Iranian Court Orders Woman to Obey Her Husband — And Promises to Enforce It
New Age Islam News Bureau
17 October 2024
· Iranian Court Orders Woman to Obey Her Husband — And Promises to Enforce It
· Iranian Authorities Arrest, Nasrin Shakarami, Mother of, of Nika Shakarami, the Teen Killed in 2022 Protests
· Iranian Court Orders Woman to Obey Her Husband — And Promises to Enforce It
· Vision 2023 Has Done Wonders for Women, But There’s Still Room to Enhance Their Economic Roles in Saudi Arabia
· We the Women Conference:'Never Give Up': UAE Women Share Stories of Strength, Healing
· Body of Missing Student Found As Turkey Grapples With Femicides
· Muslim Woman, Nikhat Jahan, Takes Lead In Organising Durga Puja In Sultanpur, UP
· Tech-Savvy Qatif Grandmother, Fatma Abdullah Al-Malak, Keeps Saudi Traditions Alive for The Social Media Generation
· Women's Group Donates Blankets and Sleeping Bags for Those In Need In East Jordan
· Taliban Publicly Flog Six, Including Two Women, In Kabul
· CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz Dismisses Lahore College Rape Allegations As ‘Fabricated’
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iranian-court-obey-husband-enforce/d/133466
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Iranian Court Orders Woman To Obey Her Husband — And Promises To Enforce It
A woman and the regime in Tehran Rouzbeh Fouladi/ZUMA
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October 16, 2024
A court in Tabriz, in northwestern Iran, recently ordered a woman to obey her husband, and said that authorities could check on their relations to be sure she was following the order.
GhasemBoedi, a lawyer who posted the ruling on Twitter or X, said this would mean monitoring the couple at all times using household and personal devices, which, in principle, goes against Iran's strict laws that keep intimate contacts private and unseen. Boedi compared the ruling to ancient "slavery laws."
The decision by the appeals court confirmed a lower court ruling and can not be appealed.
The court called on the couple to maintain the "best of relations," and ordered them to continue living in the same house, requiring them to have this recorded on devices that could be viewed by a court-appointed social worker for at least six months.
The social worker will report any failure to respect the order, which could lead the court to "partly or wholly" deprive the wife of her financial rights as a spouse.
Right to work
Boedi said that in cases of marital strife, a court can order a wife's "general" or a "specific" obedience to her husband. General obedience entails decisions such as wanting to leave the house, while specific obedience includes the couple's sexual relations and "satisfying the husband's needs."
In this case, the court did not state explicitly, but Boedi speculated the ruling was general in nature, as the social worker is allowed to call and check on the couple throughout the day
The ruling is yet another example of how Iran's laws since the 1979 revolution have restricted women's rights both inside and outside the home. Some call this sexual or gender apartheid. As respective employment rates indicate, the state has worked to ensure women stay at home and attend to the household. Typically, 68% of working-age men are employed in Iran, and only 14% of working-age women.
The court order fits into Tehran's broad emphasis on the family over not individuals as the chief pillar of society, and its recent drive for families to have more children. The regime insists this traditional family model has disappeared in the West, leading to a proliferation of vices, crime and anxiety — Tehran's position has little time for women's rights and preferences.
https://worldcrunch.com/women-worldwide/obey-husband-iran
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Iranian Authorities Arrest, Nasrin Shakarami, Mother of, of Nika Shakarami, the Teen Killed in 2022 Protests
Aida Shakarami, the sister of Nika Shakarami, reported that security forces arrested their mother, Nasrin Shakarami, in western Khorramabad on Wednesday.
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OCTOBER 17, 2024
The Islamic Republic authorities have arrested the mother of a teenage girl who was killed during the nationwide protests in 2022.
Aida Shakarami, the sister of Nika Shakarami, reported that security forces arrested their mother, Nasrin Shakarami, in western Khorramabad on Wednesday.
In an Instagram story, Aida said she is unaware of the reason for her mother's arrest or the charges against her.
Nasrin Shakarami had previously announced on the second anniversary of Nika's death that security forces had prevented her daughter’s memorial ceremony.
Agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) abducted, tortured, sexually assaulted, and killed Nika Shakarami, a 16-year-old teenager, during the 2022 public protests in Iran.
