Prominent Women’s Rights Activist Julia Parsi Arrested In Kabul, Sparking Outrage
New Age
Islam News Bureau
29 September 2023
·
Prominent
Women’s Rights Activist Julia Parsi Arrested In Kabul, Sparking Outrage
·
Afghan
Women Defy Taliban, Will Participate in Asian Games
·
Mehdi
Yarrahi A Pop Singer Arrested By Iran's Regime After Releasing Track Dedicated
To Women
·
Thousands Of
Women March In Latin American Cities Calling For Abortion Rights
·
Unveiling
Iran’s Repressive Dress Code Against Young Women and Schoolgirls
·
Scholars
Reflect One-Year Anniversary of Iran’s Fight for Women’s Rights
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/rights-activist-julia-parsi-kabul/d/130787
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Prominent Women’s Rights Activist Julia
Parsi Arrested In Kabul, Sparking Outrage
Julia Parsi, a prominent women’s
rights activist
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By Fidel Rahmati
September 29, 2023
Julia Parsi, a prominent women’s rights
activist, was arrested in Kabul on Wednesday. Her detention has triggered
significant public outrage. Julia had previously stayed out of school during
the initial Taliban rule. She was apprehended for her advocacy work nearly 23
years later during the second phase of their rule, facing charges related to
her activism.
Born in Takhar province, Julia spent
many years teaching Persian language and literature in schools in her province.
She continued this mission in Kabul until the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021.
Following this incident, the schools she taught at were closed. This situation
was intolerable for Julia, and her advocacy began from this point.
In the months following the rise of the
Taliban to power, Julia’s name became well-known as a courageous female
protester. Images of her alongside other girls were circulated, showing them
standing empty-handed in the streets of Kabul, confronting armed Taliban forces
and chanting slogans of freedom. While her fellow protesters in Balkh were
disappearing or being killed, and fear and terror were palpable everywhere, she
appeared in the media. She spoke about women’s rights to education and work.
In an interview with “Nimrokh” magazine
in February 2022, Julia stated, “If the schools are not reopened, if
universities are not opened for girls, our plans will be broader and more
robust. We have no fear of anyone, even if we are killed.
We must secure the rights of the girls
of this land, their freedom, education, and work.”
One of the female protesters in Kabul
told Khaama Press News Agency that Julia’s arrest had terrified all the
protesters. She said, “Julia was a symbol of courage, and her absence is
unimaginable for the female protesters.” The news of Julia Parsi’s arrest has
shocked female protesters in Afghanistan and disbelieved women’s rights
activists outside of Afghanistan.
Yalda Ravan, a women’s rights activist,
reacted to the news of Julia Parsi’s arrest, saying, “I am numb. Julia knew the
risks and predicted the Taliban’s retaliation for her protests. However, even
in moments of despair, she never backed down.”
Julia, a pioneer of women’s protests,
was ultimately arrested on Wednesday, September 27, along with her son in the
Fathullah Square in Kabul. The Taliban administration has not provided any
information about her arrest to date.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/prominent-womens-rights-activist-julia-parsi-arrested-in-kabul-sparking-outrage/
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Afghan Women Defy Taliban, Will
Participate in Asian Games
Afghan Women volleyball court
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September 28, 2023
By Ian Ransom
Reuters
Hangzhou, China – On a pristine
volleyball court on the seventh floor of a massive training center in the
Chinese city of Hangzhou, a team of Afghan women prepare for their first Asian
Games in defiance of the Taliban government's antipathy toward women's sports.
Though separated from their families and
scattered across Asia, the volleyball players have assembled at the multisport
event with the support of Olympic officials and the sport's global federation.
Some fled Afghanistan when the Taliban
came to power after the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, fearing persecution from
a government that has effectively banned women's sports.
With little prospect of returning home,
they have rebuilt their lives in Pakistan, Iran and other countries, competing
in effective exile.
Now in Hangzhou, they yearn to give hope
to the hopeless — the female athletes left behind in their homeland.
"Nowadays, they are looking for
hope," said MursalKhedri, a Pakistan-based, 24-year-old member of the
volleyball team.
"By seeing us here they can find
hope that we (women) can also participate in sports."
The Taliban administration says it
respects women's rights in line with its interpretation of Islamic law and
Afghan custom and that it has declared a "general amnesty" against
its former foes under the previous government.
Wearing lycra leggings and shirts with
the traditional Afghanistan colors of red, black and green, the players all
train in hijabs under the watch of veteran Iranian coach Nasrin Khazani.
