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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 7 May 2024, NewAgeIslam.Com)

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Safia Milad, An Afghan Poet, Wins First Place In “Rabia Balkhi” Statue Competition In Vienna

New Age Islam News Bureau

07 May 2024

·         Safia Milad, An Afghan Poet, Wins First Place In “Rabia Balkhi” Statue Competition In Vienna

·         Pune Woman, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, Among 5 Convicted In Islamic State Khorasan Province Terror Case

·         Iranian Women Prisoners At Evin Prison Mark Labour Day With 3-Day Event Within The Ward

·         Gender Inequality Index Fell By 0.012 Points In 2023: Statistics Indonesia

·         Bella Hadid Celebrates Fragrance Launch In New York

·         US University Investigating Professor After Video Of Apparent Harassment Of Muslim Woman Surfaces

·         Gigi Hadid, Imaan Hammam turn heads at the Met Gala

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:     https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/safia-milad-afghan-poet-rabia-balkhi/d/132276

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Safia Milad, An Afghan Poet, Wins First Place In “Rabia Balkhi” Statue Competition In Vienna

 

Rabia Balkhi Statue Bestowed to Safia Milad in Vienna

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May 6, 2024

Written By: Tabassum Nasiry

Safiya Milad, an Afghan poet, won the “Rabia Balkhi” statue in the literature section by the highest vote from the jury in Vienna.

She emphasized on her social media platform X on Sunday, May 5th, that the ceremony for awarding the Rabia Balkhi statue in Vienna, the capital of Austria, has concluded.

In her message, Ms. Milad stated, “I did not attend the statue award ceremony in Vienna, and according to the jury’s previous decision, the Rabia Balkhi statue was awarded to the second person present at the ceremony.”

Safiya Milad completed her secondary and high school education at one of the schools in Kabul and has also been involved in media activities in cultural and civil affairs.

Ms. Milad, who currently resides in Canada, pursued medical studies after completing high school and college at the Institute of Medicine. She holds advanced degrees in law, political science, and journalism.

The second round of awarding the “Rabia Balkhi” statue to Afghan women’s rights activists took place on the third and fourth days of May in Vienna, the capital of Austria.

Previously, GulchehraYeftali, a women’s rights activist, announced on her X page that the second Rabia Balkhi statue will be awarded to Afghan women activists in celebration of the 24th anniversary of Banoo Magazine’s founding and the 28th anniversary of the Afghan Cultural Society in Austria.

It is worth mentioning that the Rabia Balkhi Statue Award Festival is held in Vienna, the capital of Austria, with the aim of “empowering women through education.”

Afghan women and girls have won statues and international medals while being deprived of the right to education, work, and activity in Afghanistan for over two years.

Previously, ShakardokhtJafari, an inventor and the first Afghan medical physicist, won the 2024 Dynamics Award in Britain as the Innovator of the Year in the country.

Source: khaama.com

https://www.khaama.com/safia-milad-wins-first-place-in-rabia-balkhi-statue-competition-in-vienna/

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Pune Woman, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, Among 5 Convicted In Islamic State Khorasan Province Terror Case

 

During her arrest by the NIA, Sadiya was a 20-year-old resident of Vishrantwadi and a second year student of a Mass Communications and Journalism course at a college in Baramati. (Express Photo)

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May 7, 2024

A special NIA court in New Delhi on Monday convicted five persons including a Pune woman, Sadiya Anwar Shaikh, in a case relating to the terror activities of the banned Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) group. Sadiya has been on the radar of the police and intelligence agencies since 2015 for her alleged IS links.

The NIA had on July 12, 2020 arrested Sadiya along with another Pune resident Nabeel Siddiqui Khatri in the terror case. According to the NIA, Sadiya and Nabeel were found to have links with a Kashmiri couple Jahanazaib Sami Wani and his wife Hina Bashir Beigh, who were arrested initially by the Delhi Police Special Cell on March 8, 2020 for their affiliation to the banned ISKP. NIA re-registered the case against Wani and Beigh on March 20, 2020.

During her arrest by the NIA, Sadiya was a 20-year-old resident of Vishrantwadi and a second year student of a Mass Communications and Journalism course at a college in Baramati. At the time, Khatri was 28-years-old and resided in Kondhwa, where she worked as a gym instructor.

During the course of the probe, Abdullah Basith, who was arrested in another ISIS terror offence, was also named as an accused in the ISKP case as he was found to be associated with Wani and Beigh. The NIA then arrested Abdur Rahman, alias Dr Brave, in August 2020. According to the NIA, a trial against Abdur Rehman is ongoing.