She disappeared on September 20, 2022, during an anti-government protest in Tehran.
Her family found her body in a mortuary outside the capital after spending days looking for her in prisons, detention centers, police stations, and hospitals.
https://iranwire.com/en/women/135143-iranian-authorities-arrest-mother-of-teen-killed-in-2022-protests/
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Vision 2023 Has Done Wonders for Women, But There’s Still Room to Enhance Their Economic Roles in Saudi Arabia
October 16, 2024 •
Mobilized by the ambitious Vision 2030 plan launched by Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman in 2016, Saudi Arabia has undergone substantial socioeconomic reforms to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil revenue. Central to these reforms is women’s empowerment, a key driver of sustainable growth. Legal and labor reforms, such as lifting the driving ban in 2017 and introducing anti-harassment laws, have significantly increased Saudi women’s participation in the workforce and business. The government also amended the Civil Status Law, with amendments that grant women greater autonomy and allow them to make decisions without male guardianship, act as heads of households, decide on their residency, travel freely, and manage their own businesses. Female participation in the labor force surged from 23.2 percent in 2016 to 34.4 percent by 2022, surpassing Vision 2023’s initial target of 30 percent, while women now own 45 percent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, despite these significant advances, gaps persist between policy and practice.
According to the World Bank’s Women, Business, and the Law 2024 (WBL) report, Saudi Arabia’s legal frameworks score stands at 50 out of 100, with the global average scoring 64.2. This signals legislative progress, though more work is needed to align with global standards. Notably, Saudi Arabia is ahead of the Middle East and North Africa region, where the average score is 38.6. More importantly, the “supportive frameworks” score of 36.7—the global average is 39.5—reveals a lack of adequate mechanisms to ensure the proper implementation of these laws, reflecting that Saudi Arabia lacks sufficient childcare services, a streamlined parental leave system, and government-led support for women entrepreneurs.
On a positive note, the report’s “expert opinion” score on gender equality practices—which is the third new score introduced in the 2024 expanded version of the World Bank report, along with the “legal framework” and “supportive framework” scores —shows Saudi Arabia’s score is significantly high at 85.6, compared to a global average of 65.7, indicating that professionals in the region perceive positive progress. These contrasting scores demonstrate a clear need for better policy instruments that transform legal victories into tangible outcomes for women across the kingdom.
Existing initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs
During the past few years, Saudi Arabia has also implemented several initiatives that support women entrepreneurs, aligning with some of the World Bank’s recommendations. Joint projects like the IGNITING Women’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation program and initiatives by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monshaat), the Social Development Bank and the Talat Almara’a Initiative offer financial assistance, educational resources, and networking opportunities, aiding women-owned SMEs and micro-enterprises in Saudi Arabia and helping them overcome financial barriers to start or expand their businesses.
To address structural barriers, the Qurrah Program subsidizes up to 800 Saudi riyals per month ($213) per child for working mothers, helping them balance work and family commitments.Meanwhile, the Wusool Program provides transportation subsidies for women working in the private sector, covering 80 percent of transportation costs. While these initiatives are essential, the World Bank WBL report suggests that much more must be done to ensure women entrepreneurs can access the resources and support they need to thrive.
Bridging the gap between policy and practice
To fully capitalize on the reforms introduced under Vision 2030 and close the gap between policy and practice, Saudi Arabia can implement the following policy recommendations anchored in the WBL 2024 findings.
Strengthen legal protections for women’s safety and mobility
Introducing comprehensive legislation on domestic violence would help in addressing gender-based violence, an issue highlighted as a major global gap in the WBL 2024 report. These laws should be coupled with government-led monitoring bodies to ensure enforcement and an annual budget allocation for violence-prevention programs.
Enhance parental leave and childcare support
One of the areas in Saudi Arabia’s supportive frameworks that could benefit from improvement is related to parenthood. There is currently lack of a centralized system for applying for maternity benefits and a lack of incentives for fathers to take paternity leave. Establishing a single-application government portal for maternity benefits would streamline access for working mothers. Furthermore, introducing incentives for paternity leave would balance the childcare burden and encourage greater workforce participation by women.