They will play their first group match
against Kazakhstan when the women's volleyball tournament starts on Saturday.
They are unlikely to get near the
knockout rounds and claiming a single win would be a big achievement for a team
of exiles that will be facing nations with organized programs and government
funding.
Just being recognized by the Asian
Games, however, is a boost for women in the country, according to
KhushalMalakzai, the secretary-general of the Afghan volleyball federation.
"Actually, the important thing for
us, and also the girls, is that participation in (these) kind of matches and
coming here, they give them hope for the future," he said.
"And for those girls who are inside
Afghanistan and outside Afghanistan, that they should understand that there are
people that are still supporting them."
Malakzai, the team's organizer and
fundraising champion, has been based in Melbourne, Australia, for just over a
year, having first fled to Pakistan after fearing for his safety in
Afghanistan.
He said he left the country on the
advice of Afghanistan's volleyball federation and after receiving multiple
threats from Taliban representatives by phone and in writing due to his support
for women's sports.
A spokesman for the Taliban
administration did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Though initially composed and
enthusiastic when talking about the women's team, Malakzai burst into tears
when he saw the players form a circle on the volleyball court, join hands and
cry "Afghanistan!" at the end of their training session.
"I am so happy they can be here.
But for the girls at home in Afghanistan, it is hopeless," he said.
For the Afghan women in Hangzhou, it is
a thrill to compete at a high level but there are also nerves.
There are 17 in total, competing in
volleyball, cycling and athletics.
Australia-based Kimia Yousofi will
compete in the women's 100 meters and carried the Afghan flag during the Asian
Games opening ceremony last Saturday with a male teammate. She declined to be
interviewed.
Her Australia-based coach John Quinn
said she did not want attention in case of reprisals against her connections in
Afghanistan.
The Afghan women and men marched as one
team at the opening ceremony, behind the traditional tricolor national flag and
not the white one used by the Taliban government.
The delegation includes male athletes
and officials based in Afghanistan.
They are unlikely to attend competition
venues to cheer on the women's volleyball team or the other Afghan women due to
the sensitivity of the situation.
Malakzai saw little prospect of things
changing in the short term.
"So we hope that everything will
change and the Taliban even accepts the women," he said.
"But it will take time."
Source: japantimes.co.jp
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2023/09/28/more-sports/afghan-asian-games-taliban/
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Mehdi Yarrahi A Pop Singer Arrested By
Iran's Regime After Releasing Track Dedicated To Women
BySomayehMalekian
August 29, 2023
LONDON -- Mehdi Yarrahi, a prominent
Iranian pop singer, was arrested by Iranian authorities on Monday after
releasing a song celebrating the anniversary of the Mahsa Amini protests coming
up next month.
Iran said the "illegal song"
was the reason for his arrest, according to the Mizan News Agency affiliated to
the Islamic Republic judiciary stated on Monday.
“Take off your scarf, the sun is
sinking,” the opening lyrics to the song reads. “Don’t be afraid, my love,
laugh, protest against tears.”
Yarrahi’s lawyer, Mostafa Nili,
confirmed the arrest in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In an interview with Sharq Daily, Nili
added that he did not know the charges nor the whereabouts of his client.
Yarrahi’s songs have been used as
somewhat of a rallying cry in Iran since Mahsa Amini's suspicious death in a
hospital in Tehran on September 16 last year. Protests took on a life of their
own after 22-year-old died while in police custody after being arrested for
allegedly not fully complying with the strict mandatory hijab rules of the
country.
Her death led to widespread protests
across Iran, which activists have described to ABC News as "the most
serious challenge" the government regime has faced in over four decades.
Iran Human Rights reported in April that
at least 537 people had been killed since the start of the protests and at
least 22,000 people have been arrested, according to the Islamic Republic News
Agency (IRNA).
“Dedicated to the noble women of my home
and, who bravely shine in the front line of the “Woman, Life, Freedom”
movement,” the dedication of his latest song, Roosarito, meaning "your
headscarf", reads.
Yarrahi’s arrest is yet another case of
an increasing number of detentions and raids by the Islamic Republic over the
past few weeks ahead of the first-year anniversary of the Mahsa Amini movement.
Just last Wednesday, at least 11 women's
rights activists were arrested by security forces in Iran in the northern
province of Gilan Wednesday, according to the Human Rights Activists News Agency
(HRANA).
