13,500 Pregnant Women In Lebanon Struggle To Find Safe Care As Hospitals Come Under Fire
New Age Islam News Bureau
03 June 2026
· 13,500 pregnant women in Lebanon struggle to find safe care as hospitals come under fire
· CAIR Condemns Apartheid Israel for Banning Linda Sarsour and Other Palestinian Americans from Visiting Family in Occupied Palestine
· Afghanistan women return to international football after five-year absence
· Iranian woman sentenced to 32 years as arrests continue over 2026 protests
· 'Before I leave the stage...': Muslim student in Missouri claims her principal withheld diploma as she spoke about ICE, Palestine
· Ghana's anti-LGBTQ+ bill faces further review?
· Muslim women celebrate decades of ‘service to humanity’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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13,500 pregnant women in Lebanon struggle to find safe care as hospitals come under fire
EPHREM KOSSAIFY
June 02, 2026
A photograph shows the damage at the entrance of a hospital near the site where an Israeli airstrike struck a building in the southern port city of Tyre on June 1, 2026. (AFP)
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NEW YORK CITY: The United Nations Population Fund, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, has warned that women and girls in Lebanon are facing a worsening humanitarian emergency as Israeli attacks on healthcare facilities continue despite a ceasefire agreement.
It came a day after an Israeli airstrike on Monday severely damaged a hospital in the southern city of Tyre and left dozens of people injured.
Anandita Philipose, the agency’s representative in Lebanon, on Tuesday described a time of “deep fear, uncertainty and escalation” across the country.
“Despite the ceasefire that’s in place, the hostilities have not stopped,” she said. “People across Lebanon, particularly women and girls, are facing appalling levels of violence, displacement and human loss.”
The Israeli strike on Monday hit Jabal Amel Hospital in Tyre. At least 86 people, including healthcare workers, were injured in the attack, which caused significant damage to the emergency department and intensive care unit, according to the World Health Organization, who said the hospital was one of only a handful still functioning in southern Lebanon.
Healthcare services in Tyre District have been particularly hard hit in recent days. On May 31, Hiram Hospital was also damaged by an Israeli attack. The Lebanese Italian Hospital, the third and only other remaining hospital in Tyre is still operational but said to be overwhelmed by the growing number of casualties.
The WHO said that six hospitals affected by the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah have not yet resumed maternity or delivery services, and currently provide only emergency room care.
Philipose said that over the past weekend alone, Israeli airstrikes also damaged a Population Fund-supported primary healthcare center and safe space for women and girls in southern Lebanon.
It was “one of the very few facilities that have continued to be operational and provide lifesaving support in that region,” she added. “In another airstrike on southern Lebanon, there was damage to a public hospital that has maternal health services. It’s one of three hospitals that provide these kind of services in southern Lebanon.
“Again, when maternity wards and hospitals are damaged and destroyed, it is pregnant women who cannot get life-saving services.”
According to the Population Fund, there are 13,500 pregnant women among the displaced persons across Lebanon; 1,500 are expected to give birth within the next 30 days.
“That means, while we are sitting here today, 15 women may have gone into labor in situations of displacement across the country in a very difficult situation,” Philipose said.
An estimated 1,500 pregnant women also remain trapped in southern Lebanon without access to skilled maternity care or safe delivery spaces, she added.
Lebanon is facing health and protection crises, Philipose warned, that are becoming increasingly protracted despite the ceasefire agreement and a World Health Assembly resolution, adopted on May 21, that calls for the protection of healthcare in Lebanon.
The WHO said 190 attacks on healthcare facilities have been verified since the latest escalation of violence in the country began on March 2, in which 128 healthcare workers have been killed and 332 injured. In the past week alone there have been 11 assaults on healthcare facilities and personnel.
“These attacks shatter the continuum of care, and they also create fear among people,” Philipose said.
“We are deeply worried that women and girls will not seek out lifesaving services because they know that healthcare is under attack.”
The WHO said about 130,000 people currently live in shelters after fleeing fighting, and displacement is increasing following recent Israeli evacuation orders. The health agency is monitoring disease outbreaks in these shelters and host communities, and reports an increasing trend of acute watery diarrhea.
Women and girls face particularly severe protection risks at displacement sites, Philipose said. The Population Fund and its partners recently conducted safety audits in shelters and found overcrowding, lack of privacy, lack of gender segregation, poor lighting and unsafe sanitation facilities.
Female-headed households, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and people with disabilities were identified as among the groups at greatest risk.
