‘Women At Taraweeh Prayer Extremely Undesirable’: Islamic Seminary Jamia Nizamia Issues Fatwa
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 March 2023
• Pak Ruling Senator Abuses Actress Mahira Khan For Praising Shah Rukh Khan, Calls Her 'Mad'
• Imran Khan Surrendered Guardian Rights For Of His
Alleged Daughter Tyrian Jade White Khan
• Fatima Bint Hazza Honoured With Arab Woman Award In
London
• Singapore President Halimah Meets Malaysian Female
Politicians, Calls For Joint Efforts For Gender Equality
• Why Young British-Born Muslim Women Are Skipping
Smear Tests
• Statement Signed By Over 70 Nations, EU on Afghan
Women’s Rights
• Biden Pays Tribute To Iranian Women At Nowruz
Celebration
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/taraweeh-prayer-islamic-seminary-fatwa/d/129375
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‘Women At Taraweeh Prayer Extremely Undesirable’: Islamic Seminary Jamia Nizamia Issues Fatwa
Hyderabad-based Islamic seminary Jamia Nizamia stated that congregation for the five obligatory prayers is not prescribed for women, and, according to the Hanafi school, even elderly women should not go to the mosque for namaz. | Photo Credit: File photo
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Syed Mohammed
March 22, 2023
Hyderabad-based Islamic seminary Jamia Nizamia issued
a fatwa in which it described women congregating for taraweeh prayer as
extremely undesirable.
A fatwa is a Islamic jurisprudential opinion. It is
issued when a person asks questions on a particular subject in the light of the
Sharia. The Darul Ifta of an Islamic seminary then issues the fatwa.
The fatwa, dated March 16, shows that the person who
sought the fatwa had asked whether it was permissible in the light of the
Sharia to designate a space in a mosque for women for taraweeh (special night
prayers offered during Ramzan).
The fatwa states that women praying taraweeh in
congregation is ‘ makruh tahrimi’. It also states that congregation for the
five obligatory prayers is not prescribed for women, and, according to the
Hanafi school, even elderly women should not go to the mosque for namaz.
The Hanafi school is believed to be followed by most
Muslims in India.
In a separate development, in February this year, the
All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) filed an affidavit the Supreme
Court in a case pertaining to the entry of women in mosques. The AIMPLB, in a
statement issued to media, stated that “there is no prohibition on Muslim women
entering mosques and offering namaz or congregational prayers”.
The AIMPLB, however, did raise concern of “free
intermixing genders in the same line or common space is not in conformity with
the position prescribed in Islam”. This, the AIMPLB opined, should be addressed
through segregation of space within the premises by managing committees of
mosques.
Source: The Hindu
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Pak Ruling Senator Abuses Actress Mahira Khan For
Praising Shah Rukh Khan, Calls Her 'Mad'
Pakistani actress Mahira Khan worked with Shah Rukh Khan in Bollywood movie 'Raees'
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Sandeep Sharma
March 21, 2023
Islamabad: A Pakistani leader of the ruling Pakistan
Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) got trolled for calling ‘Loose Talk’ fame Anwar
Maqsood a “cursed character full of prejudice” and saying that Mahira Khan
“flatters Indian actors for money,” days after the popular Pakistani actress
showered praise on her ‘Raees’ co-star and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Senior PMLN leader and Senator Dr Afnan Ullah Khan
claimed that Mahira has “mental health problem” and Maqsood is “drunk in this
part of life”.
“Mahira Khan has mental health problem and Anwar
Maqsood is drunk in this part of life. Both these shameless characters are
cursed by public. Books can be written on Mahira Khan’s character, she also
flatters Indian actors for money. And Anwar Maqsood is a cursed character full
of prejudice,” he tweeted in Urdu.
Mahira ‘supports’ Imran Khan
On Sunday, Mahira Khan expressed her views on a range
of topics, including the political party she supports, during the “An Evening
with Mahira Khan” event organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi,
Geo News reported.
During the conversation, satirist Anwar Maqsood asked
the ‘Humsafar’ star about the political party she supports. He asked, “There
are only two or three political parties in the country, which do you side
with?”
Mahira smiled and remained silent as the audience
chuckled. Maqsood then said, “It’s fine, you can tell us.” To this, Mahira,
while referring to Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Pathaan’ said, “There was a film
released recently.”
