From Afghanistan to Everest: Zakia Ahmad’s Historic Ascent Offers Hope to Afghan Women
New Age Islam News Bureau
29 May 2026
· From Afghanistan to Everest: Zakia Ahmad’s Historic Ascent Offers Hope to Afghan Women
· Australian woman charged over travel to Syria to join Islamic State
· Why women are dominating endurance running – and beating men
· National Commission for Women submits report on rights of Muslim women in India to ministries
· Ankita Lokhande faces backlash for wearing Hijab during Abu Dhabi vacation with husband Vicky Jain
· Iranian Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Says Agents Beat Her in Detention Centre
· J&K police nab Uttarakhand woman in multi-million money laundering nexus with Pakistan
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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From Afghanistan to Everest: Zakia Ahmad’s Historic Ascent Offers Hope to Afghan Women
May 29, 2026
On May 21, Zakia Ahmad, known as “River,” reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first woman from Afghanistan to climb the world’s highest mountain. For River, Everest was never only about climbing a mountain.
Her journey to the top of the world was shaped by war, displacement, grief and survival. Long before she reached Everest’s summit, she had spent much of her life confronting restrictions and hardship.
For many Afghans, especially women and girls living under Taliban restrictions, River’s achievement became more than a sporting milestone. It offered a rare image of possibility at a time when women in Afghanistan have been barred from education, sports and many forms of public life.
River first shared much of her personal story with Etilaatroz in an interview published in April while she was preparing for the Everest expedition. At the time, she had already climbed Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps, and was training for what she described as the most difficult challenge of her life. Weeks later, she reached the summit.
Born in the 1990s in Jodari village in Jaghori district of Ghazni province, River grew up in an environment where opportunities for girls were limited from an early age. She walked for hours each day to attend school while also helping her family with livestock, farming and household work. In her interview with Etilaatroz, she recalled first becoming aware of gender restrictions as a child.
“I wanted to climb trees and jump from heights,” she said. “But my mother would stop me and say, because you are a girl, you cannot do these things.”
As she grew older, River increasingly understood how gender discrimination shaped everyday life in Afghanistan. Women worked alongside men under difficult conditions, she said, but were still denied the same freedom and opportunities. Like many girls, she was expected to accept a future shaped by social expectations and marriage.
River, however, continued to pursue her education.
After finishing school, she moved to Kabul. She studied journalism briefly at Kabul University before receiving a scholarship to continue her education in India, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and later studied International Relations at the master’s level. Life there was not easy. She worked night shifts at a call centre while studying during the day and helping support her family.
While studying in India, River researched the experiences of Afghan women in Delhi who, she said, were driven by poverty and displacement into exploitation. During that work, she was attacked by a masked man carrying a knife and left with a scar on her forehead. Despite the danger, she continued interviewing women and hoped to publish their stories in a book.
River later told Outside Online and New Lines Magazine that she survived a Taliban attack in 2014 while travelling to Kabul for university. According to her account, Taliban gunmen stopped the bus she was travelling on and opened fire on passengers. She survived by pretending to be dead after smearing blood across her face. Twelve passengers were killed, and she was one of only three survivors.
The trauma remained with her for years.
“I always carry that part of the attack with me,” she told New Lines Magazine. “Sometimes in my dreams I see two gunmen coming for me and trying to kill me.”
River continued with her life after the attack. But the death of her younger brother, Ahmad Wali, affected her profoundly.
In 2022, River and her family resettled in Australia on humanitarian visas. Six months later, Ahmad Wali died by suicide.
In her Etilaatroz interview, River spoke about the grief that followed. She withdrew from daily life, stopped many of her activities and experienced a period of homelessness after losing the brother to whom she had been closest.
“We only understand that his decision had a complicated background,” she said.
Before his death, Ahmad Wali and River often spoke about nature, mountains and dreams beyond the hardship they had experienced. Those conversations later became central to her mountaineering journey.
“My brother and I were very close,” she told Etilaatroz. “Most of the time, we talked about life, the future, and our shared dreams. Once, we were standing on a hill looking down below. He told me, ‘Look how beautiful nature is.’ Then he said that the Alps and Everest would be more breathtaking than anywhere else. I promised that I would accompany him in climbing them.”
After his death, River said those memories remained with her.
“My grief and hardships had crushed me,” she said. “The mountains were my last refuge… When I returned to the mountains, I felt they accepted me with all my sorrow, and I found my lost self again.”
