Iran Deploys “Spy Drones” To Target Women Not Wearing Hijabs; Oppression Includes Christian Prisoners
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 May 2024
·
Nigeria's First Lady
Senator Oluremi Tinubu Makes Sneaky Reference to Meghan Markle
·
Women's Rights Activist
Masih Alinejad Slams UN Memorial for Ebrahim Raisi
·
Iran Deploys “Spy Drones”
To Target Women Not Wearing Hijabs; Oppression Includes Christian Prisoners
·
At "Taste of Mosul,"
Iraqi War Widows Earn Their Keep
·
Waiting For Darkness to Use
the Toilet: What Life Is Like for Women in Flood-Affected Afghanistan
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
-----
Iran Deploys “Spy Drones” To Target Women Not Wearing
Hijabs; Oppression Includes Christian Prisoners
Photo: Mission Network News
-----
May 28, 2024
Iran (MNN) — Iran deploys “spy drones” to target women not
wearing hijabs in its latest crackdown. Quadcopters equipped with cameras
photograph women and girls and transmit their location to “hijab enforcers,”
who then confront them directly.
Heart4Iran’s Mike Ansari says, “These days, Iranian women
– whether they’re Christian or non-Christian – are being subjected to
harassment and violence under Iranian rule.”
Free women aren’t the only ones beset by Iranian
authorities. Christian prisoners like 60-year-old Mina Khajavi are suffering
oppression, too.
Inside Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, “she is currently
serving a six-year sentence under the charge of acting against the national
security by promoting Zionist Christianity in a house church,” Ansari says.
Mina severely broke her ankle in a car accident shortly
before starting her prison sentence in January. “According to some sources
close to her and her family, she is still in severe pain and unable to receive
the care that she needs,” Ansari says.
“The only care she receives is occasional pain relief.”
According to International Christian Concern, Evin Prison
houses 60 percent of the believers detained in Iran. Prisoners in Evin report
dismal conditions and more than 70 different types of torture.
Pray the Lord will heal Mina’s ankle and relieve her
pain. Ask God to strengthen women believers across Iran and help them endure
the crackdowns.
“The systematic violation of religious freedom and human
rights across Iran is quite alarming,” Ansari says.
Source: mnnonline.org
https://www.mnnonline.org/news/iran-oppression-includes-christian-prisoners/
--------
Nigeria's First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu Makes Sneaky
Reference To Meghan Markle
Ms Markle highlighted
her Nigerian heritage during the visit to the country.
-----
May 27, 2024
Nigeria's First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu made a sneaky
reference to Meghan Markle during an event titled "Celebrating the
Woman" to acknowledge how women have made great contributions in all
aspects of life.
Despite Meghan and Prince Harry's successful three-day
Nigeria trip, the Duke and Duchess of Sussexes faced backlash for various
reasons. While Meghan was chastised for her dressing by the critics, Harry came
under fire for snubbing King Charles.
Notably, Meghan was seen in different attires during her
"unforgettable" Nigeria trip, where she and the Harry met with
country's top officials as well as locals.
While she tried to maintain perfect appearances by
spending around £120,000 on jewellery and new clothes, it seems that Nigeria's
First Lady slammed her fashion sense.
Addressing a gathering during a speech commemorating
President Bola Tinubu's first year in office, the First Lady emphasised how
youth in Nigeria are at risk of losing their identity if proper measures are
not implemented.
During her speech, which was broadcast on Arise News and
posted on X, she stated, “We are not having a Met Gala. The nakedness is just
everywhere, and the men are well-clothed. So we have to do something. Tell them
we don't accept nakedness in our culture. That is not beautiful. It's not beautiful
at all.”
Stressing that both males and females must be confident
in who they are, Tinubu asserted that Nigerian children don't need to replicate
or emulate American cinema stars. “They don't know where they come from. Why
did Meghan come here looking for Africa? We know who we are. Don't lose who you
are.”
She even said there is a need to save our children,
considering the fact that how they dress. “They keep forgetting that Nigeria,
we are beautiful,” she added.
Royal fans react: ‘We warned her about the clothes’
Following the Nigeria's First Lady's speech, one royal
fan on X, wrote: “Meghan Markle managed to create an international incident! We
warned her about the clothes.”