Improve access to financial services
While existing programs address some barriers to finance, Saudi Arabia still lacks a comprehensive national strategy for women’s access to financial services. Developing a national financial-inclusion strategy that targets women across various sectors, including rural areas, and offering specialized financial products like microloans or gender-sensitive credit would enhance women’s economic participation.
Promote gender equality in leadership
Although Saudi women can engage in entrepreneurship, there are no gender quotas for corporate boards and women remain underrepresented in senior management roles. Introducing gender quotas for corporate boards or incentivizing companies to hire women in leadership positions could help address this imbalance. Public-private partnerships could be established to train and mentor women leaders, equipping them with the skills necessary to advance in their careers.
Publish sex-disaggregated data and monitor progress
A crucial gap identified by the WBL 2024 report is the need for more sex-disaggregated data in several key areas, including entrepreneurship, property ownership, and unpaid care work. Saudi Arabia should prioritize the regular collection and publication of sex-disaggregated data, which would provide critical insights for policymakers and help track progress in real time. Such data would also enable more tailored policy interventions that address the unique challenges faced by women in the workforce and business.
Saudi Arabia’s progress under Vision 2030 in advancing women’s rights and economic empowerment is impressive, but the journey is not yet over. By addressing the gaps highlighted in the World Bank’s WBL 2024 report and implementing targeted policies, Saudi Arabia can build on its achievements and create a more inclusive economy in which women play a central role. Empowering women not only supports Saudi Arabia’s economic growth but also aligns with its broader vision of modernization grounded in its cultural and religious values.
BeataPolok is a research fellow at the Haqaiq Centre for Legal Studies at Prince Sultan University in Riyadh and an academic visitor at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies. She is also the Programme Director of the Law Department at Dar al-Hekma University.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/menasource/vision-2023-women-economy-saudi-arabia/
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We the Women Conference:'Never Give Up': UAE Women Share Stories of Strength, Healing
16 Oct 2024
When her father passed away suddenly, Emirati artist of determination Asma Baker slipped into deep depression, often refusing to speak to people or even come out of her room. The first time she spoke about her pain was six years later, on a stage in front of 40,000 people. Since then, she has been advocating for mental health and wellbeing through her work.
“I want to tell people to never give up,” she said. “Always look at the bright side and keep the people beside you close. Everything will pass.”
Asma was one of the trailblazers who spoke at the second edition of We the Women conference, organised by Khaleej Times, which took place in Dubai on Wednesday.
Helmed by Emmy-nominated Indian reporter BarkhaDutt, the event brought together prominent women from various fields to discuss a range of topics including health and mental wellness.
During a session that focused on self-care and wellness, mental agility coach Magda Snowden spoke about how she is “on a mission to shift the narrative from hero to human” so that people can deal with stress. “The hero narrative stops people asking for help,” she said.
“Resilience is your long-term strategy. Stress is a fact of life and it is going to be there all the time, sometimes on a smaller level, sometimes on a higher level. A stress-free life doesn't exist. But when you develop these mental agility skills, you will develop long-term resilience.”
An outlet
Emirati engineer Mariam Albalooshi is the first Arab expert in the field of aviation environment and is the lead negotiator for aviation climate change. A trailblazer, she said that she took to painting as an outlet from her stressful work life.
“Every time I feel like giving up, I return to my art,” she said. “Life is all about creating an outlet when the stress of life gets to you.” She said she also de-stresses by writing and has published several books as well as a weekly newspaper column, in which she shares about her life.
Simona Peter, director of business development at Fleet Line shipping, spoke about being in an industry that worked 24/7. “The field of logistics works constantly because we have to get our bread and all other needs from wherever in the world so a work-life balance is almost a semi myth,” she said. “For self-care, I break it down into bite-sized pieces throughout the day. So when I get ready, I spend five minutes, just meditating or in between work, I just walk around and catch up with the people around me.”
Hadil Al Khatib was on her way up the corporate ladder in the field of human resources when her life changed after becoming a mother. “I was in postpartum and I hit a wall with an undiagnosed disease,” she shared. “I would have all these weird gut symptoms and brain fog. The doctors said my blood work was right and everything was just in my head.”
It was a book about postpartum depletion that led her down the path of holistic wellness. She is now a certified coach in gut health and founder of Broth Lab and Roost Rotisserie.
