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Islam, Women and Feminism ( 18 Feb 2018, NewAgeIslam.Com)

Saudi Women Don’t Need Male Permission to Start Businesses

New Age Islam News Bureau

18 Feb 2018

Photo: Saudi women do not need the permission of a male guardian to start their own business, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Investment.

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• Young Tunisian Women Launch Business Initiative to Change Own Destinies

• Opposition Leader: Women Should Assume Role of Furthering Iran Uprising

• Saudi Women Have a Central Role in Building the Nation, Janadriyah Festival Shows

• Egyptian Feminist Defies Social Norms by Using Her Wardrobe

• Macy's Decision to Sell Hijabs Sparks Debate among Muslim Women

• Women Can Be Empowered By Granting Them Rights Given By Islam: Siraj

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/saudi-women-dont-need-male/d/114321

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Saudi women don’t need male permission to start businesses

NADA HAMEED | Published — Sunday 18 February 2018

JEDDAH: Saudi women do not need the permission of a male guardian to start their own business, according to the Ministry of Commerce and Investment.

“No need for a guardian’s permission. Saudi women are free to start their own business freely,” ministry spokesperson Abdul Rahman Al-Hussein tweeted on Thursday using an Arabic hashtag that translates as #No_Need.

The #No_Need campaign is an initiative of Taysir, which aims to streamline the necessary procedures to establish a new business.

There is no longer any need to visit a notary to document the founding of a company. The Abshir system means this can all be done electronically.

Saudi women will no longer face more obstacles than a man does to establish their own business and government agencies will no longer require the consent of a guardian for a woman to complete the necessary procedures.

Al-Hussein told Arab News: “Women can practice all their commercial transactions in the Ministry of Commerce and Investment without a guardian or a notary.”

Nojood Al-Qassim, head of the Department of Personal Status, Family Legacies and Women’s and Children’s Rights, pointed out that this latest step toward the empowerment of Saudi women is in line with the government’s overall development drive.

“One of the directives of Vision 2030 is to activate the role of Saudi women in society and to give them their full rights and the rights guaranteed by Shariah,” she told Arab News.

Dima Al-Shareef, a Saudi law consultant, said: “I believe this new approach will open the door to (women) in our homeland to highlight their talents and ideas and translate them into a realistic business with a worthy financial return.”

She added: “We are witnessing a new era in the empowerment of Saudi women, in the commercial sphere in particular.”

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1248781/saudi-arabia

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Young Tunisian women launch business initiative to change own destinies

TUNIS - Despite economic difficulties facing the handicraft sector, young Tunisian women artisans established an initiative to promote the industry and provide jobs for themselves and others.

The “I am Change” initiative encourages female artisans, many of whom are unemployed university graduates, to sell their work to a larger customer base and break into bigger markets.

From Tunisian pastries to carpets, to clothes and jewellery, the products these women make combine elements of tradition and modernity, resulting in a tapestry of products and colours crafted in fine detail.

Bahia Trabelsi, in her 30’s, sits with a multicoloured collection of traditional Tunisian bags, known as qoffa.

‘’I have been working in artisanal crafts for ten years and I even pursued a degree in arts and design,” said Trabelsi. “While it was a hobby from a young age, I only started becoming more and more interested in this during my studies. When I couldn’t find a job after I graduated, I started making these bags at home.”

Many female artisans have a similar story. Despite their skills and hard work, they often struggle to make ends meet with small-scale projects, the initiative’s organisers said.

“There are so many talented young women who are working on amazing products at home, whether it is artisanal or modern, but most of these women cannot open stores outside their houses,” said Chourouk Ben Jbara, one of the initiative’s organisers. “They lack funding and often struggle with marketing, so this initiative is part of promoting and encouraging these women to explore other ways.”

“Many of the young women working in this sector are either students or unemployed university graduates,” she added. “This is why the initiative aims to market their products to encourage them and to also function as a networking forum for these young, talented women to acquire more skills and learn from each other.”

Marwa Hosni, a participant in her 20s, makes customised paintings on fabric or objects from home. Lacking a job, she decided to explore using her passion for painting as a source of income.