When Maqsood asked whether she supports the movie, she
after another moment of silence replied, “Mae pathaan ki tarf hun (I am with
pathaan).”
According to reports, the actress was indirectly
talking about former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman
Imran Khan.
Speaking at the event, Mahira also talked about the
need for an honest leader in Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.
“Honesty is in scarcity in the present times. Honesty
is important in work, and relationships, and at this point, I would love to see
someone elected who is honest, no matter the political party,” she said.
‘Pathaan’, which also featured Deepika Padukone and
John Abraham, was not released in Pakistan as Indian films are banned in the
country. However, recently there were reports of the film being illegally
screened at various locations in Islamabad.
‘Mentality that doesn’t let Pakistan grow’
Soon after Dr Afnan Ullah Khan’s post went viral on
social media, netizens slammed the Nawaz Sharif-led party leader. “This is the
mentality that doesn’t let #Pakistan grow, this is what they do when someone
just gives an opinion or has a political preference. They get personal so
people stop giving their opinion. Senator? Zuban jahilon wali. #anwarmaqsood
#mahirakhan,” Pakistani singer-actor Farhan Saeed tweeted.
TV presenter Mehwish Qamas Khan tweeted, “Senator
Afnan did not expect such a tone from you. But why should people curse Mahira
Khan, you should curse yourself. People are crazy about Mahira Khan. And you
are accusing Mahira as if you used to make deals with Indians. And just look
around and see how many drunkards are in your party.”
Another person on Twitter wrote, “Now we know why
institutions are so corrupt in Pakistan when you send filth to these
institutions!”
Afnan Ullah Khan is currently serving as a member of
the Senate of Pakistan from the Punjab province. He is son of former federal
minister and senator Mushahid Ullah Khan.
SRK was ‘hero of my time’
Praising the ‘My Name is Khan’ actor, Mahira Khan
said, “Shah Rukh Khan was the hero of my time and I was in love with him and
used to think about working with him. It was a dream of mine that I never knew
would be completed. The fact that I got to it was amazing.”
The two actors worked together in the 2017 Bollywood
movie ‘Raees’.
Further sharing her experience of working with Shah
Rukh, she added, “He was so sweet to everyone around him, from the spot boy to
other employees. It was him that inspired me to be humble no wonder how big a
star you are, always be modest.”
Source: Firstpost
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Imran Khan Surrendered Guardian Rights For Of His
Alleged Daughter Tyrian Jade White Khan
Malik Asad
March 22, 2023
ISLAMABAD: A counsel for PTI chief Imran Khan has
conceded the veracity of an affidavit Mr Khan submitted before a court in
California stating that he had surrendered the guardian rights of his alleged
daughter Tyrian Jade White Khan.
Salman Akram Raja, the counsel, admitted before a
three-member larger bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday that “Mr
Khan never denied, nor disowned the affidavit”.
The bench had taken up a petition seeking
disqualification of Imran Khan for concealing his alleged daughter.
The bench comprised Chief Justice Aamer Farooq,
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir.
The affidavit was submitted by Mr Khan to the Superior
Court of California in response to a notice issued to him on a suit filed by
Tyrian’s aunt, who sought her custody.
Earlier, Tyrian’s mother Sita White had filed a suit
seeking the grant of a decree that Mr Khan was the father of Tyrian Jade White.
The PTI chairman initially joined the proceedings
through his attorney, but defaulted after he was asked to undergo a blood test,
it added.
However, he later submitted a declaration to a court
of guardianship when Caroline White, Sita’s sister, urged the court to appoint
her as Tyrian’s guardian, the petition alleged.
Hamid Ali Shah, counsel for the petitioner, argued
that Mr Khan had declared in his nomination papers that his wife Bushra Bibi
was his dependent while he had wrongly mentioned only two children — “Qasim
Khan and Sulaiman Khan” — and had omitted the third.
Mr Shah asserted Imran Khan had to prove that the
affidavit was not genuine.
However, Mr Khan’s counsel Salman Raja argued that his
client had never disowned the affidavit.
The bench was about to decide maintainability of the
petition on Tuesday, but could not do so because the counsel for the petitioner
started arguing on some other aspects of the case.
The court adjourned the hearing to next week, asking
Mr Khan’s counsel to conclude arguments on maintainability during the hearing.
