New Age Islam News Bureau
18 May 2024
·
‘Historic’: Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Swimwear
Fashion Show, Signals ‘Softening’ Austere Image
·
Brain Surgery for Iranian Activist Zahra
Shafiei Dehaghani: Blood Clots and Tumour Following Arrest Over Headscarf
·
Borough Welcomes Its First Muslim Mayor Shahin
Ashraf, A Former Charity Worker
·
How Two Yemeni Women, Nisreen Dhirar And Faiza
Haidrah, Are Revolutionising Taiz's Restaurant Scene
·
Syrian star Faia Younan Graces The Stage for
World Culture, Ithra, Shaping Her Unique Musical Identity
·
Columbia Professor Amra Sabic-El-Rayess Says
School Discriminated Against Her For Being Muslim
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabia-historic-swimwear-fashion/d/132342
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‘Historic’:
Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Swimwear Fashion Show, Signals ‘Softening’ Austere Image
A model presents a creation from the summer beachwear collection by
Moroccan designer Yasmina Q, during the Red Sea Fashion Week in Saudi Arabia's
Red Sea resort of Ummahat Island on May 17, 2024. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine /
AFP) (AFP)
------
18 May
2024
Saudi
Arabia hosted its inaugural fashion show featuring swimsuit models on Friday,
marking a significant shift in a country where, less than a decade ago, women
were required to wear body-covering abaya robes.
As
reported by AFP, the poolside event showcased Moroccan designer YasminaQanzal's
collection, which included predominantly one-piece swimsuits in shades of red,
beige, and blue. Many models had exposed shoulders, and some displayed
partially visible midriffs.
“It's
true that this country is very conservative but we tried to show elegant
swimsuits which represent the Arab world," Qanzal told AFP.
“When we
came here, we understood that a swimsuit fashion show in Saudi Arabia is a
historic moment, because it is the first time to have such event," she said,
adding it was “an honour" to be involved.
“It's
true that this country is very conservative but we tried to show elegant
swimsuits which represent the Arab world," Qanzal told AFP.
“When we
came here, we understood that a swimsuit fashion show in Saudi Arabia is a
historic moment, because it is the first time to have such event," she
said, adding it was “an honour" to be involved.
“It's
true that this country is very conservative but we tried to show elegant
swimsuits which represent the Arab world," Qanzal told AFP.
“When we
came here, we understood that a swimsuit fashion show in Saudi Arabia is a
historic moment, because it is the first time to have such event," she
said, adding it was “an honour" to be involved.
Source:
livemint.com
https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/saudi-arabia-first-swimwear-fashion-show-st-regis-red-sea-resort-models-muslim-arab-world-womens-liberty-rights-11716019814884.html
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Brain
Surgery for Iranian Activist Zahra Shafiei Dehaghani: Blood Clots and Tumour
Following Arrest Over Headscarf
Zahra Shafiei Dehaghani, a writer, director, and civil activist,
------
MAY 17,
2024
Zahra
Shafiei Dehaghani, a writer, director, and civil activist, suffered brain
injuries due to assaults during her arrest and was hospitalized last Friday.
Following
brain surgery, she was discharged on Tuesday.
She was
arrested on September 15, 2023, and charged with "propaganda against the
Islamic Republic" and "assembly and collusion to disrupt national
security."
These
charges, combined with previous cases related to her civil and human rights
activities, resulted in a sentence of 9 years and 6 months in prison, along
with a fine.
During
her arrest, she sustained severe physical injuries.
Dehaghani
has created several documentaries and animations focusing on fundamental human
rights.
In 2018,
she directed "Advanced Cancer," a documentary about the conditions of
women prisoners in Qarchak prison.
IranWire
interviewed sources close to her family and one of her lawyers handling her
case to discuss her current situation.
On
September 15, 2023, Dehaghani was arrested on Elkhebal Street for not wearing a
headscarf.
A source
close to her family explained to IranWire that the city centre was under
martial law to instil fear following protests on the anniversary of Mahsa
Amini's death.
Officers
indiscriminately arrested people to spread panic. Dehaghani's family, upon
learning of her arrest, encountered many others at the detention centre whose
loved ones had also been detained arbitrarily.