“I have always been passionate about painting,” Hosni said. “After being unemployed for years, I decided to learn the techniques of painting on fabric and trays. I participated in many fairs and my work was praised by many. I try to bring uniqueness to the paintings I draw or the trays I make as custom gifts and I try to explore the modern and traditional aspects of our cultural heritage.”

NajwaBaccar, another participant, creates jewellery in the traditional Tunisian style. One of her motivations, she said, was keeping Tunisia’s cultural heritage alive.

“Without our heritage, one cannot make any progress,” Baccar said. “There are so many beautiful traditions that are already fading. The jewellery I make, for instance, is inspired by the style that my grandmothers used to wear. It is inspired by the pieces they left for me. It took me years to learn the techniques and I always go to training. I am glad I am doing this.”

Despite the passion the women have for handicrafts and artisanal products, many of them were discouraged by difficult economic conditions and a lack of opportunities.

“There are many talented women working in handicrafts but we are struggling with the fact we don’t have a budget to open our own stores,” Hosni said. “We are restricted to working from home, which does not allow us to expand our business. It is hard to achieve this with all the restrictions but it is important to keep this going.”

Baccar, who was an electronic technician before turning to jewellery making, echoed these concerns.

“As far as an amateur I am doing fine but I understand the struggles of people and women who want this to become their profession and to pursue a career,” Baccar said. “It is hard to market our products, to open your own store or workshop and it is an investment that is not always possible.”

Ben Jbara added that women often struggle to start their own projects but said training sessions and workshops can help hone their vision.

“The problem is that handicrafts and artisanal products are expensive, which makes it difficult to make a profit,” Ben Jbara explained. “Having unique ideas is the key to success since more and more people want to have different things than others.”

MahaTrabelsi, also an artisan, pointed to another problem: Gender inequality in the workplace.

“The merchants in the artisanal markets are all men but women are doing the job,” Trabelsi said. “Today with studies and marketing knowledge we are managing to work through the internet and the forums but we need more exposure.”

With hundreds of women participating in the initiative’s launch, female artisans hope to explore creative ways to improve the industry and monetise their work.

“This initiative is called ‘I am Change’ because we wanted to send a message that every Tunisian woman does not need the government to provide a living for her or have to wait for people to give her a job,” said Ben Jbara. “She can work on her own and innovate, which could be even better. We need to believe that we can change our society and that we can be the change that we aspire to have in the world.”

https://thearabweekly.com/young-tunisian-women-launch-business-initiative-change-own-destinies

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Opposition leader: Women should assume role of furthering Iran uprising

17 February 2018

Women played a key role in recent protests in Iran, taking to the streets to eliminate the clerical regime and to liberate the entire nation, said Maryam Rajavi, an Iranian opposition leader on Saturday. She added that this was “a goal that would certainly be realized”.

Rajavi said that present circumstances provide the potential for continuing protests and that Iranian women should assume the responsibility of furthering the uprising. This responsibility is two-fold: First, shattering the wall of fear and disbelief, and second, organizing protests. The protest gatherings of recent months and their climax in the eruption of the uprising once again showed that brave women have been able to change the situation and expand the protests.

The President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran declared her position in an international conference in Paris organized by the NCRI’s Women’s Committee on the verge of the March 8, International Women’s Day.

An Iranian woman raises her fist amid the smoke of tear gas at the University of Tehran during a protest driven by anger over economic problems, in Tehran on December 30, 2017. (AFP)

Luminaries, politicians, women rights activists, and Iranian expatriates from Europe, the Middle East, and the United States filled out the large auditorium.

Assuming their role

Rajavi said the women of Iran have assumed their activist role on the basis of their suffering and sacrifice, and with determination to achieve freedom after four decades of resisting clerical rule. “Regime change is the right of [the] Iranian woman. At the same time, it is her only way to achieve freedom and equality. As attested by the experience of the past 39 years, this regime has left them no other way or method,” the NCRI president-elect said.

According to Rajavi, the specific responsibility of women is to shatter the atmosphere of fear, repression and disbelief and to revive hope and courage in people and reinforce the power of youth in confronting suppression.

