Sabahat Rizvi and Rabbiya Bajwa, Two Female Pakistani Lawyers Make History Winning Lahore High Court Bar Elections
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 February 2023
• ‘Stranger at the Gate’: Malala Yousafzai on
Entertainment’s “Power to Reveal Our Shared Humanity”
• Oman Air Celebrates First Female Omani Captain, Maha
Al-Balushi
• Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation Honoured with Grant
from Orchid Giving Circle
• Abu Dhabi Summit Epitomizes Women’s Undying
Determination to Break Glass Ceilings Worldwide
• Dubai Police Female SWAT Team Stun Top International
Cops
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/sabahat-rabbiya-pakistani-lawyers-bar/d/129219
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Sabahat Rizvi and Rabbiya Bajwa, Two Female Pakistani
Lawyers Make History Winning Lahore High Court Bar Elections
Pakistani lawyers, Sabahat
Rizvi (left) and Rabbiya Bajwa (right), elected as secretary and vice
president, respectively, of Pakistan’s oldest bar association.
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February 27, 2023 18:39
Sana Jamal
Islamabad: Sabahat Rizvi and Rabbiya Bajwa, two
Pakistani lawyers, have made history after being elected as secretary and
vice-president, respectively, of Pakistan’s oldest bar association. Their
historic win cracked the glass ceiling in the legal industry, paving the way
for women’s advancement.
Sabahat Rizvi bagged 4,310 votes to become the first
woman to be elected as the secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association
(LHCBA), which dates back to 1882. Another Supreme Court advocate, Rabbiya Bajwa,
was elected as the association’s vice-president.
The two women pledged to pave the way for increased
female representation in leadership positions within the legal profession.
Sabahat Rizvi has expressed her aspirations to use her position to increase the
representation of women in leadership roles in Pakistan’s legal profession. She
aims to set a precedent and an example for other female lawyers by sincerely
serving the association. Meanwhile, Chaudhry Ishtiaq A Khan of the Professional
group won the top slot of the president of the bar association in a massive
victory.
Sabahat Rizvi - LHCBA secretary
Sabahat Rizvi is an advocate of the Supreme Court of
Pakistan and has been practicing law for more than 20 years. She completed her
LLB from Punjab University in 2001. Presently, she is a partner at the Commons
Law Company. Her areas of practice include constitutional law, corporate,
criminal defence, and consumer and family matters.
Despite facing competition from two male candidates,
one of whom had previously served as the bar’s secretary, Rizvi won the
election by a lead of 600 votes. Sabahat Rizvi said that she faced several
obstacles during her election campaign, including gender discrimination and
stereotypes, from people who still do not consider women as professional
lawyers. Nevertheless, Rizvi remained determined and convinced people about her
abilities, and ultimately won the position. Rizvi thanked the legal fraternity
in Lahore for trusting her abilities. She hopes to inspire more women to pursue
leadership positions in the legal profession and break down barriers for future
generations.
Rabbiya Bajwa - LHCBA vice-president
Rabbiya Bajwa is also an advocate of the Supreme Court
of Pakistan. She joined the legal profession in 1999 and was enrolled as an
advocate in 2012. She is currently associated with a Lahore-based law firm
called Law Forte. She has vast experience in conducting cases related to civil,
criminal, constitutional, consumer protection, banking, family matters as well
as media and cybercrime laws.
The newly elected vice-president of the Lahore high
court bar association, Rabbiya Bajwa, vows to promote meritocracy in the appointment
of judges and eliminate issues like corruption. Bajwa previously served as
finance secretary of the Lahore high court bar in 2006. She secured 3,590 votes
against her five male rivals in the latest election.
