Love Jihad: Double Attack On Rights Of Both Hindu And Muslim Women
New
Age Islam News Bureau
18
November 2020
• Saudi Arabia Kicks Off First Kingdom’s First Women’s Football League
•
MoU For Jobs For Women In Water Sport, Diving Sector
•
Bangladesh Launches All-Female Police Team To Fight Online Abuse
•
Turfah Al-Mutairi, First Saudi Woman To Obtain A License From General Authority for Military Industries
•
Spotify Hands The Mic Over To Mideast’s Female Artists With ‘Sawtik’
•
Pakistan- Girls Education Is Key To End Child Marriages
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/love-jihad-double-attack-rights/d/123503
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Love Jihad: Double Attack On Rights Of Both Hindu And Muslim Women
By
R Jagannathan
Nov
18, 2020
Women
hold placards and form a human chain to protest against love jihad and
conversion to Islam. (Original picture by Mujeeb Faruqui/Hindustan Times via
GettyImages)
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Some
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states, including Haryana, Madhya Pradesh,
Uttar Pradesh, and possibly even Karnataka, are considering legislation to
minimise the incidence of love jihad – a phenomenon that can be loosely defined
as a Hindu woman converting to marry a Muslim. (Read here, here, here)
Though
the conversion pressure can go the other way too – of a Hindu boy being asked
to convert if he wants to marry a Muslim girl – the anecdotal evidence suggests
that the trend is largely in one direction, of Hindu girls and young women
converting away from the religion of their birth.
The
problem is that laws cannot deal with an issue that relates to society and its
attitudes to religion. A law to prevent love jihad may, on the contrary, tend
to give false comfort to Hindus, who worry about such conversions when no law
can prevent anyone from changing his or her faith, covertly if not overtly.
Hindus
look for simplistic solutions where none exist. Many states have banned
“forced” conversions, but this has not prevented the long-term trend of tribals
or non-tribals moving away from Hinduism.
Similarly,
a ban on conversions before marriage will not solve a problem that emanates
from what is intrinsic to Islam: the duty of Dawa, of spreading the faith, that
is enjoined on every Muslim. It should, therefore, be no surprise that some use
the ruse of marriage to achieve conversions, even though the love may be
substantially genuine.
Given
that this driving force to convert “pagans” and “non-believers” also exists in
Christianity, one should presume that the same pressures operate on any
non-Christian woman seeking to marry a Christian, especially if the marriage is
solemnised in a church with blessings from the clergy.
To
marry a Christian in a church is no different from marrying a Muslim through a
niqah, for both require conversions. Among Hindus, marriage is more about the
rituals practised by a particular sampradaya, and a Hindu-style wedding of an
inter-faith couple does not involve an active conversion angle.
Put
simply, there is no legal route away from love jihad, except by stressing
women’s rights and free choice – and educating them about it. Most cases of
love jihad happen because Hindu leaders and the government have simply not
explained to the larger society what happens when they – men or women – marry
in a church or opt for a niqah.
The
only legal thing that the government can do is to make the Special Marriages
Act, or civil marriage, applicable to all inter-faith marriages, or better
still, to all marriages. The religious ceremony of any community can thus
retain its cultural significance, but with no legal sanction beyond affirmation
that two people have tied the knot willingly.
Making
things worse is the inherent weakness of Hinduism, which does the exact
opposite of what Islam and Christianity do: the latter make it easy for someone
outside the faith to convert into their own and make the reversal of the
process difficult.
Hinduism
does the exact opposite: make it easier to opt out, and extremely difficult to
opt in and become a Hindu. It is just not about caste; at one point,
organisations like the Arya Samaj had found ways of seeking conversions, but
now only the Sangh’s ghar wapsi programme is at work. Unless Hindus in general
adopt practical conversion techniques and strategies, they are going to lose
the war of numbers.
Coming
specifically to love jihad, it is essentially a double blow to women’s rights;
one is the rights of Hindu women who throw away their religious and identity
rights if they opt to convert to Islam; the other is the denial of similar
rights to Muslim women who may want to marry outside their faith, but are
restricted by cultural pressures to cover their faces, avoid the company of men
outside the family, and generally forced to conform to patriarchal demands.
