New
Age Islam News Bureau
27
May 2022
• Afghan
Women Continue Protest over Ban on Girls’ Schools
• Training
Saudi Women for the Workforce Will Net a $400bn Return
• Nancy
Jones, New Jersey Woman Accused of Bias Attack on Muslim Teens with Hijabs
• Taliban
'Making Women Invisible' In Afghanistan: UN Expert
• Malaysian-Born
Actress Sarah Hildebrand Reveals Daily Online Abuse One Of The Reasons She Left
The Country
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/sara-sabry-egypt-analog-astronaut/d/127106
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Sara
Sabry is Egypt's First Female Analog Astronaut
Egyptian
engineer Sara Sabry, Egypt's first female analog astronaut, putting on a spacesuit at the
LunAres Research Station in Poland. The analog mission, which took place in
2021 at an updated nuclear bunker, was aimed at stimulating the conditions of a
moon landing. Photo: LunAres Research Station.
----
Kamal Tabikha
May
26, 2022
Egyptian
engineer Sara Sabry stands stock still as her spacesuit is adjusted, running
through an extensive checklist of her mission to learn how to collect a lunar
surface sample.
But
she isn't on the moon or even the International Space Station; she is at a
repurposed nuclear bunker in Poland.
Sabry
is Egypt's first female analog astronaut.
Analog
missions are essentially simulations conducted on Earth at locations that have
physical similarities to the extreme conditions that space travellers will have
to contend with on their journeys off-planet.
They
are a kind of rehearsal that allows space agencies to test out crisis
management scenarios, as well as give new kinds of equipment a dry run before
using them on space missions.
Earning
her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the American University in
Cairo, where she also finished a pre-med minor, Sabry went on to achieve a
master’s in biomedical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano in 2020. Her
master's was mainly focused on the use of robotics and artificial intelligence
in surgery.
This
year, Sabry will start a PhD programme in aerospace sciences in the US where
her focus will be on space suit design.
“My
transition from the biomedical and mechanical engineering fields into aerospace
was actually really smooth,” Sabry, 28, tells The National. “What many people
don’t know is that a background in medicine and engineering allows one to work
in a variety of fields. And when you consider how much the aerospace industry
has grown during the past decades, a wide range of expertise now has a role to
play in it.”
In
2021, Sabry embarked on her first analog mission, which she attended with five
other people at a nuclear bunker just outside the small Polish city Pila.
Sabry's group was inside the facility for three weeks, she tells The National
from her home in Berlin.
To
simulate a mission to the moon accurately, the group had no access to sunlight,
food that isn’t freeze-dried or caffeine. They also had minimal contact with
the outside world.
“The
reason we were kept out of the sun is because when astronauts go on a moon
mission, one of their top priorities is to protect themselves from radiation,”
Sabry says. “During the simulation, we got to do everything that an astronaut
would do, so we put on spacesuits and conducted moon walks to collect surface
samples and so on.”
The
bunker where the mission took place was designed by experienced space
architects who made it in the image of housing units off-planet, explains
Sabry. The group of astronauts were given a strict schedule to follow,
including an hour of vigorous exercise every day. This is mandatory for every
astronaut working off-planet.
“When
an astronaut is exposed to either low gravity or micro-gravity, which often
happens when they are in transit between Earth and their destination
off-planet, they lose bone density because of the decreased load on their
bones,” Sabry explains. “Muscle atrophy is also a big issue, so to mitigate
this, astronauts on the International Space Station have to do two hours of
exercise every day.”
While
they might not have the lustre of off-planet space missions, analog voyages are
an invaluable part of the aerospace industry, explains Sabry. She adds that
taking part in the mission and the first-hand experience she gained would be
invaluable in her plans to design spacesuits and in any aerospace research
missions that she joins.
“When
you understand the human body’s needs in that kind of environment, it changes
the way you approach the whole thing,” she adds.
Sabry
remains hopeful that she will one day go to space, but says that existing laws
that mandate that people can take part in off-planet missions only organised by
agencies in their home nations have thus far been a hindrance.
Though
the Egyptian Space Agency is nascent and its activities limited, Sabry says it
is progressing at a decent rate. She says she is excited about the
opportunities it plans to afford Egyptians who want to enter the aerospace
field.
