UN Rebukes France For Banning Hijab During The 2024 Paris Olympics
New Age
Islam News Bureau
27 September 2023
·
UN Rebukes
France For Banning Hijab During The 2024 Paris Olympics
·
Iran:
Crackdown On Women's Rights Fuels Female Brain Drain
·
Leah
Sharibu Finally Accepts Islam, Remarries Another ISWAP Commander
·
CAIR Urges
State Dept. to Condemn French Court’s Decision on Ban on Abayas in Schools,
Hijab Ban at 2024 Paris Olympics
·
Prioritizing
Engagement Crucial For Reforming Taliban Policies On Women’s Rights: Raza
Outenbayeva, The UN Afghanistan Representative
·
MP: Hindutva
Men Assault Muslim Women Over Eid e Milad Decorations
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/un-france-banning-hijab-paris-olympics/d/130768
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UN Rebukes France For Banning Hijab
During The 2024 Paris Olympics
UN Human
Rights Office spokesperson Marta Hurtado
----------
26 September 2023
The United Nations has rebuked France
for banning the country's athletes from wearing headscarves during the 2024
Paris Games.
"No one should impose on a woman
what she needs to wear or not wear," United Nations rights office
spokeswoman Marta Hurtado told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday.
French Sports Minister Amelie
Oudea-Castera had announced the ban on Sunday, alleging that observing the
Islamic dress code during the games amounted to display of religious symbols
and "proselytizing."
"Restrictions on expressions of
religions or beliefs, such as attire choices, are only acceptable under really
specific circumstances," she claimed, saying allowing the Muslim athletes
to observe the dress code was tantamount to "discriminatory
practice."
France outlawed full-face coverings in
2010.
In June, the country's Council of State
upheld a ban on women footballers wearing the hijab.
And last month, France's education
minister said the country was to ban wearing across the nation's schools of Abayas
-- a simple, loose over-garment dress worn by many women across the Muslim
world -- citing a violation of French "secular laws."
France is to ban wearing across the
nation
Under France’s laws on laïcité
(secularism), it is also forbidden to wear the Islamic headscarf in government
buildings, including schools.
Public officials such as teachers,
firefighters, or police officers are banned from wearing the hijab while they
are at work too.
The bans are usually spearheaded by the
right and far-right political elite, despite an argument by the left asserting
that they would encroach on individuals' religious freedoms and civil
liberties.
Source: presstv.ir
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/09/26/711591/France-hijab-ban-Olympics-United-Nations
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Iran: Crackdown On Women's Rights Fuels
Female Brain Drain
Intense
scrutiny is prompting many highly educated Iranian women to go elsewhereImage:
Klaus Ohlenschläger/picture allianc
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Shabnam von Hein
27 September 2023
Mariam, who asked to be referred to by a
pseudonym to protect her identity, arrived in Germany six months ago as a
student. Back in her native Iran, the 39-year-old engineer had a fully
independent life.
"Emigrating wasn't an option for me
for a long time," she told DW.
"My whole life I worked hard and
achieved a lot: a degree from a prestigious university, later a well-paid
position at a construction company in Tehran," she said. "But in the
end I felt it didn't matter how good I was and how hard I tried. I will never
manage to get out of this swamp and feel free and happy."
Many of her female friends and
acquaintances have either left the country or are looking for a way to do so,
she said. Mariam herself started by looking for opportunities to study in
Germany, where she has many friends. She quickly secured a spot in a master's
course at a technical university in southern Germany, which opened the door to
a visa.
Mariam doesn't want to talk much about
politics. What she will say is that "every aspect of our lives in Iran is
politicized. Even what I as a woman put on in the morning to leave to the house
is a political statement. Every day we are under enormous pressure and stress.
We cannot get away from it."
"The best experience in the past
six months in Germany for me was the feeling of being free and undisturbed to
wear what I want, and the conviction that I can build a better future if I make
the effort," Mariam said.
‘Emigrating to Germany'
Mariam is part of a group called
‘Emigrating to Germany' with almost 40,000 members on the encrypted messaging
app Telegram. People post job vacancies for foreign workers in Germany,
possibilities to have Iranian degrees recognized and interesting further study
programs. A lot of the posts relate to opportunities for medical personnel to
emigrate.
In the medical sector alone, more than
10,000 workers have left Iran in the past two years, according to official
figures. Many have gone to Arab countries, Iranian daily newspaper Shargh
reported in May.
The country is hemorrhaging general
medicine workers, the head of the parliamentary health commission, Hossein Ali
Shahriari, has said. Those leaving include professors, doctors and nurses.
Overall, the Iran Migration Observatory
at the Sharif University of Technology has recorded the departure of around
65,000 well-qualified and highly talented people from Iran each year over the
past decade alone. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, millions of
well-educated people have left, mostly due to the difficult economic situation
but also due to political repression by the government.
The government has not talked publicly
about plans on how to stop the wave of emigration.
