Saudi Arabia’s First Female Yoga Master, Nouf Marwaai, Who Was Awarded Padma Shri In India
New
Age Islam News Bureau
08
February 2021
•
Baptist Catholic Woman of Wisconsin inspired by Drills Ertugrul becomes Muslim
•
Saudi Women Find Their Calling in ‘Elegant, Exciting’ Fencing
•
Actress Jameela Jamil Fronts Activist-Led Tommy Hilfiger Campaign
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-arabias-first-female-yoga/d/124254
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Saudi
Arabia’s First Female Yoga Master, Nouf Marwaai, Who Was Awarded Padma Shri In
India
Nouf
Marwaai was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018
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February
8, 2021
India
is the birthplace of yoga. In the birth city of Rishikesh, high in the mystical
Himalayan Mountains, yoga was first mentioned in a written text over 7,000
years ago. It was through India, yoga became a global trend and it is a widely
practiced culture in the west.
Widely
perceived as a Hindu spiritual practice, yoga was not officially permitted for
decades in Saudi Arabia, the cradle of Islam where all non-Muslim worship is
banned. But with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman vowing an “open, moderate
Islam”, the kingdom in 2017, he recognised yoga as a sport amid a new
liberalisation drive that has sidelined religious hardliners.
Nouf
Marwaai is Saudi Arabia’s first woman yoga master. In a country where women
have long been denied the right to exercise publicly, the students – some of
whom regularly attend yoga retreats in India – said the exercise had
transformed their lives. Marwaai was awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian
honour Padma Shri, on 15 August 2018.
Nouf’s
story goes beyond yoga. She has had a long struggle with health conditions and
has defeated lupus as well as cancer, through the help of yoga. Nouf sees yoga
as a liberating factor that rids one of the mental disturbances and other
psychological stress factors.
When
Nouf’s yoga journey began, she was motivated by her determination to fight
ill-health. In the year of 1998, She was not allowed to do a lot. She was
fighting excruciating joint and muscle pains. It was then that Nouf discovered
yoga asanas positions.
However,
she couldn’t find a yoga instructor in Saudi Arabia from whom she could learn
to practice the right way. She had to travel a lot to learn and practice and
then obtained a license to open a yoga studio.
Nouf
praised the reforms initiated by Saudi King Salman and the way Crown Prince
Mohammad bin Salman is running the country. According to Nouf, lives of women
in Saudi Arabia have changed and they are being empowered in every field.
She
also praises Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud, President of the Community
Sports Federation. It was because of her, it was possible to get yoga approved
as a sport. Nouf has received Yoga Ratna award from Asian Yoga Federation and
Yoga Person of the Year award from an Indian NGO. (Supplied)
Receiving
the Padma Shri was “a great honor” and a “big responsibility” for Nouf. She had
told Indian media, “I am very thankful for the trust Indian government has
shown by giving me this award as an appreciation of my work in the field of
yoga.”
According
to Nouf, people in Saudi Arabia are curious about yoga and ask questions about
it. She also highlights the misconceptions related to yoga and Islam. The
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also invited Nouf to contribute to the
campaign Beti Bachao and Beti Padhaao.
https://thebridge.in/fitness-wellness/saudi-arabia-first-female-yoga-master-awarded-padma-shri-india/
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Baptist
Catholic Woman of Wisconsin inspired by Drills Ertugrul becomes Muslim
Baptist Catholic Woman
-----
Mucahit
Oktay
05.02.2021
NEW
YORK
A
60-year-old American woman has become Muslim after being influenced by
Resurrection: Ertugrul, a popular Turkish TV series.
The
Wisconsin resident chose the name of “Khadija” after her conversion to Islam
and told Anadolu Agency that she came across Resurrection: Ertugrul while
browsing Netflix.
"I
looked into it, the details about it. So I started watching," said
Khadija, adding she was really interested in Islam after watching a few
episodes.
"It
was a history that I knew nothing about," she said of the series.