Source: Dawn
https://www.dawn.com/news/1743538/counsel-concedes-imran-surrendered-guardian-rights-for-tyrian
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Fatima bint Hazza honoured with Arab Woman Award in
London
21-03-2023
LONDON, 21st March, 2023 (WAM) -- The Arab London
Foundation awarded Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairwoman of
the Board of Directors of the Fatima bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy and the
Fatima bint Hazza Cultural Foundation, the Arab Woman Award 2023, in
recognition of her outstanding achievements and efforts in empowering women in
various fields, especially cultural and sports.
Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan received
the award in the culture category during a ceremony held in London, UK, to
present the annual Arab Women Awards in its eighth edition under the theme
"Tell Her Story," in tribute to her initiatives and successful
endeavours in promoting the role of women.
Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza Al Nahyan has been nominated
for this award for her pioneering role in the cultural scene within the country
and the region. She launched initiatives to provide access to education in
affected areas in Bangladesh, built schools in Kenya, and established the
Fatima bint Hazza Fund for Emirati women to enable them to pursue higher
education at prestigious universities worldwide. Sheikha Fatima also launched
several initiatives for young people through the Fatima bint Hazza Cultural
Foundation, which focuses on art, literature, sustainability, and community
interaction. It is worth noting that the foundation is also launching a series
of short stories for young people that focus on culture, local identity, and
sustainability.
The Arab London Foundation praised Sheikha Fatima bint
Hazza's active role in empowering women in various fields, saying,
"Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan is committed to enhancing
the role of women in various ways, as she is a supporter of sports and arts,
and we are honoured to bestow her with the Achievement Award in Cultural
Development."
In her speech during the ceremony, Sheikha Fatima bint
Hazza greeted Arab women, considering that "this ceremony is a celebration
of women's ability to excel, succeed, and contribute positively to the
world."
She also thanked His Highness President Sheikh Mohamed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for their
keenness to encourage women and provide them with all they need to play a
positive role in society and achieve their dreams.
Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza added that "effective
participation and making progress and positive change are the core values that
we have been raised on. I am proud to represent my country, the UAE, where
women have not had to struggle to obtain their rights, but have always been at
the forefront since the establishment of the state."
Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza Al Nahyan stated that our
founding father, Sheikh Zayed, instilled in us the idea of dreaming without
limits and contributing to society through knowledge and good treatment. He
believed that women are not only half of society but also the creators of
future generations. He was ahead of his time in recognizing the role of women,
even before advanced countries began to develop strategies related to this
role. The presence of ten female ministers in the UAE government is evidence of
gender equality in the country.
Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza Al Nahyan expressed her
gratitude to her great inspiration, Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak,
the "Mother of the Nation," President of the General Women's Union,
Chair of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Chair of the
Family Development Foundation. Sheikha Fatima is continuously inspired by her
strength and immense interest in women's social and governmental affairs.
Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza Al Nahyan concluded her
statement by saying that her father, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy
Chairman of the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi, never stopped believing in and
supporting her until she reached where she is now. He is one of the many male
supporters of women in the UAE.
It is worth mentioning that the Arab London Foundation
Award aims to highlight the successes of Arab women and honour distinguished
women who have made a positive impact in the fields of education, literature,
culture, media, entrepreneurship, science, community service, and more.
The Arab London Foundation launched the Arab Women's
Award in 2014 in collaboration with the Mayor of London, government
institutions, and British universities to show great appreciation for the
achievements of Arab women worldwide.
Source: WAM
https://wam.ae/en/details/1395303141253
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Singapore President Halimah Meets Malaysian Female
Politicians, Calls For Joint Efforts For Gender Equality
Goh Yan Han
MAR 21, 2023
KUALA LUMPUR - Representation matters, President
Halimah Yacob said on Tuesday during a state visit to Malaysia as she noted the
steady advancements made by women on various fronts in Singapore and Malaysia,
including the corporate world, politics and government.
Meeting four female Malaysian politicians during her
three-day state visit to Malaysia, Madam Halimah said that with their common
heritage and deep people-to-people links, the two countries can benefit much
from each other’s experiences in instilling gender equality.
“The same high levels of familiarity and trust between
us which have fuelled bilateral cooperation in multiple domains, from the
economy to climate, from cyber security to education, should also spur greater
exchanges between our authorities charged with women’s issues as well as
women-led non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations,” she
said.