“I am glad the First Lady sees how some visitors choose
to disrespect Nigeria's people & culture. It was disgraceful to dress that
way, especially in the presence of children. It is a pattern of behavior for
Meghan & Harry. They need to stop using Nigeria & Africa as a PR prop,”
another wrote.
Meanwhile, one Duchess' supporters reacted saying, “Do us
a favor and leave Meghan alone.”
Nigeria's highest-ranking military officer had invited
the Royal couple to promote the causes Harry and Meghan are most passionate
about, including the Invictus Games. During her visit, Meghan signed a guest
book at the Nigerian Defence Headquarters after meeting with official
Christopher Musa, expressing gratitude to officials for "welcoming me
home".
Source: hindustantimes.com
https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/admissions/post-graduate-diploma-in-management-programme-online-from-imi-new-delhi-learn-business-skills-fast-track-your-career-101716557682523.html
--------
Women's Rights Activist Masih Alinejad Slams UN Memorial
for Ebrahim Raisi
Iranian activist Masih
Alinejad speaking to Iran International television.
------
28 May 2024
Masih Alinejad, an Iranian journalist and women's rights
activist, has slammed the UN for holding a memorial service for the late
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at its headquarters in New York later this
week.
Alinejad, known for her vocal opposition to the Iranian
government, addressed an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres
expressing her strong disapproval of the event. "Honoring a leader
implicated in severe human rights violations sends a deeply troubling message
to the victims of his regime’s brutality," Alinejad wrote on X.
The activist who has been subject to multiple
assassination attempts from Iran-backed agents for her bold dissent,
highlighted the late president's policies of violence and suppression.
"Raisi's tenure is marked by the violent suppression
of women and peaceful protesters,” she said, over 500 protesters killed in the
wake of the 2022 uprising. “His directive to crack down on women defying the
mandatory hijab law has led to widespread violence and deaths, including the
tragic case of Mahsa Amini," Alinejad stated.
Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi,
currently detained in Evin Prison, labeled the memorial "a celebration of
the gallows," referencing a record year of executions in Iran.
Shirin Ebadi, another Iranian Nobel laureate, joined the
chorus of voices asking the UN to cancel the even, calling it a mockery of the
UN's foundational principles.
The United Nations has already observed a minute of
silence for Raisi and flew its flag at half-mast last Monday.
However, the UN struggles to deal with the regime. While
the UN has claimed 834 people were executed in Iran in 2023 alone, in November,
Iran was invited to chair a UN human rights forum while the UN’s own investigation
was looking into the country’s gross human rights violations.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202405285837
--------
At "Taste of Mosul," Iraqi war widows earn
their keep
May 27th, 2024
The brigade is in place with just a few hours to go
before the shot is fired. Um Imad, the owner of a cooking workshop, is closely
monitoring things. A dozen cooks are busy preparing the various meals to be
delivered. In the first room, peppers are hollowed out while stuffing is
prepared for dolmas or vine leaf rolls. The other part of the evening shift
prepares meat-stuffed croquettes known as kebbes. "The cooks here may be
female victims of war, but they are above all strong and independent,” said Imad.
This is the secret recipe of the "Taste of
Mosul," a community kitchen inspired by Imad’s own story. "I lost two
of my sons and my husband to the war," she explained. "I didn't want
to become a helpless woman. How do you cope in a conservative society with no
help from the Iraqi state? I asked myself what profession was most suitable for
women in Mosul,” she said. These were some of the questions Imad posed in the
aftermath of Mosul’s liberation from the yoke of the so-called Islamic State,
also known as Daesh, in 2017. The northern Iraqi city is renowned for its
traditional dishes, so the concept was a no-brainer for her.
Starting with two women, there are now about 30 who
prepare and deliver home-cooked meals every day. Some have lost a husband,
others a brother or a son, and have been left to fend for themselves.
"When my husband died, I was in desperate need of money. We were so
distressed that we couldn't even see a doctor when we were ill," Muhannad
said as she pointed to the embroidery on her black jacket labeled
"Chef."
The title is something the mother of six, who joined the
workshop two and a half years ago, shows with pride.
"Thank God things are better today,” she said.
Muhannad and her colleagues earn roughly €280 a month, a little below the
average wage. They have to keep up the pace because the workshop has become
increasingly popular over the years. Each cook must prepare between 20 and 30
bowls of dolmas to fulfill the day's orders, not that this detracts from the
friendly atmosphere.