Stressing that the dialogues of Muhyiddin Ibn
Arabi gave a new meaning to her life, she said his words made her think a lot
and sometimes cry.
She
watched all episodes four times and started watching for the fifth time.
The
series had a great impact on her orientation to Islam, she said.
"I like learning new history. It was an
eye-opener to what I did know ... about religion and tried to look for more
into," she added.
She
said her curiosity in history connected her to the series and after watching
the series she met Islam.
Although
she was a Baptist Catholic, all the question marks in her head were cleared and
she eventually became more interested in Islam, she said.
Noting
that she read the Muslim holy book of Quran in English to learn more about
Islam, she explained the process after she decided to become a Muslim.
After
making a search for a mosque close to her area, she found one and went into it,
where she said worshipers "were shocked to see" her.
"I
became Muslim right that day," she said.
Stressing
that she encountered unexpected reactions from her friends when she said she
became Muslim, Khadija said they believed that she was brainwashed.
“I
no longer discuss this issue with people. I do not interfere with their
beliefs. They shouldn't have any reason to interfere with me either,” she
added.
Khadija,
a mother of six children, said that as time goes by, her kids see Khadija
watching Turkish shows when they stop over and her youngest son was the one who
figured out she became a Muslim.
"But
the others haven't asked. They suspect but haven't asked and I figured they
will," said Khadija.
Often
described as a Turkish Game of Thrones, Resurrection: Ertugrul tells the story
before the establishment of the Ottoman Empire in 13th century Anatolia. It
illustrates the struggle of Ertugrul Gazi, the father of the empire's first
leader.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-woman-becomes-muslim-after-watching-turkish-series/2135444
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Saudi
Women Find Their Calling in ‘Elegant, Exciting’ Fencing
RUBA
OBAID
February
08, 2021
JEDDAH:
For some young Saudis, the virtues of one particular sport — fencing — have
turned out to be nothing short of life-affirming.
“Fencing
taught me patience, justice and anger management,” said 21-year-old women’s
fencer Ruba Al-Masri.
In
the elegant centuries-old sport, it seems she has, alongside many young Saudi
female athletes, found her calling.
Inspired
by her father’s athletic career, Al-Masri took up fencing three years ago, and
has since claimed silver and gold medals in local and international
championships.
“From
a young age, I used to see pictures of my father and the medals that he
achieved during his career,” Al-Masri told Arab News. “My family were my first
supporters to tell me to follow the footsteps of my father and begin my
journey.”
Since
Saudi women first took part in the 2016 Olympics, the country has witnessed
increasing female participation in sports. And fencing has turned out to be the
most attractive.
“Until
now, the number of Saudi female fencers exceeded 200, and work has been done
this year to graduate the first five female referees in the history of Saudi
fencing,” President of the Saudi Arabian Fencing Federation Ahmed Al-Sabban
told Arab News.
Women’s
participation in the sport began as recently as 2015 in the Eastern Province,
Al-Sabban said, adding that female fencers from the region traveled to Bahrain
to practice the sport. One of those fencers, Lubna Al-Omair, was chosen to take
part in the 2016 Olympics.
“After
that, about three women’s academies were established, starting from 2017 in
Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam,” he said. “We are working to have female fencing
academies in all regions of the Kingdom.”
Fencing
has been practiced in the Kingdom since the 1960s, Al-Sabban said, pointing to
its origins at the Seven Palaces Schools in Jeddah. Many expatriates who moved
to Dhahran after the discovery of oil in the Kingdom also played a role in
introducing the sport to Saudis.
According
to Al-Sabban, the sport first became popular in the Eastern Province and Tabuk,
and then spread to all regions of the country. Today, the Saudi Fencing
Federation operates academies in Jeddah, Riyadh, Taif, Madinah, Tabuk and the
Eastern Province.
The
hard work has paid off.
Al-Masri
began fencing in April 2018 when she joined the Summer Olympic Fencing Program
launched by the Saudi Fencing Federation.