Dr. Leila Abdel Warith, CEO of National Reference Laboratory, said it was important to manage energy more than time. "You have to be more energetic to achieve more," she said. "In order to be energetic, you need to eat well, exercise and look after yourself and your mental wellbeing, because then you are the best of your energy performance."
Cancer awareness
During the event, sponsors Novartis held a session highlighting the importance of getting tested regularly to detect breast cancer early.
“The importance of early detection, education, and comprehensive care is more critical than ever,” said TugbaOncu, Therapeutic Area Head of Oncology at Novartis Gulf. “Our Women In Pink initiative continues to bring hope and support to thousands of women across the region, reminding them that life after a diagnosis is possible. We are dedicated to debunking myths and providing guidance to empower patients throughout their journey.”
Dr. AydaAlawadhi spoke at the session and urged all women above the age of 40 to take a mammogram once in two years. While speaking about myths, she also noted that not having a family history of breast cancer doesn’t necessarily mean women will not develop cancer and that in some cases breast cancer could be asymptomatic with no lumps.
Breast cancer survivor Carisa Berry-Pope explained how she had been given a clean chit during a routine check-up in December but went to discover a lump in her breast just two months later. “Early diagnosis saved my life,” she said. “When I got the lump removed, it was found to be malignant. Breast cancer awareness is not just in October; women should be aware about it 12 months of a year. And if they notice any change in their breasts, they should immediately go see a doctor.”
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/never-give-up-uae-women-share-stories-of-strength-healing
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Body of missing student found as Turkey grapples with femicides
Oct 17, 2024
AFP, ANKARA
The body of a 21-year-old woman student who went missing about three weeks ago has been found in eastern Turkey, the Turkish government said on Tuesday as the country grapples with a wave of femicides.
Hundreds of women have taken to the streets in major cities across Turkey over the past 10 days to denounce the string of murders. The protests began following a grisly Oct. 4 attack in Istanbul in which two 19-year-olds were killed within half an hour of each other by a young man of the same age who then killed himself. One of the women was decapitated.
The body of Rojin K. was found on the banks of Lake Van near MollaKasim village about 80km from Turkey’s eastern border with Iran, Turkish Minister of the Interior Ali Yerlikaya wrote on X.
Although Yerlikaya did not give the cause of death nor confirm whether she had been murdered, it is rare for such a high-ranking official to comment publicly on a missing person case.
The young woman was studying at university in the nearby city of Van where she was last seen leaving her student digs on Sept. 27. Turkey has struggled to contain a wave of femicides, with the country shocked by the murder of an eight-year-old girl in August and a 26-year-old policewoman last month. Many of those protesting at the weekend chanted slogans against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its leader, Turkish President RecepTayyip Erdogan, who initially blamed alcohol and social media for the violence.
However, last week, he promised to toughen the justice system and crack down harder on crime.
Part of the anger is about Turkey withdrawing from the so-called Istanbul Convention, which was set up by the Council of Europe and required signatory countries to pass laws aimed at preventing and prosecuting violence against women.
Women’s organizations want Turkey to return to the convention.
Turkey withdrew from it in 2021 with Erdogan’s government claiming it encouraged homosexuality and threatened the traditional family structure.
In the three months to Sept. 30, 117 women were “murdered” and another 110 died in “suspicious circumstances,” said a statement released on Friday last week by women’s rights groups who based their figures on news reports.
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2024/10/17/2003825455
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Muslim Woman, Nikhat Jahan, Takes Lead In Organising Durga Puja In Sultanpur, UP
October 17, 2024
Sultanpur: Amid reports of communal conflicts taking a toll on society, Nikhat Jahan from Uttar Pradesh's Sultanpur district has set an example of harmony and brotherhood.
Be it a Muslim festival or an event of the Hindus or any other community, Nikhat participates in all programmes with full enthusiasm. Her latest endeavour has been to be an active participant at the Durga Puja festival and being engrossed in the worship of the goddess.
The Vaishno Mata Puja Committee in the Loco Colony of Sultanpur entrusted the women under Nikhat's leadership to organise the puja. Nikhat has fulfilled her responsibilities with utmost sincerity and dedication.
This puja committee is run by women this time and Nikhat is the organising minister of the Mahila Kalyan Samiti that was formed last year to generate awareness among women through social programmes and to find solutions to their problems. Now, Nikhat is conducting various activities through the Mahila Jan Kalyan Samiti and Vaishno Mata Puja Committee during the festival.
