sustainable Development Goals focusing on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
She said the Middle East would see increased job opportunities in the tourism sector with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and Oman’s 2040.
She added: “The competition encourages and helps women to develop and run tourism enterprises to close the gender gap of entrepreneurship in the sector.
“In addition, the goal of Decent Work and Economic Growth (Sustainable Development Goal 8) is fundamentally linked to the success of female entrepreneurs. The tourist sector is a significant worldwide employer, and women-led firms can produce diverse and inclusive jobs.”
The competition forms part of the UN Tourism Investment Framework: Investing in People, Planet, and Prosperity.
Bayona said the first competition identified four women-led startup winners across various categories, each focusing on distinct aspects of tourism and technology.
She added: “The winners exemplified the potential to drive social impact, enhance travel experiences, advance future technologies, and foster community engagement.
“The second competition offers a platform to showcase solutions on an international level, empowering them to assume leadership roles within the region. This initiative also serves as inspiration for future generations of Middle Eastern women, encouraging them to pursue their aspirations, share innovative ideas, and embrace the entrepreneurial journey.”
UN Tourism, with its global partners, has since 2018 conducted over 100 mentorship and personalized consultancy sessions for the finalist startups and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that have participated in more than 26 competitions globally.
Bayona said that 23.8 percent of these firms were run by women, and added: “This competition not only assists women-led firms in scaling and succeeding, but also adds to the overall goal of creating a more inclusive and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2527701/saudi-arabia
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A report says women were abused in Nigerian military cells after fleeing Boko Haram captivity
June 10, 2024
ABUJA, Nigeria -- Dozens of women and young girls have been unlawfully detained and abused in Nigerian military detention facilities after escaping captivity by Boko Haram extremists in the country’s northeast, Amnesty International said in a new report on Monday.
Some of the women were detained with their children for years because of their real or perceived association with the extremists, the report said. It cited 126 interviews, mostly with survivors, over the 14 years since the Islamic extremists launched their insurgency.
The report echoes past human rights concerns about the Nigerian military, which in the past has been accused of extrajudicial killings and illegal arrests in one of the world’s longest conflicts.
The report, however, noted the practice of prolonged and unlawful detentions has been less widespread in recent years.
Nigeria's army dismissed the report as “unsubstantiated” and reiterated that it has continued to improve on its human rights record and holds personnel to account.
The conflict has spilled over borders and killed at least 35,000 people and displaced over 2 million. Women and young girls are often forcefully married or sexually abused in captivity.
But the conditions some women found themselves in after fleeing captivity were so “horrible” that some chose to return to Boko Haram, NikiFrederiek, crisis researcher with Amnesty International, said of the detention camps located in military facilities in Borno state.
At least 31 survivors interviewed said they were held illegally in the facilities, the report said, suggesting the practice had been more widespread.
“Some said soldiers insulted them, calling them ‘Boko Haram wives’ and accusing them of being responsible for killings. Several described beatings or abysmal conditions in detention, which amount to torture or other ill treatment,” the report said.
“The Nigerian authorities must support these girls and young women as they fully reintegrate into society,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa.
Source: ctinsider.com
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/world/article/a-report-says-women-were-abused-in-nigerian-19506864.php
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