“Fencing
is an exciting, interesting sport,” said Al-Masri “It improves the player
personality in terms of commitment and accuracy.”
She
added that the sport “requires use of all the senses simultaneously, which
improves one’s quick wit and observation.”
Coupled
with the benefits of physical activity, fencing can boost general health, she
said.
From
the outset, Al-Masri was fascinated by the uniqueness of the sport in terms of
equipment, outfits and techniques.
“Honestly,
one of the most attractive things I found in this sport was the elegance of the
fencing outfit, and how it is different from other sports,” she said. “I also
find it comfortable because it covers almost the entire body.”
After
winning a gold in the first Women’s Fencing Championship in the Kingdom,
Al-Masri has gone on to represent Saudi Arabia internationally in Egypt,
Tunisia, Kuwait, Jordan and the Philippines.
“I
also learned that success does not start only from the first gold medal,” she
added. “Instead, it begins with persistence and progress.”
Now
Al-Masri has ambitions to participate in the Tokyo Olympics and has set her
sights on becoming the first Saudi woman to win a gold medal. She also wants to
achieve success in Asian championships and the Fencing World Cup.
“Fencing
does not require specific physical criteria, therefore everyone can practice it
at any age,” she said. “However, it is preferable to start young if you want to
be a champion.”
Al-Sabban
agreed, saying that there are no prerequisites for learning fencing. However,
he said that there are optimal practices that will help fencers succeed, such
as daily training, healthy nutrition, fitness and good sleep.
“The
Saudi Fencing Federation continues to be the leader of women’s sports in the
Kingdom, outperforming other sports federations,” he said.
“We
hope that leadership will continue to support this, that fencing will be the
first choice for all women in the Kingdom and that we continue to win gold
medals in all tournaments.”
Al-Masri
and her colleagues are no doubt dreaming of the same goals.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1805531/saudi-arabia
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Actress
Jameela Jamil fronts activist-led Tommy Hilfiger campaign
February
03, 2021
DUBAI:
Storied US fashion house Tommy Hilfiger has unveiled a brand new campaign
featuring “The Good Place” actress Jameela Jamil.
The
model, actress and body positivity advocate is the face of the American brand’s
Spring 2021 campaign “Moving Forward Together,” which is all about social
change and community. As per the theme, the campaign features a wide array of
community leaders and activists. Joining Jamil is “Pose” star Indya Moore,
ballroom legend DJ Kiddy Smile and LA’s influential Compton Cowboys.
“So
excited to join the new #MovingForwardTogether campaign with @tommyhilfiger as
they make their move towards more sustainability and inclusion,” wrote the
British-Pakistani-Indian actress on Instagram.
“This
is one of the most diverse and powerful campaigns I’ve seen from such a giant
brand and I’m positively star struck by some of the inspiring advocates involved
from around the world,” she added.
The
entire cast was photographed in pieces that they love the most. Jamil donned a
long, beige trench coat worn over a red and white pleated midi skirt.
“When
I ever promote clothes I try to make sure they are always things I will want to
wear until I’m 80. I want to wear classics, not passing trends. These pieces
will live with me forever and someone will have to pry the raincoats from my
cold dead hands one day (sic),” Jamil shared on Instagram.
Instead
of an in-person group campaign, Hilfiger chose to highlight each member in
international environments that feel most like home to them.
According
to the actress and activist, who founded the I Weigh Movement, the photographs,
shot at locations in Los Angeles, London, Paris, Berlin, New Jersey and Hainan,
were unedited as per her request.
The
34-year-old stated that she’s been a fan of the brand for a while, especially
since the inclusion of curvy models for the brand’s Fall 2019 collection in
collaboration with Zendaya during New York Fashion Week.
Jamil
has a string of campaigns and fashion editorials under her belt, including
Aerie — a sub-brand owned by American Eagle Outfitters.
In
the past, she has been photographed for publications such as Vogue India and
Grazia UK, among others.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1802981/lifestyle
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