Nikhat, who is wife of Railway's Chief Ticket Inspector Raees Ahmed said her husband inspired her to work in this direction. She said that for a decade her husband had taken all responsibilities at the puja pandal in Loco Colony and now she has come forward to do this work.
"This time, all women of the Mahila Jan Kalyan Samiti are organising the puja along with holding other religious activities," she said.
https://www.etvbharat.com/en/!state/muslim-woman-takes-lead-in-organising-durga-puja-in-sultanpur-enn24101702304
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Tech-Savvy Qatif Grandmother, Fatma Abdullah Al-Malak, Keeps Saudi Traditions Alive for The Social Media Generation
SULAFA ALKHUNAIZI
October 16, 2024
RIYADH: Dressing in traditional clothing and glistening gold jewelry is the daily norm for Fatma Abdullah Al-Malak, a 72-year-old, tech-savvy Saudi grandmother from Qatif who is working hard to keep the spirit of local culture alive through her social media activity.
She creates educational content about local heritage and traditions, including clothing and cooking, and shares it on Instagram. In one video, for example, she explains the traditional significance of the Alrdah, a cloak or robe that hangs loosely across the shoulders and is worn by women when they leave the house.
In another, she shows how a millstone, a large round stone made of granite or sandstone, is used to grind wheat into flour.
“I hope (people in the local community) get to know this valuable heritage by learning about it and visiting some local museums we have, and that they feel proud of this heritage,” Al-Malak told Arab News.
“I also hope they will preserve it from extinction as it is part of our identity, for those who do not have a heritage do not have a history.”
Although she continues to live a life that is traditional in many respects, Al-Malak has also moved with the times, embracing the potential of social media to share information and ideas.
Her Instagram feed contains colorful images illustrating the cultural heritage and traditions that have been part of her life, including photos of herself in traditional clothing from the region, in particular a Hashemite dress handed down from her grandmother.
“As for clothing, I only incorporate traditional gold pieces into my daily life,” Al-Malak said. “Yes, there is the Hashemite dress that my grandmother wore and my mother inherited it from her. Now I own this dress and I cherish it greatly. I hope my daughters will value it after me.”
Al-Malak is from Qatif, a municipality in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the oldest cities in the region, with rich history and cultural significance, and is known for its traditions of fish farming, agriculture and date palm cultivation.
Her traditional upbringing meant she was surrounded growing up by immediate family, including aunts and uncles. During childhood, she said, her father and grandmother in particular were great sources of inspiration, embodying the wisdom and resilience of the local people.
“(My grandmother) was the foundation of this home and we would gather around her,” Al-Malak said. “She played a role in instilling the qualities of love and affection among us as one family.
“I also learned the love of giving from my father, due to his kind contributions to the community.”
Now Al-Malak is the one teaching her family and caring for them. One of the ways she does this is by cooking traditional dishes, using recipes that were passed down to her through the generations, such as asida, a desert consisting of dough made from wheat flour, topped with honey.
She said her favorite dishes are harees, a hearty, porridge-type meal made from wheat and meat, usually chicken or lamb, and Qatifi kebabs, patties of meat mixed with herbs and spices.
Throughout her life in the Eastern Province, Al-Malak said she has witnessed shifting attitudes toward traditions in recent years, and so her goal is to highlight the important need to preserve local culture and heritage.
“All of our culture and traditions mean a lot to me, they are part of our identity,” she said. “Most of the traditions in our community have disappeared and only a few remain that we still practice.
“Moreover, many modern practices that have nothing to do with our community have (been adopted), such as the ghabqa (a late-night meal during Ramadan), bachelor parties and gender-reveal parties.”
Yet there are often more traditional equivalents for celebrating special occasions. For example, one of her favorite rituals occurs when a couple becomes engaged.
“The groom’s family brings bags of almonds and sweets to the bride’s family,” Al-Malak said. “The bride’s family then places them in a large basket and communicates with a woman whose job is to distribute the almonds and sweets to relatives and neighbors, so everyone is informed about the upcoming wedding.
“Also, a few days before the wedding, the women from the bride’s family and her friends go to the springs to bathe and celebrate the bride.”
