Irish Actress Nicola Coughlan Says She Was Warned Not To Campaign For Palestinians
New Age Islam News Bureau
27 April 2024
· Irish Actress Nicola Coughlan Says She Was Warned Not To Campaign For Palestinians
·
Iranian Female Athlete Nazanin Fatemeh
Eidian Makes History By Winning Gold At Asian Championships
·
How Arab World's First Well-Known
Urdu Poet Dr. Walaa Jamal Fell In Love With Urdu, India
·
New Film"The Sharp Edge Of
Peace" Captures Afghan Women's
Courage In Failed Peace Talks With Taliban
·
Ahlam Albashir, A Syrian Woman
Jailed For Life Over Istanbul Killer Blast
·
UN Denounces ‘More Serious’ Iran Crackdown
On Women Without Veils
·
Girls’ Education Vital For Afghanistan:
Karzai
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/irish-actress-nicola-coughlan-palestinians/d/132213
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Irish
Actress Nicola Coughlan Says She Was Warned Not To Campaign For Palestinians
Irish actress Nicola Coughlan
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April
26, 2024
LONDON:
Irish actress Nicola Coughlan has revealed that she was told her Palestinian
advocacy could harm her career.
The
“Bridgerton” and “Derry Girls” star told Teen Vogue she had been warned by
people in Hollywood not to be openly supportive of Palestinian rights, but has
continued to campaign for a ceasefire in Gaza and still publicly wears an
Artists4Ceasefire pin.
“You
do get told, ‘you won’t get work, you won’t do this,’ but I also think, deep
down, if you know that you’re coming from a place of ‘I don’t want any innocent
people to suffer,’ then I’m not worried about people’s reactions,” she said.
“My
family lived in Jerusalem back in the late ‘70s, early ’80s, before I was born,
so I heard first hand stories about them living there.”
She
said her father, who served in the Irish military, went to a “lot of war-torn
regions after the conflict and try and help rebuild,” and this had left a
profound impression on her.
“I’m
so lucky I’ve gotten to this point in my career, and I’m privileged as a white
woman, first off.
“Then
the fact that I get to do the job I love and travel the world and meet amazing
people, I feel a moral responsibility to give back.”
She
has made a point of continuing to campaign and raise money around the issue,
adding: “To me, it always becomes about supporting all innocent people, which
sounds oversimplified, but I think you’ve got to look at situations and just
think, ‘Are we supporting innocent people no matter where they’re from, who
they are?’ That’s my drive.”
Coughlan
said social media plays a role in driving advocacy but it requires nuance.
“More of us should be trying to understand how upsetting and traumatising this
is for Jewish people, and how horrific it is that all these innocent people in
Palestine are being murdered,” she added.
A
number of Hollywood figures have faced repercussions for their open support of
the Palestinians or criticism of Israel.
Mexican
actress Melissa Barrera was fired from the latest “Scream” film over social
media posts in support of Palestine, while director Jonathan Glazer caused controversy
for using his acceptance speech at the Oscars for his film “The Zone of
Interest” to criticize the Gaza war.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2499931/lifestyle
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Iranian
Female Athlete Nazanin Fatemeh Eidian Makes History By Winning Gold At Asian
Championships
Iranian athlete Nazanin Fatemeh Eidian
------
Apr
27, 2024
TEHRAN,
Apr. 27 (MNA) – Iranian female athlete Nazanin Fatemeh Eidian won a gold medal
in the 400m hurdles for the first time for her country at the Asian U20
Athletics Championships held in Dubai.
The
Iranian junior athlete has made history by finishing first in the 400m hurdles
category, with an impressive time of 58.86 seconds.
The
athlete, Eidian, also managed to improve the junior national record which was
previously set by herself (59.48 seconds).
She,
who won silver medal winner in 2023 Yecheon in South Korea, also managed to
break the senior national record of 59.16 seconds which was for Shahla Mahmoudi.
The
21st Asian U20 Athletics Championships were held in Dubai, the United Arab
Emirates, on April 24-27, 2024.
Source:
mehrnews.com
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/214419/Iran-s-Eidian-makes-history-by-winning-gold-at-Asian-C-ships
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How
Arab World's First Well-Known Urdu Poet Dr. Walaa Jamal Fell In Love With Urdu,
India
27-04-2024
AashaKhosa
Arab
world's first well-known Urdu poet Dr. Walaa Jamal El Esseily needs no
introduction in the world of mushairas, the poetry sessions held across India
extolling the beauty of the language.
