Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s Envoy Opens ‘Al-Mangour: Loved and Beloved’ Exhibition In US
New Age Islam News Bureau
24 May 2024
·
Princess Reema bint Bandar,
Saudi Arabia’s Envoy Opens ‘Al-Mangour: Loved and Beloved’ Exhibition In US
·
Activist For Iranian Women,
Elaaheh Jamali, Also Champions Israel’s Human-Rights Cause
·
2 Malaysian Women, Nor Hasimah
Nekmat and Linda Suryani Ab Hamid Gear Up for A Six-Day, 2,005km Bike Ride
Across the Country
·
Pakistan Considers Changing
Women’s Passport Policy Amid Row Over Including Husband’s Name
·
Instead Of Education, Orphaned Nigerian
Girls and Women Face Threats of Forced Marriage
·
‘We’re Praying for Peace InNigeria’,
Women Mobilize Against Violence
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/princess-reema-al-mangour-us/d/132379
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Princess Reema bint Bandar, Saudi
Arabia’s Envoy Opens ‘Al-Mangour: Loved and Beloved’ Exhibition In US
Princess
Reema bint Bandar, Saudi Arabia’s US ambassador, opened the exhibition
“Al-Mangour: Loved and Beloved” in Washington on Wednesday. (SPA)
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May 23, 2024
RIYADH: Princess Reema bint Bandar,
Saudi Arabia’s US ambassador, opened the exhibition “Al-Mangour: Loved and
Beloved” in Washington on Wednesday.
The work by Saudi Arabia artist Ahmad
Angawi was presented by the Saudi Embassy and the International Finance
Corporation.
The exhibition, held at the IFC’s
headquarters, showcases the beauty of Al-Mangour, the traditional Hijazi craft
that consists of wooden latticework forming a mesh-like screen.
The craft reflects the spiritual
relationship between humans through a story of two halves that form one unit —
the “loved and beloved.”
The exhibition included musical
performances and traditional cuisine.
In her speech, Princess Reema stressed
the importance of traditional arts in strengthening cultural identity and
solidifying national heritage, and building bridges with other nations.
She lauded Angawi for preserving and
developing the traditions of the Hijaz region.
Among those in attendance were the IFC’s
Director Makhtar Diop, officials, diplomats and artists.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2515721/saudi-arabia
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Activist For Iranian Women, Elaaheh
Jamali, Also Champions Israel’s Human-Rights Cause
Iranian-British
human rights activist Elaaheh Jamali holds a pre-Islamic Revolution Iranian
flag at the site of the Supernova music festival massacre near Kibbutz Re'im,
May 23, 2024. Credit: Courtesy of ELNET.
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(May 24, 2024 / JNS)
It was the day after the Oct. 7 Hamas
massacre, and British Jewry had organized a small event in support of Israel
outside the Israeli embassy in London.
Elaaheh Jamali heard about the rally
from some of her Iranian Jewish friends and, repulsed by the largest single-day
attack against the Jewish people since the Holocaust, came with her mother,
sister and brother-in-law expecting to see hundreds of Londoners in the crowd.
They were the only four non-Jews in the
gathering of dozens of people.
The event was a life pivot for the
37-year-old London-based, Iranian-born human-rights and women’s activist, also
known on social media as LilyMoo (“dark beauty” in Persian), who had risen to
prominence over the last two years for her active role in the United Kingdom
against the Iranian regime and its repression of Iranian women.
“Then and there, I knew this is just the
beginning,” Jamali told JNS in an interview in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. “I felt
that same sense of isolation and abandonment, and that these people are just as
lonely as the Iranians are. It made me die inside a little bit, that people
were just walking by looking at the Jews.”
From that day, the Persian fashion
entrepreneur turned human rights activist has been speaking out nonstop for
Israel despite death threat. A fatwa Islamic religious edict issued against her
sent her into hiding for almost a month.
In November, the Jewish community asked
her to speak at another event. She was considering whether to attend in
disguise when her mother told her, “You are going yourself as a proud Iranian
woman.”