In years gone by, Al-Malak said a typical day for a mother would be waking at 6 a.m., preparing breakfast for her family, and eating it together.
“The head of the family goes to work, and the children go to the teacher who teaches them reading and writing,” she added.
“The mother cleans the house and prepares lunch ingredients, then goes out to meet her neighbors while they complete some household tasks like sewing clothes or cleaning vegetables.
“She returns home to cook lunch for the family until they all come back and have lunch together. Then she prepares her children and goes out with them to visit relatives.
“Before sunset, they all return home and she prepares a light dinner for them to enjoy together while sharing conversations or watching television. They all go to bed early.”
In addition to her activities on social media, Al-Malak also participates in local events and initiatives to connect with her local community and help preserve its culture.
“I participated, and continue to participate, in many activities and festivals, including the WahatnaFarhana Festival, National Day celebrations, Al-Burah Festival, World Children’s Day at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Hospital, Rural Women’s Day, and various activities related to Al-Itaa Women’s Association in Qatif, among many others,” she said.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2575573/saudi-arabia
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Women's group donates blankets and sleeping bags for those in need in East Jordan
17th 2024
CHARLEVOIX COUNTY, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- A women's group in Charlevoix County helped donate blankets, sleeping bags and other supplies to those in need in East Jordan.
The Charlevoix County Democrats' Women for Democracy Coffee Group donated more than $2,500 worth of supplies to OPERATION BLANKET on Wednesday.
The supplies includednew blankets, sleeping bags, bedsheets, fleece throws, pillows and slippers.
OPERATION BLANKET, which is in its second year of existence, grew out of the community's Secret Santa program.
Organizers noticed some local children were writing letters to Santa asking for basic necessities like bedsheets and blankets, instead of asking for toys.
"We had one letter that brought us to tears," said chamber of commerce president Mary Faculak. "No 6-year-old girl should have to ask Santa for sheets and blankets."
The supplies will be available for pickup in the lobby of the East Jordan Area Chamber of Commerce on the following dates and times:
David Schweer, a volunteer and OPERATION BLANKET organizer, said his family struggled growing up and that he was eligible for the Toys for Tots program as a child.
"I remember how that felt when I was a child," Schweer said. "I wanted to pay it back."
OPERATION BLANKET is a community effort and is not officially sponsored by the chamber of commerce.
https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/womens-group-donates-blankets-and-sleeping-bags-for-those-in-need-in-east-jordan
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Taliban publicly flog six, including two women, in Kabul
October 17, 2024
KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban publicly flogged six people, including two women, in Kabul on Thursday on charges of “illicit relations and sodomy” according to a statement by the Taliban-run supreme court.
The public punishment took place in Kabul’s DehSabz district, the statement said.
Four individuals accused of “illicit relations” received 30 lashes each and were sentenced to one year in prison, the statement added.
According to the statement, two others, accused of sodomy, were each given 39 lashes and sentenced to one year and three months in prison.
This latest incident follows a series of public floggings by the Taliban. Just a day earlier, the Taliban publicly flogged ten people, including four women, across three provinces. Over the past month, nearly 50 people have been publicly flogged in various provinces on charges ranging from theft to “moral crimes.”
The United Nations Human Rights Council recently passed a resolution condemning the Taliban’s use of corporal punishment and calling for its immediate cessation. Numerous human rights organizations have also criticized the Taliban’s actions, describing them as violations of fundamental human values.
https://amu.tv/131035/
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CM Punjab Maryam Nawaz dismisses Lahore college rape allegations as ‘fabricated’
October 16, 2024
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday dismissed “rumours spread on social media” related to the alleged on-campus rape of a student in Lahore, terming it a “fabricated story”.
Last week, news related to the alleged rape of the student went viral on social media, prompting the police to arrest a security guard at the college who was allegedly involved in the incident.
Enraged by the alleged incident, students mobilised on social media and staged protests outside different colleges in the city. During one of the protests, clashes broke out between the protesters and the security team of a college. Later on, police and students confronted each other, resulting in a total of 28 casualties.
Police said that while the arrested security guard was being interrogated, the victim could not be identified or located. Nobody from her family came forward to register a first information report (FIR), the police said, adding that CCTV footage of the college in question, together with hospital records had been checked but no cues could be found.