Another notable recent arrest arrest was
of Mashallah Karami, whose son, Mohammad Mehdi Karami, was executed after
attending recent protests. Karami published photos of preparing food that he
and his wife had made to distribute among those in need to honor their son's
short life before getting executed by the regime.
Karami’s lawyer, Amir HoseinKoohkan, was
also detained the same day and released later, just to be detained again on
Monday.
Families of other protest victims in
different cities have also reported news of arrests and harassment by the
regime over the past few weeks.
Source: abcnews.go.com/
https://abcnews.go.com/ABCNews/pop-singer-arrested-irans-regime-after-releasing-track/story?id=102644569
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Thousands of women march in Latin
American cities calling for abortion rights
Sep 29, 2023
MEXICO CITY: The streets of cities
across Latin American cities were bathed in green Thursday as tens of thousands
of women marched to commemorate International Safe Abortion Day.
Latin American feminists have spent
decades fighting to roll back strict prohibitions, although there are still few
countries with a total ban, like El Salvador and Dominican Republic.
In Mexico, marchers celebrated the
recent decision by Mexico's Supreme Court to decriminalise abortions at the
federal level. In Argentina, marchers had a more somber tone, worrying that the
strength of a populist far-right presidential candidate going into elections in
October could signal peril after years of work by feminists.
Abortion was the heart of the protests,
but crowds of women also raised alarm about the region's high rates of
gender-based violence as well as abuses aimed at LGBTQ+ communities.
Green smoke floated over a roaring crowd
of thousands of women in Mexico City who waved green handkerchiefs, which have
become the symbol of Latin America's “green wave” abortion movement. Signs
reading “It's my decision” and “Free and safe abortions for everyone” speckled
the crowd.
The march came just weeks after Mexico's
Supreme Court knocked down all federal criminal penalties for abortion, ruling
that national laws prohibiting the procedure are unconstitutional and violate
women's rights. The move will also require federal health institutions to offer
abortion to anyone who requests it.
“It's absolutely an achievement,” said
Fernanda Castro, an organizer at GIRE, the women's rights organization that
brought forward the lawsuit before Mexico's high court. “And now we have
another even more important fight — decriminalizing abortion in the minds of
the people.”
While 20 Mexican states still have
abortion bans on the books, the decision by the Supreme Court greatly expanded
access to the procedue in a country where reproductive laws were long defined
by its religious and conservative roots.
Latin American feminists have spent
decades fighting to roll back strict prohibitions.
Mexico City was the first Mexican
jurisdiction to decriminalize abortion 15 years ago. The trend picked up speed
in Argentina, which in 2020 legalized the procedure. In 2022, Colombia, a
highly conservative country, did the same.
Brazil may be next. Currently, abortion
is a crime with exceptions for cases of rape and birth defects in a fetus, but
a case before the nation's Supreme Court could potentially decriminalize the procedure
up to 12 weeks of gestation.
“The green wave is going to keep growing
and (Brazilian women) are not alone,” Castro said.
While marches in Mexico and other parts
of the region were celebratory, in Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires, the
demonstration was marked with unease.
As elections loom in October, many in
the crowd marching toward the Congress building fear their legal gains may soon
get rolled back with the rise of right-wing candidate Javier Milei.
Now the leading candidate in polls,
Milei, has spoken out against abortion, compulsory sex education in schools and
free medical coverage for sex change treatments, among other issues. If he
wins, he has promised to hold a referendum to repeal the decriminalisation of
abortion nationwide approved by Congress in 2022.
“More than winning more rights, this is
about protecting them. The most important thing is to protect what's already
there,” said Sara Rivas, an art student. “Milei is a denialist. We've seen him
deny everything from femicides to the years-long struggle that has brought us
to this green wave.”
Still, Rivas, who carried a sign with a
drawing of Milei hanging from a green bandana, said women will turn to the same
approach they have used for decades to press for their goals.
“Our answer is that we are here. We are
not going to leave the streets, because these gains, we conquered them in the
streets,” she said.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/thousands-of-women-march-in-latin-american-cities-calling-for-abortion-rights/articleshow/104031687.cms
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Unveiling Iran’s Repressive Dress Code
Against Young Women and Schoolgirls
29th September 2023
By Mahmoud Hamid
In the heart of the Middle East, a
nation grapples with a dichotomy that has long captured international
attention. Iran, a country known for its rich history and vibrant culture, has
also become synonymous with a stringent dress code imposed by the brutal
misogynist mullahs’ regime that has weighed heavily on the lives of its young
female population. For decades, Iranian women, particularly schoolgirls, and
young adults have navigated a complex labyrinth of sartorial regulations,
confronting a stark choice between personal expression and state-mandated
conformity.
