Raksha Bandhan 2024: Meet Muslim Women Who Have Been Tying Rakhi to Hindu Brothers for Decades
New Age Islam News Bureau
19 Aug 2024
· Raksha Bandhan 2024: Meet Muslim Women Who Have Been Tying Rakhi to Hindu Brothers for Decades
· Iran Coerces Confession from ArezouBadri, ShotBy Police Over Hijab Rules
· Three Quarters of Muslim Women in UK Fear for Safety After Riots
· Iranian Activist, MojganKavousi, Gets Reduced One-year Sentence After Legal Battle
· World Must Not Abandon the Daughters of Iraq
· Norwegian Woman Protests Slow Probe into Sexual Assault in City Apartment
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/rakshabandhan-muslim-women-hindu-brothers/d/132984
RakshaBandhan 2024: Meet Muslim Women Who Have Been Tying RakhiTo Hindu Brothers For Decades
August 19, 2024,
Representative Image |
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Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): RakshaBandhan, the Hindu festival of affection between sisters and brothers, recognises no religious boundaries. That is what a few Muslim women in the city prove. They have been tying rakhis to their Hindu brothers for decades. Excerpts of what they said.
DrNikhat Saba Siddiqui, senior medical Officer at Jawaharlal Nehru Cancer Hospital, has been tying rakhi to Ajay Narang for past 40 years. “It started when our families were next-door neighbours in a colony near Kamla Park. At the time, I was in Class 3 and he was a student of KG II. We knew no difference between each other’s homes,” she said. Now, they live far apart but their affection remains undiminished. Whenever Ajay has a health issue, DrNikhat is his first counsel. “During Covid-19 epidemic, my bhabhi (Narang’s wife) was admitted to my hospital. My colleagues were surprised by our family bond. What is this Hindu-Muslim thing we hear so much about, they wondered. I believe God has created us all,” she said.
Samar Khan, director of Nirbhaya Shelter Home has been tying rakhi to Alok Sharma, Bhopal MP since 2015. The relationship began when Alok, during a visit to the Shelter Home for women run by Samar, realised that they were short on funds. “He took care of food for all the inmates and it was not a typical politician’s promise. He fulfilled it,” says Samar, who was impressed by his empathetic attitude. “Being a politician, on RakshaBandhan Day, his house is crowded. An intimate function is held at his place on Janmashtami and I tie rakhi to him on that day.” she says. “What is rakhi? Just a thread. But it is stronger than the thickest chain that we can think of,” she added.
About 30 years back, Rubeena Amber, a homemaker with her banker husband, visited home of Deepak Sabharwal on Rakshabandhan. “Deepak, who was my husband’s colleague, said he missed not having a sister. Then I decided to tie rakhi to him and that continues till date,” she says. Over the years, she travelled to Chhindwara, Seoni and other places wherever Deepak was posted on Rakshabandhan to tie rakhi to him. Now, he has retired and lives in Bhopal. “It never ever occurred to me that we belong to different religions. I tie rakhi to him with all the rituals and also get a gift,” she added.
Art teacher Huma Khan’s association with Rakhshabandhan began in 2007, when she tied rakhi to Vikas Kumar Koge, her senior at Hamidia College. And it continues. “My father, who passed away recently, was more enthusiastic than me. He used to buy coconut, handkerchiefs and sweets for the day and ensured that I visit my brother,” she said, adding, “I also tie rakhi to other Hindu artistes including Vinay, Hemant and Mahesh Pal who have no biological sisters.”
Source:freepressjournal.in
https://www.freepressjournal.in/bhopal/raksha-bandhan-2024-meet-muslim-women-who-have-been-tying-rakhi-to-hindu-brothers-for-decades
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Iran Coerces Confession from ArezouBadri, Shot By Police Over Hijab Rules
AUGUST 19, 2024
Badri before and after being shot by the police in July
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Iran’s state security forces have forced 31-year-old ArezouBadri, who was shot by police for allegedly violating hijab rules, to give a coerced confession despite her critical condition in hospital, Iran International has learned.