She expressed hope that their landmark victory will
motivate more women to join the legal profession and take on leadership roles
in bar associations and politics. In January 2022, Justice Ayesha Malik became
the first woman to be appointed as a judge on Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
Source: Gulf News
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‘Stranger at the Gate’: Malala Yousafzai on
Entertainment’s “Power to Reveal Our Shared Humanity”
Malala ILLUSTRATION BY
LEONARDO SANTAMARIA
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Malala Yousafzai
February 28, 2023
People often ask why I, an activist for education and
women’s rights, want to produce films and TV shows. It’s because I believe in
the power of entertainment to connect people — whether that’s across the living
room or across the world.
I’ve seen it in my own life. Growing up in Pakistan, I
was aware of high tensions between our government and India’s leaders. But that
didn’t stop us from falling in love with Bollywood films and obsessing over
actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. When we moved to the U.K., my mother
didn’t speak English. But she found she could share a laugh with her British
neighbors over Mr. Bean’s physical comedy. At Oxford, I spent too many hours
watching The Big Bang Theory or Rick and Morty with my friends.
Stories have the power to reveal our shared humanity
and connect people across cultures, religions and countries. They can also
teach us about ourselves, something I experienced the first time I saw Stranger
at the Gate, a short documentary nominated for an Academy Award this year.
The film tells the story of a man named Richard “Mac”
McKinney who decides to bomb a local mosque in Muncie, Indiana. After retiring
from a 25-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was suffering from PTSD and
left without a purpose for his life. During combat tours in Afghanistan and
Iraq, Mac’s commanding officers encouraged him to dehumanize his targets. So
when his young daughter tells him about a woman in a hijab picking up her son
from school, he feels driven to protect his family from “the enemy” — their
Muslim neighbors.
In the film, Mac recounts building an IED and going to
the small, red-brick mosque on a reconnaissance mission. There he meets Saber
and Bibi Bahrami, an Afghan couple who came to Muncie as refugees in 1986,
built a thriving medical practice and co-founded the mosque. Saber welcomes Mac
and invites him to join the congregation for fellowship. Bibi sits next to him
and asks Mac about his life and his family.
Over the next few weeks, Mac continues to visit the
mosque, getting to know the men, women and children who worship there. Sensing
his need for purpose, Bibi asks him to lead meetings, participate in prayers
and even stand by the door as a security guard. Then, after the FBI searches
his home, the congregation learns the truth: Mac was planning to murder them.
Instead of recoiling in fear and disgust, instead of
casting him out, Bibi invites Mac to the Bahrami home for dinner, a traditional
Afghan feast of chicken, homemade bread, rice, eggplant and more. As they share
a meal, she has only one question: “What were you thinking, Brother Richard?”
Your initial reaction might be like mine: Non-Muslim
people need to get past their fear of our communities and educate themselves
about Islam. But this documentary is saying so much more — it is calling each
of us to consider our shared humanity.
Everywhere we look today, we see people entrenching
themselves so deeply in their beliefs that they can justify hatred of others.
This hostility is not limited to one race, religion or creed, to one country or
conflict, to one political party or social movement, to one gender or
generation.
As Bibi wrote recently in The Washington Post, “We
live in a time in which people have stopped talking to those who don’t share
their views … if we continue down this road, we will never understand one
another, never find our shared humanity, never have peace.”
I have experienced the damage unchecked division can
cause. At 15 years old, I was shot in the head for speaking against the
Pakistani Taliban’s ban on girls’ education. The assailant wasn’t a white
soldier like Mac. He was a young man, not much older than me, a Muslim from my
own community. He, like so many others, had been led to believe that his narrow
view of the world was the right one. That his Islam was better than mine. That
the role of women and girls he accepted was the one we should all be forced to
practice.
When people ask me what I would say to the man who
shot me, I tell them I would forgive him. I know how destructive anger, revenge
and hatred can be. I will always choose love.
It may sound simplistic or trite to say, “Show
kindness to those who are different from you. Forgive people who hurt you.” But
people like Bibi spend years cultivating compassion in their own hearts. Over
time, they learn to be receptive, not reactive. They practice acceptance, not
alienation.