Due to
her prior civil activities and related cases, she was first transferred to
Qarchak Prison and then, a few days later, to the women's ward of Evin Prison.
In an
October 2 phone call from Qarchak Prison, Dehaghani described her arrest and
the assault by security agents.
She
recounted how, after getting off the Valiasr metro, she found the street
unusually deserted.
While
heading towards Azadi Street, some elderly people warned her about the officers
arresting everyone in sight.
On
Shirin France Street, she encountered numerous women in "black chador,
military uniforms, and black masks," along with men in "military
uniforms with no names" and "plainclothes with black shirts and
pants."
They
arrested her with profanity and beatings. "They beat me hard and in a very
bad and strange way. They tied my hands behind my back and hit me on the head
and face. One of the women kicked me hard in the back, and then the men in
plain clothes came and pushed me into the van.
They
took a bunch of girls and boys, the girls, all wearing hijabs and cloaks, were
sitting and crying, asking what they had done to deserve this. When the boys
tried to defend the girls, they were beaten as well."
This
testimony highlights the severe and indiscriminate nature of the arrests and
the physical abuse suffered by detainees, reflecting the broader context of
repression during that period.
According
to a person close to Dehaghani's family, medical examinations revealed that the
blows she received to her head during her arrest caused blood clots in three
areas of her brain.
These
clots led to increased blood pressure, resulting in a stroke, and have affected
her vision and balance.
Despite
these serious health issues, she was subjected to intensive interrogations for
hours during the first month of her imprisonment.
Saeed
Dehghan, one of Zahra's lawyers handling the international aspects of her case,
described these actions as criminal.
He told
IranWire: "In such cases, the arrested person should file a complaint
against the arresting officers, interrogators, and judicial officers.
However,
where to file the complaint depends on which agency the detainers,
interrogators, and officers work under. Some are military, and some are
not."
She was
released on bail in November last year.
A source
close to her family noted: "When she was released on bail, we already knew
her blood pressure was high, and she had been given blood pressure medication
in prison.
Each
time her blood pressure was checked, it was over 18, and once it had risen to
21, which is extremely dangerous. They had given her pills, but we also noticed
she had a slight stutter, lacked balance, and complained of decreased
vision."
Her
family consulted several doctors, including neurologists, for further health
evaluations.
"The
neurologist told us that due to the impact, clots had formed in three areas of
her head, causing her blood pressure to rise and resulting in a stroke.
The
symptoms of this condition include decreased vision, imbalance in walking, and
other related issues," explained the source.
Doctors
are conducting multiple tests, including scans and MRIs, to further investigate
her brain condition.
"In
one of her brain images, aside from the three clots believed to be caused by
the head injury, a tumour was found on the other side of her brain," the
source added.
The
neurosurgeon diagnosed Dehaghani with a brain meningioma tumour, which often
remains asymptomatic for years and is typically discovered incidentally during
scans for other issues, such as head trauma—exactly how her tumour was found.
She was
discharged from the hospital on Tuesday a few days after undergoing brain
surgery.
A person
close to Dehaghani's family emphasized that all her medical care was conducted
in approved medical centres and by specialists endorsed by forensic medicine.
This
ensures that they can advocate for her inability to tolerate imprisonment.
Dehaghani
has been sentenced to 9 years and 6 months in prison and fined for charges
including collusion, propaganda, and various civil activities.
Saeed
Dehghan, her lawyer, highlights their current objective, to halt the execution
of her sentence or modify the punishment in light of her health condition.
This is
based on Article 502 of the Criminal Procedure Law.
Article
502 states that if a convicted person has a physical or mental illness that
worsens with imprisonment or delays recovery, the judge can postpone the
punishment upon receiving a forensic medical opinion.
If
recovery is unlikely, especially in suspended verdicts, the judge can alter the
punishment to something suitable for the illness and the crime, providing a
final decision to the issuing authority.
If an
illness arises during imprisonment requiring immediate suspension of the
punishment, the judge must act accordingly.
Source:
iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/129360-brain-surgery-for-iranian-activist-blood-clots-and-tumor-following-arrest-over-headscarf/
----
Borough
Welcomes Its First Muslim Mayor Shahin Ashraf, A Former Charity Worker
Sam
Greenway,
Shehnaz
Khan
A former
charity worker who has become Solihull's first Muslim mayor said she was
"deeply humbled" to have been appointed.