An ever more female brain drain
This exodus, particularly of women
academics, has intensified in recent years, Bahram Salavti warned already back
in early 2022. The director of the Iran Migration Observatory in Tehran pointed
to the high level of unemployment among women as the main driver.
Official figures show 60% of students in
Iran are women, but that share drops to just 15% on the job market. Massive
repression of nationwide protests late last year after the death of Jina Mahsa
Amini, and a crackdown on women's rights have further fueled female brain
drain.
"When protests don't lead to a solution
and protesters don't see a way to change anything, when they have no prospects
for the future, they resort to the strategy of emigration," sociologist
MehrdadDarvishpour underlined. The professor at Mälardalen University in Sweden
has been researching migration, including emigration from Iran, for years.
"We're seeing a phenomenon of
female migration from Iran, even though a progressive feminist movement with
worldwide resonance has sprung up there," Darvishpour said. "Iran's
rulers have no interest in societal reconciliation. They rely on fear and
oppression."
"The emigration of female academics
will weaken society's capacity for democratic and secular demands. Therefore,
those in power will do nothing about it. Their behavior resembles that of an
occupying power that ignores the interests of citizens and national resources
in favor of maintaining power," he said.
The Iranian parliament recently ramped
up the pressure on women who defy national orders to cover their heads as
instructed. After months of discussion, the legislature waved through a law
allowing harsher penalties on women who break clothing regulations: up to ten
years in prison.
The "Bill to Support the Family by
Promoting the Culture of Chastity and Hijab" foresees prison sentences of
between five and ten years for women who fail to wear a headscarf or dress
"inappropriately" in collaboration with "foreign or hostile
governments, media, groups or organizations."
The law also paves the way for fines for
individuals who "promote nudity" or target the mandatory Islamic
headscarf (hijab) in the media or on online networks. Business owners whose
female employees violate the dress code may be banned from leaving the country
in the future.
No wonder many Iranian women now sees
things the same way as Mariam.
"Emigrating was no longer a choice
for me," she said. "I was forced to do it."
This article was adapted from German.
Source: dw.com
https://www.dw.com/en/iran-crackdown-on-womens-rights-fuels-female-brain-drain/a-66932202
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Leah Sharibu Finally Accepts Islam,
Remarries Another ISWAP Commander
Goodness Adaoyiche
September 27, 2023
After being held back by terrorists for
refusing to denounce her Christian faith, abducted Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah
Sharibu, has finally accepted Islam.
Politics Nigeria recalls that Leah was
abducted alongside over 100 schoolmates from Government Girls Technical
College, Dapchi, Yobe State on February 19, 2018.
While others regained their freedom, the
terrorists refused to release Leah who according to her mates “refused to
denounce her Christian faith”.
There were reports that Leah had been
married off to one of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)
commanders.
But emerging report says that Leah has
divorced her first husband for another ISWAP commander.
“Leah was first married to Abdulrahman
after she allegedly converted to Islam and they have two children, all boys
that were named after two Boko Haram commanders that were killed,” a source
told DailyTrust.
“We don’t know what transpired but Leah
secured the divorce and married another commander, Ali Abdallah.”
The source said after her abduction,
Leah was “trained” on how to administer some medical services to injured Boko
Haram fighters and women.
According to the source, one of the
antics of terrorists in the north-east is forcing their captives with expertise
in fields like medicine, nursing, engineering, among others to train their
members on such areas.
“She was trained as a medical personnel
and now leads the ISWAP medical team in the northern part of the Lake Chad
area,” the source said.
Another source said: “Ten days ago,
Leah, her supposed husband and other fighters were sighted at Dogon
Chukwunkangarwa.
“Her husband is a commander under ISWAP
but they are facing persecution from a Boko Haram commander loyal to Shekau,
Malam Bakura.
“As of today, we got a report that a
large contingent of the ISWAP fighters has started migrating from the area
through Guzamala forest.
“They were sighted on the route of Cross
– Mosquito camp- Garin-giwa (where the Zulum’s convoy was attacked) – Munguno –
Gajiram with cache of dangerous arms,” he said.
Source: politicsnigeria.com
https://politicsnigeria.com/leah-sharibu-finally-accepts-islam-remarries-another-iswap-commander/
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CAIR Urges State Dept. to Condemn French
Court’s Decision on Ban on Abayas in Schools, Hijab Ban at 2024 Paris Olympics
Ibrahim Hooper
September 26, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 9/26/23) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today sent a letter Secretary of State Antony
Blinken requesting the State Department condemn the French government’s Council
of State’s recent decision to uphold the France’s ban on abayas worn by some
Muslim students in schools.
CAIR also urged Secretary Blinken to
strongly condemn the French government for prohibiting its own citizens from
wearing hijab, or Islamic head scarves, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
CAIR’s letter repeats the Muslim civil
rights organization’s call for the U.S. government to designate France as a
“Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) for its violations of religious freedom
and to initiate a U.S. backed United Nations investigation into France’s
recurrent breaches of fundamental religious freedoms.
