Court Sentences Former Professor, Mahshid Gohari, to 9 Months for Mahsa Amini Protest Support
New Age Islam News Bureau
30 May 2025
· Court Sentences Former Professor, MahshidGohari, to 9 Months for Mahsa Amini Protest Support
· Dua Lipa, Joined Some 300 UK Celebrities To Urge UK To End Israel Arms Sales
· Long Jumper ReyhanehMobini Wins Iran's First-Ever Women's Gold At Asian Championships
· Meet The Jailed Husband Of Iran’s Most Prominent Women’s Rights Defender
· MozafarTakes Charge Of Iran’s Women’s Futsal Team
· ‘Be The Next Colonel Sofiya’—BJP’s Muslim Women Outreach, With Chaupals; 1st One At Shaheen Bagh
· Muslim Women Seen In Hijab At Water Theme Park - Netizens Troll
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/court-sentences-months-protest-support/d/135719
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Court Sentences Former Professor, Mahshid Gohari, to 9 Months for Mahsa Amini Protest Support
MAY 29, 2025
A former university professor has been sentenced to nine months in prison for supporting anti-government protests
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A former university professor has been sentenced to nine months in prison for supporting anti-government protests, her lawyer said.
MahshidGohari was convicted of “propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic in favour of hostile groups” by a revolutionary court in Mashhad, lawyer Hossein Paylakhi said.
The sentence was suspended for two years.
Gohari, a literature researcher and former instructor at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, was charged over activities including holding literary sessions, supporting optional clothing for women, and making social media posts.
The university dismissed Gohari in 2023 for supporting students during the nationwide protests that began in September 2022 after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Gohari announced her dismissal on Instagram in February 2023, saying the university terminated her after seven years of teaching.
Iranian authorities have arrested thousands of people in connection with the 2022 protests, including students, journalists, activists, and celebrities.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/141608-iranian-court-sentences-former-professor-to-9-months-for-protest-support/
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Dua Lipa, Joined Some 300 UK Celebrities To Urge UK To End Israel Arms Sales
May 29, 2025
An injured Palestinian child receives medical care on Thursday at the Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, following an Israeli strike. (AFP)
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LONDON: Pop star Dua Lipa joined some 300 UK celebrities in signing an open letter on Thursday urging Britain to halt arms sales to Israel, after similar pleas from lawyers and writers.
Actors, musicians, activists, and other public figures wrote the letter calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “end the UK’s complicity in the horrors in Gaza.”
British Albanian pop sensation Dua Lipa has been vocal about the war in Gaza and last year criticized Israel’s offensive as a “genocide.”
Other signatories include actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, and Riz Ahmed, as well as musicians Paloma Faith, Annie Lennox, and
Massive Attack.
“You can’t call it ‘intolerable’ and keep sending arms,” read the letter to Labour leader Starmer, organized by Choose Love, a UK-based humanitarian aid and refugee advocacy charity.
Sports broadcaster Gary Lineker, who stepped down from his role at the BBC after a social media post that contained anti-Semitic imagery, also signed the letter.
Signatories urged the UK to ensure “full humanitarian access across Gaza,” broker an “immediate and permanent ceasefire,” and “immediately suspend” all arms sales to Israel.
“The children of Gaza cannot wait another minute. Prime Minister, what will you choose? Complicity in war
crimes, or the courage to act?,” the letter continued.
Earlier this month, Starmer slammed Israel’s “egregious” renewed military offensive in Gaza and promised to take “further concrete actions” if it did not stop — without detailing what the actions could be.
Last September, the UK government suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel, saying there was a “clear risk” they could be used to breach humanitarian law.
Global outrage has grown after Israel ended a ceasefire in March and stepped up military operations this month, killing thousands of people in a span of two months, according to figures by the Health Ministry.
The humanitarian situation has also sparked alarm and fears of starvation after a two-month blockade on aid entering the devastated territory.
Over 800 UK lawyers, including Supreme Court justices, and some 380 British and Irish writers warned of Israel committing a “genocide” in Gaza in open letters this week.
Israel’s military offensive launched in response to the October 2023 attack has killed 54,084, mostly civilians, in Gaza according to its health ministry, displaced nearly the entire population and ravaged swaths of the besieged strip.