The meeting at the St Regis hotel in Kuala Lumpur was
attended by four female politicians from four different political parties in
Malaysia.
They included three of the five female ministers in
the current Cabinet – Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek from Parti Keadilan
Rakyat; Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri from
Gabungan Parti Sarawak; and Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh from the
Democratic Action Party. Dr Rosni Adam, deputy chief of Parti Islam
SeMalaysia’s women’s wing, was also present.
Noting that International Women’s Day had only
recently been marked on March 8, Madam Halimah said women had made huge strides
in the two countries on various fronts.
When she first entered Singapore politics in 2001, she
was one of only 10 women elected to Parliament out of 84 – about 12 per cent.
Today, women make up almost 30 per cent of Singapore’s legislature, she noted.
Similarly, the percentage of female parliamentarians
in Malaysia has doubled in the past three decades to 13.5 per cent in 2022.
Madam Halimah said: “The growing ranks of female MPs
and political leaders like you inspire young girls to not only have big dreams,
but also to give of themselves unstintingly and selflessly to public service.”
In the corporate sphere, the percentage of women on
the boards of Singapore’s top 100 listed companies rose to an all-time high of
21.5 per cent in 2022, added Madam Halimah. In Malaysia, the figure was 29 per
cent.
Recalling her own experience in persuading younger
women to take up leadership positions during her time with the National Trades
Union Congress, she said: “It was not easy because many cited the difficulty of
balancing work and family as a huge deterrent. So it is encouraging to see more
women in leadership positions, making their voices heard in the policymaking
and corporate spheres.”
Madam Halimah has championed women’s issues during her
term as head of state in Singapore through various platforms, such as the 2022
White Paper on Women’s Development and Women’s Forum Global Meeting.
“Ultimately, it takes all of us – women and men alike
– to foster a culture where everyone can fulfil their potential on a level
playing field,” she said.
“While supportive government policies are crucial, all
of us in our daily lives can play our part to chip away at harmful gender
stereotypes, call out unacceptable misconduct, and smoothen the path for those
who come after us.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Madam Halimah, who is also patron
of the Girl Guides of Singapore, was hosted to a visit to the Girl Guides
Association of Malaysia by the Malaysian Queen, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah
Iskandariah. The president of the association, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, whose
husband is Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, also attended.
During the visit, Madam Halimah spoke of how guiding
not only provides young women with a sense of camaraderie, but also inspires
them to take an active interest in the wider community and strive to make a
positive difference.
Addressing the Girl Guides in attendance, she said: “I
look forward to the many ways each of you will make our world a more inclusive,
harmonious and secure one for everyone – regardless of race, language,
religion, nationality, or indeed gender.”
Source: Straits Times
Madam Halimah will return to Singapore on Wednesday
evening.
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Why Young British-Born Muslim Women Are Skipping Smear
Tests
Alia Waheed
21 March 2023
Let’s face it, smear tests are about as fun as going
to the dentist and when that inevitable letter from your GP reminding you that
your next appointment is due arrives, it is easy to feel cringed out. However,
for Muslim women, it goes beyond five minutes of embarrassment.
Research shows that Muslim women are the least likely
to go for a smear test. However, it isn’t the first generation Muslim immigrant
mums missing out on their appointments.
Nope, it’s young British born Muslim women skipping
their smears, with the cultural barriers of the past a present force when it
comes to their health.
The trend is particularly worrying when you consider
that cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women under 35, with 3,200
women diagnosed every year in the UK.
While cervical cancer is one of the most preventable
cancers, thanks to effective national screening programmes which enables early
detection and treatment, the cultural stigma around smears themselves means
that many women from the Muslim community are missing out on a test that could
potentially save their lives.
But why? Well, misconceptions surrounding the test act
as a major issue along with cultural factors and social pressures.
Even though it’s clear that hymens are not CSI level
proof of virginity, there is still the misconception among young Muslim women
that if they have the test, they are ‘impure’ and will damage their chances of
getting married.
It’s something Dr Zohra Ali, an oncologist who carries
out leading cancer screening work for the British Islamic Medical Association,
can attest to. She explains: “There remains a huge amount of stigma associated
with cervical cancer screening in Muslim women of all ages, but particularly
younger women.
“Reasons may include modesty within the Islamic faith
and the significant embarrassment to genital exposure even for medical reasons,
the concept of chastity in unmarried women, and the concern that speculum
examination interferes with this.”