Shahin
Ashraf received overwhelming support from councillors as she was elected.
Ms
Ashraf, who was made MBE in 2015, said she was "eager and excited" to
begin "this new chapter on the journey of service, unity and
progress."
“I
promise to serve the borough with dedication and integrity," she told
those who gathered at the meeting.
The new
mayor, who was born in Meriden, previously worked in the charity sector and has
spoken at the United Nations.
She was
elected as a Green Party councillor for Shirley South in 2018 before becoming
deputy leader of the group on the Conservative-run local authority.
Nominating
Ms Ashraf, Green group leader Max McLoughlin said: "The fact Shanin wears
a hijab means she is easily recognised for her faith but she is not defined by
it.
“Shanin
will be the first Muslim and first Muslim woman to be mayor of Solihull.
“This is
something I know, and Shanin knows, comes with greater levels of attention and
scrutiny than for many others who have worn the robes before.”
Fellow
Green Party councillor Ben Groom said he hoped her appointment would mean
“young women from our growing South Asian community and beyond will see
politics is an achievable and rewarding option for them."
Source:
bbc.com
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckv7vw935zvo
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How Two
Yemeni Women, NisreenDhirarAnd Faiza Haidrah, Are Revolutionising
Taiz'sRestaurant Scene
Meet
NisreenDhirar and Faiza Haidrah who have defied gender stereotypes in Yemen by
opening a restaurant in Taiz.
"We
broke the norm that opening restaurants are for men only," Nisreen tells
The New Arab. "We tried convincing society that women can also work in
restaurants. There is no shame in it."
Nisreen
and Faiza are university graduates, and their education armed them with the
confidence to plan and execute their collective business ideas regardless of
the challenges.
The two
did not receive any financial support to launch their restaurant, Baytooty
Restaurant, as Nisreen explains, "Financially, the project began with our
savings. We tried to provide for the business on our own."
This
project has allowed Nisreen and Faiza to learn more about this field and become
financially independent, as well as be able to create jobs for other women.
"It feels great to be an entrepreneur and self-sufficient," adds
Nisreen.
In a
conservative society like Yemen, it is hard to persuade a father or a mother to
allow their daughters to work in a restaurant. They have several justifications
for adopting such a stance. That was a prime challenge Faiza and Nisreen faced
when preparing to open the restaurant.
"Finding
female staff was challenging. No one was ready to let their daughter, sister,
or wife work in a restaurant, Faiza tells The New Arab. "But they changed
their position when they understood Nisreen and I were responsible for managing
the restaurant."
An
encouraging experience: Yasser Abdu's encounter at Bayooti restaurant
Yasser
Abdu, a 40-year-old resident of Taiz City, told The New Arab it seemed
"strange" when he entered Baytooti restaurant for the first time in
January this year and found an all-female staff.
"I
ordered lunch, which was brought to the table by a waitress wearing a long
jacket. It was strange because I had not seen that in Taiz city before."
He
added, "The food was delicious, and the restaurant looked neat. It has two
separate sections for male and female customers. I don't know the female
managers of this business, but I am proud of them."
Abdu
considers the success of Faiza and Nisreen as an "encouraging
example" for Yemeni women who want to open or run their food service
facilities in Taiz province or elsewhere in Yemen.
Nawal
Mohammed, a university student in Taiz, said the presence of this women-owned
restaurant in Taiz city is "inspiring".
"It
made me think about opening a cafe providing light meals, particularly a
variety of fruit juice and sandwiches. The staff will be all women."
She
added, "If women in Taiz or other Yemeni provinces have been successful
doctors, nurses, and professors, they also can manage food service businesses.
It is only the social norms that put limits on our abilities."
War's
impact: How conflict drives women to become breadwinners
Yemen's
civil war broke out in 2015, leading to multiple economic ordeals, particularly
currency devaluation, rising inflation, and job loss.
Many of
the casualties of the war were the breadwinners of their families. With their
departure, households were left without a breadwinner, compelling women to bear
new burdens and seek work to earn a living.
