Pakistan Court Sentences Aasiya Bibi, To Life In Prison For Burning Pages From Holy Qur’an
New Age Islam News Bureau
22 March 2024
·
Pakistan
Court Sentences Aasiya Bibi, To Life In Prison For Burning Pages From Holy
Qur’an
·
UAE
Cyclist Safiya Al-Sayegh’s Historic Road To Paris Olympics
·
Abbey
Hafez, A Christian And Many Western Youth Turn To Islam, Inspired By
Palestinians' Faith In God
·
Sara
Netanyahu Denies Complaining That Freed Hostages ‘Didn’t Even Thank Us’
Compiled by New Age Islam News
Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/pakistan-court-sentences-aasiya-bibi-quran/d/131976
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Pakistan Court Sentences Aasiya Bibi, To Life In
Prison For Burning Pages From Holy Qur’an
March 22, 2024
LAHORE: A Pakistani court sentenced a Muslim woman to
life in prison after finding her guilty of burning pages of the Holy Qur’an, a
prosecutor said Friday.
Under Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, anyone found guilty
of insulting the religion or religious figures can be sentenced up to death.
While authorities have yet to carry out a death sentence for blasphemy, just
the accusation can provoke riots.
Government prosecutor Mohazib Awais said the woman,
Aasiya Bibi, was arrested in 2021 on blasphemy charges after residents claimed
she desecrated Qur’an by burning its pages. Awais said the judge announced the
verdict Wednesday in the eastern city of Lahore. He said Bibi, who has the
right to appeal, had denied the charge during her trial.
A Christian woman with the same name was acquitted of
blasphemy in 2019 after she spent eight years on death row in Pakistan. She
moved to Canada to escape death threats from extremists upon her release.
Wednesday’s case involved a different woman.
Domestic and international human rights groups say
blasphemy allegations have often been used to intimidate religious minorities
and to settle personal scores.
Earlier in March, another court in Gujranwala, Punjab
province, sentenced a 22-year-old student to death and gave a teenager a life
sentence in two separate cases after finding them guilty of insulting Prophet
Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2481006/pakistan
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UAE Cyclist Safiya Al-Sayegh’s Historic Road To Paris
Olympics
Safiya Al-Sayegh is now
forging a career as the first Emirati woman to become a professional cyclist,
racing for UAE Team ADQ. (www.uaeteamadq.com)
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March 22, 2024
Safiya Al-Sayegh is accustomed to being first. The
American University of Dubai student has emerged as the UAE’s most exciting
young cycling talent in recent years, having won the UAE National Cycling
Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Alongside her studies, she is now forging a career as
the first Emirati woman to become a professional cyclist, racing for UAE Team
ADQ.
This summer, Al-Sayegh will record her most
significant first to date. In Paris, the home of her sport’s most iconic race,
the Tour de France, the 22-year-old is set to become the first female cyclist
from the UAE to compete in the Olympics.
Her road to the starting line has certainly been one
less cycled. From teenage bike rides with her father, Al-Sayegh has grafted her
way through years of grueling training sessions and exhausting races to earn her
place in Paris.
“It has been on my list of career goals so to achieve
it will be special,” Al-Sayegh told Arab News. “As an Arab cyclist, just
qualifying for the Olympics is a big thing because not many have done so and as
an Emirati woman, I’m the first.
“Before there was not a clear pathway for female
cyclists but as the years have rolled by, we now have our first professional
team here in the region and we are working to carve out that way for others to
follow.
“When I started cycling, the Olympics was just a
dream, but in the past couple of years it became clearer that we now have the
support to make that a reality.”
Al-Sayegh is still at the start of her professional
cycling journey but will be embracing the challenge full-time after she
graduates with an honors degree in graphic design from AUD in May. It has not
been easy balancing sports and studies.
“I always wanted to continue with my degree because
it’s important to have this backup plan for the future,” Al-Sayegh said. “As an
athlete you never know when your career will come to an end.
“It is just sometimes quite tough. Some days I have to
be in a classroom and then get home really quickly to change for a bike
session. It feels like you are pulled in different directions and can be really
crazy.
“AUD has been really supportive, though. They posted
on social media after I qualified for the Olympics and people there have been
behind me. Still, studying has for sure been a big challenge.”
An additional challenge right now for Al-Sayegh is
navigating Ramadan, which has altered her training patterns. While the holy
month requires major schedule changes, the young cyclist insists it also
provides many favorable opportunities.
