Nadia Kahf, a Muslim Woman Becomes 1st Headscarf-Wearing Judge in US
14 May 2023
• Nadia Kahf; Muslim Woman
Becomes 1st Headscarf-Wearing Judge in US
•
Nabeela Syed, an Indian American Muslim Woman Wins US Midterm Illinois
Elections
•
6 Arab Women in Long Remained Male-Dominated Motorsports
• PTI’s Punjab Chapter President Dr Yasmin Rashid
Arrested Again, After LHC Ordered Her Release
• Princess of Wales Plays Piano in Surprise Video
for Eurovision Final
•
The Transgender Indonesian Muslims Trying To Secure Their Future
•
Ice Hockey Top Scorer Esmaeili Optimistic about Iranian Women’s Future
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nadia-kahf-headscarf-judge-us/d/129771
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Nadia
Kahf, a Muslim Woman Becomes 1st Headscarf-Wearing Judge in US
Spencer Platt / Getty Images North America / Getty
Images VIA AFP Nadia Kahf
------
Maktoob
Staff
14-05-2023
US
attorney Nadia Kahf has been appointed to the New Jersey Superior Court,
becoming the first hijab-wearing judge on the bench.
Kahf,
a Syrian-origin family law and immigration attorney from the township of Wayne,
took the oath of office on Thursday with her hand on a copy of the Holi Quran.
“I
want the younger generation, I want them to see that they can practice their
religion without fear,” Kahf said in her speech.
Since
2003, Kahf had sat on the board of the New Jersey chapter of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights organization where she served
as chairwoman. She was also the legal adviser to Wafa House, a nonprofit
domestic violence and social services agency based in Clifton, and chairwoman
of the Islamic Center of Passaic County.
Source:
Maktoobmedia.Com
https://maktoobmedia.com/world/nadia-kahf-muslim-woman-becomes-1st-headscarf-wearing-judge-in-us/
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Nabeela
Syed, An Indian American Muslim Woman Wins US Midterm Illinois Elections
Nabeela Syed, a 23-year-old Indian American Muslim
woman
------
Maktoob
Staff
14-05-2023
Nabeela
Syed, a 23-year-old Indian American Muslim woman, has won the election for the
51st House district of the Illinois state legislature in United States.
“My
name is Nabeela Syed. I’m a 23-year old Muslim, Indian-American woman. We just
flipped a Republican-held suburban district,” she tweeted.
Nabeela
Syed promises to be an advocate for causes the community members hold dear to
their hearts, such as equal rights, healthcare, education, and taxes.
According
to her website, Syed is running “to build a better Illinois for residents today
and tomorrow – an Illinois with a strong economy, sustainable infrastructure,
and affordable healthcare, and higher education.”
Having
graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in
Political Science and Business, Syed served as the president of a pro-bono
consulting organisation that helped local businesses.
Syed
currently works for a non-profit, helping them in digital strategy and
supporting a myriad of civic engagement initiatives, for example, mobilising
voters, curbing sexual assault on college campuses, and enhancing gender
equity, according to her official website.
Source:
Maktoob Media.Com
https://maktoobmedia.com/world/23-year-old-indian-american-muslim-woman-wins-us-midterm-elections/
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6
Arab Women in Long Remained Male-Dominated Motorsports
Farah
Rafik
13
MAY 2023
The
motorsport world has long remained a male-dominated affair, but women in the
Middle East are riding out cultural barriers by defying norms, changing
narratives, and paving the path for future generations.
The
Middle East has become a hotspot for the global racing community ever since the
Bahrain Grand Prix in 2004. Since then, the region’s very own racers and
drivers—both men and women— have shone.
Racing
professionally for women transformed from being a pipe dream to becoming an
attainable reality in 2022 with the inauguration of Rally Jameel—the nation’s
first ever all-female rally.
From
dominating the wheels to becoming board members, here are some of the Middle
Eastern women pushing boundaries and vanquishing stigmas, one motorsport at a
time.
An
entrepreneur, interior designer, and motorsport enthusiast, Aseel Al Hamad is
the first woman to be appointed as a board member of the Saudi Arabian Motor
Federation. She is also one of the representatives of the International
Automobile Federation (FIA)’s “Women in Motorsport Commission,” which creates
programs and initiatives to encourage and inspire young girls.
In
2019, ahead of the FIA’s DiriyahePrix ‘Girls on Track,’ Al Hamad drove
Porsche’s first all-electric road vehicle — the Taycan — from Dubai to Riyadh
with former F1 driver Mark Webber.