NIA has alleged that Rehman, an MBBS student from Bengaluru, was radicalised by the other accused persons and had travelled to Syria in December 2013. “In Syria, he had participated in various terrorist activities of ISIS, and had learnt to develop a medical application for the treatment of ISIS terrorists as well as a laser guided anti-tank missile application for ISIS,” stated a press release issued on Monday.

NIA had filed a chargesheet in this case on March 20, 2020, while the supplementary chargesheet was submitted on January 12, 2021.

As per the press release, the NIA special court on monday passed an order sentencing accused Jahanzaib Sami to varying periods of imprisonment, ranging between 3 to 20 years along with a fine for offences committed under different sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and under IPC sections 120B and 124A.

“Sami was charged with planning to establish a Caliphate in India and conspiring to carry out 100 IED blasts in a single day throughout the country,” the press release stated.

“NIA investigations had revealed that the accused was also raising, receiving and providing funds through crypto currency to promote the ideology of ISIS, a banned global terror outfit. Sami was also involved in exploiting the sentiments of gullible youth to fuel the anti CAA/NRC protests,” it stated.

The press release further stated that a second accused, Hina Beigh, has been convicted under UAPA sections and sentenced to seven years imprisonment. “She had professed to being a member of ISIS and had helped her husband to identify like-minded persons to carry forward the terror organisation’s nefarious agenda against India,” it stated.

It then mentions that Abdullah Basith has been convicted under UAPA sections and has been sentenced to the period already undergone by him. As per NIA investigations, Basith, a self-professed ISIS member, had helped accused Jahanzaib Sami in preparing the ISIS Magazine “Voice of Hind”, the press release stated.

The court also convicted Sadiya under UAPA sections and awarded her seven years imprisonment as she had “professed to being a member of ISIS and had tried to bring all the terrorist groups under the banner of ISIS. She had also tried to procure a suicide jacket through accused Jahanzaib Sami,” as mentioned in press release.

Khatri has been convicted under UAPA sections and was awarded imprisonment up to 15 years “for providing funds to accused Jahanzaib Sami for procurement of weapons”.

“He also conducted preparatory blasts in connivance with Jahanzaib Sami to further the ideology of ISIS. He will have to pay Rs. 2.5 lakh fine, or serve an additional two years in jail, in case of failure to pay the fine imposed under section 17 of UAPA,” the [press release stated.

In December 2015, Maharashtra’s Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) had provided counseling to Sadiya as she was mentally set on going to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS) after she was influenced by online operatives of the terror group.

On January 26, 2018, Sadiya was put under arrest by the Jammu and Kashmir police due to her suspicious activities, but was later released due to a lack of evidence and handed over to her family. In February the same year, she held a press conference in Pune saying “she had gone to Jammu and Kashmir to secure admission in a nursing course at a local college.” She had also stated before media persons that she doesn’t “want to look back at her past,” and only wanted to continue her education.

Source: indianexpress.com

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/pune-woman-convicted-islamic-state-khorasan-province-terror-case-9312829/

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Iranian Women Prisoners At Evin Prison Mark Labour Day With 3-Day Event Within The Ward

MAY 7, 2024

In an act of solidarity, women at Iran's Evin Prison held a three-day commemoration of International Labor Day within the women's ward.

This involved a significant amount of collective effort by the prisoners, culminating in programs.

The first day of the commemoration featured a "worker's gallery" displayed on the walls.

Handwritten posters addressed two key themes: workers' rights and the history of Iran's labor movement over the past century.

These posters, created from discarded newspapers, showed workers' struggles and resistance and served as powerful visual and textual reminders of labor issues.

Day two focused on spoken word and discussion. It began with poetry readings, followed by a deep dive into various topics related to labor.

The topics included the history of International Labor Day globally and in Iran, the challenges and demands faced by the working class, the role of labor unions, and the inherent political nature of these issues.

The event paid special attention to the plight of oil workers. The day was concluded with documentaries on labor struggles, highlighting the importance of labor cinema in this context.

On the final day, they explored the interconnectedness of various forms of oppression. They held discussions on how the struggles of workers are intertwined with those of women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, religious minorities, and others.

The concept of "prison labor" was also examined, focusing on the different situations faced by sentenced laborers, volunteers, and those who refuse to work.

The challenges faced by retirees were another point of discussion.

The program concluded with an impactful performance piece titled "Workers' Herds from the Wheel of Oppression."

Inspired by Saeed Sultanpour's play "Abbas-Agha, Iran National Worker," this piece used theatrical storytelling to explore the personal experiences of prisoners as workers.

Source: iranwire.com

https://iranwire.com/en/women/128782-iranian-women-prisoners-at-evin-mark-labor-day-with-3-day-event/

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Gender Inequality Index Fell By 0.012 Points In 2023: Statistics Indonesia

 May 6, 2024

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Statistics Indonesia (BPS) reported that Indonesia's Gender Gap Index (IKG) was recorded at 0.447 in 2023, a decrease of 0.012 points as compared to 0.459 in 2022.