Anti-government protests took place in 142 Iranian cities and towns throughout Iran in late December and January. These have continued into February, shaking the clerical regime to the core as the people, in particular the youth and women, manifested their desire for regime change. Some 50 protesters were shot to death. At least 8,000 were detained and at least 12 protesters were killed during detention. The most senior officials in Tehran acknowledged that the protests were organized by the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), the principal Iranian opposition movement, and that women played a leading role.

Misogyny is one of the main characteristics of Islamic fundamentalism. The Iranian women’s struggle with the women activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran as its vanguard, is the struggle against the focal point of the Islamic fundamentalism, which is the clerical regime ruling Iran. The overthrow of the theocracy in Iran will bring about a major achievement for the region in general and for women in particular.

Dr.HadaBadran, president of the Arab Women's Alliance from Egypt

Linda Chavez, the former White House Director of Public Liaison said: “Iranian women young and old played an indispensable role in the recent protests. This is not simply a political development. It is very significant culturally that women are challenging the Islamic fundamentalists ruling Iran. But one has to keep in mind that this is not happening in abstract. Over the past four decades the Iranian women have demonstrated a remarkable resilience and have paid a very heavy price for their resistance. Tens of thousands of them, most notably members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran were killed in this process. It is very telling that Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran has been the inspirational figure, and the face of the Iranian resistance has led the resistance to unseat the ayatollahs and establish a democratic Iran based on freedom and gender equality.”

According to Rama Yade, the former French Minster for Human Rights, “The world should speak out as strongly as possible in defense of detained protesters, in particular women protesters. What is at the stake is our values and principles. When people of a nation like Iran come out and speak out so strongly, hiding behind political or petty economic considerations is simply immoral and totally unacceptable. The West in general and Europe in particular should make it clear to Tehran leaders that business as usual is over. They should be held accountable for their crimes and should realize that any trade hinges upon the improvement of the human rights situation in Iran. The first step is to release all the detained protesters, every single one of them.”

‘Imposed restrictions’

Rajavi elaborated on how misogyny and imposed restrictions are enshrined in every aspect of the theocracy ruling Iran, and she underscored that suppressing women’s most rudimentary rights is an integral part of the repression that has kept the regime in power.

A woman walks past a mural in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018. (AP)

“Anything that is forcibly imposed on people is against genuine Islam, whether it is imposed religion or the veil,” she said. “Mandatory veil is against Islam and is only meant to enchain women, facilitating a general social clampdown.”

Dr.HadaBadran, president of the Arab Women's Alliance from Egypt stressed: “Misogyny is one of the main characteristics of Islamic fundamentalism. The Iranian women’s struggle with the women activists of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran as its vanguard, is the struggle against the focal point of the Islamic fundamentalism, which is the clerical regime ruling Iran. The overthrow of the theocracy in Iran will bring about a major achievement for the region in general and for women in particular.

Supporting the Iranian people’s uprising and defending the Iranian women in this path is a moral responsibility and a necessary step in struggle against Islamic fundamentalism.”

Rajavi urged the women posters from various social strata in Iran to get further organized and to expand resistance councils and bastions of rebellion throughout the country. “The uprising in January showed that organization is a prerequisite to advancement. So you must try to organize your other sisters. I would like to stress the fact that to expand the uprising and to overthrow the clerical dictatorship, we need to create hundreds and thousands of opportunities and this is something that all of you free women of Iran can do.”

The Iranian opposition leader urged the international community in general and the women activists in particular to stand in support of the Iranian people and the Iranian women’s movement for freedom. “I would like to reiterate that supporting the struggle against fundamentalism is the greatest project of our time for advocates of women’s rights,” Rajavi said. “Since the heart of fundamentalism beats in Iran and under the rule of the mullahs, supporting the Iranian people’s uprising for the overthrow of the regime is doubly important. I am confident that the women of the world will undertake their historic responsibility.”