Saudi
Arabia’ first female racing driver, ReemaJuffali has established herself as an
inspiration to women athletes in Saudi Arabia and across the world. Juffali
began her career in 2018 and was named Saudi women’s Formula 1 ambassador in
2021. She currently competes in the International Grand Tourer (GT) Open with
her own team, Theeba Motorsport.
A
passionate athlete and record-breaker, Dania Akeel is the first Saudi woman to
obtain a license for motorcycle circuit racing. She is also the first Saudi
woman to participate in an international rally competition as well as the Dakar
Rally —a rally where participants compete in deserts, as well as muddy and
mountainous terrain.
Amna
Al Qubaisi is the first Emirati female race car driver. Al Qubaisi holds a
series of firsts: she is the first Emirati woman to participate in motorsports
with the Daman Speed Academy, and the first Arab woman to be in the Rotax MAX
Challenge (RMC) World Finals. In 2018, she also became the first Middle Eastern
woman to take part in a motorsport test program for Formula E after the
DiriyahePrix in Saudi Arabia.
YaraShalaby
is the first and only Egyptian woman rally driver and desert-racing champion.
Shalaby, who is also a software programmer and mother, is the first Egyptian
woman to race at the Pharaohs Rally. She has also won top prizes at the El
Gouna Rally Cup, Al Remal Desert Challenge Rally, and Al Farouky Desert
Challenge.
A
champion from Palestine, street racer NourDaoud is the Middle East’s one and
only female drifter. Daoud had a passion for cars since she was of a young age,
but not until 2011 did she pursue drifting professionally. Daoud is also known
for being a part of the Speed Sisters—alongside Marah Zahalka and Betty
Sadeh—an all-female, Palestinian automobile racing team that competes on the
West Bank’s professional car racing circuit.
Source:
Egyptian Streets
https://egyptianstreets.com/2023/05/13/need-for-speed-6-arab-women-in-motorsports/
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PTI’s
Punjab Chapter President Dr Yasmin Rashid Arrested Again, After LHC Ordered Her
Release
Wajih
Ahmed Sheikh
May
14, 2023
LAHORE:
PTI’s Punjab chapter President Dr Yasmin Rashid was arrested again, just hours
after the Lahore High Court had ordered her release along with 17 other women
workers of the party detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
In
a midnight development, Dr Yasmin was ‘arrested’ again, this time in cases
registered at three different police stations of Lahore. However, due to her
medical condition, the police decided to keep her at Services Hospital, where
she had been taken from KotLakhpat jail after the court ordered her release.
On
petitions challenging the detention of the PTI leaders and workers, Justice
SafdarSaleemShahid of the LHC had ordered release of the 18 women detained
under the MPO, if not required in any criminal case.
Source:
Dawn
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.dawn.com/news/1753036/dr-yasmin-rashid-arrested-again-after-lhc-ordered-her-release
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Princess
of Wales Plays Piano in Surprise Video for Eurovision Final
James
King
14
May 2023
In
a surprise move, the Princess of Wales made an appearance in the opening
sequence film for this year's Eurovision Song Contest grand final.
Alongside
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sam Ryder, and Joss Stone, she was part of a pre-recorded
video section that kicked off the show.
In
the video, Kate played a brief piano performance that was specially composed
for her by Joe Price and Kojo Samuel.
The
performance was recorded earlier this month in the Crimson Drawing Room of
Windsor Castle.
Kate
wore a one-shoulder royal blue gown, and her hair was styled in loose curls.
Other
notable appearances in the video included Ms Banks, Ballet Black, and Bolt
Strings.
The
video also featured last year's winners, the Kalush Orchestra, singing Stefania
in the MaidanNezalezhnosti metro station in Kyiv, Ukraine.
In
the arena, a group of drummers joined the Kalush Orchestra on stage for a grand
opening, complete with pyrotechnics.
Source:
Upday.Com
Please
click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.upday.com/uk/princess-of-wales-plays-piano-in-surprise-video-for-eurovision-final
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The
transgender Indonesian Muslims trying to secure their future
By
Trisha Husada
14-05-2023
There
are 63 trans women who regularly attend the Al-Fatah community centre, which
provides a space for them to pray, learn the Quran, learn skills or simply
socialise without being judged for who they are.
After
waking up each morning, she puts on makeup and her favourite black wig before
grabbing a handbag and heading onto the streets of the historic city of
Yogyakarta to busk.
She
walks for miles and miles, playing music from her Bluetooth speaker and singing
to earn a living. But on Sundays, her journey ends with an afternoon visit to
Al-Fatah to study the Quran.
As
a child, MsRini had always felt more comfortable playing with girls instead of
boys. She would dress up as a girl, play with kitchen toys and pretend to be a
bride with her friends.