The
aerospace industry is one of the world’s more male-dominated industries, with
only 11.2 per cent of the US's aerospace engineers women. Furthermore, Arab
involvement in the sector is also markedly low, which has made Sabry’s journey
not without its obstacles.
Despite
those challenges, Sabry also recognises that her having been fortunate enough
to receive a top-notch education gave her leg-up with achieving her success.
Now she wants to open up the industry to other people, even if they haven't
been as fortunate.
Her
Deep Space Initiative, a non-profit company that works on providing more
opportunities in aerospace for applicants anywhere in the world, gives
participants the chance to conduct research on space-related topics. Those
involved can also present their ideas to some of aerospace’s biggest names,
many of whom Sabry met and formed relationships with over her career.
“We
are essentially trying to make space research more accessible to everyone and
to provide more equitable opportunity in the field,” says Sabry. “Those who
join the programme will have the opportunity of studying fields that are only
really available in the West and be exposed to knowledge they might have never
had access to.”
As
part of the community outreach part of her project, Sabry will collaborate with
the Egyptian Space Agency on a variety of activities in the near future.
“My
efforts are focused on erasing the nationality-based differences in the
aerospace field, which are ridiculous in my opinion,” says Sabry. “It’s amazing
that we continue to bar people from entering fields that could benefit from
their involvement because of some lines on a map drawn by some old men
centuries ago.”
Source:
The National News
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Afghan
Women Continue Protest Over Ban On Girls’ Schools
Representative
image (file photo
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27
May, 2022
Kabul
[Afghanistan], May 27 (ANI): Taliban forces suppress a protest by Afghan women
on Thursday in regard to the ban on girls’ schools nearing almost nine months.
A
group of women staged a demonstration in front of Maryam High School in Kabul
and chanted slogans of “Bread, work and education” indicating the deprivation
of education of Afghan girls by closing all secondary girls’ schools over grade
six for about nine months, reported Khaama Press.
The
protesters carried the message of “Education is our Right.” One of the
protesters said that the Taliban’s decree of closing girls’ schools proved to
be discriminatory against women. The demonstrators further pointed out target
killings against women.
The
protesters complained that the Taliban have even forbidden women from every
social, cultural or political sphere in Afghanistan, reported Khaama Press.
To
curb the protest and disperse the demonstrators, the Taliban opened fire and
resorted to violence. Time and again, the Taliban has suppressed many such
protests by women in Afghanistan and even arrested them.
Earlier,
Taliban militants dispersed a group of women who staged a demonstration in
Kabul against the decision to make the hijab mandatory. Taliban forces
reportedly ripped down the banners and dispersed the protesters.
Further,
in another new decree, the Taliban directed all-female presenters working on
all TV channels to cover their faces while presenting programs.
Taliban,
in its official order earlier, directed female staff members of the United
Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) to wear the hijab at offices
and has also curtailed Afghan women from wearing make-up and reproductive
rights, ban on education for girls from classes 6 and above being an add on.
The
atrocities of the Taliban against Afghan women have been on an incessant surge
since the organization seized power in Afghanistan in August last year, banning
young girls and women of humanitarian rights.
However,
although the Taliban’s Ministry of Education has assured that the schools for
girls in grades 7-12 will be reopened in the near future, there have been
hardly any developments so far. (ANI)
Source:
The Print
https://theprint.in/world/afghan-women-continue-protest-over-ban-on-girls-schools/973129/
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Training
Saudi women for the workforce will net a $400bn return
May
26, 2022
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry is one of the sectors through which the Kingdom
plans to diversify the economy with its Vision 2030 program and is an area
where women can play a huge role, according to the head of one female
empowerment group.
In
an exclusive interview with Arab News, Mae Al-Mozaini, founder and CEO of the
Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment, said that this industry already employs
many women. She was speaking at the Future Hospitality Summit in Riyadh.
Al-Mozaini
said: “Investing in targeted training for Saudi women will have a return on
investment of $400 billion by 2030. So that’s a big number of women
participating to improve the economic prosperity of the Kingdom and for
themselves.”
The
Kingdom’s Vision 2030 plan aims to boost female participation in the workforce
from 22 percent to 30 percent by the end of the decade.