They do this because they know it works. In the film,
Mac says Bibi and others at the mosque showed him “true humanity” and changed
his life. He found a community and even served as president of the mosque for
two years. He found a purpose, too — today he travels the country telling his
story and helping others move from hate to understanding.
At different points in their lives, both Bibi and Mac
needed help. Without the Muncie community that welcomed Afghan refugees in the
1980s, the Bahrami family might not have survived. Without the Bahrami family,
Mac might have killed dozens of innocent people. Without Mac, someone
struggling with hatred and rage today might never hear that it’s possible to be
forgiven and live a life of love.
If you’re reading this, I hope that you’ll watch
Stranger at the Gate and begin to understand Mac and Bibi’s life-saving
message: To believe that people can change — and to be willing to change
ourselves — is our best hope for a better world.
Source: Yahoo
https://www.yahoo.com/news/stranger-gate-ep-malala-yousafzai-195109092.html
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Oman
Air Celebrates First Female Omani Captain, Maha Al-Balushi
Maha
Al-Balushi
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February
27, 2023
Oman’s
aviation industry has reached a landmark moment with the announcement of Oman
Air pilot Maha Al-Balushi as the first female Omani captain. Al-Balushi
officially received her new rank during a ceremony recently held at Oman Air’s
headquarters in Muscat, the latest in a string of firsts she has achieved over
her decade-long career with the airline.
Al-Balushi
said: “My dream has always been to become a captain. It hasn’t been easy but
thanks to the support I have around me, from my family to my training team and
the airline, I have accomplished what I set out to do. It is an honor to hold
this role and I hope that I will inspire other Omani women to choose such a
rewarding career in the skies.”
Captain
Moosa Al-Shidhani, senior vice president flight operations at Oman Air, added:
“We are thrilled to have Al-Balushi as our first female Omani captain, and we
believe this is just the beginning of great things to come. This is not just a
milestone for our airline but for Oman’s aviation industry, and we are honored
to play a leading role in its progress by continuing to nurture Omani talent in
all areas of our operations.”
Al-Balushi
has been with Oman Air since 2010, after graduating from the cadet program at
the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, the only woman who
was enrolled in the program at the time. She also made waves when she became
Oman’s first female first officer in 2013.
Oman
Air pursues a proactive policy of recognizing talented and qualified women and
supporting them to excel within their chosen careers. Today, more than 1,230
Omani female employees contribute to the airline’s strength and represent a
range of levels and roles including cabin crew, flight operations, engineering,
airport services, marketing, customer services, sales and communications.
Meanwhile, having achieved an Omanization rate of 94 percent (excluding female
cabin crew), the airline provides rich and varied career development
opportunities, as well as internships and graduate training programs that expand
horizons for young Omanis.
Source:
Arab News
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2259136/corporate-news
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Texas
Muslim Women’s Foundation Honoured with Grant from Orchid Giving Circle
By
Alyssa High
February
27, 2023
Earlier
this month, the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation was honored with a $15,000
grant from Orchid Giving Circle, a branch of the Texas Women’s Foundation that
focuses on organizations benefiting the North Texas Asian community.
Texas
Muslim Women’s Foundation, based in Plano, is a nonprofit that provides
culturally-sensitive and trauma-informed social services, youth leadership and
interfaith awareness and education. The foundation also provides a 24-hour
domestic abuse hotline, two 24/7 emergency shelters, more than 27 transitional
and HUD rapid re-housing homes and a staff that speaks more than 15 languages.
Orchid
Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation (TXWF) held an in-person Grantee
Celebration on February 11 at Toyota headquarters where the group distributed
$218,500 to 200 nonprofit organizations.
Over the past eight years, the giving circle has granted $1,360,000 to
35 nonprofits.
“I
am proud of the research that our members did to see that we fund those
organizations that are helping to lift up the Asian and Asian American
community in North Texas,” Orchid Giving Circle Chair Mylinh Luong said. “These
funds will make a difference. The leadership team and I thank our members and
our donors for investing in our community.”