“Women and girls are bearing the brunt of this crisis,” Philipose said. She warned that funding shortfalls put at risk the continuation of relief efforts, and “our ability to sustain this life-saving work is under severe threat.”
She pointed out that The Population Fund’s initial flash appeal for the period from March to May 2026 was only 30 percent funded.
“Without this immediate and sustained funding, thousands of pregnant women will lose access to skilled birth attendance and … our mobile medical clinics will be forced to stop serving remote areas,” she said.
“Scaling down our operations means cutting off more than 75,000 women from critical gender-based violence protection, case management, and safe spaces at the exact moment that they need them the most.
“My call to the international community is clear,” she added as she outlined the three priorities the Population Fund is asking of the international community, the first of which echoes the UN “secretary-general’s call for a permanent end to hostilities, as well as respect for international humanitarian law.
“The second is sustained funding for the humanitarian response, particularly critical and underfunded areas such as maternal and reproductive health, as well as prevention of and response to gender-based violence.
“And third is preserving the health, safety and dignity of the women and girls in Lebanon. Women and girls are not an afterthought; they must remain at the very heart of our collective humanitarian response.”
In comments to Arab News, Philipose emphasized that the Lebanese government remains in charge of coordinating the humanitarian response while UN agencies help support national efforts and relay concerns from affected communities.
“We work primarily with two line ministries: the Ministry of Social Affairs, that is the one that starts with coordinating the overall response, as well as the Ministry of Public Health, that oversees the health response. We also play that very important license role between the government of Lebanon and our communities on the ground.
“So, the government is leading the response, it’s coordinating the response. Our role as the UN is ensuring that what we’re hearing from the ground also informs the government response.
“We’re also convening partners around health and protection, so that we’re making sure that at the same table we have government, women-led organizations, and (nongovernmental organization) partners all speaking together.
“This is very important for a continued and sustained national ownership and community-driven response to the humanitarian crisis.”
The latest escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has taken a devastating toll on Lebanon. According to UN figures, more than 3,400 people have been killed and nearly 10,400 injured, most of them civilians, since fighting intensified on March 2.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2645822/middle-east
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CAIR Condemns Apartheid Israel for Banning Linda Sarsour and Other Palestinian Americans from Visiting Family in Occupied Palestine
June 2, 2026
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned the Israeli apartheid government for reportedly banning prominent Palestinian-American Muslim civil rights activist Linda Sarsour from visiting her family in Palestine.
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“We strongly condemn the Israeli apartheid government for banning Linda Sarsour from visiting her family, friends and homeland in occupied Palestine.
“This act of sheer racism that the Netanyahu regime has perpetrated against Linda is nothing new. Israel has spent years preventing Palestinians around the world, even Palestinian-Americans like Linda, from visiting their families and their lands. The Israeli government has even banned members of Congress and Jewish Americans who dare to criticize the country’s ongoing history of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide.
“This is unacceptable. Apartheid Israel does not have the moral or legal right to cut off Americans from their families and loved ones living under occupation. It is long past time for our government to defend the rights of American citizens and others to visit Palestine without interference.”
Earlier today, CAIR urged Americans to contact their representatives to oppose Section 224 of the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Section 224 would deepen and strengthen military integration between the United States and Israel by expanding joint defense research, weapons development, and technology sharing.
On Sunday, CAIR called on New York elected officials who participated in the Israel Day Parade to apologize for marching alongside extremist Israeli officials with records of racist, anti-Palestinian incitement and to publicly repudiate Israel’s genocide in Gaza, among other ongoing crimes against humanity.
Last week, CAIR’s New York chapter called on public officials in New York City to condemn racist chants at a rally against Mayor Mamdani.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-apartheid-israel-for-banning-linda-sarsour-and-other-palestinian-americans-from-visiting-family-in-occupied-palestine/
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Afghanistan women return to international football after five-year absence
By Fidel Rahmati
June 3, 2026
Afghanistan’s women’s football team will return to international competition this week for the first time in five years, facing the Cook Islands during a training camp in Auckland, according to media reports.
The match will mark the team’s first recognized international appearance since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, forcing many female athletes into exile and effectively ending organized women’s sports inside the country.
ABC News reported that the game against the Cook Islands, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, will take place during the team’s training camp, although the exact date has not been announced.
The players had previously been excluded from official international competitions after FIFA did not recognize them as Afghanistan’s national women’s team following the Taliban takeover.