There is also the myth that smear tests are for women
who have had multiple sexual partners or have been unfaithful which is a huge
taboo in Muslim culture.
Dr Ali explains: “As cervical cancer is primarily but
not always sexually transmitted, if found to be infected, the woman may be
accused of promiscuity or unfaithfulness.”
Like a lot of Muslim women, Nylah Salam, said she
received a reminder for her test, but was “petrified” about booking an
appointment.
“It’s the fear of the unknown. I don’t know what to
expect with the procedure, like how they do it and whether it’s a quick process
or not. I have a low pain threshold, so pain is also another factor,” said
Nylah, who works as a social media journalist.
“A lot of the fear is because in the Muslim community
speaking about the intimate parts of your body is a big taboo and often seen as
shameful to share this kind of information.
“It’s sad, but it stems from first generation parents
who maybe don’t have that open relationship with their daughters to speak about
such things because they probably didn’t ever have that with their own
parents.”
Many women are also deterred from having the smear
test due to family pressure. Often, young Muslim women will be nervous about
going to their usual GP’s surgery because they don’t want family to know if
they are sexually active or be wrongly accused of being sexually active when
they are not.
“I avoided the test for years because I was so scared
that my family would find out I have been sleeping with my boyfriend,” said
Ayesha,* 24, who wished to stay anonymous. “A lot of girls who don’t even have
boyfriends won’t have the test in case their parents think they are sleeping
around. I’d rather risk cancer than risk my parents finding out I wasn’t a
virgin.”
Tackling the misconceptions within the Muslim
community about smear tests is no easy task.
When Laila*, a 26-year-old wannabe influencer decided
to speak out about having a smear test on TikTok to raise awareness about the
issue, she faced a massive backlash, mostly from Muslim men, but some women too
and ended up closing her account.
“I had guys calling me a prostitute and asking me
really intrusive questions about my sex life. There were guys calling it the
slut test. My boyfriend was getting
really angry that he couldn’t protect me and his family and friends also gave
him a hard time.
“I am not ashamed of going public about having a smear
test, but the negative attention I faced was overwhelming and affected my
mental health and my relationship with my boyfriend and family.”
However, many Muslim women also feel there is a lack
of cultural awareness within health services which puts them off booking the
all important appointment.
“When I went for my test, I was a virgin, but the
nurse didn’t discuss it with me. When she stuck the speculum in, I wasn’t
prepared so it really hurt. I bled for a few days after. I wasn’t that
bothered, but I can imagine a lot of Muslim girls would freak out about their
hymens,” said Naima Hussain, a 28-year-old teacher.
“Health services are not completely inclusive despite
saying they are. There needs to be a lot more culturally appropriate support
for ethnic minority women. There is also a lack of knowledge when it comes to
cultural and religious sensitivity among healthcare professions. I feel like
they don’t see religion as a factor when it comes to women’s health.”
According to research by Jo’s Trust, the UK’s leading
charity for cervical cancer, women from minority ethnic and disadvantaged
communities are less likely to attend smear tests, with the charity warning
that more needs to be done to address these cultural barriers.
“There are many barriers to cervical screening, such
as past experience or trauma, or being unsure about what the test is for. There
are cultural barriers too and the first step is understanding what the needs
are in communities where uptake is lower and ensuring that everything is being
done to make it easier for women to attend,” said Samantha Dixon, CEO of Jo’s
Cervical Cancer Trust.
“This can be achieved through sharing information in
home languages, having local advocates, or improving the accessibility of
cervical screening.”
However, the dangers of skipping your smear test mean
you could be playing Russian roulette with your health as Uzma from Glasgow
discovered: “I wasn’t regular with smears because I wasn’t convinced I needed
them. When I moved house, my new GP was really insistent about it so I did it.
I hated the unpleasantness but it was done in five minutes.”
Three weeks later, Uzma received a call from her
doctor. Her smear test had detected ‘invasive adenocarcinoma’, a rare and
aggressive form of cancer and the doctor thought she may need a hysterectomy to
survive.
Uzma told us: “I was only 29. I didn’t want to die. I
thought I would never have kids. I fell into my mum’s arms sobbing.”
However, luckily because of the smear test, the tumour
was caught early enough so she didn’t have to have the procedure. Now a mum of
two, Uzma says the smear test saved her life.