If
their men marry women from another faith, or marry twice over, Muslim women pay
the price. Love jihad is thus about a denial of women’s rights in both
communities. It is worth recalling that Hindu men seeking to court Muslim women
have often been killed for their temerity (read here, here, here, here). Any
Muslim woman who dares to think of marrying outside the faith thus faces the
prospect of getting her love murdered.
What
is needed is a general public educational campaign where women of all faiths
are told which rights the Constitution provides them regardless of faith and
which rights they give up based on which community they marry into. They also
need to be informed that no faith can tell them what to do, and love ought to
be about love and not their religious or cultural identities. Reformist Muslims
must also be encouraged to openly affirm that apostasy will not be a crime even
in Islam.
Hindus
have an additional job to do. They need to prepare themselves for enabling
conversions into their fold. Simple reason: the Abrahamic faiths are not going
to be less conversion oriented no matter what the law says. To defend Hinduism,
they need to be on the conversion offensive. These capabilities can be created
over time, but the key is commitment to do it.
A
disarmed community is in no position to fight another that comes fully armed to
a battle of conversions.
https://swarajyamag.com/politics/law-cant-curb-love-jihad-which-is-a-double-attack-on-rights-of-both-hindu-and-muslim-women
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Saudi
Arabia Kicks Off First Kingdom’s First Women’s Football League
Hala
Tashkandi
November
18, 2020
The
tournament has been lauded as an important step for the Saudi sports world.
(SPA)
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RIYADH:
First they opened the grandstands to women, now Saudi Arabia is encouraging
them to cross the touchline and compete in the Kingdom’s first Women’s Football
League tournament.
The
historic competition kicks off on Tuesday morning, with 24 teams across Jeddah,
Riyadh and Dammam competing for a championship cup, and a $133,000 cash prize.
The
Kingdom opened its stadiums to women football supporters in January, 2018, but
this is the first time they will have been allowed to compete in a tournament.
The
competition has been lauded as an important step for the Saudi sports world,
with many in the game throwing their support behind the event.
Calling
the competition a “positive step,” Abdullah Alyami, Saudi football coach and
sports reporter, said he expects many more women to participate in future
tournaments.
“This
is a very happy day for all athletes, be they male or female. And based on what
we’ve seen, and how beloved the sport of football is all over the Kingdom, I
believe we will see many more of our sisters getting involved in professional
sports,” he said.
Saudi
sports reporter Riyan Al-Jidani tweeted his support.
“To
all my dear sisters participating the Women’s Football League, your success in
the tournament is a step in the right direction towards our dream of
universality and representing our homeland to the outside world. Raising the
flag on the field is a glory and pride,” he said.
The
tournament was due to start in March – but the coronavirus pandemic stopped
play.
But
for some that just presented the opportunity to up their game.
“We
started preparations early, and the delay due to the pandemic actually worked
in our favor. We were able to take more than two months to prepare for the
tournament,” Maram Al-Butairi, general manager and head coach at Dammam-based
Eastern Flames FC.
Amal
Gimie, 26, an Eritrean midfielder for Jeddah’s Kings United, previously told
Arab News that she had been playing the beautiful game since she was eight.
“There
was a match every weekend. The boys made us play as goalkeepers in the
beginning, and in 2002, when I first saw the Women’s World Cup, it sparked my
passion to learn more about this sport,” said Gimie, who is also a management
information systems graduate. She joined her first female football team,
Challenge, in Riyadh in 2014.
She
said: “It was the first time I joined something organized. I was happy to be
playing but at the same time I felt as though it was an unreachable goal (to
become a professional athlete or join an official league), I felt like I was
growing older without achieving anything.”
The
matches won’t be broadcast, but Saudi’s army of football fans remain excited by
the tournament.
Wejdan
Al-Shammary, who grew up playing sports in school, said she would have tried
for a team “in a heartbeat” if she had been just a few years younger.
