Kerala Muslim Woman, Jasna Salim, Presents Her Krishna Painting Before Deity
New
Age Islam News Bureau
28
September 2021
• Pak Court Sentences Woman School Principal, Salma Tanvir, To Death for Committing Blasphemy
•
Saudi-Government Kafalah Grants $115m in Loans to Female-Led Enterprises
•
In Kerala, 29-Year-Old Subeena Rahman, a Muslim Woman Performs Last Rites at
Crematorium
•
Indian Muslim Women Urged To Plan Career in Civil Services
•
Taliban Chancellor Bars Women from Classes in Kabul University
•
Female Pakistani Duo Gets $3m for Their Fintech Start-up Ooran
•
Rabat’s Only Woman Taxi Driver Busts Social Norms and Stereotypes
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/jasna-krishan-painting-kerala-woman-/d/125459
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Kerala Muslim Woman, Jasna Salim, Presents Her Krishna Painting Before Deity
28th
September 2021
Jasna Salim with her painting of .Little Krishna
at Ulanadu Sree Krishna Swamy temple in Pandalam.
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PATHANAMTHITTA:
Jasna Salim, a Muslim woman from Kozhikode, had gained attention through her
Lord Krishna paintings a few years ago. On Sunday, the 28-year-old accomplished
a long-cherished dream — to present a Lord Krishna painting before the deity.
Though she has painted over 500 pictures of Little Krishna over the past six
years, she had never received a chance to present her painting inside a temple,
until now.
“It
was a big dream of mine to see Lord Krishna’s idol and to present my painting
before the deity. I’m delighted to have been able to fulfil that wish at the
Ulanadu Sree Krishna Swamy temple in Pandalam. I have no words to express my
happiness, and my gratitude to the temple authorities,” Jasna said.
The
fulfilment of her wish came about after a devotees’ group approached her
seeking an artwork to be gifted to the Ulanadu Sree Krishna Swamy temple as her
paintings of little Krishna sitting with a butter pot had gone viral on social
media. Jasna, a mother of two, is not a trained artist. In fact, she struggled
with even routine drawing during her schooldays.
“My
hands would shiver when teachers asked me to draw a map. I began to paint Lord
Krishna images quite accidentally,” she said. While the construction of their
house was on, they bought some old paper for domestic purposes. Amid that, a
picture of Lord Krishna sitting with a butter pot caught her attention.
Jasna
gifts her 1st painting to Hindu friend
“It
was very striking. I’m the youngest of three sisters in our family. Right from
childhood, my parents and other family members called me ‘Kanna’ fondly. So
when I saw the picture of Lord Krishna, it ignited an urge in me to paint one
such picture,” said Jasna. She gifted her first painting to one of her Hindu
friends.
“Later,
the family told me that a lot of good changes had happened in their lives after
they placed my painting inside their home. That inspired me, and thereafter
many people approached me for the Lord Krishna paintings,” Jasna said.
People
from different walks of life have bought her paintings.
“I
have been gifting my paintings of Lord Krishna to the Guruvayur temple for the
past six years, during Vishu and Sree Krishna Jayanti celebrations. I can only
paint one image to perfection — Little Krishna sitting with a butter pot. And
everyone is demanding that image. I wish I could gift a Lord Krishna painting
to Prime Minister Narendra Modi one day,” Jasna said.
Source:
New Indian Express
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Pak
Court Sentences Woman School Principal, Salma Tanvir, To Death for Committing
Blasphemy
Sep
28, 2021
LAHORE:
A Pakistani court has sentenced to death a woman school principal for
committing blasphemy. The district and sessions court on Monday handed down the
death sentence to Salma Tanvir, principal of a private school in Nishtar
Colony, and imposed a fine of PKR 5,000 ($29) on her.
Additional
district and sessions Judge Mansoor Ahmad observed in the verdict that Tanvir
committed blasphemy by denying that Prophet Muhammad was not the last prophet
of Islam.
Lahore
police in 2013 had registered a blasphemy case against Tanvir on the complaint
of a local cleric. She was accused of denying the finality of Prophet Muhammad
and claimed herself to be the Prophet of Islam.
Tanvir's
counsel Muhammad Ramzan argued that her client was "unsound minded
person" and the court should have taken the fact into account.
However,
a report by a medical board of the Punjab Institute of Mental Health submitted
to court by the prosecution said "the suspect was fit to stand trial as
she was not mentally deranged."
Pakistan's
controversial blasphemy laws and their prescribed punishments are considered extremely
severe. At least 1,472 people were charged under the blasphemy law in Pakistan
since 1987.