“Everything else is history,” Jamali
said.
‘I have not left their embrace’
This spring, Jamali made her first-ever
trip to Israel, as part of a delegation of nine expatriate Iranian women,
sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (Her only previous
encounter with Israelis had been at malls in England where she encountered one
of the ubiquitous teams of 20-something Israelis who were selling Dead Sea
products.)
On the first day of the visit, she dryly
noted that Hamas leaders were in Tehran. The Islamic Republic’s rhetoric
against Israel was growing and the war against Hamas was raging; she felt such
a connection to Israel that she decided to stay a month instead of five days.
Jamali did not expect what happened
next—Iran attacking Israel with 300 missiles and drones in an unprecedented
direct assault on the Jewish state. Springing into action, she spent 72 hours
doing nonstop interviews from the Tel Aviv suburb where she was staying with a
friend.
“I felt I had to take action and to
speak on behalf of the Iranian people, and to tell the world that this war
against a sovereign country was not being carried out in the name of the
Iranian people,” she said.
Repressing her fear of the incoming
missiles, she said: “Sometimes, you need to have blind faith, or you lose your
mind. I trusted the IDF and Israel’s missile defense system.”
Still, she was not unmoved by suddenly
finding herself on the front lines of a war alongside Israelis.
“After 45 years [since the 1979 Iranian
Revolution] where my country is being held hostage, now I was seeing my
[Israeli] cousins being attacked by the very same captors of Iran,” Jamali
said.
The shock of that day, which she sought
to repulse by uniting Israelis and Persians against extremism and hate, brought
her back to the trauma she suffered as a child in the Islamic Republic.
Escape from Iran
Three decades later, she remembers
asking her father about signs declaring “Death to Israel” on buildings in her
hometown of Isfahan. She remembers being forced to repeat such chants and
similar ones against America, along with coerced prayers and being forced to
cover her hair even as a young girl.
“It was pure abuse,” Jamali said. When
she was 13, her family escaped and was granted political asylum in the United
Kingdom.
The 2022 killing of 22-year-old Mahsa
Amini by Iran’s notorious morality police for allegedly failing to wear a
headscarf properly propelled her to change course and become a full-time voice
for Iranian women.
“On that day in September 2022, I
stopped doing everything else,” Jamali said. “But since October 7, I now work
double.”
Nefarious influence of media
The Iranian activist has harsh words for
the mainstream media’s reporting of the current Israel-Hamas war, drawing
parallels to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and how the Islamists have retained
power for nearly half a century.
“The very same propaganda that has given
weight to the lies that the Islamic Republic has spread all over the West is
now plaguing Israel,” Jamali said. “The Iranian regime gathered strength
because of the coalescing of the Communist and the radical left with Islamic
fundamentalists, together with networks like BBC and CNN giving them
legitimacy.”
Jamali bewailed the established press
that, she said, have no understanding of the reality of life in the Middle East
and preach morals of higher consciousness from their TV studios or newsrooms.
“They want to hug terrorists into
reforming and then say we tried,” she said.
Denying Israeli women humanity
The world’s denial of the attack against
Israeli women on Oct. 7 gave the Iranian activist an acute sense of déjà vu.
“The very same free world through its
prestigious establishments that denied Iranian women their humanity is
repeating this now with Israeli women being stripped of their dignity and
humanity,” Jamali said during her latest trip to Israel this week.
She was back in the country for a
conference on gender-based violence sponsored by ELNET—The European Leadership
Network, an NGO that promotes Israel-European ties.
Jamali voiced outrage, if not surprise,
that Western feminist groups and women, in general, have remained silent for
months on end even as they are presented with images of bloodied and abused
Israeli women.
“When you deny Oct. 7, you deny your own
humanity,” she said.
Despite the difficult situation Israel
is facing in the world, Jamali is convinced that a brighter future awaits and
that the radical regime in the Islamic Republic is on its last legs.