However, FIFA in April approved the team’s eligibility to compete internationally under the name of Afghanistan’s women’s football team, a move widely welcomed by players and supporters. Afghanistan’s football federation has yet to formally recognize the squad.
The development follows growing international efforts to support Afghan women athletes in exile. Several members of the football team have rebuilt their careers in countries including Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom while continuing to campaign for recognition.
The issue has also drawn attention in cricket. International pressure has mounted on the International Cricket Council and national cricket boards over the absence of a recognized Afghan women’s cricket team, with rights groups arguing that Afghan women athletes deserve opportunities to compete internationally despite restrictions at home.
Seven months ago, Afghan women footballers participated in the Unity Cup tournament, where they defeated Libya while competing without formal recognition as Afghanistan’s national team. Their upcoming match in New Zealand will be their first appearance since gaining FIFA recognition.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-women-return-to-international-football-after-five-year-absence/
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Iranian woman sentenced to 32 years as arrests continue over 2026 protests
03 Jun 2026
Iranian authorities have issued new prison sentences and carried out arrests in cases linked to the 2026 nationwide protests across the country, according to the foreign-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
Maryam Babajani, who was arrested during protests in Izeh, has been sentenced by Branch 1 of the Ahvaz Revolutionary Court to a total of 32 years, six months, and two days in prison, News.Az reports, citing HRANA.
According to HRANA, the court handed her a 20-year sentence on one security-related charge and a further 12 years and six months on another, including charges brought under Iran’s law on intensifying punishments for espionage offences.
A source familiar with the case said Babajani’s lawyer has appealed the ruling. “Following the issuance of the verdict, Ms Babajani’s attorney, Hossein-Ali Hatami, filed an appeal against the ruling,” the source told HRANA.
Babajani was arrested in late January 2026 in connection with the protests in Izeh and was later released on bail set at 10 billion tomans.
In a separate case, attorney Mehran Ansari, a member of the Fars Province Bar Association, has been sentenced by the Revolutionary Court of Shiraz to one year in prison on charges of “propaganda against the regime,” HRANA reported.
Ansari was arrested by security forces in Shiraz during the 2026 protests and later released on bail set at 2 billion tomans. His cousin, Mehdi Ansari, also a lawyer and member of the same bar association, was previously sentenced by the same court to five years in prison and a two-year travel ban.
In another case, Amirhossein Bagheri Alavijeh, a master’s student at Arak University, was arrested by security forces on 1 June 2026 and taken to an undisclosed location.
According to HRANA, plainclothes agents raided his home in Alavijeh, Isfahan Province, and detained him using force, also confiscating electronic devices belonging to him and his family.
A source close to the family said Bagheri suffers from underlying medical conditions and requires regular medication, warning that lack of access to treatment has raised concerns about his health in detention.
His whereabouts and the reasons for his arrest remain unknown. He had previously received a one-year suspended sentence from the Revolutionary Court of Najafabad and was required to report monthly to the sentence enforcement branch. He was also briefly detained in April 2025 before being released on bail.
Source: news.az
https://news.az/news/iranian-woman-sentenced-to-32-years-as-arrests-continue-over-2026-protests
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'Before I leave the stage...': Muslim student in Missouri claims her principal withheld diploma as she spoke about ICE, Palestine
Jun 2, 2026
Leen Hijaz, a Palestinian-origin Muslim student of Clayton High School, Missouri, said her principal was not giving her a diploma as she made a controversial graduation speech, which her principal interrupted as well. During the graduation ceremony for Clayton High School on Thursday, May 28, Leen Hijaz delivered the welcome speech and as she reached the closing remarks of her speech, Hijaz began speaking about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Palestine.
"Before I leave the stage, I have one last thing to say. Every single person here has a voice; we have the privilege to use it when millions around the world are struggling and suffering to be heard. Whether it's the millions suffering in Palestine, Sudan, Congo, Afghanistan and so many other countries around the world, or the families being torn apart by ICE. These are not just an issue there; they are happening there, they're happening right here as I speak. My point is, we're not given a voice to stay silent," she said.
It was caught on the camera as the event was being livestreamed that a woman, the principal, appeared to stop Hijaz.
After that video went viral, Hijaz acknowledged that the end of her speech was spontaneous and was not pre-approved.
"I was extremely scared to say something and really wasn't planning on doing it, but I had so much support from my friends and family around me, and they encouraged me to say something," Hijaz said. "I didn't get to say everything I wanted to say, but I said enough."