People
accused of blasphemy are usually deprived of the right to a counsel of their
choice as most lawyers refuse to take up such sensitive cases.
The
blasphemy laws are colonial-era legislation but they were amended by former
dictator General Ziaul Haq which increased the severity of prescribed
punishments.
Source:
Times of India
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Saudi-government
Kafalah grants $115m in loans to female-led enterprises
September
26, 2021
The
Small and Medium Enterprises Loan Guarantee Program (Kafalah), a government
initiative to finance small and medium enterprises, granted SR432 million ($115
million) of loans to 456 businesses led by women in the first half of 2021,
according to Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper.
Businesses
in the central region of Riyadh got the lion's share as they received the
highest Kafalah support, with 151 establishments accounting for 33 percent of
the total, taking SR178 million in financing. This was followed closely by
Makkah region with 115 establishments, or 25 percent, receiving SR97 million.
The Eastern Province came third, with 102 establishments, or 22 percent,
receiving SR99 million.
The
Kafalah program spans several business sectors including wholesale commerce,
catering and hotels, manufacturing industries, and administrative and support
services.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1935691/business-economy
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In
Kerala, 29-Year-Old Subeena Rahman, a Muslim Woman Performs Last Rites at
Crematorium
By
Ramesh Babu
SEP
28, 2021
At
the break of dawn, 29-year-old Subeena Rahman, a Muslim woman, is busy
cremating a body in Kerala’s Thrissur district.
While
there are no relatives around because the middle-aged man died of Covid-19,
Rahman, clad in protective gear, lights a lamp and performs basic rituals she
learned from Hindu friends in order to give the departed a decent final
journey.
Rahman
has been working as a cremator for the past three years in a Hindu cremation
ground at Irinjalakuda in Thrissur. Initially, there were loud protests from
her community as well as from Hindus, but all came around after noticing her
commitment towards her work.
According
to the Hindu tradition in many parts of the country, women usually don’t
accompany the deceased to cremation grounds. An undergraduate (she is yet to
complete her B Com), Rahman was initially recruited as a clerk at SNBS Samajam
crematorium. Later she took up all jobs like her two assistants.
Now,
the three employees share their work and each body fetches them ₹500 in
fees, which they divide among themselves. Earlier, three to five bodies were cremated
every day at the gas-based crematorium, but the number has increased to 10 to
12 due to Covid-19.
“After
every cremation, I pray no more bodies, but I need money also. It is a big
conflict between my need and emotions. A number of times I cried in my PPE
(personal protective equipment) kits. But as an employee, we are not supposed
to show our emotions in public,” Rahman said.
She
candidly admitted her work was not part of women’s lib or breaking of another
glass ceiling. She said she knocked at many doors as the situation in her home
deteriorated, and when the offer came to be a crematorium clerk, she grabbed
the opportunity.
“Initially,
some of them took a dig calling me a tandoor maker. When they criticise, I do
ask them to give me a proper job. But they have no answer to offer. I have to
keep my hearth burning,” she said, adding her husband KV Rahman fully supports
her. They have an eight-year-old son.
“I
know this is a job any woman would hate to take up, but situation at home was
really compelling,” she said, recalling how her husband was without work for
many months after the outbreak of Covid-19. Her father, who worked as a
woodcutter, is bedridden after a near-fatal fall. Her mother is also down with
lifestyle ailments. The family’s economic condition broke down after her sister
was married off, Rahman said.
“We
are staying on rent. I have to meet my son’s school fees also. Thanks to this
job we manage it somehow,” she said, while acknowledging that people who looked
down upon her have started recognising her work. “It is a profession for me. If
people feel it’s a taboo, let them. I am least bothered,” she said.
SNBS
Samajam president MK Viswambharan recalled how initially he was reluctant to
hire a woman for cremation work. “When she came to us three years ago, we
initially discouraged her, saying a woman that too from a different community
will pose problems. But she was persistent and told us she viewed it as a
vocation. A hardworking woman, she is fully committed to her job and we never
had any problems with her,” said Viswambharan.
SNBS
Samajam is a social organisation working for the uplift of Ezhavas, the largest
Hindu community in Kerala, comprising roughly 23% of the state’s population.
Viswambharan said besides Hindus, members of the Christian community also use
the SNBS crematorium.
Rahman
recalled an unusual experience when a cremation was booked for 2.30 pm, but the
body did not arrive until 3 pm. When she enquired, she was told “the old man
was yet to die.”
She
said it takes at least two hours to get the ashes after cremation, and on some
days, she has to work for almost 14 hours.