Her
poetry comes as a pleasant surprise to poets in India since she is an Egyptian.
Most literary figures know that the relations between India and Egypt are older
than the history of the mummies but not many know that the roots of Urdu also
have a hundred years of history in Egypt.
Dr.
Walaa Jamal mentioned her love for Urdu and India in a beautiful expression.
“If I don't come to India, I don't get peace. I try to visit India every year.
I love India's civilization and culture, I love to be called 'Indian', I get
honour and respect, I am very grateful for that,” she told Ameena Majid of
Awaz-the Voice in a video interview.
Dr.
Walaa Jamal lives in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, where she is working as an
associate professor at Ain Shams University.
She
says the teaching of Urdu language in Egyptian universities has been going on
for 80 years. In 1939, on the order of King Farooq, the Egyptian government
institution, and the Oriental Language Institute, started working in Cairo
University. After 1952, the Egyptian government started broadcasting in the
Urdu language to build cordial relations with the subcontinent.
The
teaching of Urdu at Al-Sharqiya Institute of Languages was started by
Hasan-ul-Azmi from Azamgarh who had obtained the certificate of al-Alamiya from
Jamia Al-Azhar in 1938.
The
first attempt to introduce the Urdu language in Egypt was made by a few Indians
who went to Egypt in 1930. The same year, an Indian journalist, Abu Saeed Al
Arabi, first published an Urdu language magazine titled 'Jehan Islami' from
Cairo.
About
her love of Urdu and poetry, Dr. Walaa Jamal says that I learned Urdu in four
years in Egypt. I have never been to Pakistan (which has Urdu as a national
language), but I have visited India four times. It was my love for Urdu that I
did my MA in Urdu and later obtained a Ph.D degree in the same language. I am
now an associate professor of Urdu.”
In
the Interview, she said, “I have been fond of poetry as a child. I have a
passion for Urdu poetry.”
After
studying in college, she decided to pursue poetry as a subject. “I like Urdu
poetry very much. There is sweetness in the Urdu language. This is the secret
of my love for this language.”
In
response to a question, Dr. Walaa Jamal says that on her first attempt, she
recited a poem, not a ghazal, because it )singing ghazal) was very difficult
for her.
My
first book was There is an ocean in between had prose and free verse.”
Apart
from these books, Dr. Walaa Jamal has also gifted dozens of articles, features,
and essays to the Urdu world from Egypt. Dr. Willa Jamal Al- Esseily, has also
been honoured with many literary awards.
She
says, “The first time I went to India, after participating in a program, I was
fascinated by its civilization and culture. I felt as if someone had cast a
spell on my mind. After that, I started writing. I wrote a poem and posted it
on social media and people appreciated it. When I got appreciation, I focused
on it. I thought I would try poetry.
“So
I must have succeeded because I was becoming obsessed,”
She
says, “When I write on paper what I don't speak to anyone, it gives me peace.”
Dr.
Walaa Jamal says that once upon a time she had no idea about the Urdu language.
“In Egypt, we did not know about Urdu, we only knew Hindi language because of
Hindi movies. When I asked the people about Urdu in Egypt, I was told it’s a
kind of Hindi. So when I came to know that Urdu is like Hindi, I should learn
it because I was interested in Indian movies and listening to songs, so I got
inclined towards learning it.”
Dr
Walaa Jamal said that there are two collections of her poems, one of which is
The sea is in between and the other is Dokhtar Mir.
About
his collection of poems Dakhtar Mir, she also refers to Egypt in the following
couplet:
I
am on the banks of the Nile but in sight
Jhelum
is Ganga is Jumna, Ravi is Chenab
Mein
neelkekinare hon lekinnigahmein
Jehlumhai
ganga jamnahai Ravi chanabhai
This
poem is proof that Dr. Walaa is highly influenced by the Ganga Jamani
civilization of India. Dr. Villa's Urdu poetry, fiction, and essays are
impressive, and so is her personality. She comes across as a calm, gentle, and
sophisticated person with her prompt responses during the Mushiras.
Dr
Walla Jamal says that in Egypt, Urdu is learned in college, not school, so
perhaps many people don't know about it. “If someone asks, we tell them that
the number of students in our department is high. People are also interested in
the fact that Urdu is taught in seven universities. The number of students is
more than 3,000. Not much work has been done regarding the Urdu language
because most of the Urdu texts are translated into Arabic.”