Huda
Nasser, a 20-year-old high school graduate, has been working as a waitress in a
restaurant in Sanaa since August last year. Her friends described her as
"courageous" as this job in Yemen is dominated by men.
Huda
admits that her family's financial conditions led her to accept the waitress
job.
"My
father allowed me to work as a waitress in the Families Section in the
restaurant, and this means the customers I serve are women with their husbands
or brothers or children. I do not enter the section where only men are
served."
She
added, "Social restrictions on women's work in restaurants are decades
old. However, the war, along with the tough economic conditions, pushed women
to accept jobs which were once considered hard or unsuitable."
Keeping
a business afloat is a considerable challenge in a country beset by war and
political instability for almost ten years.
Yemen's
warring sides, the Iran-backed Houthi group and the Saudi-supported Yemeni
government, have engaged in an economic war besides their military battles.
This has created misery for civilians and formidable challenges for entrepreneurs.
Many
businesses have ceased operations or relocated to other countries, escaping the
unsafe environment and heavy taxation imposed by armed groups.
Despite
the multiple hurdles businesses face in Yemen, Nisreen and Faiza try to
overcome the difficulties their project is encountering.
"The
price hikes, currency instability, and shortage of basic services such as
electricity, water and cooking gas are among the major difficulties we are
facing," Nisreen explains.
"But
we do our best to tackle troubles facing our business and keep offering
customers delicious meals."
Source: newarab.com
https://www.newarab.com/features/how-two-yemeni-women-are-revolutionising-taizs-food-scene
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Syrian
star FaiaYounan graces the stage for World Culture, Ithra, Shaping Her Unique
Musical Identity
May 17,
2024
DHAHRAN:
Syrian star FaiaYounan graced the stage at the King Abdulaziz Center for World
Culture, Ithra, for the first of two evenings of music on Thursday.
Returning
to the Ithra stage after almost a year, the singer-songwriter performed a
medley of her most popular hits, some original songs and a few covers.
“Her
music fuses modern arrangements, traditional instruments and lyrics based on
classical literary poetry, shaping her unique musical identity,” Ithra said in
a statement to Arab News.
At the
opening night performance, Younan sang to a full house — almost every plush red
seat at the IthraTheater was occupied.
After
her first song, the singer asked the sound team to turn on the balcony lights
so she could greet the audience.
“I am so
excited to be back in the Kingdom. I would like the lights to be turned on so I
could capture a visual snapshot of this beautiful crowd,” she told her fans to
loud applause.
Younan
included the audience by asking them to clap along to certain sections and
encouraging them to join in when she repeated part of a song, telling them:
“Those aching to sing along can do so with me.”
Throughout
the performance, the band surrounded the singer like a frame, with the set
lights changing colors behind her.
Younan
thanked every musician who accompanied her on stage. The band was led by
pianist Rayan Habe, followed by Mohamed Ben Salha on ney, Abdul Halim Al-Khatib
on qanoun, YarubSamarait on violin, Walid Nassaer and Salman Baalbaki on
percussion, and Julio Eid on bass guitar.
In an
endearing moment, the heel of Younan’s shoe broke as she was belting out a
lyric. But the singer completed the song without interruption, then elegantly
removed her shoes and told the crowd that the accident was a blessing in
disguise.
“Now, I
can dance more easily to the next song, which will be Khaleeji,” she told the
roaring crowd.
After
singing many Arabic songs, Younan switched to Assyrian sounds, performing in
one of the many ancient languages spoken in her native Syria.
The
singer made history in 2015 when she became the first woman artist from the
MENA region to crowdfund her debut single, “OhebbouYadayka.”
Younan
has more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram and a huge fan base in the
region.
Earlier
this year, she was one of the winners of the Prince Abdullah bin Faisal Award
for Arabic Poetry, in the best sung poem category, which earned her a prize of
SR200,000 ($53,333).
“Mashallah,
Faia managed to play a lot of her songs — and her singing live sounds a lot
like the studio recording,” attendee Assiel Al-Shuail told Arab News at the end
of the opening night.
The
finale of Younan’s two-day show ends Friday, starting 8 p.m.