Talking
about her job, she said cremating young accident victims (mainly two-wheeler
drivers) and children really moves her, but she has least regard for those who
die by suicide.
Rahman
wants to become a police officer and has started preparing to complete her
graduation. Despite her long duty hours and domestic chores, she keeps abreast
of the world around her. She won ₹1.50 lakh in
a TV reality show (Flowers Channel) on Sunday. “I dream of a world where there
is no hate or mad race. All religions exhort us to love each other,” she said.
“Subeena
is very particular about the customs of different communities. When my mother
died of Covid-19 last year, she arranged a priest in a PPE kit to do her last
rites. She is a symbol of brotherhood,” said PK Dayanandan, a schoolteacher.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Indian
Muslim Women Urged To Plan Career in Civil Services
27
Sep 2021
Patna:
A career awareness program on civil services was held at Dr. Usman Ghani Imarat
Girls' Institute in Patna on 26 September 2021. The program started with
recitation of the Holy Quran.
While
talking on 'What is Civil Services', Mohammad Naushad Ansari, Hon'y vice
chairman of the Institute, through a power-point presentation, elaborated
details on the profession of civil services, the rewards and challenges of
being in civil services. He emphasised that all graduates are eligible to
appear in this exam. They can definitely crack and get a good rank provided
they plan their preparation under good guidance and work very hard. It is seen
that a good number of candidates qualifying in civil services exams come from
lower strata of the society. “Civil Servants of different services are the
officers behind implementation of government development plans. They are the
people who keep law and order, and work as a link between the public and the
government”, he stated.
The
chief guest, Mr. M W Ansari, former Director General of Police, Chhattisgarh
spoke on the topic ‘Career in Civil Services: Criteria, roles and
opportunities’. He stated that the prestige, power and the status that one
acquires after entering civil services is immense and unparalleled. Besides,
this service provides opportunity to serve the society and the nation at a
larger scale. More than 10 lakh students apply for this exam each year. The
number of aspirants is increasing every year. This year 761 students have
cracked this prestigious exam, out of which only 31 students are from the
Muslim community. It is too low considering their population. We require good
number of quality institutions, proper guidance and good mentors so that
chances of success brighten considerably. In particular, he pointed out that
the proportion of Muslim women in these services is negligible. The community
cannot prosper without bringing quality education among their women. He also
appreciated the contribution of Dr. Usman Ghani Imarat Girls' Institute in imparting
education to the weaker sections of the society with limited resources. In the
question and answer session he advised the students that the preparation for
Civil Services exam should start from tenth class itself. Bihar had been
contributing a good number of Civil Servants every year and this year’s topper
in the exam is from Bihar only.
Mr.
Khurshid Anwar Arfi, Senior journalist, renowned author of many books and Hon’y
chairman of the institute, in his presidential address, emphasised that the
community must focus on quality education which should enable new generation to
successfully face the modern challenges. The other area of attention should be
job-oriented courses and professional educational. This institute offers
various courses viz., BCA, BBA, B Lib. Sc, DCA, Diploma in Dress Designing etc
which gives immense opportunity to girls to gain access into good professions
and earnings. He informed that the institute has a plan to organise similar
career guidance programs and will be providing all the assistance needed to the
Civil Services aspirants for state as well as for UPSC exams. He thanked all
the honorary members of the institute including Mr. Enam Khan, Secretary of the
institute, for dedicating his time and energy for the institution’s development.
He also thanked all the teachers and, in particular, Mrs. Ruby Nishat, for
offering her services to the institute voluntarily for over two years. He
acknowledged and offered dua for Late Maulana Wali Rahmani who worked hard for
development of Institute’s building and infrastructure.
The
program was attended by a large number of students, teachers and others. The
welcome address was delivered by Mrs. Rupa Sharma, Principal of the Institute
and vote of thanks was given by Mrs. Nuzhat Ghousiya . The girls put forward
various questions and got enlightened. They noted down details of study plan
for the exam and also felt ignited to write this exam.
Dr.
Usman Ghani Imarat Girls' Institute, Patna was established and run by
Imarat-e-Shariah Educational & Welfare Trust, Bihar. It is one of the
Knowledge Resource Centre of Maulana Mazharul Haque Arabic & Persian
University, Bihar.
Union
Public Service Commission (UPSC) is India's premier central recruiting agency
for central government public servants.
Source:
Milli Gazette
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Taliban
Chancellor Bars Women From Classes in Kabul University
By
Muneeza Naqvi
September
28, 2021
Female
students won’t return to Kabul University until “a real Islamic environment” is
provided for all, the Taliban-appointed chancellor said, dealing another blow
to women’s rights in Afghanistan since the group came to power last month.