CAIR noted in its letter that in
response to France’s Olympic sports hijab ban, United Nations spokesperson
Marta Hurtado told reporters, “No one should dictate what a woman must or must
not wear.”
In a statement, CAIR Director of
Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw said:
“France’s flagrant intolerance toward
religious freedom and its Muslim citizenry demands a forceful response from
world leaders, including the U.S. government. Our nation should take the lead
in compelling the international community to take decisive action against
France’s egregious religious freedom violations.
“By confronting France on the grave
issue of Islamophobia and its assault on Muslim religious liberties, the United
States can better champion a more inclusive and equitable French society that
respects the rights and practices of all its citizens, including those with
deeply-held religious convictions.”
The United States International
Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) characterizes severe violations of religious
freedom as consistent, persistent, and extremely serious. CAIR contends that
France’s actions meet these criteria and thus warrant strong condemnation from
the U.S. government.
CAIR’s letter highlights the concerns
surrounding France’s treatment of its Muslim population, which accounts for 8%
of the total population and is the second-largest religion in the country. The
organization argues that discriminatory measures and restrictions on Muslim
expressions of faith have led to widespread discrimination, employment disparities,
negative public perception, and intrusive government actions, such as mosque
surveillance and closures.
On August 28, CAIR condemned the French
government’s initial decision to ban Muslim students from wearing the
abaya.
France’s education minister announced
the ban ahead of the resumption of classes in the country. “I have decided that
the abaya could no longer be worn in schools,” Education Minister Gabriel Attal
said in an interview with TV channel TF1. “When you walk into a classroom, you
shouldn’t be able to identify the pupils’ religion just by looking at
them.”
Religious symbols like crucifixes,
kippahs, and Islamic headscarves are banned in French schools.
CAIR has previously called for France to
be designated as a country as particular concern.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil
rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American
Muslims.
La misión de CAIR esproteger las
libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y
empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.
Source: cair.com/
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-urges-state-dept-to-condemn-french-courts-decision-on-ban-on-abayas-in-schools-hijab-ban-at-2024-paris-olympics/
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Prioritizing Engagement Crucial For
Reforming Taliban Policies On Women’s Rights: Raza Outenbayeva, The UN
Afghanistan Representative
Fidel Rahmati
September 27, 2023
The UN Special Representative for Afghanistan
emphasized the importance of ongoing engagement with leaders of the Taliban in
Afghanistan, even in the face of significant differences regarding their stance
on women’s rights and inclusive governance.
Simultaneously with the United Nations
session on the situation in Afghanistan, the UN Secretary-General’s Special
Representative and the Deputy Chief of the United Nations Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan stated that the interaction with the Taliban administration has
been unproductive so far, but it is necessary to continue dialogue.
During this session held unexpectedly on
Tuesday in New York City, United States, at the UN headquarters, Raza
Outenbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan,
discussed the current situation in Afghanistan, mainly focusing on the status
of women.
However, during this session, Ms.
Outenbayeva mentioned that the Taliban has restricted women’s participation in
society by issuing more than 50 statements, causing no country to recognize
them officially.
During the session, attended by UN
officials and women’s rights activists in the United States, discussions were
held regarding the prohibition of education, schooling, and the right to work
for women and girls.
She added, “Although the current rulers
emphasize the pervasiveness of their institutions, the gap between their
legitimacy and the people is widening. Lack of trust in rights, responsiveness,
representation, and access to justice is a significant barrier to internal
legitimacy.
International legitimacy does not come
without domestic legitimacy. On the sidelines of this session, the UN
Secretary-General also spoke about the increasing poverty and the severe
drought’s impact on the people of Afghanistan, mentioning that Afghan citizens
live in a water scarcity crisis.
So far, the Taliban administration has
not responded to the statements made during this session.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/prioritizing-engagement-crucial-for-reforming-taliban-policies-on-womens-rights-roza/
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MP: Hindutva men assault Muslim women
over Eid e Milad decorations
September 27, 2023
Tensions flared when extremist Hindu
right-wing men assaulted Muslim women for decorating a colony in Madhya
Pradesh’s Indore ahead of Eid-e-Milad Un
Nabi.
Eyewitnesses on the scene recounted that
the altercation ignited when members of the right-wing group voiced objections
to the festive decorations that adorned Garib Nawaz Colony in honor of
Eid-e-Milad Un Nabi.
This disagreement escalated into a violent
confrontation as the Muslim women responsible for the decorations tried to
prevent their removal.
Local authorities responded to the
scene, deploying police officers to intervene in the escalating conflict. A
police spokesperson confirmed, “We are actively investigating the matter.”
Source: thekashmiriyat.co.uk
https://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/mp-hindutva-men-assault-muslim-women-over-eid-e-milad-decorations/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/un-france-banning-hijab-paris-olympics/d/130768