Acting Head of BPS AmaliaAdininggarWidyasanti stated that the decline in Indonesia's IKG in 2023 is a continuum of the improvements achieved since 2019.

"The Indonesian Gender Inequality Index value is 0.447, down 0.012 points as compared to 2022," Widyasanti stated in a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

Although the decline of 0.012 points in 2023 is slightly smaller than the decrease in IKG in 2020, which was 0.016 points, over the last five years, Indonesia's IKG has consistently decreased with each passing year.

According to Widyasanti, the data shows that gender equality in Indonesia continues to increase.

Since 2018, Indonesia's IKG has decreased by 0.010 points annually, thereby bringing the total to 0.052 points over the last five years.

Widyasanti explained that the decline in Indonesia's IKG in 2023 was influenced by improvements in all indicators in all three dimensions, especially the one related to labor market.

The female labor force participation rate increased, from 53.41 percent in 2022 to 54.52 percent in 2023, while the male labor force participation rate rose, from 83.87 percent in 2022 to 84.26 percent in 2023.

Indonesia's IKG has shown consistent improvement in its three constituent dimensions.

In the reproductive health dimension, an improvement has been observed in terms of the successful minimization of potential risks to women's reproductive health in Indonesia.

Indicators of the reproductive health dimension in 2023 experienced a decline as compared to 2022. In 2023, the MTF reached 0.126, a slight decrease as compared to 0.140 in 2022.

MHPK20 decreased by 0.007 points from the previous year to 0.258.

MTF is the proportion of ever-married women, aged 14-49 years, who did not give birth in a health facility. Meanwhile, MHPK20 is the proportion of ever-married women in the age bracket of 15-49 years whose first live birth occurred when they were less than 20 years old.

Furthermore, in terms of the empowerment dimension, in 2023, the number of female parliamentarians had increased by 0.40 percentage points, from 22.14 percent in the previous year. On the other hand, the number of male parliament members decreased to 77.86 percent.

According to Widyasanti, the condition reflects that the roles of men and women in policy making have become more equal than before.

The last dimension of the IKG is the labor market dimension represented by the Labor Force Participation Level (TPAK) indicator for both genders, men and women.

TPAK for men reached 84.26 percent in 2023, an increase of 0.39 percentage points from the previous year. Conversely, women's TPAK increased by 1.11 percentage points, from 53.41 percent in 2022 to 54.52 percent in 2023.

The higher increase in TPAK for women as compared to men indicated that the opportunities for both genders to enter the job market are becoming more equal.

Moreover, women's TPAK shows a relatively moderate trend as compared to that of their male counterparts that tended to be more volatile in the 2018-2023 period.

Widyasanti underscored the importance of paying attention to the state of gender inequality in all regions. In general, Indonesia's IKG in 2023 had recorded an improvement in most provinces in Indonesia.

In total, 28 out of the 34 provinces experienced a decrease in 2023.

On the other hand, five provinces that recorded an increase in IKG, were Central Kalimantan, with the highest rise of 0.015 points, followed by North Kalimantan,0.008; Papua, 0.003; West Nusa Tenggara, 0.002; and Southeast Sulawesi, 0.001.

West Papua was the only region that did not register changes to the IKG. Meanwhile, the most significant decline occurred in Yogyakarta, with a drop of 0.098 points, followed by Bali, 0.082, and Jakarta, 0.064.

"Changes in the IKG in these provinces emphasize the overall situation of gender inequality that is also the lowest among other provinces in Indonesia," she concluded.

Source: antaranews.com

https://en.antaranews.com/news/312720/gender-inequality-index-fell-by-0012-points-in-2023-bps

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Bella Hadid celebrates fragrance launch in New York

06 May 2024

DUBAI: American-Dutch-Palestinian model Bella Hadid celebrated the launch of her new fragrance brand, Orebella, at a party held over the weekend at The Huntress New York.

In typical Hadid fashion, she turned heads in an archival Roberto Cavalli look from the label’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, consisting of a petite yellow gown, matching lace-up corset, and gold stiletto sandals.

The runway sensation turned to Instagram last week to showcase images of her fragrances, which are named “Salted Muse,” “Blooming Fire” and “Window2Soul.”

Crafted from glass and adorned with gold caps, the bottles are offered in 10, 50 and 100 ml.

Hadid in her caption described the fragrances as “hydrating, alcohol-free and enriched with essential oils.” She urged her followers to “shake to activate the transformative bi-phase formula.”

The “Salted Muse” perfume has “top notes” of sea salt, pink pepper and carbon dioxide extract, “heart notes” of olive tree accord, fig and lavender, and “base notes” of cedarwood, sandalwood and amber, according to reports.

