Nigar Shaji, a Muslim Woman Scientist Led The Complex Aditya L1 Solar Mission
New
Age Islam News Bureau
7
January 2024
•
Nigar Shaji, a Muslim Woman Scientist Led The Complex Aditya L1 Solar Mission
•
American Heidi Green, Conversing In Fluent Arabic, Fulfills Her Saudi Dream
•
Dalit Boy, Muslim Woman Thrashed By A
Group Of Muslim Men For Sitting Together In Karnataka
•
Impact Of Israel-Hamas War: Arab Female Entrepreneurs Struggle To Survive
•
World Is Betraying Afghan Women By Legitimising The Taliban
•
Can Pakistan’s First Hindu Woman Candidate, Saveera Prakash, Win?
•
Bilkis Bano Case: SC To Rule On Pleas Against Convicts’ Remission On Jan 8
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nigar-shaji-scientist--aditya-l1-solar/d/131470
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Nigar
Shaji, a Muslim Woman Scientist Led The Complex Aditya L1 Solar Mission
Nigar Shaji, a Muslim Woman Scientist
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Jan
7, 2024
NEW
DELHI: Leading the complex scientific mission of putting India’s first solar
observatory Aditya-L1 at Langrang point L1 from where the spacecraft will do
the ‘celestial surya namaskar’ of the Sun is Isro’s project director Nigar
Shaji, a gentle and smiling soul, who had worked tirelessly on the mission with
her team for eight years to make it a success.
Shaji,
who joined the elite space agency in 1987, rose through the ranks to become the
project director of India’s first solar mission. The 59-year-old, who was
earlier the associate project director of Resourcesat-2A, which is still
operational, is also the programme director for all lower orbit and planetary
missions. She started her stint in Isro by working at the Sriharikota spaceport
off the Andhra coast and was later shifted to the U R Rao Satellite Centre in
Bengaluru, which is the key centre for developing satellites.
Born
to a Muslim Tamil family in Sengottai in Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district, Shaji
did her schooling in Sengottai before getting admitted to the Government
College of Engineering, Tirunelveli, under Madurai Kamaraj University, where
she earned an engineering degree in electronics and communications. Later, she
did her masters in electronics from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra.
Shaji’s
father Sheikh Meeran, a mathematics graduate who turned to farming by choice,
always inspired her to do something big in life. “Both my parents were very
supportive throughout my childhood. Because of their continued support, I rose
to such heights,” she said in a media interview recently.
Clearing
any misconception about gender discrimination in the space agency, Shaji said
she never faced any gender bias in Isro. It was due to the continued support of
her seniors, she has been able to reach this position today. “Being the team
leader, many people now work under me. So, I groom the same way my seniors
groomed me,” Shaji said.
Shaji
and her team started working on the Aditya L1 project in 2016. Though the Covid
pandemic stalled their work around 2020 when Isro activities came to a near
halt, the project work never stopped. She and her team continued to work on the
solar observatory containing seven scientific instruments, which was launched
on September 2 last year. Shaji and her team kept a hawk's eye on the
spacecraft throughout its journey towards the L1 point from the Earth after
several manoeuvres. Due to their hard work, Aditya-L1 has finally reached its
destination, the halo orbit, from where the spacecraft will observe the Sun
without any hindrance or occulations.
The
59-year-old, who is playing a key role in several Isro missions, has now become
a role model for many women who want to pursue a career in space science.
Source:
Times Of India
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American
Heidi Green, Conversing In Fluent Arabic, Fulfills Her Saudi Dream
Heidi Green came to the Kingdom not only to discover
a new culture but also to pursue a master’s degree in psychology from King Saud
University. (Instagram/heidihilux)
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Saleh
Fareed
January
06, 2024
Heidi
Green is loving her new life in Saudi Arabia, far away from her American roots.
Effortlessly conversing in fluent Arabic, she seems to be adapting quite well
in Riyadh.
Green
has been living in Riyadh for almost two years. Since arriving, she has always
been complimentary about her experiences in the Kingdom.
The
move from the US to Riyadh was not an instant decision. She had been applying
for jobs in Saudi Arabia since 2014 and had no idea about Saudi Vision 2030.