Despite
the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the distaff side
globally, women in Saudi Arabia have made rapid social and professional strides
on the back of the above-stated reforms.
According
to the General Authority for Statistics, female participation in the Kingdom’s
workforce rose to 33 percent at the end of 2020, up from 19 percent in 2016.
The
growing numbers of women joining the workforce has helped the Kingdom achieve
its target of female labor force participation 10 years ahead of time and
lifted its international rankings in women’s economic inclusion and empowerment
indices.
In
the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, Saudi Arabia was
ranked 147 out of 156 countries.
Al-Mozaini
added that Saudi women are ranked the most educated females in the Middle East
and North Africa and investing in them to work in the tourism industry is a
good move.
She
added: “Saudi Arabia has been a pioneer in investing in women’s education. I don’t
know any country where you go to college for free, and the government will give
you money to stay in college. This means you don’t need a job to help your
family while studying.
“The
government wants you to graduate from school, so you can get a better job after
college. I don’t know any country that does that. So, the Kingdom is a pioneer
in investing in women.”
The
Alkhobar-based Arab Institute for Women’s Empowerment was founded by Al-Mozaini
in 2018 to “promote women’s empowerment and cultivate sustainable economic
development.”
It
aims to “raise the percentage of women in leadership by providing both emerging
and accomplished female leaders with the knowledge, skills and networks needed
to expand their impact on their individual organizations as well as their wider
communities.”
Nusf
aims to deliver programs that provide the necessary tools for Arab and Saudi
women to succeed in professional and leadership roles.
Nusf
in Arabic means “half,” and the institute aims to engage half the Kingdom’s
population through empowerment and highlight the importance of investing in
women.
For
2018-2022, the UN Economic and Social Council elected Saudi Arabia to the UN
Commission on the Status of Women, and in the World Bank’s 2021 Women, Business
and the Law Index, Saudi Arabia scored 80 out of 100, well ahead of the global
average.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2090626/business-economy
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Nancy
Jones, New Jersey Woman Accused of Bias Attack on Muslim Teens with Hijabs
By
David Propper
May
26, 2022
A
New Jersey woman allegedly told two Muslim teenagers to go back to their
country and slugged one in the head during a bias-fueled attack, prosecutors
said Thursday.
Nancy
Jones, 59, of Clifton, was arrested on a slew of charges for allegedly
harassing the teens in a nail salon on April 30, According to the Passaic
County Prosecutor’s Office.
Both
girls were wearing hijabs at the time, prosecutors said.
During
the confrontation, Jones also struck the 13-year-old in the head, according to
authorities.
After
Jones was identified, a warrant was issued for her arrest and she turned
herself in to Clifton police on Wednesday.
The
New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the
alleged attack and provided more details surrounding it.
According
to a press release from CAIR-NJ, the woman shouted at the two girls for staring
at her while they waited to get their nails done. She allegedly shouted
profanities at them, CAIR-NJ stated, and told them, “to go back to their
(expletive) country you two little punks,” and that “they do not belong here.”
When
the girls’ mother came to the salon and saw them crying, she confronted Jones
in the parking lot and was cursed out by her, according to CAIR-NJ.
Other
customers backed up what the two teenagers claimed in the immediate aftermath,
CAIR-NJ said.
“We
are deeply troubled by this alleged bias-motivated behavior. Physically and
verbally attacking two young girls to the point of tears is appalling,” CAIR
Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said in a statement. “We welcome the ongoing
police investigation by Clifton officers and hope the matter is taken seriously
and justice is done.”
Jones
is facing several charges including fourth-degree bias intimidation, two counts
of third-degree endangering the welfare of a child, and simple assault, which
is a disorderly person offense.
Jones
was released on conditions, authorities said. A spokesperson for the
prosecutor’s office said she didn’t know what plea Jones entered and could not
provide more details beyond the press release issued by the office.
The
charges have been referred to a grand jury.
The
prosecutor’s office asked anyone with more information on the case to contact
its office at 1-877-370-PCPO or email tips@passaiccountynj.org.