The
program included grant distributions to 20 deserving nonprofit organizations
for specifically helping Asians and Asian Americans, including the Asian and
Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, Best Buddies, Bryan’s House,
CHETNA, Children’s Advocacy Center of North Texas, Inc., Communities in Schools
of North Texas, Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Dallas Chinese Community
Center, HHMHealth, Heart House, IGNITE, LiftFund, Literacy Achieves, Methodist
Richardson Medical Center Foundation, Mosaic Family Services, The Richardson
Adult Literacy Center, ScholarShot, Inc., Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation Inc.,
Trinity Habitat for Humanity and the Wellness Center for Older Adults.
“The
needs are big, and so are the hearts and gifts of the donors of Orchid Giving
Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation,” said Miki Woodard, president and CEO of
Texas Women’s Foundation. “I applaud these sisters of mine and congratulate
them on their accomplishments that are making a difference in the North Texas
Asian community.”
Source:
Plano Magazine
https://planomagazine.com/texas-muslim-womens-foundation/
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Abu
Dhabi summit epitomizes women’s undying determination to break glass ceilings
worldwide
February
27, 2023
By
Hassan Cheruppa
ABU
DHABI — The Global Summit of Women, which concluded in Abu Dhabi recently,
called for joint action to further empower women and rally together to fight
stereotyping and negative images of women worldwide.
The
summit, with the participation of delegates from over 100 countries, focused on
the role of women leaders in establishing peace, social integration, and
driving prosperity. The summit, which was organized by the World Muslim
Communities Council (WMCC) and the General Women’s Union (GWU), coincided with
the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote.
The
two-day event, with a dozen diverse sessions, addressed the intellectual,
social, and cultural barriers that stand in the way of empowering women, and
epitomized women’s undying determination to break glass ceilings worldwide.
A
host of eminent women dignitaries, including ministers, community leaders,
intellectuals, media celebrities, and writers from all over the world shared
their perspectives, experiences, and solutions to critical women’s issues in
addition to unveiling their brilliant saga of achievements while scaling
ladders of success in life along with fighting heavy odds.
The
summit urged women worldwide to join hands to break stereotyping and negative images
and come forward bravely to tackle difficult circumstances and challenges. The
women were told not to apologize for taking their own brave positions and
should develop a courageous narrative along with active and decisive
involvement in decision-making.
The
summit, titled the “Role of female leaders in establishing peace and social
integration, and driving prosperity,” was held under the patronage of UAE’s
Mother of the Nation Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, who is also chairwoman of GWU
and Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the
Family Development Foundation.
In
her welcoming speech, Sheikh Fatima shed light on the outstanding achievements
made by the UAE under the leadership of her husband and Father of the Nation Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. “Ever since the foundation of UAE, Sheikh Zayed was
keen on the pivotal role to be played by women and he had been instrumental in
enabling UAE and its people to gain remarkable achievements during a period of
50 years that many other nations and peoples achieved within a century or more.
One of the top priorities of Sheikh Zayed was putting trust in women and
exerting all-out efforts to empower them,” she said.
In
the speech, read out on her behalf, Sheikha Fatima noted that the UAE
leadership has set an exemplary example in establishing peace, social
integration, and prosperity for women in a country that hosts people
representing more than 200 nationalities. “The summit is the launching pad of
unifying global efforts to contribute to the leadership in establishing peace
and social stability and prosperity for the entire humanity, especially women,”
she added.
The
opening speeches were delivered by the Chairman of WMCC and Supreme Organizing
Committee of the Summit Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi and Maja Gojkovic, deputy
prime minister of Serbia. President of India Droupadi Murmu addressed the
session virtually.
In
his speech, Dr. Al Nuaimi, who is also chairman of the Defense Affairs,
Interior & Foreign Affairs Committee at the UAE Federal National Council,
highlighted the pivotal role being played by the UAE in empowering women in all
walks of life and fostering their just causes in all parts of the world. He
underlined the need for promoting the role of women leaders in celebrating and
promoting humanity’s progress.