“Obviously you are training at a different time of the
day and with different plans, but I don’t feel that it has physically been any
tougher,” she said. “In the team we have a physiotherapist and a professional
coach that I’m working with, which makes it easier to follow the right plan
that ensures I do not burn myself out but also keep developing.
“It’s even more crucial to play with the nutritional
game too, as you want to keep your performance levels as high as possible. If
you don’t plan well, you could end up in really bad shape after Ramadan because
you are generally not fueling as well.
“But honestly I really enjoy cycling during Ramadan,
particularly from the community point of view because most people will train at
the same time in the evening. I actually get to connect more with people and
ride more with people than any other time of the year.”
Al Sayegh still trains most of the year in the UAE,
with Al-Qudra, Nad Al-Sheba and Jebel Jais among her familiar routes. The
infrastructure and profile of cycling in the Emirates has improved dramatically
over the past decade. And in terms of attracting local riders to the sport, few
have played a more important role than Yousif Mirza.
A pioneer of the peloton, Mirza was the first Emirati
professional cyclist and competed in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
“He inspired me to want to reach the Olympics,”
Al-Sayegh said of Mirza. “The year he qualified in 2016 was the same year I
started cycling so it was a really good point to start dreaming of the Olympics
myself as a cyclist.
“For the first time, someone in the UAE could believe
that competing at the Olympics in cycling was possible. That opened my eyes a
bit more.
“Since then he has been really supportive of me too
and he said recently he sees his own journey in what I’m doing at the moment in
women’s cycling. He too has been first with many things he has achieved; he is
a real role model for me.”
Al-Sayegh now finds herself in the same position,
inspiring young girls in the UAE and beyond to take up cycling. She has a busy
schedule ahead in the next few months, including defending her UAE national
title in April and then competing in the Asian Road Cycling Championships in
Kazakhstan from June 5 to 12.
There will also be time spent training with UAE Team
ADQ’s Tour de France riders as she prepares for her debut Olympics. Al-Sayegh
is under no illusions about the challenge in Paris.
“The first aim was to qualify but I don’t want to stop
there,” she said. “I’d really like to go into Paris and be in that battle with
the best; it is not right to say that I will win a medal over there because
that’s not being real and honest.
“But I really hope to represent my country in the best
way I can. I want to be in the race and be competitive, that’s what I’m working
towards.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2481031/sport
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Abbey Hafez, A Christian And Many Western Youth Turn
To Islam, Inspired By Palestinians' Faith In God
MARCH 21, 2024
AyseBetulAytekin
A Palestinian woman sits on the ground, embracing her
deceased toddler who's draped in a white sheet. Tears stream down her face as
she silently cries and murmurs the word "Alhamdulillah," a humble
acknowledgement in Arabic that Muslims use to express gratitude and
thankfulness to God regardless of difficult circumstances they may be
encountering.
That expression of faith touched millions of viewers
on social media, even resulting in life-changing decisions for some. And the
25-year-old Abbey Hafez, who’s married to a Muslim man and identified herself
as a Christian, was one of them.
The American social media influencer began reading the
Quran after watching this video and being captivated by the Palestinian
mother's devotion. Sharing her story in an interview, she said, "I need to
read this book and see what it is that they believe in to be this steadfast in
their faith."
Like Hafez, whose videos have garnered over 35 million
views online, there’s a widespread trend across Western countries where people
are taking a keen interest in knowing Islam beyond its stereotypical portrayal
peddled by mainstream media for decades.
From famous celebrities to activists with millions of
followers, the trend of individuals announcing their decision to embrace Islam
or, at the very least, start reading the Quran has become increasingly common
on social media since October 7.
Examples include Henry Klassen, a renowned
ophthalmology professor at the University of California, and former Spanish
football player Jose Ignacio Peleterio converting to Islam. Hollywood star Will
Smith has also expressed his interest in reading the Quran. In another instance,
at least 30 women announced their conversion to Islam in Melbourne, Australia,
deeply moved by witnessing the strong faith of Palestinians.
The snowball effect
Feelings of solidarity, empathy or sympathy with
Palestinians might contribute to the wish to learn more about their background
and faith, Dr Vanessa Vroon of Social and Behavioural Sciences at University of
Amsterdam explains.
Once people start to educate themselves about Islam,
they often realise that “it is different from what they learn from the often
negative media coverage of Islam in Western countries,” she tells TRT World.
When asked about what might be the political roots and
implications of these conversions, Vroon says, “Politics are known to play a
role in so far as people ask themselves: is Islam really that bad?”