Source: arabnews.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2602662/middle-east
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Long jumper ReyhanehMobini wins Iran's first-ever women's gold at Asian Championships
30 May 2025
Iranian long jumper ReyhaneMobini delivered an outstanding performance on the third day of the 26th Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea, clinching the gold medal with an impressive 6.40-meter jump.
Her victory on Thursday underscores Iran’s rising prominence in women’s athletics. She showcased remarkable strength, precision, and determination in a highly competitive field.
The Asian Athletics Championships, a premier event uniting top talent from across the continent, serve as a critical platform for athletes aiming for Olympic and global success.
Mobini’s triumph marks a significant milestone for Iranian women’s sports on the international stage.
Mobini’s gold-winning 6.40-meter jump narrowly outdistanced her closest rival, India’s SujanEdapilly, who achieved 6.33 meters for silver. India’s Shaili Singh secured bronze with a 6.30-meter jump.
Iran’s continued success in athletics signals a bright future for the nation in international competitions.
Source: presstv.ir
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/05/30/748891/Long-jumper-Reyhaneh-Mobini-wins-Iran-s-first-ever-women-s-gold-at-Asian-Championships
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Meet the Jailed Husband of Iran’s Most Prominent Women’s Rights Defender
MAY 30, 2025
Reza Khandan was arrested in December 2024 for supporting women’s rights in Iran, and creating thousands of homemade buttons that said, “I Oppose the Mandatory Hijab.” He had previously been imprisoned for 111 days in 2018 for this so-called crime before being released on bail.
Reza’s wife, Nasrin Sotoudeh, spent over six years in Iranian prisons for her work as a human rights attorney and activist. Reza raised their daughter and son while maintaining his graphic design business, and defying government threats as he campaigned for Nasrin’s freedom. Now, Nasrin is home on a medical furlough for a heart condition that was exacerbated by COVID-19 and mistreatment in prison, and Reza is facing at least three more years in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison.
I got to know these good people when I directed and produced Nasrin, a 2020 documentary about her life and work. She was in prison most of the time we were filming, and I saw Reza’s character— and love—repeatedly tested by a regime that punishes families as a way of inflicting additional pain on its detainees.
This interview started in April when I sent a series of questions to Reza. Slowly and with some complicated back and forth, he passed his answers to me.
Why have you put yourself at risk (in and out of prison) by criticizing your government—and is it dangerous for you to do this interview? I have a duty and the privilege to defend my rights and the rights of others. Without that, there is a dark future for us and our children. In a country like Iran, with this government, every protest and criticism carries a risk, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take.
You are a man, with all the privileges that brings in virtually every country. Why do you so strongly support women’s rights? No country can achieve democracy, and development with justice and human dignity, without guaranteeing equal rights for women and men. A society that ignores the rights of half of its population will never achieve real greatness.
Describe your December 2024 arrest. That morning, I’d gone to the store so I could do some work at the house. On my way back, I noticed several people standing by the entrance talking to the building manager. As soon as I got out of the car, they came towards me, pointed at my license plate, and said they were investigating a crime that had been committed with my car.
It quickly became clear that all of their words were lies, and their real intent was to arrest me for my judicial case. After a minute or so, Nasrin joined us. She asked if she could get our son Nima from upstairs so he and I could have a moment together before they took me away. They said yes, but when she left to get him, they forced me into their car and drove off. I never got a chance to say goodbye to my son.
I slept in the detention center that night. It was extremely cold. They intentionally turned off the radiator, and there was no other heating device. The detainees were not given food or water. The cells had no beds and there were only a few dirty blankets to somehow be shared by about a dozen people. The Guardian Officer responded to my protests with dirt and ridicule. The filthy bathroom had no soap. They weren’t even willing to even let me buy soap with my own money.
The next morning, I was transferred to the prosecutor in Evin Prison’s court. After hours of being interviewed and processed, I was transferred to a prison quarantine, where I stayed for nine days without any outside contact.
What is your typical day like in prison? Part of my day is spent cleaning and doing personal chores like buying supplies that are available in the prison store. Food in Iranian prisons is rarely edible, so we have to purchase whatever ingredients we can and prepare our own meals. Ward 8, where I am held, has 33 gas burners for around 600 people. I am part of a group of about ten inmates who cook and eat together, and we are allowed to use a burner three times a week.
