Nearly Two In Three Young Arab Women Believe They Get Equal Rights: Poll
New Age Islam News Bureau
07 October 2020
• Women in Saudi Arabia Are Reaping Rewards of Reforms, Envoy Tells UN
•
Turkish Woman to Face Investigation for Poking Fun at Misogynistic ‘Hadith’
•
Khamenei’s Representatives Vow To Make Streets “Unsafe” For Iranian Women
•
Malaysia: Lawyer in Quarantine, Hearing on Woman’s Religious Status Postponed
•
Indonesian Nun Lightens Load on Poor Single Mothers
•
Saba Kord-Afshari: Women's Rights Defender Denied Necessary Treatment on The
Pretext Of Cost
•
Report Says Zeinab Jalalian Is In Dire Health Condition in Kermanshah Jail
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nearly-two-three-young-arab/d/123068
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Nearly Two In Three Young Arab Women Believe They Get Equal Rights: Poll
Saman
Haziq
October
7, 2020
(Alamy
Image)
When
Covid-19 struck, young Arab women have seen an increase in family
responsibilities.
----
When
Covid-19 struck, young Arab women have seen an increase in family responsibilities.
Debunking
the stereotypical notions about the region on gender equality, nearly two in
three young Arab women believe they have the same rights as men, this year's
Arab Youth Survey has shown.
"During
the survey which saw a 50:50 ratio of men and women, we asked young Arab women
about their rights and opportunities and the data revealed that a strong
majority - 64 per cent - of young Arab women said they have the same rights as
men and another 11 per cent felt they have even more rights than men in their
country," said Margaret Flanagan, executive vice-president for strategy
and client experience at ASDA'A BCW.
"We
did not see any big regional splits in this throughout the Arab world, it
remained fairly constant acorss the GCC, North Africa and the Levante
region," Flanagan said during a virtual discussion of the survey on
Tuesday.
The
same sentiment echoed when young Arab women were asked about education and
employment opportunities, with a majority of them saying "they have the
same rights as men in accessing quality education and finding a career".
Both
women (76 per cent) and men (70 per cent) also agree that a woman can benefit
her family more by working, instead of staying at home.
Virus
effect
When
Covid-19 struck, young Arab women have seen an increase in family
responsibilities, Flanagan pointed out.
Fifty-four
per cent of both male and female respondents said women are more likely to look
for a job in the time of Covid-19. A larger percentage, 67 per cent, said they
are also more likely to have greater family responsibilities.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/dubai/nearly-2-in-3-young-arab-women-believe-they-get-equal-rights-poll-
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Women
in Saudi Arabia Are Reaping Rewards of Reforms, Envoy Tells UN
October
07, 2020
Saudi
women are working in the legal profession and have more opportunities to
represent clients in court and work in public prosecution offices. (SPA/File)
-----
JEDDAH:
Women’s rights is one of the issues that has benefited most from recent reforms
and development projects in Saudi Arabia, according to a member of the
Kingdom’s permanent delegation to the UN.
During
a speech to the Third Committee on Tuesday, during the 75th session of the
General Assembly, Mohammed Khashaan, second secretary of the Saudi mission to
the UN, highlighted the range and scale of measures his government has
implemented in the past few years. The committee examines social, humanitarian,
cultural and human rights issues affecting people all over the world.
Some
of the most important reforms in the Kingdom have included changes to laws
designed to enhance the rights of women in a number of fields and promote
gender equality, he said.
As
a result, Saudi women have been appointed to high-ranking positions in the
public and private sectors, as well as diplomatic missions, Khashaan added. In
addition, more Saudi women are working in the legal profession and have more
opportunities to represent clients in court and work in public prosecution
offices.
May
Alobaidy, who was the first Saudi woman to be appointed an adviser to a
minister, believes that increased participation by women is a vital step toward
achieving sustainable development and economic prosperity, which is a challenge
facing many economies around the world.
“If
we look at the empowerment of women worldwide, we see that Saudi Arabia has the
biggest share, and it is proceeding at an extremely fast pace,” she said. “As a
Saudi woman holding a leading position, I do see a real impact of these social
reforms in society.
“Women’s
empowerment is noticeable in the increasing participation of women in the labor
market, which has hugely pushed for gender equality. Moreover, a growing number
of women are occupying leadership positions, locally and globally. Also, new
government policies and legislation have been introduced in the past few years
to increase the employment of women in all fields.”