“I
was born in Utah, grew up in Las Vegas, and lived most of my adult life in
Hawaii and the Washington D.C. area, and now am achieving my long-time goal by
living in Riyadh,” she added.
Speaking
in high spirits from her home in Riyadh about how her journey began, she said:
“Americans live here but don’t often assimilate to the culture. My journey
started by learning Arabic and making Saudi friends in the US. I went to
cultural events and sometimes interpreted into Sign Language for deaf students.
My love for Saudi Arabia grew during that time.”
Green
is an American Sign Language interpreter who interprets between English and
ASL, as well as Arabic and ASL. She is also proficient in Saudi Sign Language.
When
Green told her family she was moving to Saudi Arabia, they were not shocked,
but worried that she was going to a country considered by Americans to be deeply
conservative.
“I
(had) talked about Saudi Arabia for years, so it was not a surprise for them,
but they expressed their fear. The unknown always has an element of fear. Some
tried to convince me against it. I told them I would either go to Saudi Arabia
or die trying, so they knew I was determined. I felt strongly it was the right
thing for me,” she said.
I
always show people the positive aspects of Saudi Arabia, although there’s no
need to prove anything because people will learn and see for themselves what
Saudi Arabia is all about as it continues to make a global impact.
Green
wanted to come to the Kingdom not only to discover a new culture but also to
pursue a master’s degree. She is now studying psychology at King Saud
University.
“I
studied psychology in America and international relations in the UK, but I want
to see psychology in Saudi Arabia because I see that society is healthy and
beautiful here.”
Speaking
about the significance of pursuing further education in the Kingdom’s cultural
context, she said: “The field of psychology uses methods historically rooted
from one culture. As a result, our understanding of ‘disorders’ and how they
are categorized is flawed, and misdiagnoses is a problem. Improvement will come
from multicultural perspectives.
“I
wanted to understand psychology from a collectivist culture. I was fascinated
by Saudi families and the psychological impacts of societal values. Also,
through my career I research psychological well-being at work. Saudi Arabia is
a great place to explore that topic because of transformation.”
Going
to a foreign country may be challenging mainly due to the cultural differences,
but for Green, getting to know Saudi culture has opened doors to a new and
exciting experience. She said that she “was eager to show respect for the
culture,” as she “didn’t want to assume my way was right, I wanted to hear
other perspectives.”
“As
I became part of the community, I was thinking about things I never considered
before, like, should I cover my hair at work? How much should I socialize with
men? Is it OK to show my face on social media?”
Explaining
the impact this cultural exchange had on her, she said: “I learned a lot that
way. It transformed me positively. Assimilation into a new society with new
rules helps you learn about yourself. You must analyze and understand values
deeply, and bargain with yourself how much you will or will not change, as a
result of learning. In that process I became stronger and found that I could be
myself here and was accepted.”
Settling
into Saudi society and adapting to her new life was aided by her ability to
speak almost fluently in Arabic, which she learned through watching Saudi shows
before coming to the Kingdom. She watched “Khawatir” and read the book “40” by
the documentary show’s host Ahmed Al-Shugairi. To learn Najdi dialect, she
watched “Masameer County” and Telfaz11 comedies.
“Comedy
is a great language learning tool,” Green said. “It exaggerates things, so you
see nuances and culturally shared experiences. I grew to love the culture from
these shows. I am inspired by their creators who paved the way for the film
industry emerging in Saudi Arabia now. As it grows, there will likely be more
people like me who love Saudi Arabia and want to learn Arabic because
storytelling is powerful.”
Living
in the Kingdom, Green is open to new experiences and exploring the country
through the people. “I’ve talked to random people from Makkah to Qassim to Hafr
Al-Batin. Once a driver took me to his camel farm and I met his family. Other
times I’ve met sheikhs, CEOs, and actors. I have also sat in the homes of many
Saudi families, and families from nearby countries. I love learning about tribe
histories and traditions. I found many opportunities by simply talking to
people with genuine interest. Knowing Arabic helps, too,” she said.