“What might make a difference in light of the
Palestine-Israel conflict is that in the news, day in day out, people see that
amidst the devastation of war, Palestinians turn to Allah for help and
strength. This, again, might be a first impetus to start learning more about
their religion, possibly become convinced of its truth and consider becoming
Muslim oneself,” she adds.
A young American woman, Megan Rice, was among the
pioneers in sharing her exploration of Islam online, inspired by the
Palestinian people. She began posting videos discussing her journey into Islam,
particularly after purchasing the Quran, which garnered interest from her
followers, prompting them to consider buying the holy book themselves.
While interacting with her followers and responding to
their queries largely about her learning of the Quran, Rice established a
digital book club where people could exchange thoughts and interpretations of
Quranic passages. The number of Western individuals who have begun reading the
Quran and sharing numerous videos detailing their positive and enriching
experiences has thus increased over the months.
Megan's journey experienced a profound transformation
as she evolved from being influenced by others to becoming an influencer
herself, assuming the role of an initiator within her newfound community after
her conversion to Islam. Now, she actively continues her social media activism
by spearheading various campaigns.
The new young social media users aren’t just bold
enough to reject Western states’ blind support for every Israeli action,
challenge media biases, and seek truth through independent research; they also
aimed to inspire others to join their quest for a more nuanced understanding of
the colonial occupation.
Another American woman, 32-year-old author and content
designer Kaitlyn Luckow, currently residing in Germany, launched a BookTok
series—a type of content on TikTok where users share, discuss, and review
books—after October 7 to impart knowledge on the history of Palestine.
“I knew I had to use the platform I had –regardless of
how small it may be– to share learnings, resources, and books. I don’t know
everything and I’m learning every single day. And if I can encourage others to
do the same, then maybe we can collectively demand and create systemic change,”
she told TRT World.
People around the world, especially the youth, are
starting to open their eyes and educate themselves, Luckow believes, as they go
on social media every day and watch as innocent humans are being murdered while
their governments try to convince them that this is the right thing to do to
protect their own interests.
Despite receiving numerous hateful comments every day,
she remains determined to encourage people to question mainstream media
narratives and embark on their own journeys of learning about pressing issues.
“While I am under no illusion that I am going to
change someone's opinion immediately, I am hopeful that maybe I can help plant
a seed of doubt regarding the information they are receiving and how to become
more media literate,” she says.
TikTok says it all
Experts say that 2014 was a pivotal year in shaping a
new generation's understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During that
year, a war in Gaza resulted in the deaths of over 2,250 Palestinians,
coinciding with protests erupting in the US when the police shot Michael Brown,
an unarmed 18-year-old black man.
The global youth’s opinion on Palestine took on a new
dimension also when the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in Jerusalem witnessed
settler occupation in May 2021. It marked the first time Palestinians, whose
homes were occupied, could share detailed accounts of the Israeli occupation as
it unfolded, thanks to Instagram's live-streaming feature. Notably, these
accounts went viral, and people watched Israeli forces trying to expel the
el-Kurd family from their homes for weeks.
Following these events, with TikTok surpassing Google
in website visits in 2022 and experiencing the fastest growth to over a billion
users among all social media apps, the collective memory of Palestine among the
youth in the West began to take shape.
Right after the October 7 attack, a wave of online
self-education has unfolded as TikTok users started posting videos inviting
open discussions about the ongoing conflict, leading to many conversations
delving into the history of Israeli occupation.
From October 16th to 30th, there were nearly four
times as many views organically on TikTok posts with the hashtag
#StandwithPalestine globally as there were on posts with the hashtag
#StandwithIsrael, the Chinese app announced, in response to the accusations
that it was pushing pro-Palestine videos deliberately, subtly influencing the
youth of America.
The millennials and Gen-Z, who are the primary users
of the app, are more aware that the Israel-Palestine conflict did not originate
on October 7th. A recent survey indicates a notable generational difference in
the American perspective on support for either Israel or Palestine, with
younger generations showing a more pronounced pro-Palestine stance and
increased scrutiny of US policies regarding the conflict.
The counter-effect
While TikTok and its young users remain a notable
aspect of West-Islam interaction, the phenomenon of increased interest in Islam
following catastrophes in the Muslim world is nothing new.
The September 11 attacks in 2001 marked the initial
exposure to Islam for many Westerners, initiating a transformation. This shift
has led to significant growth in the Muslim population in the United States,
with numbers increasing from an estimated 1 million to 2.6 million between 2000
and 2010—a 67 percent surge—making Islam the second-largest religious group in
the country and the fastest-growing religion in the world.