Source:
arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2512181/saudi-arabia
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Columbia
ProfessorAmraSabic-El-Rayess Says School Discriminated Against Her For Being
Muslim
17 May
2024
NEW YORK
— AmraSabic-El-Rayess is a genocide survivor, born and raised in Bosnia, where
at least 100,000 people were killed. She was a teen when she lived under
complete military siege, unable to go to school under the threat of bombs.
Bosnian
Serb forces systematically executed as many as 8,000 Bosnian Muslim males in
Srebrenica — the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust. Women and
girls were systematically gang-raped and assaulted. Every day, civilians were
tortured, starved and murdered.
In 1995,
Sabic-El-Rayess received a scholarship to emigrate to the U.S. She graduated
from Brown University and became the first Muslim president of the university’s
alumni association in its 258-year history.
She
earned her Ph.D. in Comparative and International Education at Columbia
University and shortly thereafter joined as a lecturer for the university’s
Teachers College. Since then, she has traveled the world to deliver
presentations and talks on hate prevention and education. In 2021, President
Joe Biden penned a letter to Sabic-El Rayess, telling her he was “inspired” by
her “bravery and strength” and that she embodied the “very idea of America”
after reading her memoir.
However,
she believes it was not enough for the department heads at Columbia. In a
lawsuit filed in federal court last month, Sabic-El-Rayess alleged that she was
repeatedly denied the opportunity to become a tenured professor at the
university’s Teachers College because of both her Muslim religion and her age.
“I
survived the Bosnian genocide. I know what hate feels like. I know where hate
can take a society. The one love that I had from America was that I wouldn’t be
seen as someone who is the other,” she told HuffPost. “I was reminded that I
was the other.”
A spokesperson
for Columbia denied the claims raised in her lawsuit in a statement to HuffPost
this week.
“Dr.
AmraSabic-El-Rayess is a valued member of our TC community. We reject the
claims made in Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess’s lawsuit and deny the allegations of
discrimination. We will present our case in a court of law,” a spokesperson for
Teachers College, Columbia, told HuffPost in an email.
After
completing her master’s and doctorate degrees at Columbia in 2012,
Sabic-El-Rayess was recruited to join Teachers College, the graduate school for
education at Columbia, as a lecturer. For 10 years, she taught students and
designed over 20 courses that focused on the prevention of violence targeting
people due to their race, ethnicity or faith. In 2020, she launched an
international interfaith research lab in which she researched, studied, and
trained students and faculty alike on the dangers of bigotry and hate.
In an
interview with HuffPost, Sabic-El-Rayess’ golden highlights framed her face as
she folded her perfectly manicured hands. Her soft pink nails matched her
lipstick as she sat up with her back straight. She spoke gracefully, rarely
elevating her tone, recounting the pain she’s felt at her university.
She
echoed criticisms that Columbia University has faced over the last month as
protests wracked the campus and were met twice with police crackdowns — that
one of the most prestigious universities in the world and the fifth-oldest
university in the country fell painfully short of its commitment to antiracism and
diversity.
“We live
in one of the most diverse cities in the United States of America. We have
students from all over the world. A big proportion of our students are
international students. We have faculty members of all backgrounds,” said
Sabic-El-Rayess. “But we have never had a tenured or tenure-track Teachers
College faculty member who is Muslim. Why?”
Sabic-El-Rayess
has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles, published two nonfiction books
and wrote for news outlets including USA Today and Al Jazeera. She’s traveled
the world to present her research, including the U.K., South Korea and
Australia. Earlier this month, she returned from a trip from Oslo, Norway,
where she spoke at a conference about the transnational impact of hate.
Her
accomplishments did not go unnoticed. In addition to the note from Biden, her
publications won several awards. She brought more than $10 million of research
funding to Teachers College. The university beamed at her accomplishments,
promoting and applauding her work publicly.
However,
Sabic-El-Rayess was not tenured at Columbia, meaning her job was still at risk.
Tenured professors are secured in their full-time employment, whereas lecturers
are employed by contracts that need to be reviewed and approved by the administration
after a set amount of years. Tenured professors also receive a slew of
benefits, including higher pay and health care. Most notably, tenured
professors have the security of academic freedom and scholarly independence
without fear of being fired because of the nature of their work.