Green
is often asked whether she feels safe in Saudi Arabia. “Safety is something I
value. When I travel, I miss Saudi Arabia, and when I’m back, it feels like
coming home because it’s safe. I feel if I had an emergency, the people,
neighbors, and systems around me would help,” she said.
Commenting
on how Saudis are building on Vision 2030, she said: “I admire Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman for delivering on promises, supporting women, and making
Saudi dreams happen. Saudi Arabia has improved life for its citizens and shown
social responsibility to the world through green initiatives, international
aid, and diplomacy efforts.”
“Most
misconceptions are dissolving, which is great. I always show people the
positive aspects of Saudi Arabia, although there’s no need to prove anything
because people will learn and see for themselves what Saudi Arabia is all about
as it continues to make a global impact.”
Source:
Www.Arabnews.Com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2437211/saudi-arabia
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Dalit
Boy, Muslim Woman Thrashed By A Group Of
Muslim Men For Sitting Together In Karnataka
By:
Vadapalli Nithin Kumar
Jan
7, 2024
A
moral policing case has been registered in Karnataka's Belagavi after a group
of Muslim men allegedly attacked a Dalit Hindu boy and a Muslim girl for
reportedly sitting together. Nine persons involved in the assault have been
taken into custody, said police.
The
victims, Sachin Lamani, 18, and Muskan Patel, 22, both were subjected to a
prolonged assault by the accused who used pipes and rods.
The
issue came to light when both the victims, after getting thrashed, filed a
complaint with the police. Based on the complaint, the Belagavi Police
registered a case under the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
Recounting
the horror, Sachin said, "They asked why a Hindu and a Muslim were sitting
together. I told them she wasn't a Muslim but my own aunt's daughter. They took
both of our phones. They snatched away Rs 7,000."
Sachin
revealed that the issue occurred when Muskan and he went to apply for the
Siddaramaiah's Yuva Nidhi scheme. "When we went to apply for the scheme,
they asked us to come after an hour as it was lunchtime. So, we went to sit by
Killa Lake. The miscreants were drunk when they came to us. They took a rod and
thrashed us," Sachin told India Today TV.
The
incident unfolded near Killa Lake in Belagavi on Saturday noon. The group of
miscreants approached Sachin and Muskan, enquiring about their names, according
to the complaint.
After
learning that they belonged to different religions, the attackers began
questioning Sachin about sitting next to Muskan.
The
verbal abuse escalated to physical violence, with the assailants attempting to
strangle Sachin by his neck. They forcibly took the mobile phones of both
victims, said Sachin and Muskan, in a police complaint.
Subsequently,
13 more people joined the attackers, taking Sachin and Muskan to a separate
room where they subjected Sachin to brutal thrashing till Saturday evening,
according to the complaint.
Source:
Www.Indiatoday.In
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Impact
of Israel-Hamas war: Arab female entrepreneurs struggle to survive
By
MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMAN
JANUARY
6, 2024
Salam
Diabat runs an alternative medicine company near her home in Zarzir in northern
Israel. However, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, her
client base has significantly dwindled.
“I
have a visitors center where I used to welcome customers from Israel and
abroad. Of course, now there is no tourism and no visitors, so I had to shut
the center down,” she told The Jerusalem Post.
Moreover,
Diabat noted that following the Hamas attack against Israel, anti-Arab
prejudice has surged, and many of her former Jewish clients have stopped coming
to her town.
Diabat
is one of a growing number of female entrepreneurs, particularly among Arab
Israeli women, who are struggling to survive three months after the war,
according to Tsofit Gordon, CEO of Yozmot Atid, a non-governmental organization
dedicated to assisting women from minority or underprivileged communities in
initiating and advancing their small businesses.
About
half the women generally already ran businesses – such as in food, design,
video editing, beauty or other crafts – the other half had an idea for a
business they wanted to start.
When
the women were accepted into the program, they would receive group training on
running a business, from balancing their finances to marketing, sales, and
navigating the bureaucracy and legal challenges in Israel. Then, they would be
paired with a professional mentor, also trained by Yozmot Atid, who would work
with them until they felt the women were on the track for success.