“It’s frightening to think if I hadn’t had that smear
I wouldn’t be alive today or had kids. That five minutes of mild unpleasantness
during the smear changed the entire direction of my life. I know sometimes
there isn’t awareness in our culture, but smears can save lives and the earlier
women get them the better.”
If you are worried about having a test, there are a
number of things you can do to make it easier.
Be open with your doctor and nurse and discuss your
fears and worries, and that includes religious and cultural issues too. Also,
you can always book a longer appointment if you need more time. Jo’s Trust have
a handy guide on things you can do to make the experience easier.
While the test can be embarrassing, when you think
about the alternative, perhaps it is not so bad after all. So next time the
letter comes, we need to stop hiding it in a drawer and as a community, we can
hopefully stop sweeping the issue of smear tests under the carpet.
Source: Yahoo UK
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Statement Signed By Over 70 Nations, EU on Afghan
Women’s Rights
19 MARCH 2023
More the 70 countries and EU representatives in a UN
CSW statement said the ban on female education puts Afghan women and girls at
increased risk of "gender-based violence, including child, early, and
forced marriage" and it "undermines Afghanistan’s stability."
“In addition, the order barring female employees of
national and international NGOs from the workplace means that millions of
Afghans will be unable to access life-saving humanitarian assistance," it
said.
The statement said one-third of the humanitarian workforce
in Afghanistan is female: “They are now unable to work or reach women and other
vulnerable people in need of basic support."
Political analysts and women’s rights activists called
the ban on female’s education harmful for the country.
“The Islamic Emirate itself created obstacles for
recognition. The important issue is girls’ attendance of school and
universities and women’s work,” said Torialai Zazai, a political analyst.
“The ban on women’s and girls' access to education has
caused a lot of problems. On one hand it shows our society as a backward
society for the world, and on the other hand our relations will not be good
with the regional countries and world as well as Islamic countries,” said
Suraya Paikan, a women’s rights activist.
The Islamic Emirate has yet to react to this statement
but previously said that the closure of schools for female students above grade
six is a temporary issue.
The statement was released by Albania on behalf of
Afghanistan, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus,
Czechia, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Ecuador, Egypt, Fiji,
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia,
Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Latvia,
Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Maldives, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway,
Oman, Palau, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, San
Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the State of Palestine, Sweden,
Switzerland, Timor Leste, Tunisia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the
United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union.
Source: Tolo News
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-182576
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Biden pays tribute to Iranian women at Nowruz
celebration
March 21, 2023
WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden used a White House
event to mark Persian New Year on Monday to pay tribute to Iranian women and
girls who took to the streets of Iran to protest following the death last year
of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and vowed to keep pressure on Tehran.
Iran’s protest anthem “Baraye” played at the White
House celebration.
A video of Iranian singer Shervin Hajipour performing
the massively popular song played in the ornate East Room just before Biden and
First Lady Jill Biden entered to host the Nowruz event.
“Baraye” instantly became associated with the political
upheaval in Iran sparked by the September 16 death, while in custody, of Mahsa
Amini. The 22-year-old ethnic Kurd had been arrested for an alleged breach of
strict Islamic dress rules for women.
Hajipour was detained after his song went viral and
later freed on bail. He is not allowed to leave Iran.
In February, Jill Biden presented a special Grammy for
Best Song for Social Change, calling “Baraye” a “powerful and poetic call for
freedom and women’s rights.”
Biden said he wished the Nowruz holiday, a nearly
4,000-year-old tradition known as the Festival of Fire that’s linked to the
Zoroastrian religion, would be a moment of “hope for the women of Iran fighting
for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
“The United States stands with those brave women and
all the citizens of Iran who are inspiring the world with their conviction,”
Biden said, describing the reception as the biggest White House Nowruz
celebration to date. “We’re going to continue to hold Iranian officials
accountable for their attacks against their people.”
The United States, Europe and the United Kingdom have
imposed a series of fresh sanctions on dozens of Iranian officials and
organizations, including the country’s special military and police forces, for
their violent clampdown.
The protests began in mid-September when Amini died
after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly violating the
Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.
The protests mark one of the biggest challenges to
Iran’s theocracy since the 1979 revolution.
Source: Gulf News
https://gulfnews.com/world/mena/biden-pays-tribute-to-iranian-women-at-nowruz-celebration-1.94619658
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