Prominent
women leaders of the UAE were among the keynote speakers in various sessions.
They included Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, president and
CEO of UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators; Sheikha Hissa bint Sultan
bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan and Dr. Sheikha Moza bint Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al-Nahyan,
advisors at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The
summit witnessed 12 brainstorming sessions revolving around a number of key
topics and vital issues concerning women worldwide. One session was dedicated
to the most accomplished women from all walks of life who shared their unique
experiences in a way inspiring the younger women generation to leverage their
leadership and influence for greater social impact and transformations. The
speakers of the session included former Mauritius President Ameenah
Gurib-Fakim; Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Maja Gojkovic, Founder and
Chairwoman of the French IMAD association Latifa Ziaten, and CEO of USA Fons
Vitae Publishing Virginia Gray Henry. In her speech, Ameenah said the secrets
of her success include the power of education, self-confidence, hard work, and
unwavering support from family.
The
session on “Women leadership in media and creative industry” also witnessed
lively discourses. The negative portrayal and stereotyping of women in the
global media had undergone meticulous review with disclosures about heroic
fights to correct negative images of women.
Prominent
British journalist and broadcaster of BBC and CTVC Saba Zaman, Saudi journalist
and writer Samar Al-Mogren, Sanjoy Roy, managing director of India’s Teamwork
organization, and Chantal Saliba Abikhalil, news anchor at Sky News Arabia were
the speakers in the session, chaired by Mona El Shazly, the Egyptian talk show
host.
In
her speech, Saba Zaman said the stereotyping and creating a negative image of
Muslim women was so intense even in free societies like Britain. “While I am
wearing a hijab, I am becoming an ambassador of my faith and propagating the
human values represented by Islam. When speaking to someone, I have had to take
great pains to remove his apprehensions about me and my faith initially, but
after some time, he or she becomes very friendly and appreciates my faith and
values,” Saba said, adding that she was the only woman with a hijab among the
200 BBC staffers.
On
her part, Saima Ashraf, deputy leader and cabinet member for community
leadership & engagement at London Mayoralty, cited her example of hard work
and fight for the cause of the public, especially women, saying, that made her
popular among them. “When I migrated from France, I did neither have any
proficiency in English nor have any friends there but my passion for social
work had produced an electrifying impact. I volunteered at a charity show and
was instrumental with networking and engaging and participating with activities
of local residents, taking up their issues including domestic violence,” she
said while speaking on the topic “Women and the power of networking.”
Saima
has been elected as a Councillor at the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
for four times in a row. “I was first elected in 2010 and re-elected three
times and became deputy leader of the Labor Party in 2014. I did a lot of
networking and it was the networking to the hearts of people through taking up
their issues, finding a comfortable place in their hearts, with an added bonus
of proficiency in four languages,” she said. Dr. Mouza Al-Shehhi, director of
the UN Women UAE Liaison Office for the GCC, chaired the session in which the
speakers included Lina Jalouqa, partnerships manager, UNICEF Gulf Area Office,
and Swati Thapa of Nepal.
Eminent
women leaders in diverse fields shared their experiences, success stories, and
solutions for women’s challenges in a series of sessions titled ‘Women leaders
driving climate action’; ‘Women’s role in promoting circular economy and
sustainability’; Sustainability, philanthropy, and poverty alleviation; ‘Women
leadership in education and science’; ‘Women leadership in parliament and
diplomacy’; ‘Women in fine arts and cultural heritage’; ‘Gender balancing
during transformations’; ‘Women Think-tankers and policy advisory’; ‘Women’s
leadership in sports and tourism’; and ‘Women in advanced technologies and
megatrends of the world.’
Source:
Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/630201
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Dubai
Police female SWAT team stun top international cops
27
Feb 2023
The
Dubai Police all-female SWAT team wowed the audience, competitors and police
teams from around the world at the 2023 UAE SWAT Challenge.