Mountaineering became a way for her to return to life after loss.
At first, climbing was not about records or recognition. The mountains gave her a place to process grief and regain a sense of purpose.
In Australia, River began training seriously while balancing work and financial pressure. Mountaineering required significant physical endurance, preparation and financial resources, but she continued.
Before Everest, River climbed several peaks in Nepal and Europe, including Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. The ascent gave her confidence that the dream she had once shared with her brother might be possible.
For River, Everest also carried a message for women and girls in Afghanistan, whose lives have been increasingly restricted under Taliban rule.
Before leaving for Everest, River told Etilaatroz that her message to women in Afghanistan was that they should not stop pursuing their aspirations.
“Everyone has abilities,” she said. “With effort and perseverance, they can reach their dreams.”
Preparing for Everest required months of training, fundraising and sacrifice. Before attempting the summit, she climbed other peaks in Nepal to prepare for high altitude and harsh conditions.
On May 21, the goal she had described to Etilaatroz became reality.
Zakia Ahmad “River” reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first woman from Afghanistan to stand on the world’s highest peak.
Her ascent carried meaning far beyond mountaineering. As she told Etilaatroz before the expedition: “Like many women in Afghanistan, I have faced many hardships. But I never stopped.”
Source: kabulnow.com
https://kabulnow.com/2026/05/from-afghanistan-to-everest-zakia-ahmads-historic-ascent-offers-hope-to-afghan-women/
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Australian woman charged over travel to Syria to join Islamic State
May 29, 2026
FILE - Unidentified women walk between tents in a section of the camp housing Australian family members of suspected Islamic State militants in the Roj Camp in eastern Syria, Feb. 18, 2026.
Baderkhan Ahmad/AP
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MELBOURNE, Australia — An Australian mother of four was held in custody after she appeared in a court on Thursday charged with traveling to Syria and joining the Islamic State group.
Rayann El Houli, 34, was arrested at her Melbourne home eight months after she returned to Australia via Lebanon with her children and another woman, police and her lawyer said.
The arrest came two days after seven women and 12 children linked to IS returned to Australia from a Syrian refugee camp against the wishes of the Australian government.
Three weeks ago, four women and nine children in similar circumstances returned from the same Roj camp for displaced people, which is located near the area where the frontiers of Syria, Turkey and Iraq converge.
Three of the four women were charged on arrival with slavery and terrorism offenses and remain in custody.
All the women who returned from Syria this month remained under police investigation. Another woman, who accompanied El Houli to Australia from Lebanon, also was under investigation, Australia Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Hilda Sirec said.
A period of time passing without charges does indicate investigations have ceased, Sirec noted.
El Houli wore a black niqab when she appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court flanked by two prison officers. She was charged with entering and remaining in a declared conflict zone. She also has been charged with joining a terrorist organization, IS. Each charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
Her bail application will be heard on Monday. Her lawyer Peter Morrissey told Magistrate Lisa Hannan that it was a priority to return El Houli, who suffers from PTSD, to her children.
"The children are doing well in school, in (sports) programs, doing everything as best they can," Morrissey said.
"They, too, have come from the camps and that's the reason for the haste," he added.
Police allege El Houli traveled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 to join IS. She was captured with her family by Kurdish forces in March 2019 after IS fighters were defeated and was placed in al-Hol camp for displaced people.
She returned to Australia on Sept. 26, police allege.
Janai Safar, 32, of Sydney was charged with similar offenses when she arrived in Australia with her 9-year-old son on May 7. She must spend at least two months in a Sydney prison after a magistrate refused her application to be released on bail.
Police allege she followed her IS-fighter partner to Syria in 2015 and had a child there. The partner reportedly died in 2017. Australia made it illegal for its citizens to travel to the former Syrian IS stronghold of Raqqa without a legitimate reason from 2014 to 2017.
Kawsar Ahmed, also known as Kawsar Abbas, and her daughter Zeinab Ahmed, 31, were charged in a Melbourne court on May 8 in relation to allegations that their family bought a female Yazidi slave for $10,000 in Syria, police said.
The daughter is scheduled to apply for bail next week and the mother has a bail hearing scheduled for June 16.
Source: npr.org
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/28/g-s1-124669/australian-woman-charged-over-travel-to-syria-to-join-islamic-state\
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Why women are dominating endurance running – and beating men
Gemma White
May 29, 2026
Earlier this month in Arizona, American endurance runner Rachel Entrekin not only became the first woman to win the Cocodona 250, a 407km ultramarathon, but also beat the fastest men's time, racing into the record books.