Escalating Repression in the Wake of
2022 Protests
In the wake of the widespread nationwide
protests in 2022, notably led by brave women and girls, the Iranian regime has
intensified its efforts to enforce stricter dress code regulations. These
measures have sent shockwaves through the country, particularly impacting young
women and schoolgirls.
One of the key provisions of this new
legislation is the imposition of severe penalties on girls who resist the
compulsory hijab. Additionally, the regime has taken the controversial step of
linking the student information database system to the Law Enforcement Command
of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA).
Gholamreza Nouri Qazaljeh, the head of
the independent faction in the regime’s parliament, revealed that the “Chastity
and Hijab Bill” has been amended to include even more punitive measures. While
some language pertaining to the punishment of children and adolescents aged 9
to 18 has been altered in the bill, the clauses related to penalties for girls
opposing the mandatory hijab have remained unchanged.
Within the section titled ‘Punishment of
Children and Adolescents,’ Article 68 of this legislation specifies: “The
implementation of the provisions of this chapter aligns with the tenth chapter
of the second part of the first book of the Islamic Penal Code, approved on
April 21, 2013.”
Article 88 of the Islamic Penal Code
defines the individuals covered by this legislation as follows: “Children and
teenagers who commit punishable crimes and are between the ages of 9 and 15 at
the time of the offense.”
Furthermore, Article 89 of this law
extends its jurisdiction to “youths who commit punishable crimes and are
between the ages of 15 and 18 at the time of the offense.”
In essence, despite the regime’s
Parliament Speaker Mohammad BagherQalibaf’s denials that the bill affects
students, the initial text of the legislation, with its reference to Chapter
10, Section 2 of Book 1 of the Islamic Penal Code, explicitly applies
punishments to “children and teenagers.” Notably, students typically fall
within the age bracket of individuals under 18 years old.
The Unsettling Details of the Repressive
Bill
The regime’s representative from
Bostanabad has shed light on the controversial aspects of the legislation. He
stated, “Regarding children and adolescents, that is, those aged 9 to 15 and 15
to 18, the wording of the bill has been altered, but the clauses pertaining to
them remain intact. In essence, this bill continues to impose regulations on
children aged 9 to 15 and 15 to 18. If they breach this law, they will be
subject to the relevant sections of the Islamic Penal Code. The negative
aspects that were present in the previous hijab and chastity bill have not only
been retained but have also been augmented, making the bill more stringent.”
Gholamreza Nouri Qazaljeh further
highlighted additional concerning provisions within the bill, stating, “Other
sensitive issues that were present in earlier versions remain, such as the
proposal to link the student database system to FARAJA. This amendment has
exacerbated the bill’s impact. The bill now also encompasses the dismissal of
sports organization managers, a measure previously absent from the legislation.
Additionally, it introduces the possibility of passport confiscation. Article
39 of this new resolution outlines imprisonment as a penalty for recurrent
business violations, a new inclusion.”
He pointed out a significant financial
burden imposed by the bill, noting that “all costs associated with installing
cameras and equipment to identify ‘hijab-breakers’ must be covered by the
public budget. This allocation represents a substantial sum and will inevitably
affect other areas and construction projects.” He criticized the lack of
transparency in the bill’s development, asking, “These issues were never
discussed openly. It remains unclear whose suggestions these were, how they
were incorporated into the bill, and how it expanded from its initial nine articles
to a staggering 70.”
It is evident that senior officials
within the regime are determined to revert to the state of affairs preceding
the tragic death of Mehsa Amini. The so-called “hijab and chastity bill,”
originally drafted within the judiciary and subsequently forwarded to the
government and parliament, represents the latest attempt by the regime to
enforce the hijab on Iranian women. Its trial implementation has recently been
approved.
In its final iteration, the hijab bill
prohibits “any behavior, whether in the real or virtual realm, such as nudity,
failure to wear a hijab, or wearing immodest clothing in non-private spaces.”
The bill prescribes severe penalties, including imprisonment, fines, and
property confiscation, for offenders.
Crucially, this legislation authorizes
multiple regime entities, including the Ministry of Interior, Faraja, Basij,
the IRGC Intelligence Organization, and the Ministry of Intelligence, to
apprehend and prosecute women and men on charges related to refusing to wear the
hijab, opposing the hijab, or advocating against its use. The implications of
this bill extend far beyond mere sartorial regulations, representing a
significant expansion of state control over individual freedoms and personal
expression in Iran.