The
Dubai Police team was the only female team participating in the challenge and
firmly established their presence and proved their capability in the
competiton.
Leaders
of Special and Tactical Teams (SWAT) participating in the challenge commended
the Dubai Police Women’s Team for their excellent preparation and outstanding
performance during the competition.
Dubai
Police all-female SWAT team
They
affirmed that the competition showcased Dubai Police’s all-women team’s
exceptional shooting skills, disciplined approach, effective teamwork, and
raiding proficiency.
Lieutenant
Colonel Yahya Sultan Al Binali, who led the Bahraini team in the UAE SWAT
challenge, praised the exceptional readiness of the women’s SWAT team.
He
said that he had watched a short film about the UAE SWAT Challenge in the
cinema before the event and observed the women’s team during raid scenes.
He
was impressed by their skill in using weapons, movement, and raiding. Later, he
discovered that the women’s team was participating in the challenge, which took
him by surprise.
According
to Lt. Col. Al Binali, the participation and performance of the women’s SWAT
team took all the other SWAT teams by surprise. He noted that the Dubai Police
had exceptional trainers and experienced coaches, which had a positive impact
on the team’s readiness and performance, enabling them to qualify for all
competitions.
Lt.
Col. Al Binali commended the team’s incredible performance, stating that they
deserved praise and admiration from all and adding that he would share this
experience in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The
coach of the Internal Security Forces team in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 1st Sergeant
Saad bin Ayed Al Ghamdi, praised the remarkable performance of the Dubai Police
women’s SWAT team.
He
referred to the team as the “Dark Horse” of the competition and noted their
exceptional training, discipline, and persistence, which led to record-breaking
results.
Al
Ghamdi said the women’s SWAT team was the standout performer of the competition
and had earned the respect and trust of everyone involved.
“Dubai
Police’s all-women team was surely the ‘diamond’ of the challenge” he said.
Superintendent
Muhammad Altazi, head of the Moroccan SWAT delegation participating in the UAE
SWAT challenge, stated that this was their first time participating in the
competition.
However,
the performance of the Dubai Women’s Police team caught their attention. “The
all-women team demonstrated solid and harmonious teamwork and worked with the
spirit of unity, which was extremely impressive,” he said.
Milos
Rakonjac, the Police Director Assistant for the Special Purpose Task Police of
Montenegro, acknowledged that the women’s team’s results were impressive, and
their exceptional performance in the competition challenged certain
misconceptions about the role of women in SWAT tactical teams and their
responsibilities in law enforcement.
“I
would like to take this opportunity to express my great gratitude to the Dubai
Police for qualifying and equipping this team, who showed readiness and
excellent tactical shooting skills as evident from their achieved results,” he
concluded.
Burim
Kadrijag, a member of the New York Police SWAT Team, said: “The performance of
the Dubai Police All-Women SWAT team was stunning, and the achieved results are
not easy in the various competitions, especially in a competition designed for
men’s specialised teams”.
Kadrijag
was particularly impressed that “neither distances nor weights were reduced for
the Women’s SWAT team during the challenge, they competed equally to men.” He
concluded by emphasising the team’s remarkable equality in the competition.
Ruy
Mello, Head of the Sao Paulo Police Team – Brazil, said: “It is wonderful to
see women competing in a field traditionally dominated by men’s SWAT teams.
They showed an outstanding performance.
“We
noticed that the women’s team was physically and tactically present when
performing great tasks; their results were amazing in many competitions,” he
added.
Andreian
Balpongo Bronales, director of the Philippine National Police SWAT, confirmed
that the Dubai Police Women’s Team own distinguished skills and work with one
team spirit during various competitions.
He
indicated that the team had proven their capabilities and readiness to compete
in various types of competitions, congratulating Dubai Police for training and
equipping such a remarkable team.
Source:
Arabian Business
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