"Mama, stop talking, I need a plate of
stuffing!" Imad complies with a smile. Abir Jassem's voice echoes from the
other room. "She's changed our lives, she's like a mother to us," she
said from the doorway. Until a few years ago, this 30-something mother of three
lived in a camp on the city's outskirts.
"I lost my husband and one of my brothers to Daesh.
I had no resources left and my children stopped going to school. I never
thought I'd get out of there," she said. “The rest of my family wouldn't
let me work in a mixed environment.”
The delivery woman
At her desk, Imad silently observes the roughly dozen
diplomas and other certificates hanging on the wall. "These girls were no
longer living; they were surviving. It's an indescribable feeling to be
considered their mother and to offer them a decent job. And we even had the
city's very first delivery service! Of course, operated by a woman."
Farqan, the delivery girl, enters the room. Her small
stature conceals a great self-confidence. “A woman is like a man. A sister taught
me to drive in 2015, under Daesh, but after a while, even with the niqab it was
no longer possible. She loves driving and assures us that customers are happy
to see a woman,” she said. Farqan wants to set an example for her children. “I
have five daughters, no boys at home. Do we have to rely on strangers for our
livelihood? Of course not!” On the strength of her success, Imad wants to open
a restaurant and develop her concept in other towns in Iraq. “To give all the
women of Iraq the opportunity to taste independence.”
Source: international.la-croix.com
https://international.la-croix.com/world/at-taste-of-mosul-iraqi-war-widows-earn-their-keep
--------
Waiting for darkness to use the toilet: What life is like
for women in flood-affected Afghanistan
Women in flood-affected regions of Afghanistan are facing
an urgent crisis due to lack of private toilets and cultural taboos over
menstruation, local journalists and aid workers have warned.
In some cases, women are not drinking water during the
day in order not to have to find private toilet facilities.
"The women told us that when the sun sets and
darkness falls on the village, they seek a safe spot away from the
neighbourhood to relieve themselves," Salma Niazi, co-founder of
English-language online news outlet The Afghan Times, told Hack.
"It's tough for them to wait all day … [but] they
prefer to spend hours in discomfort rather than be forced to relieve themselves
where they can be seen."
Heavy rain caused by higher-than-usual temperatures
caused flooding in northern provinces of Afghanistan on May 10.
Melting snow from those higher temperatures has added to
the flooding, which is expected to continue for weeks to come, according to the
United Nations Food Programme.
CARE Afghanistan estimates around 60,000 people have been
impacted by the flooding, but that exact figures are nearly impossible to
ascertain because the areas affected are hard to reach.
"The aid agencies are encountering different
challenges and reaching out to the affected population due to severe damage to
transportation, including roads and bridges," Deputy Director of CARE
Afghanistan, Reshma Azmi, told Hack.
Different aid agencies put the death toll from the
flooding between 300 and 400 people.
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, two
decades after US-backed forces including Australia waged war on the regime in
retaliation for the September 11 terror attacks.
Despite promising to honour the rights of women, the
Taliban promptly enacted bans on their engagement in public life, including
stopping them from gaining university education and barring them from working
in non-government organisations.
'Urgent needs'
Ms Niazi told Hack that women face unique challenges in
the aftermath of a disaster, due to cultural norms around toileting and
menstruation.
Flash floods kill more than 300 in Afghanistan
"They [flood-affected women] have told us that there
are only a few toilets and only men can use them, but women cannot," Ms
Niazi said.
The lack of services can increase the risk of stigma and
disease.
"They don't have access to toilets and sanitary
products. These are the women's urgent needs."
Aid group Save the Children is prioritising the building
of toilets and showers, Kabul Director Charity Lukaya told Hack.
"I have actually witnessed it as well myself.
There's no sanitation facilities … We don't have latrines, we don't have
showering facilities. We don't have sanitary facilities, like pads and
napkins," Ms Lukaya said.
Ms Lukaya said crisis medical teams segregate the sexes
so women and girls feel safe in discussing otherwise taboo issues.
"We segregate men and female, and also in our child
friendly spaces, we segregate boys and girls. And because of this, we are able
to get to hear about these needs quite easily from the women and the girls in
that space," she said.
Source: abc.net.au
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-28/afghanistan-women-floods/103902718
--------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/iran-spy-hijab-christian-prisoners/d/132404