When possible, I read in the library, and I make sure to exercise. I also walk with friends, which gives us the opportunity to exchange opinions about the news we get through contact with our families. The big problem for an inmate is usually the very slow passage of time, but for me it is just the opposite. I don’t want my time here to pass faster because that means I am losing all the moments I should be sharing with my wife, my children, and others I love.
Describe Evin Prison and the ward you are in. Evin Prison houses about 15,000 inmates divided into different wards, and there is extreme overcrowding. The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief. Each of these security areas is controlled by of one of the government’s security bodies, such as the Ministry of Information, the Revolutionary Guards, and the Judiciary.
These detention centers do not comply with any law. Their interrogators employ all kinds of inhumane behavior with the inmates, who are systematically deprived of their rights. Prisoners face beatings, denial of medical care, months in solitary confinement with a total news-blackout, crushing interrogations, forced confessions that taped and broadcast on national television after heavy editing, plus psychological, physical, and sexual torture.
Even seemingly small acts deliver needless cruelty. For instance, prisoners have to wear a blindfold and be escorted by an officer if they need to use the bathroom or go to the nurse’s office.
After the interrogation phase and the issuance of a sentence, prisoners are transferred to a public ward. This is where we will remain until our sentence expires. I am in Ward 8, which has about 600 prisoners. Almost 80% of these men are held for public offences, and the rest are political. Political prisoners do not enjoy equality with ordinary prisoners. We are constantly monitored and followed, our phone access is strictly controlled, the limited calls we do get are constantly cut off for false reasons during conversations, and we rarely get parole.
Bedbugs continue to plague all the prisoners. Drugs are rampant. The prison yard has become unusable due to drug use in front of guards and cameras.
The slightest complaint about the prison administrators’ performance is severely suppressed. This is why I have gone on several hunger strikes since my arrest.
How and why have the authorities harassed and hurt your family? How does this make you feel? The Iranian government actively suppresses the voices of civil society, especially women, and it reacts with great brutality to the smallest protest or disobedience. My wife Nasrin was imprisoned for over six years for her work as a human rights attorney. Our daughter Mehraveh has been threatened and harassed in numerous ways (including a forced daylong interrogation). Our son Nima was savagely beaten by prison guards when he tried to visit me (this was no accident, but a planned assault). In addition, our bank accounts were frozen, and now I am held in one of the worst wards of Evin Prison because I support women’ rights and I made buttons that said, “I oppose the mandatory hijab.”
Many others have faced similar cruelties, and much worse.
Despite all the difficulties and hardship that Nasrin has endured on this path, she doesn't doubt her choices. Neither do I. We can’t be apathetic towards injustice and oppression. I think this is why regardless of the challenges and struggles we’ve faced; we have kept the family close and as strong as ever. This is the treasure that has made all our activism possible.
What has your wife Nasrin taught you and how does she inspire you? I’ve loved Nasrin since we first met, and a shared commitment to women’s rights and opposition to the compulsory hijab has always been part of our relationship.
Nasrin was unjustly and cruelly imprisoned for her legal work representing Iranian human rights and women’s rights activists from 2010 through 2013 (when our children were very young), and again from 2018 through 2021 (she was eventually released on a medical furlough due to a serious heart problem). In October 2023, she was beaten, arrested, and detained for several weeks for attending the funeral of Armita Geravand, a 17-year-old who was killed for supposedly not properly wearing her hijab.
All this time, Nasrin has never stopped showing a deep concern for her family, and she has never given in to enormous pressure from the government. I am inspired by those qualities, and more. I am also inspired by my fellow inmates who have been arrested for their support of human rights, in Iran and around the world.
You have spoken openly about some of your cellmates who are also imprisoned for being human right activists. If it will help and not put them at risk, please share what you can about them. We have no statistics of the number of political prisoners in the security detention centers inside Evin Prison, but I estimate that there are about 300, and about 70 of them are women. There are nearly 80 political prisoners in our ward alone, including men with dual citizenship, women’s rights and democracy activists, and those held for a variety of ideological beliefs.
Reza Valizadeh is currently the only dual-national political prisoner with American citizenship. Last year he visited Iran to see his aging parents. After a few months of harassment and interrogation, he was finally arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison. Valizadeh was a radio reporter until a few years ago, so they tried to force him to confess to “collaborating with a foreign government.” The also tried to get him to speak against his former colleagues at Radio Farda, which he strongly rejected. Valizadeh has consistently stood up against their inhumane demands.