According to WRAL report, Johnston County Public Schools said that students were required to submit their remarks well in advance of the graduation, and that a student deviated from what was preapproved by administrators. "School administrators intervened in order to maintain the integrity and focus of the program in real time. This action was not about limiting a student’s voice, but about ensuring that a school-sponsored event remained consistent with its intended purpose," the district said.
Johnston County Public Schools did not specifically state that Hijaz's diploma was withheld as a result of the speech.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/before-i-leave-the-stage-missouri-muslim-student-claims-her-principal-withheld-diploma-as-she-spoke-about-ice-palestine/articleshowprint/131464332.cms
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Ghana's anti-LGBTQ+ bill faces further review?
June 3, 2026
Ghanaian President John Mahama has said a controversial bill that would further restrict LGBTQ+ rights will undergo legal scrutiny before it can become law.
The legislation, passed by parliament last week, proposes prison sentences of up to three years for people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer. It also includes provisions requiring individuals to report prohibited activities to authorities.
Speaking during a visit to the United Kingdom, Mahama said the bill would be carefully examined by his legal advisers and the attorney general before any further steps are taken.
He noted that the legislation originated as a private members' bill rather than a government-sponsored proposal, making additional legal review necessary.
"We will look at it and make sure that everything is in order," the president said. He added that if concerns arise, the bill could be referred to the Council of State, an advisory body that assists the president on national matters.
Mahama also indicated that parliament's Speaker was addressing procedural issues linked to the bill's passage.
The legislation marks the second attempt by lawmakers to introduce sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ measures.
An earlier version was first tabled in 2021 following the closure of an LGBTQ+ community centre in the capital, Accra. Although parliament approved that bill in 2024, it never received presidential assent before former President Nana Akufo-Addo left office.
At the time, several legal challenges were filed at Ghana's Supreme Court, prompting Akufo-Addo to withhold approval pending the outcome of the cases.
The current bill was reintroduced this year by lawmakers from across the political spectrum.
However, some opposition MPs argue that the latest version is less stringent than the legislation approved in 2024.
According to minority lawmakers, amendments have weakened some of the provisions they believed would have made the law a stronger deterrent.
One notable change is the exemption granted to healthcare workers, legal professionals and journalists who provide services to LGBTQ+ individuals or report on issues affecting the community.
At the same time, the legislation retains penalties for people deemed to be promoting or supporting LGBTQ+ rights. Individuals identified as allies could face criminal sanctions under the proposed law.
The bill has drawn strong criticism from human rights organisations both within Ghana and internationally.
Human Rights Watch has urged lawmakers to abandon the legislation, arguing that it infringes on fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed under international law.
Supporters of the measure reject those concerns. They argue that the bill is needed to protect what they describe as Ghanaian cultural and family values.
The debate reflects a wider trend across parts of Africa, where several countries have adopted tougher measures targeting LGBTQ+ communities in recent years.
Source: africanews.com
https://www.africanews.com/2026/06/02/ghanas-anti-lgbtq-bill-faces-further-review/
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Muslim women celebrate decades of ‘service to humanity’
JUNE 2, 2026
The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria says its education, health, and humanitarian intervention programmes have achieved milestones over the last 40 years.
Habiba Usman, chairwoman of the Bauchi state chapter of the association, said this in a message to mark FOMWAN Week from June 1 to 7, across the country.
FOMWAN is a faith-based group focused on promoting education, health, economic empowerment, humanitarian service, and Islamic propagation across Nigeria.
Ms Usman said the achievements recorded over the organisation’s 40 years of existence were a testament to decades of dedicated service to humanity.
She said the anniversary provided an opportunity to reflect on the organisation’s contributions to education, health, humanitarian service and Islamic Da’awah (evangelism).
The association, she said, would continue to impact lives positively through girl-child education support, improvements in school infrastructure, promotion of maternal and child healthcare, support for orphans and widows, and the advancement of Islamic awareness.
“Forty years is not just a milestone; it is a testimony of dedication to education, health, humanitarian service and Da’awah, which remained the pillars of our work in Bauchi State and across Nigeria.
“As we reflect on decades of impact, we are reminded that every act of service contributes to building a better society and securing a brighter future for generations to come,” she said.
Ms Usman commended members, partners, and volunteers for their commitment and sacrifices in advancing the association’s growth.
She urged members of the association to renew their commitments to enhance service to humanity.
Ms Usman also prayed for successful elections in the leadership positions, adding that the new executives would build on the achievements of their predecessors.
Source: gazettengr.com
https://gazettengr.com/fomwan-40-muslim-women-celebrate-decades-of-service-to-humanity/
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