“I
played both basketball and football on my high school teams. I was a complete
sports nut, but it makes me happy to know that even if it’s too late for me to
achieve those dreams, there’s a chance now for young Saudi girls that I never
had,” she said.
Najla
Ahmed, a 16-year-old from Riyadh who plays on her school’s football team, said
she would try for a local team in 2021.
“I’ll
be 17, and therefore eligible, and I would love to see anyone try and stop me,”
she said.
Both
women said they hoped this was just the start and that more sports would be
opened up to women.
“Football
is just the beginning. I would love to see more focus on other sports, as well.
Basketball, tennis, maybe even competitive swimming,” said Al-Shammary. “I’m
sure we have so many potential Olympians among us who just need their talents
nurtured.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1764696/sport
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MoU
For Jobs For Women In Water Sport, Diving Sector
November
17, 2020
Suba
diver exploring the great barrier reef. Image used for illustrative purpose.
Getty
Images
-----
RIYADH
— The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) signed a joint
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Saudi Water Sports & Diving Federation
(SWSDF) aimed at increasing Saudization and empowerment of women in the water
sports and diving sector.
Minister
of Human Resources and Social Development Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi and Prince Sultan
Bin Fahd Bin Salman, chairman of the Board of Directors of SWSDF and president
of the Water Sports Association, inked the MoU, which aims to regulate the work
of the water sports and diving sector, and strive to increase the percentage of
Saudi participation in it.
The
deal also targets raising the rate of women’s participation in the labor market
through private sector establishments operating in the field of water sports
and diving.
The
agreement provides for the formation of a joint working group to define aspects
of the professions and jobs targeted for Saudization, and to define training
requirements and coordination with the parties and relevant authorities to
achieve the objectives of localization and to implement joint media and
marketing campaigns.
As
per the deal, the ministry will start adding facilities operating in the field
of water sports and diving services to the electronic platform for
self-employment so as to issue documents of agreed activities.
Speaking
on the occasion of the signing ceremony, Al-Rajhi said that the goals of MoU
include organizing the work of the water sports and diving sector in the
Kingdom in private sector establishments and individuals engaged in the field
of self-employment and providing them with support.
The
ministry will enumerate the professions and jobs targeted for Saudization,
determining the training requirements and coordination with the parties and
relevant authorities to achieve the objectives of Saudization and create new
job opportunities for national cadres in this field, in addition to increasing
the percentage of women’s participation in the labor market.
The
signing of MoU comes in line with the move of the ministry and SWSDF to enhance
cooperation to serve the development of the water sports and diving sector and
create a safe and attractive work environment in it.
Through
this deal, the ministry seeks to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 as well as
to support the objectives of the National Transformation Program so as to build
and develop partnerships with government agencies and the private sector to ensure
coordination in joint projects.
It
also targets to increase the percentage of Saudi participation, and to raise
the percentage of women’s participation in the employment market.
It
is noteworthy that the water sports and diving sector includes several sports
activities such as motor sports, including power boats and jet ski, sport
fishing, recreational and technical and free diving, and fly board and other
emerging sports.
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/600396/SAUDI-ARABIA/MoU-for-jobs-for-women-in-water-sport-diving-sector
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Bangladesh
launches all-female police team to fight online abuse
17
Nov 2020
Bangladeshi
police has launched an all-female unit to tackle a rise in online abuse and
harassment targeting women, the country’s police chief said, as authorities
seek to address growing public concern about gender-based violence.
Police
hope the unit will encourage more women to come forward to report digital
abuse, including so-called revenge porn, hacking of their social media accounts
and online threats from blackmailers.
“We
have different teams working with cybercrime in the police… but many (women)
don’t want to approach these areas, that’s why we have created an all-woman
team,” said Benazir Ahmed, inspector general of police, on Monday.
“We
believe that women will be more comfortable to speak to the all-woman team… the
unit will not reveal the names of the women who complain. This will further
encourage them,” he told a news conference on Monday.
Women
account for most of the victims of the nearly 6,100 cases filed under various
laws to prevent digital abuse in Bangladesh, police say.