“They say Israel is losing the media
war, and the PR war, she said. “Let them say that. The truth will always win
out in the end.”
“I believe you and will always echo
that,” Jamali said. “My voice, our voice, will always be together.”
She insists that hers is the voice of
most Iranians today.
Source: jns.org
https://www.jns.org/an-iranian-womens-activist-champions-israels-cause/
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2 Malaysian Women, Nor Hasimah Nekmat
and Linda Suryani Ab Hamid Gear Up for A Six-Day, 2,005km Bike Ride Across the
Country
24 May 2024
Two female big bike enthusiasts are
embarking on a 2,005km ride across Malaysia tomorrow (May 25), to challenge
stereotypes and demonstrate that motorbiking knows no gender boundaries.
Customer experience management head Nor
Hasimah Nekmat, 51, and administrative executive Linda Suryani Ab Hamid, 45,
plan to complete their journey – themed HER 2005km Ride – across 12 states in
six days.
"The objective of the ride is to
empower female bikers. We aim to inspire more women to embrace motorcycling as
both a passion and a lifestyle," said Nor Hasimah during an interview in
Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
The women will kickstart their journey at 7am
in Shah Alam. Nor Hasimah and Linda will ride their Harley Davidson Sportster
883 and 48 respectively through diverse terrains, starting from Selangor before
travelling down south to Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor.
On Sunday, they will ride approximately
372km to the East Coast state of Pahang, where they will spend the night in
Kuantan.
The following days will see them
enjoying the scenic coastal roads of Terengganu and Kelantan, appreciating the
beautiful beach views. They will then continue north to Perlis and Kedah before
heading to Penang. The rest of their journey will take them south again through
Perak, ultimately concluding in Kuala Lumpur on May 30.
"In total, we hope to cover around
380km each day. We will be spacing out our rides to ensure we don’t feel too
exhausted during long hours of riding, which can be physically and mentally
demanding. We also anticipate potential challenges during our ride, which
include adverse weather conditions, given it is the monsoon season, and
difficult terrains."
The women have been planning for the trip
since 2021. To ensure they are prepared for the long trip, they have been
training rigorously, undertaking long rides throughout 2023. They have also
made comprehensive arrangements to handle any emergencies that might arise,
said Nor Hasimah.
"Extensive preparation has gone
into the HER 2005km Ride, including rigorous training sessions, safety drills
and route planning. We are equipped with safety gear, including helmets,
jackets, gloves and boots, to ensure protection and comfort throughout the
journey. Our bikes have been serviced, and we will make pit stops at technical
support points along the route. We are taking these measures to ensure we can
focus on the journey with peace of mind," said the mother of three from
Shah Alam.
Linda, who has two children, explained that
the ride aims to inspire more women to take up motorcycling and challenge
traditional gender roles in the biking community.
"The ride supports the broader
biking community and female empowerment by showcasing the capabilities and
resilience of female riders. We want to inspire a new generation of women to
take up motorcycling and pursue their passions with confidence," said
Linda, who is from Klang, Selangor, adding that the trip is entirely
self-sponsored.
The women are members of the Ladies of
Harley Petaling Jaya Chapter. Nor Hasimah said that they will post updates of
their ride on Harley Davidson of Petaling Jaya's Instagram.
The estimated cost of their journey is
capped at RM5,000, covering fuel, accommodation, food and technical support.
Source: thestar.com.my
https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/people/2024/05/24/2-malaysian-women-gear-up-for-a-six-day-2005km-bike-ride-across-the-country
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Pakistan considers changing women’s
passport policy amid row over including husband’s name
May 24, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government is
considering modifying its passport policy for married and divorced women, a
senior official said on Thursday, after a lawyer petitioned a local court
against the requirement to include the husband’s name on the travel document.
Lawyer Khadija Bukhari has pointed out
the contrition in the policies of the National Database and Registration
Authority (Nadra) and the Directorate General Immigration & Passports
(DGIP) regarding married women.