Meanwhile, a video featuring a girl began going viral on social media, with users claiming that she was the alleged rape victim. Taking notice of the viral video, Lahore’s Defence A police station registered an FIR related to the case, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.
According to the FIR, when approached by the police, the parents of the girl in the viral video categorically denied any incident of rape, saying that their daughter had been hospitalised from October 2-11 following an injury from a fall at home. The parents of the girl maintained that making their daughter’s video go viral was a deliberate attempt to malign her reputation, the FIR said.
Addressing the issue in a press conference in Lahore today, the chief minister said that an issue was made out of an incident that “never existed in the first place”.
“The alleged rape incident was a fabricated story with no basis in reality,” CM Maryam said. “The girl [in the viral video] is not a rape victim, but a victim of bad politics and a conspiracy.”
Speaking about the student-led demonstration in the city against the alleged rape incident, she said that “some of the protesters were not even students. Our opposition party [PTI] launched them.
“Whoever was behind this, I will not spare them. Journalists and social media users, who provoked and incited the students, and disrespected the girl and her family, we have found their accounts,” she said. “There will be a crackdown against them.
“The problem is PTI, social media is not the problem. They use social media as it does not show their faces.”
CM Maryam revealed that the girl’s family approached her and requested that “those who fabricated this story be exposed.”
“Chaos is being spread across Punjab based on lies, especially during the SCO summit when foreign dignitaries are visiting Pakistan.”
Maryam said that a “plan was hatched” to mislead and instigate students through social media deliberately and accused the PTI of fueling the rumours and using them to its advantage.
Contesting the details of the case, the CM said, “The basement had no locks, Rescue 1122 never went despite their claims and even the ‘witness’ said she heard about the incident from someone else.
“I am not only a CM but I also represent women — this is my red line,” Maryam continued. “If a rape had happened, I would have acted before anyone said anything.”
In a later post on X, CM Maryam said the person “who propagated a blatant lie, incited violence and provoked the students has been arrested”.
She vowed that “as promised, I will not spare anyone who was part of the conspiracy and false propaganda that have gravely affected an innocent girl and her family alleging a rape that never happened.”
‘No eyewitnesses’
The chief minister added that there were no eyewitnesses “as the incident does not exist”. She introduced a girl sitting next to her whose video statement had gone viral on social media. In the video, the girl claimed that she was one of the witnesses of the incident.
“This girl is not even from the campus where the alleged incident occurred,” Maryam revealed. She added the clip was edited and that the so-called “eyewitness” had heard it from someone else, after which a teacher had asked her to talk to the media.
The girl stated, “They made me an eyewitness when I said that kids had heard it. I never said I heard it myself.”
Meanwhile, Maryam also introduced Dr Shabnam Gul, a professor at Lahore College Women’s University and the former head of the college’s harassment committee.
Maryam said, “Her video also went viral. She was removed from the harassment committee. According to her, students were not aware of the incident; they were instigated, and incited.”
Speaking during the presser, Dr Gul said, “I was called for an investigation as my video went viral. I was called to explain why I was inciting students.”
“I explained to them that I did not incite them, I tried to calm them down. I asked them why they were angry, and told them to go to the vice chancellor and discuss the problem,” she added.
She said, “When the strike erupted, it was not in my knowledge. My vice chancellor called me and told me to control the situation. Some students were involved without understanding the matter, and some, who were from outside, were angry over the issue, too. They were told to hold a strike over the matter.”
Concluding her remarks, the chief minister requested the Lahore High Court or any other high court to look into the matter.
“I request the courts to ensure that those involved in the rumour do not flee.”
‘The incident does not exist’: Punjab Group of Colleges
Senior directors of the Punjab Group of Colleges also said on Wednesday that there was no evidence that a student had been raped on campus after reports spread online sparked days of protests.
“The incident does not exist. I will resign and I will leave this profession and stand with the students if the incident took place,” ArifChaudry, the director of the private Punjab Group of Colleges that runs the women’s college, told reporters.
Agha Tahir Ijaz, another of the group’s directors, told the same news conference: “We want the kids to understand that they should not believe misinformation.”
https://www.dawn.com/news/1865600/cm-punjab-maryam-nawaz-dismisses-lahore-college-rape-allegations-as-fabricated
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