Source: irannewsupdate.com
https://irannewsupdate.com/news/women/unveiling-irans-repressive-dress-code-against-young-women-and-schoolgirls/
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Scholars Reflect One-Year Anniversary of
Iran’s Fight for Women’s Rights
September 28, 2023
by Kate Hwang
Several scholars came together on Sept.
27 to reflect on the global effects and continued activism of Iranians on the
one-year anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
The event, hosted by the AlwaleedCenter
for Muslim Christian Understanding (ACMCU), included panelists Daniel Brumberg,
associate professor of government, and Negar Mortazavi, award-winning Iranian
journalist and commentator. The conversation was moderated by Nader Hashemi,
ACMCU director and associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics.
Panelists discussed the future of Iran,
global human rights and the U.S.’s complex relationship with Iran.
Mortazavi began the discussion by
reminding the audience of Mahsa Amini’s murder on Sept. 16, 2022, which spurred
nationwide protests in Iran. Amini, a young woman and member of Iran’s
oppressed Kurdish minority, was visiting Tehran with her brother when she was
arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not wearing her hijab
correctly in public. Amini subsequently died in police custody after being subjected
to beatings.
Coined the “Mahsa movement” or “Woman,
Life, Freedom” uprising, countless Iranian women and girls took to the streets
and threw their head scarves up in protest after Amini’s death, retaliating
against the Iranian government.
Kate Hwang | In an event hosted by
Georgetown’s AlwaleedCenter for Muslim Christian Understanding (ACMCU),
journalists and professors came together on Sept. 27 to reflect on the
continued activism on the one-year anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death.
Mortazavi said these protests were not
an isolated reaction to Amini’s death but a culmination of anger against the
Iranian regime brought to a breaking point.
“Looking at the protests, this is a
combination of years and years of grievances — political, economic, social,
cultural,” Mortazavi said.
The protests were especially symbolic
because more than 70% of Iran is under the age of 40, demonstrating Iranian
youth’s concerns for human rights and condemnation of the regime’s measures
against women, according to Mortazavi.
Mortazavi said these protests are a step
forward for Iranians in fighting against government control.
“What we saw was a giant leap as a
continuation of women slowly pushing back this state,” Mortazavi said.
Brumberg said that the protests aimed to
create systematic change in Iran.
“The importance of protest movements is
not only that they make moral and political demands in regimes but they expose
their abuses,” Brumberg said at the event.
Brumberg commended the protesters’
ability to facilitate dialogue between the regime and opposing ideologies.
“They create a space where elements
within the regime might be able to reach out to members of the opposition and
begin the change of political dynamic,” Brumberg said.
Brumberg said that while he is not
optimistic that the protests will cause a huge shift in what he called the
“nature of the regime,” he pointed to the tension the protests have sparked in
the regime.
“What we saw in the wake of these
protests over the last year was that the protests have in fact provoked
fissures within the regime,” Brumberg said.
The panel did not express much
enthusiasm for broad U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Iran, as they have not
brought forth definite policy change. Rather, they have created economic
hardships for Iranians.
The panel also discussed the Iranian
government’s brutal crackdown on protests. Iran has violently repressed any
show of support related to justice for Amini, including barring individuals
from attending Amini’s gravesite on the one-year anniversary of her death by
flooding the road.
Mortazavi said the Iranian government
was willing to use violent tactics against all, including children.
“The morality police have clearly
failed. It’s a force of harassment, public violence against women,” Mortazavi
said.
Brumberg said that despite the UN
Special Rapporteur’s designation of the Iranian government’s level of violence
as a “crime against humanity,” the regime will continue to tighten its power on
Iranian women.
“This is a revolutionary regime born of
violence. The cost of liberation for this regime is very high,” Brumberg said.
The panel discussed the importance of
the song “Baraye” by ShervinHajipour, the anthem of Amini protests, which
deeply speaks to the conflict in the region.
“The lyrics are a combination of tweets
by young Iranians and it’s just so simple. Essentially it’s saying why are we
doing this. Because we want a normal life. A simple life. And it’s just a very
simple statement,” Mortazavi said.
Mortazavi said there is hope for
Iranians as long as the fight for justice and equality continues.
“I see this as the beginning of the end
of this state.”
Source: thehoya.com
https://thehoya.com/scholars-reflect-one-year-anniversary-of-irans-fight-for-womens-rights/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/rights-activist-julia-parsi-kabul/d/130787