Khashaan
highlighted a number of initiatives that aim to empower Saudi women, including
the Children Hospitality Service Subsidy Program for Working Mothers (Qurrah),
which helps women working in the private sector find child care, and the Female
Transportation Program (Wusool), which provides subsidies for safe and secure
transport to and from work.
In
addition, he said, a remote-work program, which includes a portal for
self-employment and freelancing, and a wage protection system from the Ministry
of Human Resource and Social Development have increased women’s options and
provide opportunities to boost income and economic empowerment.
Khashaan
added that a national platform for female leaders, called Qiyadiyat, has been
established to provide training for female leaders, along with a number of
other programs and initiatives. In addition, the Saudi Human Rights Commission
was reconstituted this year to ensure equal representation for men and women.
Alobaidy
praised the work of the Saudi leadership in support of the empowerment of
women, and their social, economic and developmental efforts, which form a
significant aspect of Saudi Vision 2030.
“Recently
the Labor20 Summit, which was held as part of Saudi Arabia’s presidency of this
year’s G20 Summit, stressed the importance of empowering Saudi women and
youth,” she said.
“Saudi
Arabia has proven its commitment to building on the achievements of previous
G20 presidencies by ensuring tangible progress in youth and female empowerment.
“Women
do have a responsibility to themselves to take advantage of these reforms and
empower and support one another while investing in their careers — so you do
not just dream about success, you have to work for it.”
Saudi
Arabia also recently amended its social security system to ensure equality
between genders with regards to retirement age, and granted female employees 70
days of maternity leave with full pay.
Khashaan
said that the Kingdom has also made progress in strengthening and protecting
children’s rights through the introduction of initiatives such as new child
protection laws and executive regulations. The laws provides a comprehensive
legal framework designed to protect children under the age of 18 from harm or
neglect, and to aid enforcement of the child protection system by setting a
minimum age for marriage and a system for prosecuting violators.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1745296/saudi-arabia
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Turkish
Woman to Face Investigation for Poking Fun at Misogynistic ‘Hadith’
Oct
06 2020
A
Turkish woman is facing a police investigation over a tweet playing on what is
believed to be a derogatory prophetic saying on women posted five months ago,
Maaz Ibrahimoğlu reported for news website Serbestiyet.
“A
society that leaves its business at the hands of a man cannot find salvation,”
Zeynep Algı had tweeted, joining this summer’s popular trend on Turkish Twitter
of turning misogynistic proverbs and traditions on their heads.
Algı’s
tweet referred to an unconfirmed hadith, sayings attributed to the the Muslim
prophet Muhammad, which refers to women.
Many
women were tweeting in protest of misogyny at the time, saying men could work
if their wives permitted them, should watch what they wear to avoid harassment,
and other similar tropes.
The
spontaneous campaign, under the hashtag “let men know their place,” spurred
condemnation from the Women and Democracy Organisation (KADEM), an initiative
whose vice president is the daughter of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The group said the tweets had “reached a level that will damage the values”
Turkey holds.
One
professor of Islamic Sciences, from the now-shuttered Istanbul Şehir
University, protested Algı’s tweet, saying that hadiths were no laughing
matter.
Professor
Mustafa Özel tagged Turkey’s Interior Ministry and police headquarters in one
tweet accusing Algı of being a sinner, questioning how the young woman
“dared” to write the opposite of the
hadith.
Five
months later, Algı received a call from the police and was informed of the
investigation against her over charges of inciting hatred.
In
her testimony at the police station, Algı said she was a devout Muslim and had
wanted to raise awareness against the hadith that she believed was not
authentic.
“I
was disturbed because young people would shy away from religion due to such
fabricated hadiths,” she said. “I do not accept made-up hadiths imposed as
religion by a patriarchal system that insults women.”
The
young woman told Serbestiyet that she didn’t believe criticism of any faith was
deserving of punishment.
“A
chief of medicine calling for taking second wives, or his anger against
secularism for not being able to wear traditional Islamic dresses did not draw
this much attention,” Algı said in a tweet. “As a person who chooses to have
faith, I have a responsibility to lead a virtuous life. I fulfilled that
obligation.”
https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-women/turkish-woman-face-investigation-poking-fun-misogynistic-hadith
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Khamenei’s
representatives vow to make streets “unsafe” for Iranian women
3
October - The head of Friday Prayers in Isfahan, central Iran, incited attacks
against Iranian women the regime deems “improperly dressed” in controversial
remarks yesterday. “The environment of the community must be made unsafe for
these people and they should not be allowed to easily break the norms on the
streets and in parks,” Yousef Tabatabai Nejad said in a meeting with the
province’s General Staff of the Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Intelligence and
Security and Isfahan’s Chief of Police.