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/features/2018/02/18/Opposition-leader-Women-should-assume-role-of-furthering-Iran-uprising.html

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Saudi women have a central role in building the nation, Janadriyah festival shows

ARAB NEWS | Published — Sunday 18 February 2018

RIYADH: Princess Abir Al-Mandeel, wife of the governor of Qassim region, visited the Janadriyah festival, touring the various pavilions that display art items and showcase the talents of Saudi women.

The participation of women in this 32nd national festival for heritage and culture is part of the women-friendly initiatives rolled out by King Salman. These have helped females to expand their participation in public life, which is a core component of the Saudi government’s Vision 2030.

This participation contributes also to rooting the national heritage and handicrafts, strengthening national identity, and promoting an entrepreneurial culture.

Diplomats express admiration for rich heritage

A group of ambassadors representing official diplomatic delegations in the Kingdom has visited the festival, SPA reported.

This visit was part of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs initiative in which diplomatic bodies were invited to visit the Janadriyah village with their families.

The diplomats were introduced to pavilions representing the Kingdom’s provinces, the government sector, and civil institutions, and they enjoyed traditional dishes, folkloric shows, and demonstrations of the country’s heritage.

At the pavilion of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, the diplomats were introduced to the Kingdom’s most important tourist attractions, and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pavilion, they saw documentary exhibits.

At the end of their tour, the diplomats expressed their admiration for the rich heritage they’d seen.

People flock to see Foreign Ministry’s achievements

One of the most popular attractions at the festival is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pavilion which introduces visitors to the ministry’s achievements on the international political scene.

It also features exhibits of the late Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the former foreign minister, who was posthumously awarded the Order of Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, First Class, along with other dignitaries.

The pavilion also displays the first political passport of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

In addition, there are many archival photos of internal and external receptions inside and outside the Kingdom, and ancient documents, conventions and treaties concluded by the Kingdom with other countries.

Rich museum of antiques, weapons and tools

The King Abdul Aziz Hall in the heart of Janadriyah houses several pavilions capturing Saudi Arabia’s architectural heritage, wildlife, desert plants, and historical everyday tools such as farming equipment and women’s beauty sets.

Nasser Hajjaj Al-Atwi, a participant from Tabuk, said the hall displayed more than 5,000 ancient items and tools including pots, historical currencies, hunting tools, ancient weapons, and early editions of newspapers more than 90 years old.

The museum also displayed the oldest coin currency used in Al-Ahsa, which was minted in Kuwait and used for 50 years during the 17th and 18th centuries across the Arabian Peninsula.

Al-Atwi said the museum displayed a working compass made in 1885, a few ancient Roman locks, and Ottoman weapons.

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1248826/saudi-arabia

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Egyptian feminist defies social norms by using her wardrobe

CAIRO - For some, clothing is all about appearance but for Dena Anwer it is a tool with which to make a statement and induce change.

The 35-year-old one-time pharmacist is out to change Egyptian society by changing the way women dress and she is starting with herself. She said sleeveless short dresses, cold shoulder tops or knee-length outfits are not mere clothes but “war tools” she uses to fight for her cause.

In a country where sexual harassment is rampant, some might characterise Anwer’s efforts as insane but she is not budging from her goal to challenge taboos, defeat social control of women and fight political Islam.

“The Islamists invented sexual harassment to force women to wear the hijab and totally cover themselves as if their bodies are something they should be ashamed of,” Anwer said. “They wanted to change the way women dressed as a means of controlling them and turning them into political tools.”

Anwer talks with women everywhere she goes, appears on television and speaks at public events to drive her point home. She initiated an online campaign, “Put on Your Dress and Become a Female Again,” for the liberation and empowerment of women through clothes, noting that, unlike today, Egyptian women were elegant and fashionable seven decades ago.

It was a time when the British occupation of Egypt was in its last days. Cairo was a city of fashion and women wore what were considered short and revealing clothes.

Egyptian black-and-white movies show a society in amity with its diversity. Muslims, Christians and Jews lived side by side without problem. Women fully covered walked in harmony with those wearing revealing clothes.

“Sexual harassment was not known in society then,” Anwer said. “Women were free and beautiful.”