Badri, who is hospitalized with severe injuries to her spine and lungs, was pressured into confessing while in extreme pain, unable to sit or eat, sources told Iran International on Sunday.
Sources revealed that Badri, who broke down in tears from pain multiple times during the forced confession, was threatened by security agents and coerced into a video interview. The agents also forced her close family members, including her sister, to make coerced confessions.
Badri was shot on July 22 while returning home with her sister in Nour County, northern Mazandaran Province.
Reports obtained by Iran International reveal that police opened fire from the rear driver's side of the car stopped on a dirt road, striking ArezouBadri in the back and severely damaging her spinal cord and lungs.
A seizure order had been issued for the vehicle in which Badri was a passenger, allegedly due to a violation of Iran's mandatory hijab law. Police issue vehicle seizure alerts if the driver or a passenger are seen without hijab in a car.
Mazandaran Provincial Police confirmed the shooting, claiming the driver continued to flee despite police orders, leading officers to open fire "according to the law on the use of weapons."
Meanwhile, AhmadrezaPourkhaghan, head of the Judicial Organization of Iran's Armed Forces, announced that the officer who shot Badri is currently in prison under temporary detention.
Despite this development, President Masoud Pezeshkian, who had promised during his election campaign to stop hijab patrols and violence against women for violations, has remained silent on the incident, amid growing calls on social media for him to address it.
Sources told Iran International that a court hearing regarding the family's complaint has been held, but the family is dissatisfied with the proceedings and is under pressure to drop the case.
Badri, a sales associate and mother of two, was initially taken to a local hospital in Nour before being transferred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Sari, and eventually to Vali-e-Asr Hospital in Tehran under tight security.
Exclusive information received by Iran International revealed that Badri had undergone another surgery on Wednesday due to fluid buildup in her lungs, and her condition remains critical.
Additionally, security forces on Thursday prevented her family from leaving their hotel to visit her in the hospital. They were allowed to leave the hotel on the next day, but were denied visitation when they arrived. Sources said that before allowing the visit, several members of parliament sought to meet with the family to gain their cooperation.
Iranian authorities have long been notorious for using forced confessions as a tactic to silence dissent and push their narrative. These confessions, often extracted under duress or torture, are frequently broadcast on state media to cover up abuses and justify harsh crackdowns.
The case of Badri is the latest example, underscoring the state’s reliance on coercion to control the narrative and suppress opposition.
Badri’s story has been widely viewed as yet another example of the Iranian state's escalating violence against women over the mandatory hijab, fueling further outrage within the country and drawing condemnation from rights groups.
In December 2022, amid nationwide protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody, the European Union sanctioned Iran's state broadcaster, IRIB, for “producing and broadcasting the forced confessions of detainees.”
The United States in November 2022, extended its 2013 sanctions against IRIB to include several IRIB officials for their role in airing coerced confessions.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202408182919
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Three quarters of Muslim women in UK fear for safety after riots
19/08/2024
London: As many as 75% of Muslim women in the United Kingdom fear for their safety after riots erupted in the country over an attack on children in the city of Southport, Sky News reported on Sunday, citing a survey by the Muslim Women’s Network UK charity.
Before the riots only 16% of those surveyed feared for their lives, the report read. About one-fifth of respondents said they had experienced hostile attitudes after the attack, the report added.
In late July, mass protests broke out in many cities in the UK after a 17-year-old teenager attacked children with a knife at a dance studio in Southport. Three children were killed, several more children and two adults were taken to hospital in critical condition.
The protests escalated into clashes with police and riots after rumors that the attacker was a refugee. It later became known that the attacker was born in the UK to migrants from Rwanda. Hundreds of people were detained, dozens of police officers were injured during the riots organized by supporters of far-right groups.
Source: goachronicle.com
https://goachronicle.com/three-quarters-of-muslim-women-in-uk-fear-for-safety-after-riots/
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Iranian Activist, MojganKavousi,Gets Reduced One-year Sentence After Legal Battle
AUGUST 19, 2024
Former political prisoner and activist MojganKavousi has been sentenced to one year in prison following a retrial granted by the Supreme Court of Iran.
