Two Sisters in Pakistan Murdered ‘Over Love Marriage’
New Age Islam News Bureau
05 Jun 2024
· Two Sisters in Pakistan Murdered ‘Over Love Marriage’
· Tajikistan Set To Outlaw Islamic Hijab after Years of Unofficial Ban
· Sindh High Court Orders Probe into Holding of Aurat March without District Administration’s Permission
· Women’s Conference in Abuja Highlights Importance of Financial Independence
Compiled by New
Age Islam News Bureau
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Two Sisters in Pakistan Murdered ‘Over Love Marriage’
June 5, 2024
BAHAWALPUR: A man, along with his son
and three relatives, killed his two daughters, who had married of their own
will and were brought back through a panchayat, at Pull 19/WB village in the
limits of Machhiwal police station in Vehari district.
According to police, a patrolling party, on a tip-off on Monday night, raided the outhouse of one SiadHussainDhadhi. As the police reached outside the outhouse, they heard gunshots and on entering the premises found two women, identified as MsNishat, wife of Saeed and MsAfshan, wife of Umair, lying dead in a pool of blood.
The police claimed that the alleged killers, later identified as SiadDhadhi, his son Asim, and their relatives Adnan, Afshal and Riaz managed to flee under the cover of darkness.
The bodies were shifted to Vehari District Headquarters Hospital for the postmortem examination.
The Machiwal police on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Irfan Ashraf registered an FIR (No 507/24) under sections 302, 311, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code, against the suspects. The police later claimed to have arrested Siad.
As per local sources, the two sisters had left their home and contracted marriage of their own will. They were brought back by their parents on the verdict of a panchayat.
They said that the women’s father and brother had a grudge against the women and they allegedly killed them over “honour”.
CAMP: The district administration set up a camp to launch the anti-plastic bags campaign and distributed cloth bags among the people who deposited plastic bottles there.
The camp, set up in coordination with district environment department, Municipal Corporation, Bahawalpur Waste Management Company and Ashraf Sugar Mills at Khatm-e-NabbuwatChowk, Bahawalpur, drew a large number of people.
On the occasion, DC Zaheer Anwar Jappa, accompanied by City AC Dr Sana Ram Chand and other officials concerned, distributed cloth bags among the visitors and urged them to do away with plastic bags, which caused pollution and health issues.
INAUGURATION: An elderly woman, along with DPO AsadSarfraz inaugurated a modern hall at the DPO office for the complainants attending open court.
The hall has facilities like seating area, fans and cold water for the complainants to save them from scorching heat.
According to police spokesperson, instead of himself inaugurating the hall, the DPO requested a complainant, an elderly woman, to cut the ribbon to open the facility as a gesture of respect for the senior citizens.
Source: dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1837824/two-sisters-in-vehari-murdered-over-love-marriage
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Tajikistan Set To Outlaw Islamic Hijab After Years Of Unofficial Ban
June 04, 2024
Women wearing hijabs in Tajikistan (file
photo)
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After graduating from medical school, Salomat had to settle for working as a masseuse at a Dushanbe beauty salon because hospitals in Tajikistan don’t allow the Islamic hijab, which she wears.
“I had to choose between my career and my faith, and I chose the latter,” says Salomat, who didn’t want to give her full name. “I did remove my hijab in college because I thought that was temporary. But a career is for life.”
Thousands of women in Tajikistan have faced similar choices in recent years as the staunchly secular government in Dushanbe has been increasingly cracking down on the Islamic head scarf at schools and workplaces.
Despite the effective ban on the hijab in public institutions, there is no legislation in Tajikistan that outlaws Islamic attire. But that is about to change.
Parliament in the predominantly Muslim nation of some 10 million has adopted draft amendments to the law on “traditions and celebrations” that will ban the wearing, importing, selling, and advertising of “clothes alien to Tajik culture,” a term widely used by officials to describe Islamic clothing.
Lawmakers also approved new amendments to the code of administrative violations, which includes hefty fines for offenders. The code did not previously list the wearing of a hijab or other religious clothing as violations.
Tajik lawmaker MavludakhonMirzoeva told RFE/RL’s Tajik Service that the amended version of the draft bill “includes a ban” on clothes deemed foreign to Tajik culture.
The penalties for offenders vary from the equivalent of $740 for individuals to $5,400 for legal entities. Government officials and religious authorities face much higher fines of $3,700 and $5,060, respectively, if found guilty.