Men were elegant, too. The fez was the national head cover for men in the country. Rarely did a man go to work or walk on the street without his full suit.

The change in national outfits, especially for women, started with the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most vibrant Islamist organisation, which is considered the mother of political Islam.

“The rise of such movements was behind the change in the clothes everybody wore, men and women,” said poet Ferdaus Abdel Rahman. “They succeeded in convincing people that there is an Islamic attire and an un-Islamic one.

“Unfortunately, the people ended up putting on ‘Islamic clothes,’ though their hearts and minds are void of the ideals of this great and tolerant religion.” Abdel Rahman said.

Millions of Egyptians who travelled to work in the Arab Gulf during the oil boom in the 1970s returned with significant cultural influences from the very conservative societies in which they lived abroad.

Scarcely any woman in Egypt today wears a short skirt, a sleeveless shirt or shows her hair in public. Some people consider this a sign of piety. Anwer said it is a form of coercion.

While growing up in the central province of Fayoum when Islamist movements were at their strongest, Anwer’s primary school Arabic teacher used to put the rules of grammar aside and tell students about SayyidQutb, known to be the theoretician of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Anwer said she was 11 when she was sexually harassed the first time. Her family’s reaction was that she deserved it because she was not wearing the hijab and she never did.

With her gold-dyed hair and revealing outfits, Anwer draws attention and curiosity.

“People on the street find my clothes strange because few women are dressed like me but, when more women are dressed like this, society will change because such an outfit will become common and this will help reduce sexual harassment,” Anwer said.

Women’s rights advocate HalaAbdelkader argues that it will take a great deal of education and cultural reform for social attitudes to change.

“When you compare people’s behaviour today and seven decades ago, you can easily see the enormity of the cultural deterioration and devastation we have reached,” Abdelkader said. “For a long time now, Egyptians have been blindly following cultural influences coming from outside, which is why they are losing their cultural peculiarity, only seen in the old movies at present.”

However, Anwer said she is confident that she can make a difference by moving ahead with enticing women to wear what they want. She said in doing this, she is not only liberating women of social fetters but economically empowering them.

Anwer said she meets women every day who tell her that they wish to wear revealing and beautiful clothes like she does but are afraid of their male family members and of sexual harassment.

https://thearabweekly.com/egyptian-feminist-defies-social-norms-using-her-wardrobe

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Macy's decision to sell hijabs sparks debate among Muslim women

By Katy Scott, CNN

Updated 9:12 PM ET, Sat February 17, 2018

(CNN)American department store Macy's sparked a fierce debate on Thursday, when it launched a line of "modest clothing" that featured hijabs.

The Verona Collection was founded by fashion photographer Lisa Vogl, after she converted to Islam in 2011, and struggled to find modest, fashionable clothing. The brand stands for "women's empowerment and taking pride in one's Muslim identity," according to its website.

Macy's decision to stock Vogl's line came after US retailer Nike released a "Pro Hijab" for Muslim athletes, and fashion brand American Eagle's limited-edition denim hijab, which sold out.

While the department store's efforts to be inclusive were applauded by some online, others criticized it for legitimizing the hijab -- a religious headscarf that has been politicized in some parts of the world in recent years and closely tied to women's rights issues.

Over the past few months in Iran, for example, some women have removed their headscarves in public to protest the country's compulsory hijab law. At least 29 people were arrested in the capital, Tehran, for their involvement in the protests.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a US-based Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization, said Macy's had "come under attack online by Islamophobes who routinely attack any manifestation of Islam in American society." CNN reached out to Vogl and Macy's, but they had no comment.

An image from #MyStealthyFreedom's Facebook page.

New York-based Iranian activist and journalist Masih Alinejad launched a social media campaign, #MyStealthyFreedom in 2014, inviting women to post pictures of themselves without a hijab.

CNN invited Alinejad to debate this contentious topic with Palestinian-American civil rights activist and Women's March co-chair Linda Sarsour, who is based in New York and chooses to wear the hijab.

Their responses have been edited for brevity.

What does the hijab signify for you? What have been your experiences with this piece of clothing?