According
to state-run news agencies, the cleric who represents the “Supreme Leader” in
Isfahan said that “Western governments” must not interfere with the
implementation of the regime’s misogynist laws.
“Just
as they have their own laws, we have our own laws and we must not be afraid
that if we deal with norm breakers, they might carry out a hostile measure
against us.”
He
also asked that special branches be set up in courts in the regime’s judicial
system to deal with what he called cases of “moral anomalies”. Tabatabai Nejad
said that the police should have “more authority” in dealing with women “who
take off their veil”.
Another
senior cleric in Bojnourd, northeastern Iran echoed his threats. Speaking at a
Friday Prayer sermon, Abolqassem Yaghoubi, the city’s head of Friday Prayers
said that “improper veiling was a dangerous virus” and that the “police should
make the lives of those who are improperly veiled unsafe”.
Social
media reaction
Following
these remarks, Iranians took to social media to condemn the threats against
women. They said the clerics’ remarks encouraged violence against Iranian women
such as were seen in 2014 in Isfahan when “Islamic vigilantes” reportedly
affiliated with the regime, attacked women they deemed improperly veiled with
acid.
The
Deputy Minister of Communications and the head of Iran’s Information Technology
Organization tweeted that, “In order to prevent previous tragedies like acid
attacks, the Friday Prayer Leader should specify what he means by ‘unsafe’ and
that he does not mean physical attacks and acid attacks.”
“The
Isfahan Friday Prayer leader is a small replica of the Islamic Republic in
general; People who are above the law and think they own human lives and
property and try to impose their ideas and decisions on us in any way possible.
In any other place in the world, such threats would have led to prosecution,”
another Iranian tweeted.
Another
angry Iranian said in a tweet, “This is a command to acid attackers to ‘fire at
will”. People who are on the payroll of the Basij and IRGC!”
Tabatabai
Nejad’s history of controversial remarks against Iranian women
Yousef
Tabatabai Nejad has been the Isfahan Head of Friday Prayers since September
2002. In 2016, he claimed women taking pictures of themselves contributed to
the drought in Zayandeh Rud river. He said, “Iranian women who wear immodest
clothing have caused the nation’s rivers to run dry and damage the
environment”. He also said that that a strict Islamic dress code must be
enforced to ward off drought.
2014
Isfahan acid attacks
Isfahan
has a history of acid attacks against women who do not conform to the regime’s
dress code. Six years ago, in October 2014, there was a chain of acid attacks
in Isfahan which targeted eight women. One woman died, while others suffered
severe burns on their face and hand. Some of the women lost their eyesight in
one or both eyes. The suspects have yet to be identified and detained. Iranians
believe the attackers were affiliated with the regime’s hardliners.
The
case was closed on July 19, 2018, according to
state-run news agency.
Head
of Friday Prayers handpicked by the “Supreme Leader”
The
Head of Friday Prayers in Iran are the representatives of the regime’s Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei in each city and are directly appointed by him. The clerics
have to pass a political exam to prove their loyalty to the regime. Each Friday
prayer has two sermons, one religious, the other political. A council specifies
the outlines of the contents in the weekly sermons, dictating the influence of
Khamenei in their cities.
https://irannewswire.org/khameneis-representative-vows-to-make-streets-unsafe-for-iranian-women/
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Malaysia:
Lawyer in Quarantine, Hearing on Woman’s Religious Status Postponed
V
Anbalagan
October
6, 2020
PUTRAJAYA:
An appeal hearing by a woman for a declaration that she is a not a Muslim was
vacated today after a lawyer appearing for a party came in close contact with a
minister who tested positive for Covid-19.
Senior
lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah, representing the Selangor Islamic Religious Council
(Mais), made the application as the co-counsel, whose identity was kept
confidential, has been quarantined.
Federal
Court registrar Jumirah Marjuki said Chief Justice Tengku Maimum Tuan Mat, who
was scheduled to lead a nine-member bench to hear the appeal, allowed the case
to be adjourned.
“The
rest of the parties had no objection to the application,” Jumirah told
reporters, adding that case management would be held on Oct 27 to fix a new
hearing date.