There
are two ways for a professor to achieve tenure status: through a formal
application or a target of opportunity hire, where an outstanding applicant is
hired into the tenure track. Sabic-El-Rayess formally applied for tenure twice,
beginning in December 2012.
During
that process, she received what she said was an uncomfortable email from a
colleague, according to the lawsuit. The hiring committee asked her colleague
“about diversity,” he said in an email to her, according to the lawsuit. The
colleague said that if she were brought up as Muslim, he would “communicate
that to the search committee as one additional dimension of diversity.” She
responded yes.
But the
request spooked her. She taught courses about Islam and spoke about the dangers
of her experience as a survivor of the Bosnia genocide in presentations and
through her published works, but how well she taught or conducted research“had
nothing to do with whether I’m a Muslim or not. And I knew it was wrong. But I
was scared to say it was wrong. I was terrified.”
Weeks
later, she learned she was rejected without a reason, according to the lawsuit.
She applied again the following year, 2013, and told HuffPost she was denied
again without explanation.
Columbia
did not respond to HuffPost’s follow-up questions.
Frustrated,
in 2014, Sabic-El-Rayess met with the then-department chair to ask how she
could improve her chances of being promoted to a tenured professor. The chair
acknowledged her accomplishments, she told HuffPost. But according to the suit,
the chair told her that her Muslim identity makes it difficult for her to
receive full support from the university.
In 2016,
she became an associate professor, the highest non-tenure position she could
attain. For years, as she noted in her lawsuit, she watched as the department
promoted other tenured professors, none Muslim, and none she believed were as
accomplished as her.
“The
underlying message is clear,” she said. “As a Muslim, we don’t want you here in
a capacity that is equal to non-Muslims.”
It
wasn’t only the rejections. Sabic-El-Rayess said that over the years after her
rejections, she faced unfair scrutiny over her courses about Muslims and Islam,
with the review committee tasked with approving new courses and questioning the
“relevance and importance” of one of her courses in 2018.
In
another instance cited in the lawsuit, she notified leadership after a
colleague tweeted that graduation caps “dangerously” resembled a fez, a
traditional hat often worn by Muslim men. In 2021, one Muslim student was
discouraged from taking her course, according to the lawsuit, with another
professor telling her that her course “just says Islam is great and Muslims are
not terrorists. You probably know more than the professor!”
Sabic-El-Rayess
sent emails to the president and the interim provost at the time, which were
reviewed by HuffPost. In these emails, she detailed what she said were her
discriminatory experiences with staff, reiterated her accomplishments, and
questioned the lack of support for a tenure-tracked position.
“I have
been told because I am Muslim, I will never [be] supported for tenure at TC,
and I have been asked, in writing, in the midst of a hiring practice if I’m a
practicing Muslim,” she wrote in the April 2023 email to the interim provost
reviewed by HuffPost.
“No
meaningful action has ever been taken in my response to reporting anti-Muslim
racism because, as I have come to realize through my experience, such prejudice
is normalized and accepted at TC.”
She’s
sent dozens of emails and met with various colleagues, peers and members of the
administration, all of whom are listed in the lawsuit, all to no avail.
Instead, the university reduced her salary last year, according to the lawsuit,
in what she described as another form of retaliation for speaking out.
Columbia
did not respond to HuffPost’s question about the salary reduction.
“No
matter how hard I worked, no matter how much I gave of myself to the
institution, to its people, to my colleagues, to the students, I was never from
their perspective in terms of promotion and recognizing and respect, I was
never equal,” she said.
She
filed a $10 million lawsuit in the southern district of New York last month as
a last resort. The university will respond to the lawsuit in June. Until then,
she continues to teach on campus, motivated by the reason she began to teach in
this field — a desire to see change and end discrimination.
“The
institution is happy to parade me, this individual who has had a major
contribution in terms of innovation and research and all of that. They’ve used
my work to uplift themselves as the institution,” she said. “But the message
internally to me has always been clear. No matter what you accomplish, you will
never open that door. You will never walk through that door.”
Source: uk.news.yahoo.com
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/columbia-professor-says-school-discriminated-154434946.html
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabia-historic-swimwear-fashion/d/132342