The former allows women to retain their
father’s name even after marriage while updating their marital status on their
Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC), but the passport authority has made
it mandatory to change the name from father to husband. However, because the
passport is made on the basis of NADRA data, a woman who has not switched to
her husband’s name on her CNIC must get a new CNIC made reflecting the change
before she can be issued a new passport.
Speaking to Arab News, Bukhari said she
had her husband’s name included in her CNIC data in order for their marriage to
be registered with NADRA, but later decided to retain her father’s name in the
second column of her CNIC.
“So, there was no problem with that. But
once I went to the passport office when my passport expired, they said, ‘We
cannot renew your passport because your CNIC has not been updated’,” she told
Arab News.
“By that it was meant that ‘You’re
supposed to be wife of someone, you cannot remain a daughter if you want to get
a passport. So first go back to NADRA, get your CNIC changed and reflect that
you are the wife of someone and then we will process your application’.”
Bukhari argued that if NADRA didn’t have
a problem with women retaining their father’s name then why did the passport
authority have a separate policy.
Immigration and Passports
Director-General Mustafa Jamal Kazi told Arab News it was currently a “legal
requirement” for a married woman to have her husband’s name on her passport as
the document was used internationally and must comply with international
agreements, unlike NADRA-issued CNICs that were used only in Pakistan.
“These rules are driven through the act
of parliament and secretary interior has constituted a committee under his
chairmanship to solve this issue. The committee will look into the passport
policy concerning the condition of a married woman’s passport bearing her
husband’s name instead of her father’s name,” Kazi said.
“The committee was tasked with
addressing discrepancies between the policies of the National Database and
Registration Authority and the passport issuing authority regarding married
women.”
Kazi said the solution to the problem,
which he also intended to present to the government committee, was to add
another column to the passport to include the name of a woman’s ex-husband, the
father of their children, in case of divorce.
“We need all the details in our database
because for international verifications different countries send the data of
Pakistani citizens to us and we need to verify from every aspect,” he said.
“Therefore, we need all the information
and concealing facts can cause problems for them [women] at a later stage.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2516036/pakistan
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Instead of education, orphaned Nigerian
girls and women face threats of forced marriage
May 22, 2024
LAGOS - A plan to marry off 100 Nigerian
girls and young women in a state-sponsored mass wedding has sparked heated
debate about child marriage and female education, with last-ditch efforts
underway to ban the ceremony.
Nigeria’s women’s minister, who is
leading the campaign to shelve Friday's wedding, told Context that she had
filed a court injunction to stop it.
Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye said the wedding
violates Nigeria’s Child Rights Acts and Violence Against Persons Prohibition
Act that criminalises forced marriages for women and girls.
“This marriage impinges on the rights of
girls and women, who are my constituency, and I have taken action to put an end
to it,” the minister told Context in an interview.
Many of the girls due to be married off
are believed to be under age, sparking sharp criticism from rights advocates.
The wedding came to light when
Abdulmalik Sarkindaj, speaker of the state assembly in the Muslim-majority
state of Niger, announced plans to sponsor the ceremony and foot the dowries.
He said the girls' parents were killed
in attacks by bandits and kidnapping gangs that have terrorised villages and
towns in his conservative state in northern Nigeria.
While several Muslim clerics have
defended the marriage as a charitable act for orphans, critics said it
contravenes Nigeria's commitment to protect children and women's rights.
The speaker later withdrew his offer to
host the ceremony, which has triggered petitions from rights groups that have
gathered thousands of signatures. It was not immediately clear if the ceremony
would go ahead with another sponsor as local Muslim clerics have vowed to defy
the minister.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said while she had
received assurances from the state's traditional rulers that the wedding would
now be called off, she would pursue her injunction to be safe.
“What I'm fighting is illegality. I'm
not fighting tradition or religion. This is to make sure it doesn't happen,”
she said.
When she met with the leaders, the group
discussed enrolling some of the girls in school, and opening bank accounts for
others so that they can start earning.