Mohammad Najafi, Mohammad Reza Faghihee and TaherNaghavi are lawyers who are in prison for their human rights activities. Mohammad Najafi holds the record in having the most cases created against him. He has been in prison for nearly 7 years.
VahidKhadirzadeh is a young man who was convicted and incarcerated for protesting the forced veiling of women, and he is somewhat similar to me and my friend Farhad Meysami (Farhad was imprisoned for 5 years).
Another man is in prison for the fourth time for a total of 8 and a half years. He says he spent 120 days in solitary confinement during one of his detentions. Because of this experience, he was so intellectually and psychologically disturbed that at the end of confinement when they gave him a piece of fruit, he could not remember the word “orange.”
What personal message can you say to your daughter Mehraveh and your son Nima? Nasrin and I at all times think about our son and daughter. When we are working for individual freedoms and human rights, and when we are away in prison for those activities, Mehraveh and Nima are in our hearts. We consider their circumstances, their dreams, their future, and the future of all the children in this country. They deserve a better life.
All our strength and energy come from our children, who have suffered more than us. Nasrin and I are very proud of them, and we have learned from them greatly. Being separated from Mehraveh and Nima, and from Nasrin, is agony. I love them very much.
You are in prison in part because you believe in a democratic ideal, yet democracy is being seriously challenged in many countries, including America. Do you still believe in democracy and where do you see the world headed in the next decade or two? The process of democratization starts and stops, but the world is moving forward. Progress is inevitable. Perhaps it is hard for people in other countries, like yours, to imagine having leaders who have so little concern for human rights that they will lock up individuals for trying to make their society better. This can happen if you are not careful.
In Iran, I feel the arrest of people like me, activists in the women's movement, protesters of the compulsory hijab, and advocates of a just civil society, is a last desperate and senseless attempt to continue this incompetent and corrupt government.
I do draw hope and strength from those here who support the process of democratization, and from people half-way across the world whose daily lives are dedicated to the fight against injustice. I am proud of our work and am sure that we have taken the right path.
How can you keep hope alive in prison? The most important point of hope is that it strengthens our belief in change and in the impact our activities have outside of prison. When political prisoners hear of support from people like you, it has a direct benefit. Knowing we are not alone and not forgotten is very closely tied to keeping our sense of purpose.
Of course, all prisoners must have a plan for themselves. Reading, exercise, exchange of information and ideas with fellow inmates, and helping each other, all helps us to serve our sentence with the least damage.
What message do you have for the leaders of Iran? Leaders of authoritarian governments do not want to hear anything except praise. They always deem themselves to be an exception to the lessons of history. But they should know, history doesn’t have any exceptions.
I also want to say, "I demand freedom for all political prisoners,” and “I object to the compulsory hijab!”
What would you like to say to all the people who signed the petition calling for your freedom? When Nasrin told me that this petition was signed by so many people from dozens of countries around the world, it made me very proud and hopeful. I am deeply grateful to every one of these dear friends. Were it not for this level of concern, awareness, and public pressure for the release of me and other political prisoners, our condition would be much worse and more dangerous. This a great blessing.
Source: time.com
https://time.com/7288811/iran-womens-rights-evin-prison-reza-khandan/
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Mozafar takes charge of Iran’s women’s futsal team
May 29, 2025
Mozafar, 55, is one of the most decorated Iranian futsal coaches. She led Iran to the title in the 2018 AFC Women's Futsal Championship.
She has won many titles with Iranian futsal clubs.
Mozafar replaced ForouzanSoleymani in the position. Iran football federation parted ways with Soleymani, who finished in third place at the AFC Women’s Futsal Asian Cup China 2025 in mid-May.
Team Melli have advanced to the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup Philippines 2025 as one of the top three teams.
Source: tehrantimes.com
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/513682/Mozafar-takes-charge-of-Iran-s-women-s-futsal-team
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‘Be the next Colonel Sofiya’—BJP’s Muslim women outreach, with chaupals; 1st one at Shaheen Bagh
NEELAM PANDEY
30 May, 2025
New Delhi: Colonel Sofiya Qureshi will be the “focus” of BJP chaupals, to be organised across the country by the party’s minority wing to celebrate 11 years of the Narendra Modi-led government. The first chaupal will take place in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, on 9 June.