Completing the race in 56 hours, nine minutes and 48 seconds, Entrekin beat Kilian Korth, who came second and set the men’s course record, by one hour and almost 19 minutes.
Also on the race trail was Dubai resident Tania Carmona, 39, an endurance runner and property investor.
“Cocodona 250 is considered one of the most demanding ultra-marathons in the world,” Carmona says.
“I started 12 years ago, when I was introduced to Spartan races, discovered trail running and signed up to my first ever trail race that was 50km in the mountains close to Mexico City. I was curious to know if I was capable of completing this challenge as back then there wasn't a lot of information about the sport.”
Carmona has now completed more than 35 ultramarathons worldwide.
“In 2025, I was the 10th woman in the world and the first Latin athlete to complete one of the toughest endurance challenges in the world, The Four Deserts Grand Slam Plus,” she says. “Consisting of five 250km self-supported desert crossings within a calendar year, it took me to Namibia, Jordan, Gobi, Antarctic and Atacama.”
'Surrounded by inspiration’
Ultra-marathons and ultra-long-distance running are rapidly growing in popularity among women.
Organisers of the 2027 London Marathon say that women aged 20 to 29 make up the largest share of the 1.3 million applications they have received, with more than 179,000 applying.
“The trail and endurance running space was once extremely male-dominated, but more and more women are realising we too can take on these huge challenges,” says Alice Bugeja, 30, a UAE-based endurance runner who founded the running brand mileoff.
“Seeing hugely inspiring females like Rachel Entrekin win the Cocodona 250 gives us a new found confidence in what our bodies and minds are capable of.”
Sarah Stoneley, 31, endurance runner and head coach at 1Rebel UAE, believes women in sport have never been more supported or celebrated, with everyone from running influencers to elite athletes breaking world records, providing inspiration for others to begin.
“Seeing women coming first overall in ultra races around the world is happening more and more and it gives us all the courage to start," she says.
Fatigue resistance and fat metabolism
Women beating men in ultra-long-distance races is not new. Sports science has shown that while male muscle mass offers an advantage over shorter distances, that advantage is greatly reduced over ultra-long distances.
“While men generally have physiological advantages in power and speed-based activities due to greater muscle mass, larger cardiac output and higher oxygen-carrying capacity, endurance running presents a more balanced picture,” says Shruthi Prabhu, physiotherapist at Aster Cedars Hospital and Clinic in Jebel Ali. “Emerging sports science research suggests that women may demonstrate better fatigue resistance and more efficient fat metabolism during prolonged exercise, which can support performance in ultra-endurance events.
“Studies in endurance physiology have also shown that the performance gap between men and women tends to narrow as race distances increase,” she adds. “Factors such as pacing strategy, energy conservation, recovery, training consistency, nutrition, and mental resilience often become more important than gender alone during ultra-distance races.”
What's the appeal?
Jola Chudy, who's in her mid-40s, was bitten by the long-distance running bug after a friend coaxed her into a trail run during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
“The feeling of running in the mountains was magical. The freedom, sense of escape, adventure and instant camaraderie that seems to bubble up like magic when you’re running for miles with people was a game-changer,” says the PR professional. “That wasn’t exactly on the bingo card of a middle-aged weekend jogger who got a bit carried away, but I always say you never know where running will take you and that’s one of the best things about it.”
Since then, Chudy has taken on trail runs, desert races across the UAE, mountain ultramarathons and Ironman 70.3 triathlons in Oman.
“In 2024, I completed Marathon des Sables, which is billed as ‘the world’s toughest footrace’ at 252km of unrelenting sand and searing heat across the Moroccan Sahara,” she says. “The race is a seven-day, entirely self-supported endeavour where the goal is to finish before the camels – they walk at the back of the pack and if they overtake you, you’re disqualified.”
Many women talk of the sense of exhilaration and achievement they feel when tackling a long-distance race.
“It was 130km across three days and it was epic,” says Bugeja of her longest race so far. “To most people this sounds impossible, and it sounded like that to me when I first signed up. But what people don’t realise is ultra-running and trail running is totally different to road running. It’s not about pressure for timing, it’s much more about the experience and soaking up your surroundings.”