The “Blooming Fire” fragrance has bergamot, cedarwood, clove leaf and cardamom, followed by Tahitian monoi and jasmine, and finishes with patchouli.

The “Window2Soul” scent has a blend of lemon, geranium and mint in its top notes, transitions to jasmine and damask rose, and concludes with a base of tonka bean.

Hadid wrote on her website: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings,” she said. “From my home to nostalgic memories, to my own energy and connection with others, scent has been an outlet for me. It made me feel safe in my own world.”

“Through my healing journey, I found that I was extremely sensitive to the alcohol in traditional perfumes — both physically and mentally — it became something that was more overwhelming than calming to me,” she added. “That is the main reason I wanted to find an alternative, so essential oils became an artistic and experimental process for me.”

While Hadid’s New York trip has primarily been spent promoting Orebella, she is expected to attend the Met Gala in a few days.

Source: arabnews.com

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2505526/lifestyle

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US university investigating professor after video of apparent harassment of Muslim woman surfaces

07.05.2024

WASHINGTON

Arizona State University (ASU) has placed a professor on leave amid an ongoing investigation, the school said Monday, after a video circulated appearing to show the academic harassing a Muslim woman.

"ASU is aware of the allegations against Jonathan Yudelman and is investigating them," a university spokesperson told Anadolu in an emailed statement. "Dr. Yudelman is on leave and will remain so pending the outcome of the investigation."

The probe came after bystander footage went viral on social media appearing to show Yudelman confront a woman wearing a hijab, or Muslim headscarf, at a pro-Israel counter-protest, aggressively drawing in on her while saying, "I am literally in your face. That's right."

"I am like literally," he says with an affectation appearing to mimic the woman as he continues to press forward, prompting her to move away.

The woman continued to try to get away, telling Yudelman, "You're disrespecting my religious boundaries."

"You disrespect my sense of humanity, b*tch," he says as he continues to push forward menacingly, prompting the woman to walk into the roadway before she attempts to cut through a crowd of demonstrators to get away.

"Hate crime, hate crime right here. Cops, what are you doing? Hate crime right here," a woman, who may have been recording the incident, can be heard saying.

It is unclear what prompted the incident, but a person can be heard saying, "we were literally just standing here." It is also unclear from the footage if any police were in the area.

The confrontation happened on Sunday, according to 12 News, a local NBC affiliate television station.

The ASU website says Yudelman teaches two courses at the university -- Great Debates in American Politics and Great Ideas of Politics and Ethics.

Source: aa.com.tr

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-university-investigating-professor-after-video-of-apparent-harassment-of-muslim-woman-surfaces/3212069

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Gigi Hadid, Imaan Hammam turn heads at the Met Gala

May 07, 2024

NEW YORK: A-listers at Monday’s Met Gala in New York included US Dutch Palestinian catwalk star Gigi Hadid, Dutch Moroccan Egyptian model Imaan Hammam, Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others dressed in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.

Hadid brought the drama in a look by the drama king himself, Thom Browne. Her white gown was adorned with 2.8 million microbeads with yellow flowers and green thorns. She was high glam in a wavy bob and crimson lips.

Hammam donned a two-piece ensemble — her outfit featured a cape, drawing inspiration from Swarovski's Gema collection, and a satin column skirt adorned with gold crystals.

Crafting the cape was an intricate process spanning 14 days. The cape incorporated over 3,000 crystals in six cuts and five vibrant hues while the skirt boasted over 100,000 crystals.

Meanwhile, Lopez went for silver leaves in a second-skin gown by Schiaparelli and Zendaya was all vamp and fantasy in a rare double appearance on the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Lopez went with Tiffany & Co. diamonds, including a stunning bird motif necklace with a diamond of over 20 carats at its center.

Zendaya put on her fashion face in peacock hues of blue and green, with a head piece to match and leaf accents. The look was MaisonMargiela by John Gallliano. She walked again to close the carpet in black Givenchy Haute Couture gown also by Galliano with a head piece stuffed with flowers by Alexander McQueen.

Mindy Kaling is sure to make the best-dressed lists in sand-colored swirls that towered over her head at the back. Her look was by Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta.

Penelope Cruz, meanwhile, went goth in black by Chanel. It had a bustier top and a Sleeping Beauty-like off-shoulder silhouette. There was another Sleeping Beauty-ish guest: Kendall Jenner in a Givenchy look done by Alexander McQueen in 1999.

Kendall’s sister, Kylie Jenner, was in an Oscar de la Renta low-cut strapless look, a white bloom in her clicked-back updo and a train behind. Older sister Kim Kardashian tightly covered up her silver corset look with a leaf motif by MaisonMargiela with a gray sweater.

Source: arabnews.com

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2506066/lifestyle

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