Colonel Qureshi, who along with IAF Wing Commander Vyomika Singh led India’s press briefings on Operation Sindoor, will be the face of the campaign through which the success of Operation Sindoor will be conveyed to the public.
Speaking to ThePrint, Jamal Siddiqui, national president of the BJP’s Minority Morcha, said the first chaupal will be held in Shaheen Bagh, which had become the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). As part of the chaupal, the morcha will also distribute copies of the Constitution and discuss Operation Sindoor.
“We will be organising a number of chaupals, with the first one starting on 9 June from Shaheen Bagh. This chaupal is part of the ‘11 Years of Modi Government—Sankalp Se Siddhi’ programmes. We will be especially reaching out to women and encouraging them to join the NCC and Agniveer scheme of the Modi government. They have a fine example of Colonel Sofiya in front of them who told the world what strength Indian women have,” he added.
The morcha will also distribute pamphlets during the chaupals.
“The bravery exemplified by Colonel Sofiya is a message for all Muslim women that they too can become the next Colonel Sofiya. She’s an idol for Muslim women. Whether it is in the Army, in their everyday lives, or while dealing with domestic violence, military training can come handy in every possible way and we will encourage them to join NCC,” said Siddiqui.
The chaupals will be held at dargahs, outside mosques and tombs, among other places. The morcha is hoping to organise at least 20,000 such gatherings.
“Whether it is Operation Sindoor, or reservation provided by the Modi government or even Agniveer, our women are being encouraged in every field by the government and we will highlight how Islam too will gain from this,” he added.
Siddiqui said it is vital that the importance of the Agniveer scheme is also understood by the people. “We will tell our sisters through the chaupal to become Agniveers, join NCC and take training. Training is very important, it will make you physically strong and in difficult times, when needed, you can protect yourself and your people.”
Siddiqui further said that a narrative is often built among minorities that women should remain confined to their homes, but women like Colonel Sofiya have helped break that stereotype, which is why their campaign will focus on her.
As part of the chaupal, Ayushman cards will also be prepared and distributed among senior citizens who attend. The Minority Morcha president also said that if required, it will request the government to implement training sessions for women in madrasas and schools.
The BJP has launched a programme to celebrate the achievements of the Modi government as it is set to complete 11 years on 9 June, when Modi took oath as prime minister for the third time last year. Party president J.P. Nadda has come up with a number of guidelines for organising various events including chaupals, registration camps for centrally sponsored schemes, digital competition, panel discussions etc.
Source: theprint.in
https://theprint.in/politics/be-the-next-colonel-sofiya-bjps-muslim-women-outreach-with-chaupals-1st-one-at-shaheen-bagh/2641617/
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Muslim Women Seen In Hijab At Water Theme Park - Netizens Troll
SIBY JEYYA
30/05/2025
A recent incident involving Muslim women wearing hijabs and modest swimwear at a water theme park has sparked online mockery and debate, with netizens posting insensitive comments and memes. The women, who were simply adhering to their religious and cultural values while enjoying a public space, became targets of ridicule for not conforming to mainstream swimwear norms. This trolling reflects a broader issue of intolerance toward expressions of religious identity in secular or Westernized settings, especially when those expressions challenge societal expectations around gender and body visibility.
Criticism of Muslim women for wearing hijabs or modest clothing in public often reveals a double standard. While individual freedom of dress is championed in many societies, that freedom is frequently denied in practice to those who dress conservatively for religious reasons. In the context of a water park—where comfort, safety, and personal boundaries are all considerations—these women exercised their autonomy within the limits of their beliefs. Yet instead of being respected for making choices aligned with their values, they were mocked, suggesting that "freedom of expression" only applies to those who conform to dominant norms.
This kind of public shaming not only fosters division but also discourages inclusivity in shared spaces. A truly open and respectful society makes room for different cultural practices, so long as they do not infringe on others’ rights or safety. The backlash against these women says more about the prejudices of the trolls than it does about the women themselves. It’s important to remember that tolerance isn’t tested when people agree with one another—it’s tested when people coexist peacefully despite differences. If we want public spaces to be welcoming for all, we must start by defending the right of individuals to express their identity without fear of ridicule or harassment.
Source: indiaherald.com
https://www.indiaherald.com/Breaking/Read/994823199/Muslim-Women-Seen-In-Hijab-At-Water-Theme-Park-Netizens-Troll
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/court-sentences-months-protest-support/d/135719