Building mental and physical resilience
Ultramarathons and endurance races are held around the world, so these sports combine fitness with travel, promoting independence and community in equal measure. Many women also talk of the meditative state they experience during runs.
“Since starting my journey in ultra races around three years ago, I have completed five ultra-marathon races and five marathons,” says Stoneley. “A highlight for me was a 70km trail through the jungle in Vietnam, with over 3,000-metre elevation, where I placed fourth out of the women. I like to do races in locations I’ve always wanted to visit so I get to see a beautiful part of the world at the same time.”
She adds: “I love the challenge that comes with the training. You are investing hours of your time and energy into your own self-growth and proving you can be disciplined and dedicated, even when it’s hard. I also love putting my music in and getting lost in the focus of a long run, it’s so peaceful.”
For Chudy, running became a helpful release during a “tough period”, allowing her to spend time in nature and clear her mind.
“One of the reasons I appreciate in endurance sports is that it feels meditative,” she says. “No thinking about 10 different client briefs or whether I remembered to buy cheese and call my friend back. Our lives are overwhelming. Giving your brain time to focus simply on putting one foot in front of the other is like pressing a reset button.”
For those tempted to try it themselves, seasoned runners say the key is to start gradually and to focus less on speed than on consistency and enjoyment.
“Once you are confident in running the shorter distances like 5km or 10km, then you can progress to the 21km runs and keep adding up to the longer distances,” says Bugeja. “Find a friend who is interested or join a running community, and plan longer runs together or head out to the mountains and hit the trails. Don’t put pressure on times, rather it’s about time on your feet.”
While there are many running apps available to track your progress, both Stoneley and Chudy recommend working with a professional coach if you’re serious about improving. “They will be able to help you so much more than an AI app,” says Stoneley. “So much of endurance sports is about nutrition, which an app can’t give personal help with.”
Many endurance runners stress that the sport is less about competing against the clock than challenging themselves.
“Ultra-running for me is about discovering and seeing how far I can go,” says Carmona. “When you start living life with curiosity, life becomes a wonderful adventure. Endurance isn’t about pushing yourself excessively, but discovering while having fun so you can endure in this sport for many years.”
Source: thenationalnews.com
https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/wellbeing/2026/05/29/endurance-running-women-uae-ultra-marathons/
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National Commission for Women submits report on rights of Muslim women in India to ministries
May 28, 2026
The National Commission for Women has submitted a comprehensive recommendatory report on Rights of Muslim Women in India to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women and Child Development, and Ministry of Minority Affairs. The submission follows an extensive national-level consultation aimed at strengthening the legal, social, and constitutional rights of Muslim women in the country.
The Commission observed that while constitutional safeguards and recent legal reforms have contributed significantly towards advancing women’s rights, there is more substantial scope to strengthen legal awareness. This will help to improve access to justice and bring greater clarity and consistency through progressive codification of personal laws. Particular emphasis was placed on issues relating to marriage, divorce, maintenance, custody, and inheritance.
The consultation also examined key legislations governing Muslim women’s rights, including the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986 and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.
Source: newsonair.gov.in
https://newsonair.gov.in/national-commission-for-women-submits-report-on-rights-of-muslim-women-in-india-to-ministries/
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Ankita Lokhande faces backlash for wearing Hijab during Abu Dhabi vacation with husband Vicky Jain
May 28, 2026
Pavitra Rishta fame Ankita Lokhande and her businessman husband Vicky Jain, who recently flew to Abu Dhabi for a short vacation, have been sharing glimpses from their trip on social media. In the photos, the actress can be seen having fun and spending quality time with her husband Vicky. She shared several from their latest outing. However, some of Ankita’s recent pictures led to online trolling after she was seen wearing a hijab and visiting a mosque during the trip. While many people supported her, some criticised and questioned her actions.
Ankita took to her social media account to share photos from her trip to Abu Dhabi. While some photos in the post showed Ankita wearing a dress, she was seen in a hijab in a few others. Vicky Jain was also seen with her in all the hijab pictures. Along with the post, she wrote, "Just a little Abu Dhabi love from my camera roll Exploring, laughing & making memories."
As soon as Ankita shared photos on her Instagram account, netizens flooded the comment section with positive and negative comments. While many praised Vicky and Ankita, a section of social media users trolled her for wearing a hijab.