The draft bills have been sent to the upper house of parliament and are widely expected to be approved and signed into law by authoritarian President EmomaliRahmon.
Freedom Of Choice
Several Dushanbe residents told RFE/RL that they don’t support a ban on certain types of clothes because they believe people should be free to choose what clothes they want to wear.
“It’s important to have the freedom to choose our own clothes. There shouldn’t be a law ordering us what to wear,” said MuniraShahidi, an expert on art and culture.
Most Tajiks believe the new amendments would only legalize a “ban that has already been in place for years.”
“I had to give up my hijab 15 years ago when I got my [dream] job,” said a 42-year-old university teacher in the northern city of Khujand. “It was a tough decision. I wear long-sleeved costumes and cover my head with a kerchief tied on the back of the head.”
The woman, who didn’t want her name published, said she initially turned down a job offer from the university because it required her to remove her Islamic head scarf.
“For five years I worked at various places that didn’t mind me wearing the hijab, but I didn’t like those jobs and, besides, the ban on the hijab kept expanding,” she said. “When the next time I got the opportunity for the university job, I accepted it.”
The Tajik authorities’ clampdown on the hijab began in 2007 when the Education Ministry banned both Islamic clothing and Western-style miniskirts for students.
The ban was eventually extended to all public institutions, with some organizations demanding that both their staff and visitors remove their head scarves.
Local governments set up special task forces to enforce the unofficial ban, while police raided markets to detain “offenders.” But authorities reject numerous claims from women who said they were stopped on the street and fined for wearing the hijab.
One recent video purportedly shows hospital staff in southern Tajikistan “helping” two hijab-wearing visitors to style their headgear in a “Tajik way” -- tying it behind their heads as a kerchief.
The government in recent years conducted a campaign to promote Tajik national dress. On September 6, 2017, millions of cell phone users received text messages from the government calling for women to wear Tajik national clothes. The messages stated that “Wearing national dress is a must!” “Respect national dress,” and “Let us make it a good tradition to wear national clothes.”
The campaign culminated in 2018 when the government introduced a 376-page manual -- The Guidebook Of Recommended Outfits In Tajikistan -- which outlined what Tajik women should wear for different occasions.
Tajikistan has also unofficially banned bushy beards. Thousands of men in the past decade have reportedly been stopped by police and had their beards shaved against their will.
Source: rferl.org
https://www.rferl.org/a/tajikistan-islamic-hijab-ban-head-scarf/32979116.html
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Sindh High Court Orders Probe into Holding of Aurat March without District Administration’s Permission
June 5, 2024
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has expressed concerns over holding an event under the garb of Aurat March without the permission of district administration and has ordered the Karachi commissioner to look into the matter and initiate an inquiry.
The SHC also asked the commissioner to take appropriate action against delinquent officials if any deliberate negligence was found on the part of district management for the prevention of such event.
A two-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, passed such directives while disposing of a petition filed against the Aurat March and a dance competition.
The bench in its order said the official respondents had given an undertaking to the effect that in future, no permission will be granted to hold such event/function or march which may violate any constitutional provision, law or may have any element of promoting un-Islamic, immoral and objectionable events or performances.
Citing the ministry of interior, chief secretary Sindh, home department, deputy commissioner (South), Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) and others as respondents, eight female lawyers had moved the SHC in March, asking it to restrain respondents and other organisations from illicit and immoral activities including dance function, carrying immodest and rebellious slogans on placards during Aurat March, a public demonstration held annually in various cities to mark International Women’s Day.
At the outset of the hearing, DC South filed comments while counsel for ACP as well as a provincial law officer submitted that in view of detailed comments filed by the DC, it had been clarified that there were two different events in the subject matter as one was held at ACP, which was a family event wherein there was no element of any kind of immoral activities whereas the second event was regarding Aurat March, which had no nexus with the programme held at the ACP.
An assistant advocate general also contended that as per the comments filed by official respondents, no permission was granted for organisingAurat March on March 8, this year either within the close vicinity of the ACP Karachi or even within the limits of South district while pictures attached with petition did not reflect the date and exact location of such women march.
However, the law officer and the official respondents have assured the bench that no such permission will be granted to anyone under the garb of any march which may have any elements of obscenity/immorality and promote un-Islamic culture in violation of the constitution and relevant laws.