MaziarTataei, Kavousi's lawyer, said, "Following the acceptance of the retrial by Branch 39 of the Supreme Court, the sentence of my client, Ms. MojganKavousi, which was originally 61 months, has been reduced to 12 months."
The retrial request was accepted by the Supreme Court on July 30, leading to the case being referred to an equivalent branch for reconsideration.
Kavousi's legal troubles began in December 2022 when she was initially sentenced by Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in northern Sari.
At that time, she received eight months for "propaganda activities against the Islamic Republic," 18 months for "insulting the Supreme Leader," and 39 months for "assembly and collusion against national security."
In December 2023, Kavousi was imprisoned in Tonekabon to serve her sentence, According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA).
However, in late June this year, her prison sentence was converted to a suspended sentence, leading to her release from Tonekabon Prison.
She was previously arrested during the November 2019 protests in the Islamic Republic and subsequently imprisoned. After serving 20 months at Kachooie Prison in Karaj, she was released in January 2022.
In November 2019, Iran erupted in nationwide protests sparked by fuel price hikes. The government's violent crackdown led to hundreds of deaths and arrests.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/132993-iranian-activist-gets-reduced-one-year-sentence-after-legal-battle/
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World must not abandon the daughters of Iraq
August 18, 2024
DALIA AL-AQIDI
By now, one might have hoped that the world would have made significant progress in protecting human rights, especially those of women and children. Unfortunately, Iraq seems to be moving in the opposite direction, with a proposed amendment to the country’s Personal Status Law that represents a profound decline in both civilizational and human progress in the nation.
This legislation, should it pass, would allow girls as young as 9 years old to get married. It is nothing short of a license to rape children, under the guise of religious and cultural practices. Young girls belong in school, pursuing their education and building their futures, not in marital beds, stripped of their childhoods and forced into a life they are much too young to understand.
The controversy surrounding the proposed law change has sparked fierce debate across Iraq, from the streets to the halls of parliament. The Coordination Framework, a bloc of Shiite parties, is leveraging its parliamentary majority to push the amendment through, with the backing of religious authorities in Najaf.
They are negotiating with Sunni political blocs, which are demanding a general amnesty for thousands of prisoners in exchange for their support. This political deal-making demonstrates the profoundly ingrained power dynamics that prioritize political gain over the rights and futures of young girls.
As it currently stands, the 1959 Personal Status Law prohibits marriage before the age of 18. But the reality is that child marriage is already a significant problem in Iraq. According to the UN, 28 percent of Iraqi girls are married before their 18th birthday, often in informal ceremonies conducted by clerics without any official registration.
The new amendment will only exacerbate the situation by formally lowering the legal marriage age to as young as 9 years. This is a horrifying prospect that would effectively endorse and legalize the exploitation of children under the guise of tradition and religious law.
The backlash against the proposed amendment has been fierce, particularly from women’s rights activists, who have protested in the streets. In Najaf, a demonstration by female activists was met with hostility from clerics and tribal figures, who demanded the protesters disperse. The confrontation was so intense that the police had to intervene to prevent it escalating into violence.
Such tensions highlight the deep divisions in attitudes about the role of religion and tradition in shaping the legal framework of Iraq, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and children.
However, the implications of the proposed amendment go far beyond just one protest or a single political debate. A decision by authorities that allows girls as young as 9 years old to be married is a fundamental violation of their human rights. It is a direct assault on their right to education, their right to childhood and their right to bodily autonomy.
Child marriage has been widely recognized as a form of gender-based violence, with it having devastating consequences for the physical and mental health of young girls. It increases their vulnerability to sexual and physical abuse, restricts their access to education and employment and perpetuates cycles of poverty and inequality.
Moreover, child marriage often results in lifelong trauma. Young girls, who should be playing with friends and focusing on their studies, are instead forced into adult roles for which they are neither physically nor emotionally prepared. The health risks alone are staggering; early-age pregnancies often result in complications that endanger both mother and child.
Furthermore, these young brides are frequently cut off from their support networks, isolated within their new households and denied access to education and opportunities for personal development. The cycle of poverty continues as these girls grow up with limited skills and resources, unable to break free from the constraints placed on them at such a young age.