A user commented, "Isko kyo pehnana apne kya jarurat pade h iski", "hizab kyo pehna". Another comment read, “Why is she wearing a hijaab?”. One user wrote, “Jain Ho tm or Kya pahana h ye Kuch to socho.” Another user wrote, “Hijab shobat nh tai tula karan Tu marathi mulgi ah,, te lok marathi patal nh ghalt."
One more user wrote, “Isko kyo pehnana apne kya jarurat pade h iski.”
However, one of Ankita's fan backed her saying, "Its basically a dress code to enter the premises of mosque just as we have a dress code for entering the temples."
This is not the first time Ankita Lokhande has faced criticism for wearing a hijab. Back in 2025, she was spotted at the Mumbai airport wearing a hijab and greeting people with “Adaab,” which had also sparked reactions online.
On the work front, Ankita and Vicky are currently seen in Laughter Chefs season 3. Ankita rose to fame after playing the role of Archana in Pavitra Rishta. Ankita and Vicky have also done shows like Bigg Boss 17, Smart Jodi, amongst others.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/ankita-lokhande-faces-backlash-for-wearing-hijab-during-abu-dhabi-vacation-with-husband-vicky-jain/articleshowprint/131375694.cms
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Iranian Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh Says Agents Beat Her in Detention Center
May 28, 2026
Nasrin Sotoudeh wrote that upon entering the detention center, agents bound her hands and feet and "beat her over the mandatory hijab."
The page of the "Campaign for the Freedom of Reza Khandan," the husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh, a prominent lawyer and human rights activist, has published a new image of the attorney along with an account of her arrest and the conditions of her detention facility during Iran's blackout days.
In this note, quoted from Nasrin Sotoudeh, it is stated that Ministry of Intelligence agents raided her home on April 11 and subsequently transferred her to the ministry's detention center. Nasrin Sotoudeh wrote that upon entering the detention center, agents tied her hands and feet and "beat her over the mandatory hijab."
According to the human rights activist, the severity of the beating by the agents was such that signs of "bruising on her legs and face" remained visible for days after her arrest, and her mouth was wounded as a result of tape being placed over it.
In another section of the note, Sotoudeh pointed to the "inhumane" conditions of the detention center, writing: "The food they provided was inedible. The practice of beatings, arrests, and forced confessions was rampant, and individuals' release was made conditional upon providing a forced confession on video." During her detention, Nasrin Sotoudeh’s family was left unaware of her whereabouts, and she was only permitted to inform them of her well-being during brief phone calls.
Nasrin Sotoudeh wrote that she was released on May 13, following the opening of a new legal case, and she credited her freedom to those who, in her words, "have always paid attention to us political prisoners in Iran, from Iranians to non-Iranians whose hearts ache for modern-day human beings who are constantly forced to pay a price just to have an ordinary and honorable life."
Concluding her message by emphasizing her opposition to any form of "war and tyranny," she wrote that during her detention, whenever she heard the sounds of torture and beatings inside the facility, she protested loudly against it, viewing this action as her "humanitarian duty."
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/news/153007-iranian-lawyer-nasrin-sotoudeh-says-agents-beat-her-in-detention-center/
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J&K police nab Uttarakhand woman in multi-million money laundering nexus with Pakistan
Narendra Sethi
28 May 2026
HARIDWAR: The Jammu and Kashmir police arrested a young woman from Uttarakhand accused of suspected multi million money laundering network with Pakistan.
The accused has been identified as Sonam, a resident of Asafnagar village in Haridwar district of Uttarakhand.
The probe reached Asafnagar earlier this week after the arrest of a suspect in Lakhanpur, Jammu and Kashmir. Based on the information given by the suspect, J&K Police coordinated with local officials and carried out a raid in the area. However, no cash was seized during the initial raid, officials said.
Once identified, Sonam was subjected to extensive questioning before police secured a transit remand to transport her to Jammu and Kashmir for further investigation.
Confirming the arrest, SHO Kamal Mohan Bhandari of Piran Kaliyar police station stated that the operation was executed with minimal local involvement, as the primary case is registered under the jurisdiction of the Jammu and Kashmir Police. "We provided the necessary logistical support to the J&K team as the matter pertains to an existing case registered there," Bhandari said.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities remain tight-lipped about the specific nature of the transactions, pending further developments in the ongoing inter-state inquiry.
Source: newindianexpress.com
https://www.newindianexpress.com/india/2026/May/28/jk-police-nab-uttarakhand-woman-in-multi-million-money-laundering-nexus-with-pakistan
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