Source:
New York Post
https://nypost.com/2022/05/26/nj-woman-accused-of-bias-attack-on-muslim-teens-with-hijabs/
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Taliban
'making women invisible' in Afghanistan: UN expert
May
26, 2022
KABUL:
The Taliban government's restrictions on women are aimed at making them
"invisible" in Afghan society, a UN human rights observer said
Thursday during a visit to the nation.
Since
the Taliban stormed back to power last year, they have imposed harsh
restrictions on women and girls to comply with their austere vision of Islam.
Teenage
girls have been shut out from secondary schools, while women have been forced
from some government jobs and barred from travelling alone.
This
month Afghanistan's supreme leader and Taliban chief Hibatullah Akhundzada
ordered women to cover up fully in public, including their faces.
These
policies show a "pattern of absolute gender segregation and are aimed at
making women invisible in the society", Richard Bennett, UN special
rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, told reporters in Kabul.
"The
de facto authorities have failed to acknowledge the magnitude and gravity of
the abuses being committed, many of them in their name," Bennett said.
His
comments came as Taliban fighters on Thursday broke up a women's protest
calling for the reopening of secondary schools for girls.
"Angry
Taliban forces came and dispersed us," Munisa Mubariz, an organiser of the
rally, told AFP.
In
March the Taliban ordered all secondary schools for girls to shut, just hours
after opening them for the first time since taking power in August.
The
government has yet to offer a clear reason for the decision, but officials
claim the institutions will reopen soon.
Foreign
governments have insisted the Taliban's record on human rights, especially
women's rights, will be key in determining whether the administration will be
formally recognised.
During
two decades of US-led military intervention in Afghanistan, women and girls
made marginal gains in the deeply patriarchal nation.
Some
Afghan women initially pushed back against the new Taliban curbs, holding small
protests where they demanded the right to education and work.
But
hardliners soon rounded up the ringleaders, holding them incommunicado while
denying that they had been detained.
Since
their release, most have gone silent.
Source:
Times Of India
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Malaysian-born
actress Sarah Hildebrand reveals daily online abuse one of the reasons she left
the country
By
Arif Zikri
27
May 2022
KUALA
LUMPUR, May 27 — Malaysian-born actress Sarah Hildebrand revealed that she has
been receiving nasty comments on a daily basis and it is one of the reasons why
she left Malaysia.
The
32-year-old took to Instagram recently to highlight one of the nasty comments
she received from a local social media user.
The
social media user had called Hildebrand a prostitute as well as making a racist
remark towards her husband, Otto Gillen.
“I
deal with comments like this on a daily basis but this one’s a winner.
“Translation
‘Looking like a prostitute now, that’s what happens when you marry a
foreigner’.
“These
are words said to a Muslim from another Muslim. Such a wonderful representation
of Islam. One reason why I left and why I’m never coming back to Malaysia. Good
riddance,” she wrote in her Instagram story.
Following
up on her Instagram Story, the Pujaan Hati Kanda actress posted a selfie of
herself with a thumbs up on her Instagram feed.
The
Pan-Asian artist expressed that some Malaysian Muslims have a racist and
judgmental attitude and labelled them hypocrites as well.
“I
hope one day you will learn to embrace others with open arms as the Prophet
Muhammad did.
“I
love my religion (Islam) and I will never leave it because I know it’s not
Islam that is corrupt, for it is humans that continue to spoil the religion
with their arrogance and idiocy.
“We
are given something special which is called ‘akal’, please use it or you will
crumble to your own demise,” Hildebrand wrote on the photo.
Hildebrand
who recently relocated to the US said that she empathised with those who are
also looking to leave the country and she hopes that one day Malaysia can
become a healthier and a more progressive country to live in.
“I
hope the mentality will change so that people aren’t so stressed out and
repressed living amongst each other.
“I
hope for the best for Malaysia and for my fellow Malaysians. But you know the
raw truth, you can’t change anything unless you start implementing the change.
“Be
better for you, your country, your religion, your family, your friends, and for
your future.” In April, Hildebrand made local headlines after announcing her
retirement from the Malaysian entertainment industry after almost a decade.
Hildebrand's
last TV appearance was in the TV3’s drama series, Seindah Tujuh Warna Pelangi
which aired in 2020.
Source:
Malay Mail
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/sara-sabry-egypt-analog-astronaut/d/127106