Linda Sarsour: For me my hijab is my choice, it's my identity. I don't leave my home without it because it makes me feel whole. And I'm very proud, every single day, of what I represent when I walk out to the streets of New York City or around the country.

In my family I have four sisters, all four of my sisters do not wear hijab and they are just as Muslim as I am, and I love them no matter what they choose to do.

Masih Alinejad: I don't wear hijab now, but I remember when I was a kid, hijab meant everything to me. I always had the feeling that it was a link between me and my mother and my community and my people. It was my identity.

I threw away my headscarf in my teenage youth -- but in secret -- when I found that it was not my identity, that it was because of the discriminatory law, social pressure, family pressure and emotional pressure.

This week Macy's launched a modest clothing line featuring the hijab. What is your reaction to this?

LS: To give Muslim woman the choice to be able to buy hijab at a major department store for me shows inclusivity, it gives women the opportunity to shop mainstream and not have to always be so siloed and go to specific retailers.

MA: If Macy's or Nike, Dolce & Gabbana, H&M, they choose to sell [hijab] that's really their choice.

When I see that you're promoting hijab I have two different feelings, it makes me happy that you are supporting my mother [who wears hijab], but it reminds me that the women of Iran are being ignored by the government of Iran, and they use this small piece of cloth, hijab, as the most visible symbol of oppression.

Verona Collection sells a variety of maxi dresses, tops, cardigans, pants and hand-dyed hijabs.

LS: [Macy's is] doing this because it's a good business decision and because they know that there is a market and that Muslim women are a big consumer base in America. So of course this is not a human rights campaign on behalf of Macy's.

We can hold both positions and say we respect your mom who chooses to wear hijab and also respect the women who choose not to wear hijab and stand up against governments who oppress women.

MA: I don't see any Muslim communities in the West being loud and condemning compulsory hijab, especially you, when people of Iran are putting themselves in danger and risking their lives.

LS: I will say on a personal level that I've been very vocal in support of Iranian women.

For me, hijab is only a form of oppression when a government forces it on people, when a father forces it on his daughter or when a husband forces it on his wife. For me, as a woman who chooses to wear hijab, it is not a form of oppression and I will not be pushed into a position by anyone to say that hijab is a form of oppression.

What are your thoughts on the current protests against compulsory hijab in Iran?

MA: Twenty-nine women who practiced civil disobedience, who peacefully took off their hijab, they are in prison. It's a global issue and we should all condemn it. We shouldn't let any feminists in the West downplay our cause and say this is a small issue, it's not.

@ArminNavabi

A 2nd woman arrested in #Iran for protesting forced #hijab by taking off her headscarf.

Name: NargesHosseini #نرگس_حسینی

Women are removing their hijab, posting it with the hashtag #دختران_خیابان_انقلاب meaning #GirlsOfRevolutionSt where #VidaMovahed first took off her hijab.

4:38 AM - Jan 30, 2018

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LS: Sister, I think I think the issue here is not whether or not we think it's important ... the issue is the narrative.

In the United States, we as Muslim woman are attacked saying that we are upholding a system of oppression by wearing hijab. So we have a narrative we have to fight by saying we stand with women who choose not to wear hijab, and I will unequivocally say here that I stand with the brave courageous woman in Iran who are standing against compulsory hijab, but they also need us to create a narrative that says you also stand with my right as a Muslim woman in America who is having to endure Islamophobia.

MA: It's important if you care about human rights, women's rights, you cannot use the same tool which is the most visible symbol of oppression in the Middle East and say that this is a sign of resistance [in the United States].

LS: A woman in Iran takes the risk of not wearing a hijab based on the laws there and has to risk that -- we in the United States, Muslim women, risk wearing hijab.

We have an exponential rise in hate crimes against Muslim women in hijab. If you could look at FBI statistics, [there are] unfortunately many assaults against women in hijab, women getting their hijabs ripped off.

<strong>Burqa:</strong> This full-body garment has a mesh over the eyes. The burqa is widely used in Afghanistan and was required under the Taliban. These Afghan women are shopping in Herat.