Dr.
Jamal says that the responsibility of “Urdu is on all of you”. The future of
the language is bright because Urdu is not my mother tongue but because of your
encouragement, I have adopted it.” She is the epitome of the relationship
between India and Egypt, and Urdu and Arabic.
Dr.
Walaa Jamal says that she is usually busy teaching and also being a mother. “I
have a lot of responsibilities, but whenever I get time, I study.
She
says that my two favorite cities in India are Lucknow and Kolkata. She has also
written poems on these two. “I have found a charm in the culture of Kolkata and
Lucknow. If I talk about Lucknow, I love the culture of the city along with its
tasty kebabs, I love Indian food.”
Dr.
Jamal says that she will come to India again. “India is in my heart. The love
and culture of this country keep me close to it.”
Source: awazthevoice.in
https://www.awazthevoice.in/personality-news/how-egyptian-poet-dr-walaa-jamal-fell-in-love-with-urdu-india-28498.html
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New
Film"The Sharp Edge Of Peace"
Captures Afghan Women's Courage In Failed Peace Talks With Taliban
Apr
27, 2024
Jenna
Zucker
TORONTO,
- The new documentary "The Sharp Edge of Peace" begins with a
harrowing scene: Fawzia Koofi, a former member of Afghanistan’s parliament and
a women's rights activist, recovering in a hospital bed after surviving an
assassination attempt in August 2020.
While
traveling to Kabul with her daughter, Koofi was ambushed by unidentified gunmen
who opened fire on her vehicle.
"They
thought I was shot in the head and died," Koofi says in the documentary,
which has its world premiere on Saturday at the Canadian documentary festival
Hot Docs that runs through May 5.
Directed
by Roya Sadat, the 95-minute film is a testament to the courage of Afghan women
leaders who continue advocating for change since the Taliban seized power in
August 2021, and have drastically curtailed women's freedoms and rights.
"This
is a tragedy, but at the same time, you can see the power of women and see the
beauty of this country when women participate," Sadat told Reuters.
Koofi's
resolve remained unshaken even after the attack, which was not the first she's
faced. She was a key figure among women negotiators, including Fatima Gailani,
Habiba Sarabi, and SharifaZurmati, involved in the intra-Afghan talks in Doha,
Qatar aimed at striking a peace deal with the Taliban.
The
documentary covers the failed negotiations from the perspective of the women on
Afghanistan's negotiating team.
Once
at the negotiating table, Koofi realized the Taliban already saw themselves as
victorious.
"When
President Biden came to power, he announced that he would withdraw his troops
from Afghanistan regardless, with no conditions, and that was a boost to the
Taliban’s morale,” she said in an interview.
The
Biden administration has previously blamed the chaotic U.S. withdrawal on the
Trump administration, which struck the agreement with the Taliban.
'WE
ARE BEING ERASED'
Koofi,
now in exile, continues to work from the UK by engaging with international
bodies like the United Nations and the European Union, pushing policymakers to
recognize the plight of Afghan women under Taliban rule.
"It's
painful that most of these countries think that we should influence and change
the perspectives of the Taliban,” Koofi said, adding that since regaining
power, they have not changed at all.
“We
are being erased,” Koofi said of the steady decline in women's rights in
Afghanistan.
Undeterred,
Koofi founded the Afghan Women Coalition for Change with a goal of establishing
gender apartheid as an internationally recognized crime against humanity.
Gailani,
chair of Afghanistan Future Thought Forum, told Reuters the negotiating team
never wanted U.S. soldiers or NATO to stay in the country forever, but expected
a smoother withdrawal and a political settlement.
"Some
Westerners believe that they alone gave freedom to the Afghan woman, that she
couldn't do anything herself, which is not the case," says fellow
negotiator Sarabi at the close of the film. "Afghan women didn't get here
easily, they endured a lot of struggles."
Source:
hindustantimes.com
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/new-film-captures-afghan-women-s-courage-in-failed-peace-talks-with-taliban-101714212150597.html
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AhlamAlbashir,
A Syrian Woman Jailed For Life Over Istanbul Killer Blast
April
27, 2024
JEDDAH:
A Syrian woman who planted a bomb that killed six people in Istanbul’s main
shopping street 18 months ago was jailed for life on Friday.
AhlamAlbashir
was given a total of seven life sentences by a Turkish court for carrying out
the attack in Istiklal Avenue on Nov. 13, 2022. Six Turkish citizens, two
members each from three families, died in the blast in the busy street packed
with shoppers and tourists. About 100 people were injured.