The
militant group has said that women will be allowed to work and study within the
bounds of their interpretation of sharia or Islamic law, indicating a softening
of their stance from when they were last in power between 1996 and 2001.
However, so far there have been no moves to restore freedoms for women and
girls.
Earlier
this month high schools reopened for boys, but girls have yet to return to
classes. There are no women in the Taliban-led interim government.
“As
long as real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be
allowed to come to universities or work,” Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat, who was
appointed to the job last week said in a tweet Monday. “Islam first,” he added.
Ghairat
was appointed to the job of leading one of the country’s main universities last
week. He has no prior experience in academia, although he said in a series of
tweets that he has been a key member of the Taliban’s Cultural Commission and
led the Al-Hijra Institute for three years.
He
did not indicate when a suitable, gender-segregated environment would allow
female students to return to class.
The
lack of urgency on the part of the militant group to restore women’s rights has
led to concerns that the country is slipping back to the way things were during
their earlier five-year rule. Women were stoned for crimes like adultery and
only allowed to venture out covered in a head-to-toe veil known as the “burqa.”
Even then, they had to be accompanied by a male relative. They were not allowed
to work or study.
Most
of the women leaders who had emerged during the last 20 years of U.S.-backed
governments have fled the country fearing reprisals.
Source:
Baloomberg
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Female
Pakistani Duo Gets $3m for Their Fintech Start-up Ooran
September
28, 2021
DUBAI:
Pakistani financial technology startup Oraan has raised $3 million in its
latest funding round, in a boost to female-led entrepreneurs in the country.
The
startup was founded in 2018 by Halima Iqbal and Farwah Tapal, who wanted to
provide financing solutions for unbanked women in Pakistan.
The
female duo set out to disrupt an informal financing model in Pakistan where
families or a group of people in a community would contribute money to a pool
distributed to a member each month.
Oraan
provides technology to decentralize and automate this informal system,
providing unbanked communities, particularly women, a more sophisticated
financing option.
Investors
including Zayn Capital and Wavemaker Partners joined the round, as well as
other international venture capitalists.
“When
a woman goes into a bank, the first question we get asked is ‘why do you even
need a bank account?’ especially if you’re a freelancer or micro-entrepreneur
or unemployed homemaker,” Iqbal said.
The
kinds of restrictions, she added, have stopped women from contributing to the
economy because of the lack of financial mobility.
“We
take this culturally, religiously, socially acceptable tool, which is committees,
digitize them and bring women into a more formal space where they can open bank
accounts,” Iqbal explained.
The
startup has big ambitions to become a “full-fledged neobank.”
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1936736/business-economy
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Rabat’s
only woman taxi driver busts social norms and stereotypes
September
27, 2021
RABAT:
Souad Hdidou is challenging social norms and busting stereotypes from behind
the wheel as the only female taxi driver in the Moroccan capital Rabat and one
of a few in the country.
Hdidou,
33, started work as a truck driver after dropping out of school and worked for
a fish distribution company, but switched to taxis for the better pay and
greater freedom, she said.
“I’m
the kind who likes challenges,” Hdidou said.
She
now earns enough to pay the mortgage on her flat near Rabat as well as
supporting her family in the countryside and has built up a solid customer
base.
“Mothers
often trust me to pick up their kids from school when they’re busy,” she said.
“I also receive calls to pick up women at night because they feel more
comfortable with me.”
At
the wheel of her blue sedan, sparkling clean and fragrant inside, and a
heart-shaped talisman with religious verses dangling from the rear view mirror,
Hdidou is a rare sight on Rabat’s roads.
“We
need more women taxi drivers,” said Nouhila Asah a female client, adding that
with Hdidou she can have a conversation and talk freely over the phone unlike
when the driver is a man.
There
used to be seven women licensed as taxi drivers in the capital, but they all
stopped working except Hdidou. Female taxi drivers sometimes face sexual
harassment in the form of unwanted advances, she said.
Even
for men, the taxi business is tough in Morocco — most drivers have no access to
state health and pension coverage, and want the government to reform the
sector.
The
taxi operating license is so costly that many “rent” it from well-off people
who have the right connections. Hdidou said the cost of renting the license as
well as car operating expenses account for up to 70 percent of her monthly
revenue.
The
head of the taxi drivers’ union, Mohamed Touiti, said he hoped the government
would give drivers access to state social security.
For
Hdidou, she’s taken a step toward fulfilling her childhood dream: “My wish is
to work in international transport ... I am now in the process of getting
different types of driving licenses. This is Souad’s life,” she said, laughing.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1936621/middle-east
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