After
coming out as a trans woman, her parents and nine older siblings all accepted
her identity. Now, she is recognised by people on the street who see her
singing and dancing.
At
mosques, she would often get odd looks when she went to pray. "They did
not necessarily accept us. So I went to ShintaRatri's place," she says.
"Many
Islamic centres do not accept transgender people," says NurAyu, the
centre's caretaker. "Here, we are free... free to come as a male or
female, whatever we feel most comfortable as."
ShintaRatri
was one of the founders of the Al-Fatah community centre. A renowned activist
and leader of the centre since 2014, MsShinta collaborated with many non-profit
organizations to further transgender rights in Indonesia.
ShintaRatri
was a renowned transgender rights activist in Indonesia, leading the centre
from 2014 until her death in February 2023
MsNur
describes MsShinta as a guiding light, and the closest thing she had to family.
Without her, the centre feels "empty and desolate".
MsShinta's
death has put the community centre's future in doubt. The building is owned by
the late leader's family - and they have asked Al Fatah to move out.
YS
Albuchory, the Islamic centre's secretary, explains they have received some
support from community friends and human rights organizations, both locally and
globally.
In
a larger context, the state "supports all positive activities", he
says in a phone call with BBC News Indonesia. "People want to pray, why
should they be refused?"
But
the reality is that society "still rejects the social and religious status
of transgender people", he continues. The Ministry of Religion has never
been in direct contact with Al Fatah or facilitated any of its activities.
RullyMallay,
another one of the centre's leaders, says Al Fatah is grateful for
"whatever form of legality that is granted to us".
She
is positive that one day, the transgender community will be more accepted in a
country as diverse as Indonesia. That hope motivates her and her friends to
keep the centre running.
"Islam
should be able to provide space for anyone to be able to worship freely
according to the ways of the religion," MsRully insists.
"I
think the protection from the state is quite good. And we are optimistic that
in the future the country will appreciate us as part of Bhineka Tunggal Ika
[Unity in Diversity, the country's motto]."
One
of them is MsRosidah, a member of the local community who is not a trans woman.
She found out about the centre when some of its members asked her for
directions. Now, she has been teaching there for over a year.
Subsequently,
ShintaRatri asked if she would teach at the centre regularly as a volunteer.
MsRosidah agreed after getting her family's blessing.
"I
was a bit afraid of them, but after I came here. After teaching here, I saw
that these people are so laid-back, especially Shinta. They were very patient,
never angry, just smiling," she recalled.
TeguhRidho
is another volunteer who teaches Iqra at the centre, a basic level for reading
the holy texts. He was amazed by the students' determination to travel from far
and wide.
It
was ShintaRatri who fought for the centre to remain open with the assistance of
a number of non-profit groups - until finally they received security guarantees
from local police.
MsAlbuchory
says the lives of the trans women attending the centre have become better since
joining. They take on moral responsibilities informed by religious teachings,
she says.
"After
joining the school and getting to know God again, life becomes a little more
organised. And the community becomes a second family," she says.
That
is why she hopes that the community centre will continue to provide religious
classes and guidance for trans women like herself, who wish to bring themselves
closer to God.
Source:
Www.Bbc.Com
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65316057
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Ice
Hockey top scorer Esmaeili optimistic about Iranian women’s future
May
13, 2023
Team
Melli finished runners-up, losing to defending champions Thailand 3-1 in the
last match of the tournament.
Key
to Thailand’s win in the final game was holding tournament scoring leader,
FatemehEsmaeili, in check.
“The
tournament had a great level, and the games were difficult,” said Esmaeili in
his exclusive interview with Tehran Times.
“This
was our first appearance at this level of international competition. But we did
a great job and surprised all our opponents during the tournament,” she added.
Esmaeili
led all players of the 2023 IIHF WAOC with a whopping 17 goals and 26 points in
just five games. However, she was held pointless in the game for gold against
the hosts.
“Thailand
had more experience than our team. They had the hosting advantage over us and
the atmosphere of the stadium was completely in their favor. We were really
shocked at the beginning of the final match because we had never played in such
an atmosphere in an international tournament.
“I’m
sure that with the valuable experience we gained in the 2023 IIHF WAOC we will
be a better team next year and in the future editions we can achieve the gold
medal. I’m sure about that because I believe in the team's potential and the
ability of the players,” Esmaeili stated.
All
in all, our performance was impressive and important, but the tournament was,
in the bigger picture, indicative of an ever-growing development of the Iran
women’s game and the evident sense that this growth is only just beginning,
iihf.com reported.
Source:
Tehran Times
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nadia-kahf-headscarf-judge-us/d/129771