“About
70% out of every 1,000 women who start the program will open their business or
put it on the right track,” Gordon said. “We know from all kinds of surveys
that we do that the survival rate is about 70% three years after they complete
the program.”
Arab
society was always a focus for Yozmot Atid, she said, noting that the NGO had
been working with Arab Israeli women since 2015. It also works with the Bedouin
and Druze populations. The program encourages building a shared society, and
often, women in the Jewish and Arab communities would be matched to create
small partnerships, such that a Jewish restaurant owner may be encouraged to
buy her kubbeh from an Arab cook or vice versa.
Soon
after October 7, many of the women the program had helped were challenged. In
Arab communities, as Diabat described, the number of Jews willing to come and
shop declined, Gordon said. On the other hand, some Arab Israelis became
hesitant about selling to or visiting their Jewish clients for fear they would
be forced to discuss the war and their political opinions.
“We
opened an emergency response program with several elements,” Gordon told the
Post.First, a dedicated call center operates several hours, five days a week.
Female business owners can converse with one of the program’s business
consultants.
Next,
Yozmot Atid is aiding in navigating the Israeli bureaucracy so that the women
in need can tap into the state’s business grants and other support.
Lastly,
the program offers a series of webinars, workshops, and lectures, empowering
these women to utilize this period for self-development or to make strategic
shifts, such as transitioning from physical sales to electronic platforms,
primarily if their business heavily relies on tourism.
Diabat
said that during the COVID-19 crisis, she was forced to close her business for
two years, and, back then, she never thought she would recover.
“Here
we are again in such a difficult situation,” she said. “All the tours I booked
for October, November, and December were canceled.
She
said she signed up for workshops and is using the time to help improve her
business skills. In addition, she called for the state to provide more support
faster. Loans, she said, are not the answer.
Source:
Www.Jpost.Com
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-781090
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World
is betraying Afghan women by legitimising the Taliban
Chris
Fitzgerald
7
Jan, 2024
As
the world sees in a new year, Afghanistan remains a problem and its future
uncertain. The country continues to suffer through a humanitarian crisis and
the Taliban continues to rule through brutality, severely oppressing women. The
world has been unsure how to solve these problems, though a recent vote at the
United Nations suggests this might be changing.
On
December 29, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on the Afghanistan
independent assessment, meant to be a blueprint of “forward-looking
recommendations” to fully integrate Afghanistan into the international
community through increasing engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and
structured manner.
This
is a recognition that the status quo isn’t working and that solving
Afghanistan’s problems begins and ends with the Taliban, rulers of Afghanistan
since the withdrawal of US-led forces in August 2021. No country has officially
recognised the Taliban government due to its links with terrorist groups and
poor human rights record.
With
the group seemingly in control of the country for the long term, the
international community appears to have decided to engage with the Taliban,
with the aim of eventual recognition and a seat at the UN.
But
there is a catch. The report provides clear guidelines for the Taliban to be
legitimised, including that: “Any formal reintegration of Afghanistan into
global institutions and systems will require the participation and leadership
of Afghan women.”
This
is for good reason. The Taliban is arguably the most anti-women regime on the
planet, denying education and employment, enforcing a strict code of veiling
and restricting women to the home or under the supervision of male family
members.
It
seems a fair offer, the Taliban treating women in accordance with their human
rights and getting a seat at the international table in return.
But
the reality on the ground tells a different story. Many countries have been
engaging with the Taliban for months, even years – and this engagement is
leading to fears that human rights have taken a back seat.
The
US has also engaged with the group, with a delegation meeting senior Taliban
officials in Doha last July. The US had previously said that the Taliban
addressing human rights concerns was a precondition for discussions. It appears
the US has blinked first, seeing deeper engagement with the Taliban as a way to
tackle human rights.
Taliban’s
acting minister of industry and commerce Nooruddin Azizi claims Afghanistan has
trading relationships with 60 countries, including India, China and Pakistan,
and is using these relationships to work towards “self-sufficiency” – showing
the Taliban isn’t as isolated as once thought to be.
A
four-year-old Afghan girl sleeps after work in a brick factory on the outskirts
of Kabul on August 17. Aid agencies say more children are working since the
economy collapsed after the Taliban takeover. Photo: AP
The
Taliban, it seems, has won a game of patience with the international community.