This proposed amendment to the law is not only a setback for the country, it represents a regression to a darker time when the rights of women and children were routinely ignored in favor of patriarchal and religious authority. It is a clear step backward in the global fight for gender equality and human rights.
In a world that is striving to move forward, the passing of this law would be a tragic reminder that progress is not guaranteed and the rights for which we fight can be eroded in an instant if we are not vigilant.
The international community cannot stand idly by while Baghdad contemplates the legalization of what is, in essence, the rape of children. It has a moral obligation to intervene and put pressure on the Iraqi government to abandon this harmful and regressive legislation.
International organizations, human rights groups and foreign governments must speak out against this proposed law and make it clear that such a violation of human rights will not be tolerated. Diplomatic channels, sanctions and public condemnation must all be considered as part of the global response to this egregious assault on the rights of children.
Iraqi girls deserve the chance to grow up in a world that values their rights and their futures, not one that sacrifices them on the altar of political and religious convenience. Every child has the right to live free from the threat of forced marriage and exploitation and it is our collective responsibility to ensure those rights are upheld.
The proposed amendment to the Personal Status Law is not only a domestic issue for Iraq to address, it is a test of the world’s commitment to the protection of the most vulnerable among us. The fight to defeat this legislation is a fight for the very future of Iraq’s children and for the principles of human dignity and equality that should guide every society.
In 2024, we should not be debating whether or not to legalize child marriage, we should be working to end it altogether.
A country known as the cradle of civilization stands at a crossroads. It can either protect the rights of women and children or take a devastating step backward by legalizing the oppression of young girls.
The choice is clear and the world must act now to ensure this ancient land chooses progress. This is about the futures of countless girls who deserve lives free from the horrors of abuse. The time to act is now.
Source: arabnews.com
Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2567932
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Norwegian woman protests slow probe into sexual assault in city apartment
19 August 2024
The suspects, three women and two men known to her, also robbed the victim of cash and a mobile phone
They are part of a larger group operating in Kilimani and usually target people for trapping and blackmail, victim claims
A Norwegian woman has protested police inaction in a case where she claims to have been assaulted in an apartment in Kilimani area, Nairobi.
Maria Abdisalam was on holiday in Kenya when she was invited to a house where the incident took place.
The suspects, three women and two men known to her, also robbed her of cash and a mobile phone in the drama on July 26.
They body-shamed her by taking naked videos and photos of her.
The men were armed with pistols, she said.
Abdisalam claimed they have been threatening her and demanding money from her.
She reported cases of robbery with violence, attempted gang rape and assault causing grievous bodily harm at Kilimani Police Station, which was recorded under OB Number 02/26/07/2024.
Abdisalam also processed a P3 Form as required, stating among others, she was sexually assaulted.
But since then, nothing has been done.
“They have been taking me in circles without explaining the way forward. The suspects are now threatening and warning me against pursuing the matter which I find weird,” she said.
The woman claimed she has since learned the suspects are part of a larger group operating in Kilimani and usually target people for trapping and blackmail.
She also wrote to the Inspector General of Police and Director of Criminal Investigations saying police at Kilimani were reluctant to take action.
Her lawyer Albert Kuloba wrote to the police bosses accusing those at Kilimani of taking sides.
“Upon lodging her complaint, she was asked to obtain the P3 Form, which she duly obtained on July 31, 2024. However, our client has further informed us that no further action has been taken by the police to progress the matter, which is causing her considerable distress,” the letter dated August 16, reads.
Kuloba said given the nature and significance of the matter, an update on the status of the investigation, including any steps that have been taken so far and any anticipated actions, be given within the next seven days.
Kilimani police boss Ben Kobia confirmed the matter had been reported and they intend to summon the suspects on Monday August 19 for processing.
“I understand the matter is under active probe. We will take the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution with recommendations,” he said.
Police asked Abdisalam to report any form of threats to her from the said suspects.
Source: the-star.co.ke
https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/nairobi/2024-08-19-norwegian-woman-protests-slow-probe-into-sexual-assault-in-city-apartment/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/rakshabandhan-muslim-women-hindu-brothers/d/132984