Monday’s
announcement comes as authorities respond to growing concern in the country
about an increase in sex crimes, including rape in recent years.
Last
month, the government extended the use of the death penalty for rapists
following protests sparked by an online video that showed a group of men
sexually assaulting a woman.
Nearly
1,350 women were raped in Bangladesh in the first 10 months of this year, according
to rights group Ain o Salish Kendra, about 100 more than the number of rapes
reported during the same period last year.
Women’s
rights activist Maleka Banu said the surge in online sexual abuse reflected a
steep increase in internet usage in the South Asian nation, where the number of
people online has doubled over the last five years, official data shows.
“It’s
easier to target women online rather than in the real world. All you need is a
phone,” said Banu, general secretary of women’s rights group Bangladesh Mahila
Parishad.
“Starting
an all-female police unit is a good step. But this unit needs to be monitored
properly, so that women can reach out to them, or else it won’t create any
change,” she said.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/17/police-in-bangladesh-launch-all-woman-team-to-fight-digital-abuse
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Turfah
Al-Mutairi, First Saudi Woman To Obtain A License From General Authority for Military Industries
November
18, 2020
Turfah
Al-Mutairi is the first Saudi woman to obtain a license from the General
Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) for a military outfit factory.
Al-Mutairi
has a bachelor’s degree in arts and design from Princess Nourah bint
Abdulrahman University, where she majored in textile design. She has also
attended training programs on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) at Leipzig
University, Germany, and on promoting industrial innovation and technological
facilities from the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). She has
also received qualifications from UNIDO in industrial policies and planning
strategy.
From
1999 to 2009, she worked as an educationalist at Al-Riyadh Schools. She is now the founder and CEO of the Sondos
Al-Dibaj Trading Co., the Sondos Advanced Manufacturing Co. and the Sondos
Al-Dibaja Factory for Civil and Military Textile Industries. She also has a
factory producing medical products and equipment.
Al-Mutairi’s
military outfit factory is among the first of five companies to receive
licenses from GAMI. The factory works with international companies specialized
in localizing production of military equipment.
Al-Mutairi,
who is the deputy head of the businesswomen’s committee at the Riyadh Chamber,
is planning to build partnerships with more international companies to develop
the field, quoting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who said: “The sky is the
limit.” She has had meetings with Chinese and Greek industrial companies, and
said she will work with any company that wishes to enter the Saudi market.
According
to Al-Mutairi, she employs some 170 workers in her factory, most of whom are
women, and will hire a further 213 new employees as part of its expansion
strategy.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1764716/saudi-arabia
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Spotify
Hands The Mic Over To Mideast’s Female Artists With ‘Sawtik’
November
18, 2020
DUBAI:
Some of the most prolific female singers in the Arab world, including Umm
Kulthum and Fairouz, have paved the way for present superstars such as Nancy
Ajram, Elissa and more. Despite their legacy, the number of Arab female artists
who have been signed by regional music labels has significantly reduced over
the last decade, according to studies by Spotify.
This
is just one of the disheartening statistics uncovered by the music streaming
platform through months of comprehensive research which has prompted Spotify to
establish Sawtik, a new initiative dedicated to supporting and nurturing the
immense talent to be found among Arab women creatives residing in the Middle
East and North Africa.
“The
diversity and richness of the female creatives in this region is greatly
underrepresented,” said Claudius Boller, managing director for the Middle East
and Africa at Spotify. “This is why we started Sawtik.”
Sawtik,
which translates to “your voice” in Arabic, aims to celebrate and support
unsigned female artists from the MENA region and boost their careers by helping
them break into the music industry via marketing campaigns, workshops and
educational opportunities.
Meanwhile,
the Sawtik playlist on Spotify will serve as the gateway for labels to discover
new and emerging female talent. Some of the artists on the playlist include
Algerian rapper N1YAH, Egyptian singer Felukah, Dubai-based artist Layla Kardan
and many more.