While the group sees official recognition as its ultimate goal, deeper
engagement by several countries suggests this may only be a matter of time. The
Taliban is hoping the world – particularly the West – decides to put the
humanitarian crisis and threat of terrorism above human rights.
While
the US and others cannot be seen to be abandoning Afghan women, they appear to
be doing just that. Engaging with the Taliban in the hope it reverses its
position on human rights is naive, particularly when human rights groups say
the situation for women is worsening. If these countries are wrong and the
Taliban doesn’t change, it would be a devastating and damaging betrayal of
women in Afghanistan.
The
solution is consistency, and this can be found in the UN’s Afghanistan
independent assessment. It is vital that the international community holds firm
and ties deeper engagement with human rights, particularly for women. Countries
such as the United States and China also need to stop dealing with the Taliban
in trade or dialogue outside the assessment guidelines, as the group has shown
it will take advantage of any division.
If
the international community is concerned about the humanitarian crisis and
terrorism in Afghanistan, it can provide funding for the former through UN
agencies and work with regional partners – such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and
Pakistan – to tackle the latter. Again, a clear, consistent approach will help
solve these problems while isolating the Taliban and discrediting it in the
eyes of Afghans.
The
world appears to be at an important junction when it comes to Afghanistan’s
future. Its people – particularly women – have been forgotten by the world
before and are at risk of being again. This can’t be allowed to happen. The
world needs to stand firm on the Taliban and human rights.
Source:
Www.Scmp.Com
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Can
Pakistan’s first Hindu woman candidate win?
Jan
7, 2024
Saveera
Parkash, a doctor by profession, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Buner district,
tells us why she is contesting from the general seat of PK-25 in the upcoming
elections, and what her candidature means for women and minorities in Pakistan
In
Pakistan it is still considered a big deal when a woman contests general
elections. But Saveera Prakash’s candidature from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
has created a buzz not just in the country but also all the way in India. This
is the first-time ever a woman hailing from a minority community — a Hindu —
will be contesting in the polls on February 8, 2024.
A
native of Buner — a valley in Pakistan’s northwestern province of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa that is sandwiched between Swabi to the south and Swat to the north
— the 25-year-old is a certified doctor who graduated from the Abbottabad
International Medical College with an MBBS in 2022. “I would say my family is
unique and diverse,” she says. “My mother is of Russian origin and Christian by
faith, while my father is a Hindu Pakhtun [a member of a Pashto-speaking
community that hails from southern Afghanistan and north-western Pakistan] —
and both of them are doctors by profession.”
Source:
Times Of India
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Bilkis
Bano case: SC to rule on pleas against convicts’ remission on Jan 8
by
MuslimMirror
07-01-2024
New
Delhi : The Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce on Monday its verdict on
the petitions challenging the remission granted to 11 convicts in the case of
gangrape of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the
2002 Gujarat riots.
A
bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan had on October 12 last year
reserved its verdict after an 11-day hearing on the petitions, including the
one filed by Bano.
While
reserving the judgement, the apex court had directed the Centre and the Gujarat
government to submit by October 16 the original records related to the
remission of sentence of the 11 convicts.
While
hearing the matter in September last year, the top court had asked whether
convicts have a fundamental right to seek remission.
During
the earlier arguments, the apex court had observed that state governments
should not be selective in granting remission to convicts and the opportunity
to reform and reintegrate with society should extend to every prisoner.
Besides
the petition filed by Bano contesting the remission granted to them by the
Gujarat government, several other PILs, including one by CPI(M) leader
Subhashini Ali, independent journalist Revati Laul and former vice-chancellor
of Lucknow University Roop Rekha Verma, have challenged the relief.
Bilkis
Bano was 21 years old and five months pregnant when she was gang-raped while
fleeing the horror of the communal riots that broke out after the Godhra
train-burning incident. Her three-year-old daughter was among the seven family
members killed in the riots.
Source:
Muslimmirror.Com
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/nigar-shaji-scientist--aditya-l1-solar/d/131470