“Marriage is not empowerment and doesn't
change somebody's life. Rather, it worsens if you have no money to care for
your family,” the minister said.
Beyond laws
Nigeria’s Child Rights Act sets the
minimum marriage age at 18, but younger girls routinely wed in northern states,
with more than half of women aged 20-24 marrying before they turn 18.
Nerida Nthamburi from GirlsNotBride, a
non-profit advocating against early marriage, said laws were not enough given
cultural norms still push girls into early wedlock.
Parents in some northern states marry
off daughters once they menstruate or reach puberty, she said, urging
government to enlist the help of traditional and community leaders.
High poverty rates have also forced more
families into marrying off girls to pay off debts or generate income.
She called on government to invest in
programmes that keep girls in school and make them less vulnerable, saying
education was the best antidote to forced marriage.
“If families are economically empowered,
then we'll find it less likely that they are selling off their girls and more
likely that they can afford at least to keep their children in school,”
Nthamburi said.
(Reporting by Bukola Adebayo; Editing by
Lyndsay Griffiths.)
Source: context.news
https://www.context.news/socioeconomic-inclusion/mass-wedding-of-nigerian-girls-drives-debate-of-forced-marriage
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‘We’re praying for peace in Nigeria’,
Women mobilize against violence
ABUJA – In a display of faith and
resilience, religious women from across Nigeria have come together to pray for
peace and speak out against violence in their country.
The multi-faith summit, themed “Sew
Freedom: Nigerian Women Lead the Way,” brought together women leaders from
various religious backgrounds to address the pressing issue of religious
freedom and security.
Dr. Elizabeth Akinadewo, General Lady
Superintendent of the Women’s Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria
(WOWICAN), emphasized the need for collective action to address the challenges
facing Christian women in their peacebuilding efforts.
“We must work together to promote
religious harmony and peace in Nigeria.
“Collective action is key to addressing
the challenges facing Christian women in their peacebuilding efforts,” she
said.
Assistant General Secretary of the
Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Dr. Uzoaku Juliana Williams, urged
women to take an active role in decision-making processes, emphasizing that
patriarchy should not disqualify them from leadership positions.
“Women must see themselves as equal
partners in the pursuit of peace and development.
“Patriarchy should not disqualify women
from leadership positions; we must take an active role in decision-making
processes,” she said.
Dr. Gloria Samdi-Puldu, President of the
LEAH Foundation, highlighted the importance of interfaith collaboration in
promoting peace and security.
“We must work together to address the
root causes of violence and promote a culture of peace and tolerance.
“Interfaith collaboration is crucial in
promoting peace and security in Nigeria,” she said.
Kyle Abis, Executive Director of the
International Committee on Nigeria (ICON), emphasized the need for
international support and solidarity in addressing the challenges facing
Nigeria.
“We must stand together to promote peace
and stability in Nigeria.
“International support and solidarity
are essential in addressing the challenges facing Nigeria,” he said.
Julie Sanda, Director-General of the
Plateau Peacebuilding Agency, stressed the importance of empowering women and
youth in peacebuilding efforts.
“We must invest in the next generation
of leaders to build a more peaceful and harmonious society.
“Empowering women and youth is crucial
in peacebuilding efforts” she said.
Sheikh Umar Faruk Mohammed, a prominent
Muslim leader, emphasized the need for religious tolerance and understanding.
“We must recognize our shared humanity
and work together to build a more peaceful and harmonious society.
“Religious tolerance and understanding
are essential in promoting peace and stability in Nigeria,” he said.
The summit showcased successful
interfaith initiatives, such as peace roundtable discussions, prayer vigils,
and community development projects, which have brought together women from
diverse religious backgrounds.
These collaborations have fostered
understanding, trust, and social cohesion, demonstrating the power of
collective action in promoting peace.
Source: vanguardngr.com
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/05/were-praying-for-peace-in-nigeria-women-mobilize-against-violence/
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/princess-reema-al-mangour-us/d/132379