“We
looked globally at female versus male representation on the platform, and it is
clear that female artists are underrepresented. We decided that we need to get
down to what the reason for the underrepresentation is and what can be done about
it,” shared Boller.
The
initiative debuted with sixteen emerging artists across a different mix of
genres hailing from Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine, Syria,
Lebanon, Egypt and the UAE. Artists include Saudi Arabia’s Jara, Moroccan
rapper Khtek and Emirati singer Almas.
Tunisian
superstar Latifa was also tapped to help mentor and guide the rising talents.
“It’s incredible how passionate and excited Latifa is about Sawtik. From people
like Latifa, we can all learn so much. Her expertise here is wonderful and
we’re happy to have her on board on this initative,” said Boller.
With
over 320 million monthly users globally, Spotify can no doubt provide unsigned
female artists with the exposure needed to further their careers as well as opportunities
to be discovered by labels internationally and listeners across the world.
“Spotify
will continue to find new ways to uplift the careers of female artists from the
region,” said Boller. “This is just the beginning.”
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1764751/lifestyle
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Pakistan-
Girls education is key to end child marriages
11/18/2020
Ending
child marriage is critical for girls 'rights, health, wellbeing, and ability to
survive into violence-free adulthood. Global good practices suggest that ending
child marriage lessens the burden on health infrastructure and reduces the
human footprint of resource-poor countries.
It
reduces human suffering, recognizes human dignity, and challenges gender-based
discrimination. Ultimately, ending child marriage frees untapped human
resources and enables girls and women to more effectively contribute to global
human development.
With
the legal age of marriage for girls being 16 except in Sindh where it is 18,
Pakistan has the sixth-highest number of child brides in the world (1.9
million). According to UNICEF. 'The State of the World's Children, 2017 Child
marriage prevalence rates in Pakistan remain alarmingly high; more than 21
percent of girls in Pakistan are married before 18 and 3 percent before they
are 15 years old. Across provinces, prevalence is reported to be highest in
Sindh (33%), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (29%), Balochistan (22%), and
Punjab (20%).
According
to World Bank' The Economic Impacts of Child Marriage'. It is estimated that by
ending Child and Early Age marriage (CEAM) the country could potentially save
77 million dollars by 2030 or lead to a 6229 million dollar raise in earnings
and productivity. It would also lead to a reduction of the multi-dimensional
poverty level – the number 1 priority for the government.
One
fruitful but not fully tapped strategy is to use girls' education as a
mechanism for reducing child marriage. Indeed, there is a newly emerged global
consensus on the importance of girls' education as a strategy to combat child
marriage—but it has yet to be translated into action in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
While
the Health and Demographic Survey, report 2017-2018 of Pakistan reflects that
among the household population of Pakistan 50% of women have no education
compared with 34% of men. Only 9% of the women have secondary and 10% have a
higher level of education.
Education
for girls is one of the best strategies for protecting girls against child
marriage. When they can stay in school and avoid being married early, girls can
build a foundation for a better life for themselves and their families.
Besides, if they have already been married young, access to education, economic
opportunities, and health service become a distant dream for them.
According
to the survey conducted by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Elementary and Secondary
Education Department in the year 2018, 1.8 million children are out of school
in the province which makes 23% of the total population aged 5-17. Of the total
out of schoolchildren, 64% are girls while 36% are boys. However, beyond
access, there is a critical need for attitude change among opinion leaders
toward girls' education as well as reforms in the education system, the school
environment, and the pedagogy of the curriculum.
The
education system needs to be reformed to provide quality education by
recruiting more female teachers. Additionally, new policies should be
introduced that could encourage and facilitate married adolescents a second
chance to get an education.
It
is good to see that the current PTI government is serious about improving
girls' education as it has allocated 70% of the education budget towards girls'
education. These funds must be utilized for making the school environment safe
and secure for girls and basic needs like hygiene and sanitation must be met.
The curriculum needs to be designed in a way that could equip girls with life
skills and marketable aptitudes which will empower girls to have viable
alternatives to early marriage.
https://menafn.com/1101144233/Pakistan-Girls-education-is-key-to-end-child-marriages
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