People who then first learned about this religion and
began exploring it out of curiosity often mention experiencing a significant
shift in mindset after realising that the religion stands in stark contrast to
the extremist ideologies acclaimed by those responsible for the attacks.
“From September 11 onwards, you couldn't find a single
newspaper in the United States that did not mention the words "Islam"
and "Muslims" daily or weekly for years, and it has obviously had
consequences,” says Wilfredo Amr Ruiz, the Communications Director of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Florida.
He mentions that it was in the early 2000s when
pioneering academic institutions around the world began conducting studies on
fields such as Islamic studies, Muslims civilizational studies, and
Christian-Muslim relations.
"Whenever Muslims are portrayed, whether
positively or negatively, people become curious about who Muslims are and what
Islam entails. By placing Muslims in the forefront, regardless of the intent
behind it, people will inevitably learn from them. Whether Muslims are
showcased to speak the truth about their beliefs and actions or being simply
vilified, it will inevitably yield consequences and individuals will become
intrigued," he tells TRT World.
Ruiz, who himself reverted in 2003, a couple of years
following the 9/11 attacks, believes that another consequence of the increasing
Islamophobia in the US following the crisis in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Arab-Israeli
war was that Muslims became more vigilant against discrimination and
endeavoured to educate themselves about their rights.
Source: trtworld.com
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/western-youth-turn-to-islam-inspired-by-palestinians-faith-in-god-17452581
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Sara Netanyahu denies complaining that freed hostages
‘didn’t even thank us’
21 March 2024
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied
Thursday that his wife Sara Netanyahu had complained that the more than 100
hostages freed from Hamas captivity during a truce in late November did not
adequately express their gratitude to her and her husband.
According to Channel 12 news, the premier’s wife told
an unidentified opposition lawmaker during a recent meeting to discuss a
potential hostage deal: “Did you see how many hostages came back? They didn’t
even say thanks to us.”
Netanyahu’s office adamantly denied that his wife had
made such comments, saying the report “contains lies and far-fetched
fabrications.”
During the October 7 onslaught, terrorists kidnapped
253 people in Israel, including a number of dead bodies, and brought them to
Gaza. Under a weeklong truce in November, Hamas released 105 civilians, with
four released prior to that. Three hostages have been rescued alive by IDF
troops, and the bodies of 11 hostages have been recovered from the Strip,
including three who were mistakenly killed by the military in mid-December.
It is believed that 130 of the hostages abducted on
October 7 remain in Gaza, and the IDF has confirmed the deaths of 33 of those
still being held, citing intelligence and findings obtained by troops operating
in Gaza. The families of those held hostage and many of those freed from
captivity have held months of protests and rallies demanding the government
agree to another deal to release their loved ones.
EinavZangauker, the mother of hostage MatanZangauker,
said in response to the report: “I am happy that Mrs. Sara Netanyahu is
responsible for bringing back the hostages. I would be happy if she would take
responsibility for the kidnapping of my son Matan and his abandonment, and I
would be more than happy if she will be responsible for bringing Matan home.”
Sara Netanyahu attended a prayer service Thursday
evening at the Western Wall in Jerusalem on behalf of the hostages. Asked by a
Channel 12 reporter to respond to her purported remarks, she did not react.
Liam Or, who was released in November after being
taken hostage in the October 7 terror attack, took a swipe at Netanyahu over
the report.
“Sorry I was kidnapped,” he wrote on his Instagram
account alongside a screenshot from the Channel 12 report.
Fellow freed hostage Maya Regev wrote on her own
social media: “Sorry that I was kidnapped. And I’m even more sorry that this is
what they’re dealing with instead of bringing my brothers and sisters home.”
Yagil Yaakov, 13, who was kidnapped along with his
brother and freed in November, and whose father’s body is still being held
hostage, wrote on Instagram: “Sorry I was kidnapped. Next time I’ll fund my own
vacation in Gaza.”
Yonatan Shamriz, the brother of AlonShamriz, one of
the three hostages mistakenly shot dead by IDF troops in Gaza, wrote on X in
response: “The owners of the Versailles wedding hall responded: Nobody has
thanked us yet for the appetizers” — a reference to the infamous Versailles
wedding hall disaster in Jerusalem in 2001, in which 23 people were killed when
the floor of the building collapsed during a wedding.
Source: timesofisrael.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/sara-netanyahu-denies-complaining-that-freed-hostages-didnt-even-thank-us/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/pakistan-court-sentences-aasiya-bibi-quran/d/131976