More
than 30 other people were accused in connection with the explosion. Four were
released from prison on Friday, and a further 10 were ordered to be tried
separately in their absence because they could not be found.
Twenty
others were given prison sentences ranging from four years to life. Of those,
six received aggravated life imprisonment for murder and “disrupting the unity
and integrity of the state.”
Turkiye
blamed Kurdish militants for the explosion, and said the order for the attack
was given in Kobani in northern Syria, where Turkish forces have conducted
operations against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in recent years.
The
YPG and the outlawed PKK Kurdish separatist group, which has fought a
decades-old insurgency against the Turkish state, denied involvement in the
attack. No group admitted it.
Istanbul
has been attacked in the past by Kurdish, Islamist and leftist militants. A
wave of bombings and other attacks began nationwide when a ceasefire between
Ankara and the PKK broke down in mid-2015.
More
than 40,000 people have been killed in the PKK’s conflict with Turkiye since
the militant group took up arms in 1984. It is considered a terrorist
organisation by Turkiye, the EU and the US.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2500081/middle-east
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UN
denounces ‘more serious’ Iran crackdown on women without veils
April
26, 2024
GENEVA:
The United Nations said Friday that it was concerned by reports of new efforts
to track and punish Iranian women, some as young as 15, who refuse to wear the
headscarf required under the country’s Islamic law.
The
UN Human Rights Office also expressed alarm about a draft bill on “Supporting
the Family by Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab,” which would impose
tougher sentences on women appearing in public without the hijab.
“What
we have seen, what we’re hearing is, in the past months, that the authorities,
whether they be plainclothes police or policemen in uniform, are increasingly
enforcing the hijab bill,” Jeremy Laurence, a spokesman for the office, said at
a press conference.
“There
have been reports of widespread arrests and harassment of women and girls —
many between the ages of 15 and 17,” he said.
Iranian
police announced in mid-April reinforced checks on hijab use, saying the law
was increasingly being flouted.
Hundreds
of businesses including restaurants and cafes have been shut down for not
enforcing the hijab rule, and surveillance cameras are being used to identify
women without it, Laurence said.
More
women began refusing the veil in the wake of the 2022 death in custody of
22-year-old Mahsa Amini after her arrest by Iran’s morality police for
allegedly breaking the headscarf law, which sparked a wave of deadly protests
against the government.
Laurence
said that on April 21, “the Tehran head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps announced the creation of a new body to enforce existing mandatory hijab
laws, adding that guard members have been trained to do so ‘in a more serious
manner’ in public spaces.”
And
while the latest draft of the new hijab bill has not been released, “an earlier
version stipulates that those found guilty of violating the mandatory dress
code could face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, flogging, and fines,” he said,
adding that “this bill must be shelved.”
The
Human Rights Office also called for the release of a rapper sentenced to death
for supporting nationwide protests sparked by Amini’s death.
ToomajSalehi,
33, was arrested in October 2022 for publicly backing the uprising.
“All
individuals imprisoned for exercising their freedom of opinion and expression,
including artistic expression, must be released,” Laurence said.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2499806/middle-east
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Girls’
education vital for Afghanistan: Karzai
Fidel
Rahmati
April
26, 2024
Former
President Hamid Karzai emphasized the importance of girls’ education during a
meeting with Iran’s ambassador and special representative, Hassan KazemiQomi.
He said the education of girls was a “vital issue” for Afghanistan.
Karzai
highlighted that peace and stability in the region benefit all neighbouring
countries. He stressed the significance of regional cooperation to achieve
lasting peace and prosperity.
However,
despite such discussions on education and regional stability, oppressive
restrictions persist in Afghanistan, particularly concerning women’s rights.
Women are facing severe limitations on education beyond the sixth grade,
hindering their access to higher education and opportunities for personal
growth and development.
Additionally,
oppressive policies restrict women’s employment opportunities, depriving them
of economic independence and the ability to contribute fully to society. These
restrictions perpetuate gender inequality and hinder Afghanistan’s progress
towards a more inclusive and equitable society.
Furthermore,
freedom of expression and access to free media are increasingly constrained in
Afghanistan, limiting the dissemination of diverse perspectives and critical
information.
Source:
khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/girls-education-vital-for-afghanistan-karzai/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/irish-actress-nicola-coughlan-palestinians/d/132213