Rosliza
Ibrahim, who was born to a Muslim father but raised as a Buddhist by her
Buddhist mother, is seeking a declaration that she is a not a Muslim.
The
government is brought in as amicus curiae, or friend of the court, to assist
the judges in the proceeding.
Rosliza
has taken the position that the Islamic laws of Selangor do not apply to her
and that the shariah court has no jurisdiction over her.
She
said it had been presumed that she had been born a Muslim, based on an
assumption of a valid marriage between her parents and an assumption that her
late mother had converted to Islam.
The
High Court in Shah Alam had dismissed her suit in April 2017 on grounds that
the evidence she produced had failed to prove, on a balance of probabilities,
that she was not a Muslim at birth.
The
court also ruled that her remedy was in the shariah court.
Rosliza
said she had gone to the religious authorities in 10 other states and obtained
confirmation that her parents did not have any records of her mother converting
to Islam or that a Muslim marriage had taken place.
However,
in 2018, the Court of Appeal affirmed the findings of the High Court.
Early
this year, a three-member bench allowed Rosliza’s application for leave to
appeal based on two legal questions.
They
were whether the civil court had the exclusive jurisdiction to determine
whether a person is or is not a Muslim under the law and whether any
information contained in the identity card was conclusive proof that one is a
Muslim.
Lawyer
Gopal Sri Ram, who appeared for Rosliza, said this appeal would also touch on
the 1988 amendment to Article 121 of the Federal Constitution that was deemed
unconstitutional as the basis structure of the charter was violated.
“The
amendment has made the court subservient to Parliament. As a result, the
doctrine of separation of powers was also violated,” he told reporters.
He
said Rozliza’s case was an opportunity to revisit a 2007 case involving Lina
Joy, a Muslim woman who sought, but failed, to be allowed to change her
religion from Islam to Christianity.
The
Federal Court had ruled that she must first obtain a certificate to leave the
religion before presenting it to the National Registration Department for the
word “Islam” to be removed from her identity card.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2020/10/06/lawyer-in-quarantine-hearing-on-womans-religious-status-postponed/
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Indonesian
Nun Lightens Load on Poor Single Mothers
Konradus
Epa
October
05, 2020
Franciscan
Sister Maria Katharina has made it her mission to be a friend to single mothers
struggling to survive on Indonesia’s Sumatra island.
“Their
lives have been turned upside down by domestic violence or because of their
husbands dying,” says the nun from Tanjungkarang Diocese.
“Most
of them have practically nothing and either live alone or with relatives who
don’t understand their needs and tend to look down on them.”
In
2016, Sister Katharina began helping them by establishing the Association of
Single Mothers, a group that reaches out to more than 500 women from various
social and religious backgrounds.
Through
the association the nun teaches them various skills such as hairdressing,
cooking, making accessories, sewing and embroidery. The goal is to help them
earn enough money to support their families and for the education of their
children.
“We
want to help them stand on their own two feet and not rely on the goodwill of
others,” Sister Katharina, 61, says.
The
nun, who joined the Franciscan Sisters of St. Gregory Martyr congregation in
Lampung in 1978, says things are really tough for mothers who have more than
three children, especially when it comes to higher education.
“Many
of their children end up as elementary or junior high school dropouts and
become street singers or manual workers in markets,” says the nun, who has
worked in Tanjungkarang Diocese since joining the congregation.
“It
makes it difficult for their children to get decent jobs.”
To
help the nun, who comes from Klaten in Central Java, are other single mothers
whom she previously trained to look after themselves.
“Some
of them have earned money from their own business, while others have managed to
find employment,” she says.
Sister
Katharina says what she does is God’s calling to stand up for the poor and
marginalized.
She
was also inspired by the spirit of St. Francis Assisi, who loved the poor, and
the founder of her congregation, Sister Maria Anselma Bopp, who was called to
serve the poor.
Her
work with the poor began when she was a young nun with street children and pedicab
drivers in Lampung.
“My
love for the poor, happiness in my work, and prayers have shaped me,” she says.
One
of the things she enjoys about her work is working with people from various
religious backgrounds — including Muslims — who do not see the fact that she is
a Christian as a problem.
Shepherd
with the smell of sheep
Sister
Katharina says she is always inspired by the words of Pope Francis who called
on priests and nuns to “be shepherds with the smell of sheep.”