In the view of the factual position as emerged from comments filed by respondents as well as the undertaking, the bench in its order said that the petitioners were satisfied and, accordingly, the petition stood disposed of in view of such comments and undertaking.
“However, we may express our concerns that in the absence of any permission granted by the district management, how such event in the garb of “Aurat March” wherein, immoral, indecent and even vulgar banners and play cards were displayed, was organised, and as to why it was not prevented/stopped by the concerned district management/police, which has given cause of grievance to the petitioners representing large number of residents of Karachi and citizens of Pakistan who are Muslims and observe Islamic culture and values”, it added.
“We would direct the commissioner of Karachi to look into the matter and hold inquiry to this effect, and if it is found that such event was organised on 08.03.2024 without permission of concerned authorities why it was not prevented/stopped and if it is found that there was deliberate negligence on the part of district management, appropriate action may be taken against such delinquent officials in accordance with the law”, the bench in its order concluded.
Source: dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1837814/shc-orders-probe-into-holding-of-aurat-march-without-district-administrations-permission
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Women’s conference in Abuja highlights importance of financial independence
04 June 2024
A non-governmental organisation, Unstoppable Women Network, has urged Nigerian women to prioritise wealth creation and financial independence to attain greater heights in society. The call was made at the second edition of the Unstoppable Women Conference, themed “Becoming a High-Value Woman,” held over the weekend in Abuja
The women expressed concern that they are disadvantaged in the area of wealth creation, stressing the need for women to upskill, be authentic, and remain relevant in their chosen fields
Founder of Unstoppable Women Network and CEO of White Rabbit NG, IjeomaIgbaji, in her opening remarks, said the conference was put together to empower women with valuable insights that can help them become more valuable to society
“Our focus is on value. How can women become more valuable to society and the nation, family, and community? That is the focus. The contributions from speakers that have spoken have been great; the value they have given has been so good for every woman who came here intending to be impacted and empowered.”
Talking about wealth creation, she said: “The reason why we focused on wealth creation is that you find out that a lot of people who want to do things for the community in society and all that, from governance to poverty alleviation, all of that, are restrained by finances, and most of these people are even women. You hear women say, ‘I would like to have an orphanage, or I would like to do this, or I would like to do that,’ but they don’t have the funds to do these things. So that’s the reason we are saying women need to rise and make their own money, even for their own family life. We need to sit at the table, we’re tired of begging. We want to be able to come with the force of womanhood.”
Talent Specialist and Performance Coach, SoluchyAgu, said the event is centred around women because, over time, women are not getting enough representation
“From my point of view as a woman, we cower behind perhaps because of a lack of knowledge, expertise, competence, and just a lack of belief in ourselves. I feel if a lot of women start believing more in what they have to give, in their potential, in their gifting, and begin to work on that, it will give them more confidence. When you are knowledgeable about something and when you have the skills, it gives you confidence. So I think a lot more women should become more knowledgeable, become experts in their field, upskill, become relevant, and have value. It will give them the confidence they need to step out and do what they need to do. Beyond that, the women should be ready to take the opportunities when they present themselves.”
Keynote speaker and CEO of WFM 97.1, TounSonaiyaOkewale, underscored the importance of money in gaining influence and power. According to her, “When you don’t have money you are at the mercy of everybody, you can’t make decisions for yourself. We need to think like men. They are hungry for money, hungry to achieve, they are not sentimental, we get sentimental too often. You can’t be unstoppable, and every little thing you get upset and say is the mood. The only mood right now should be the mood for money.”
Okewale advised the women to be intentional in changing their situations. “Wherever you find yourself, take a decision to be intentional and deliberate to change your situation. Nobody can help you, only you can take that step. For you to be unstoppable, you must have confidence, you must be hungry for something. Success is not just about money, to be unstoppable you must be relentless in your pursuit of becoming unstoppable. Refuse to settle for anything less than your godly potential. Be prepared and do what it takes to give your dream a reality.”
She also urged the women to always support their fellow women in their chosen endeavours, so that women can rise and attain leadership positions in the interest of all.
The event, supported by Gadol Finance Limited and Solusoft, featured an Icon Award dedicated to Mrs Patricia Okerayi, panel discussions, brand showcasing, dance sessions, and poetry performances.
Source: guardian.ng
https://guardian.ng/news/womens-conference-in-abuja-highlights-importance-of-financial-independence/
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