It
means she must face up to the “smell” which symbolizes the distress, pain and
suffering faced by the poor and marginalized, including single mothers.
Pope
Francis asked the Catholic Church to become a church for the poor. He wanted a
church that is “dirty and smelly” representing its delving into the problems
that beset people.
“It
inspires me to do something, not only to pray but go out to help and meet
people, as well as the single mothers and feel their suffering,” says Sister
Katharina, who also heads the Franciscan Sisters' Justice, Peace and Integrity
of Creation Commission.
The
shepherds who smell like sheep mean to fight injustice and serve with love,
which is a calling for all Catholics, said the nun, who is also a member of
Talitha Kum Indonesia, a group run by women religious congregations to help
human trafficking victims.
Susi,
40, one of the single parents helped by the nun, says the sewing and
embroidering skills she learned have enabled her to take care of herself and
her three children.
“I
am happy and proud because, thanks to the nun’s help, I can train other single
mothers,” the Muslim woman told UCA News.
Juli
Nugrahani from the Indonesian bishops' women and gender secretariat also
praised the nun’s work.
"The
nun’s dedication shows the Church’s mission and Christ’s face among the
marginalized," she says.
https://www.ucanews.com/news/indonesian-nun-lightens-load-on-poor-single-mothers/89757
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Saba
Kord-Afshari: Women's Rights Defender Denied Necessary Treatment on The Pretext
Of Cost
29
September - On 19 September 2020, Saba Kord Afshari was returned to Evin prison
without receiving required medical treatment. She was transferred to Taleghani
hospital the same day after her health seriously deteriorated. Her doctor had
advised that she needed an ultrasound, colonoscopy, and endoscopy. However, she
was returned to prison after undergoing only an ultrasound. The defender was told that she would not
receive the other procedures as she did not have the money to pay for them. However,
according to regulations of the Organization of Prisons, the expenses for
medical treatment of prisoners should be paid by that organization. Saba Kord
Afshari's family had been told that she was in a different hospital in order to
ensure they would not be able to meet with her or pay for her treatment.
Earlier
this year, on 29 May 2020, the human rights defender was transferred to
Taleghani Hospital for the first time, after a year of complaints of poor
health. It was discovered in hospital that the women rights defender suffers
from gastrointestinal complications and stomach ulcers.
https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/case/womens-rights-defender-saba-kord-afshari-sentenced-15-years-prison
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Report
Says Zeinab Jalalian Is In Dire Health Condition in Kermanshah Jail
30
September - Kurdish political prisoner Zeinab Jalalian is in dire health
condition in the notorious Dieselabad Prison of Kermanshah, in western Iran,
the latest reports indicate.
Ms.
Jalalian suffers from Covid-19. Health facilities and medical resources in this
overcrowded prison are scarce. There is grave concern about her health
conditions.
An
informed source said Zeinab Jalalian is in dire health condition: “After
contracting the coronavirus in Qarchak Prison, Ms. Jalalian’s lungs suffered
serious damage due to the absence of medical care. During this period, she was
constantly coughing. She has serious respiratory problems.”
“Her
right eye has inflated, and her vision has been once again impaired,” the
source added.
Her
wrists and ankles are all injured and bruised. The intelligence agents
transferring her to Kerman and Kermanshah prisons dragged her on the ground by
her hand and foot cuffs.
On
September 23, 2020, the authorities of Dieselabad Prison initially refused to
admit her due to her dire health condition. Eventually, the Public and
Revolutionary Prosecutor of Kermanshah intervened to allow her in the prison.
Zeinab
Jalalian is sentenced to life in prison. She was abruptly taken out of the
Central Prison of Khoy on April 28, 2020, and relocated to the notorious
Qarchak Prison in Varamin, southeast of Tehran.
She
contracted the virus in Qarchak where she was ill-treated and denied medical
care. Eventually on June 25, 2020, she was transferred to the Central Prison of
Kerman while she was on hunger strike, demanding to be returned to Khoy.
For
three months, she remained in solitary confinement in Kerman Prison with
undetermined status. Then she was transferred to the Prison of Kermanshah, also
known as Dieselabad.
Zeinab
Jalalian is serving her 13th year in prison. She suffers from various
illnesses, including asthma, pterygium, an oral thrush condition, and GI
complications.
https://women.ncr-iran.org/2020/09/30/report-says-zeinab-jalalian-is-in-dire-health-condition-in-kermanshah-jail/
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