Sola Mahfouz Secretly Educated Herself To Escape Afghanistan; Now Working To Help Women Still There
New Age Islam News Bureau
27 March 2024
·
Sola Mahfouz Secretly Educated
Herself To Escape Afghanistan; Now Working To Help Women Still There
·
Plestia Alaqad, The 22-Year-Old
Journalist Who Made The World See Gaza Through Her Eyes
·
'Terrorists Are Villains Not
Muslims': Actress Adah Sharma REACTS To A Fan Who Called Her 'Fraud' For
Attending Iftar Party
·
Sharjah Women's Sports Club Dedicate
General Volleyball League Title To Sheikha Jawaher
·
Education For Employment And J.P.
Morgan Together Will Train A New League Of Arab Women In Tech-Future Jobs
·
Fact-Finding Mission To
Investigate Young Iranian Doctors Suicides
·
Female Journalists In Eastern
Afghanistan Persist Despite Economic Hardships
Compiled by New Age Islam News
Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/sola-mahfouz-afghanistan/d/132017
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Sola
Mahfouz Secretly Educated Herself To Escape Afghanistan; Now Working To Help
Women Still There
Sola Mahfouz.NBC News
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March
27, 2024
Maya Eaglin
Sola
Mahfouz stopped going to school in 2007 when she was an 11-year-old living in
Afghanistan.
“A
group of men, they came to our door and threatened my father, that if you
continue to go into school, they will throw acid on our face or kidnap,” she
recalled. So she spent years confined to her home doing domestic chores.
“Over
the years, I left home only a couple of times a year and, whenever I did, I had
to wear the suffocating burqa that covered me from head to toe,” said Mahfouz,
who uses a pseudonym to protect the safety of her family members who still live
in Afghanistan. “But, meanwhile, my brothers were going to school and they were
thriving academically, and I felt jealous of their lives.”
Once
her chores were done each day, she embarked on a secret mission to educate
herself. She spent almost six years teaching herself English and math online
and eventually made her way to Arizona State University for college.
Today,
she works as a quantum computer researcher at Tufts University.
Mahfouz,
27, also is working to bring awareness to the plight of Afghan girls three
years after the Taliban officially banned them from attending school beyond
sixth grade.
The
school year in Afghanistan began this month without the 1 million girls
estimated to be barred from school since the Taliban returned to power
following the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces.
“Afghanistan
remains the only country in the world where women and girls are not allowed to
attend secondary and higher education,” said Fereshta Abbasi, an Afghan
researcher working with Human Rights Watch.
Abbasi, who is currently living in exile in the United Kingdom, says
women have been banned from almost all aspects of public life in Afghanistan.
“Women
do not have the right to freedom of movement. They need to be accompanied by a
mahram, which is a male blood-related member of the family,” she said. “Women
do not have the right to protest. No right to freedom of expression, no right
to assembly.”
Those
are all things Mahfouz experienced as a child even though the Taliban was not
in power when she grew up there.
“When
I was 16 years old, I did not even know how to subtract. And that was, because
when I was 11 years old, I was forced to stop going to school,” she said.
Mahfouz
recounted her determination to educate herself, her decision to leave
Afghanistan and her harrowing journey to cross the border into Pakistan in her
2023 memoir, “Defiant Dreams,” which she co-wrote with Malaina Kapoor, a
student at Stanford University who advocates for human rights.
“I
remember when we were writing the book, and I was working on those chapters, I
would call her over and over, because I would say, ‘I just don’t understand how
this is possible. How could you remain so driven?’” Kapoor said of Mahfouz.
“But I think what I eventually realized is, there was such a level of
desperation because that knowledge really meant the difference between a future
within the compound walls that she had always lived in, and a future that might
have meant something more,” Kapoor said.
The
two have again teamed up with the hope of improving the future of other girls
in Afghanistan. They are in the brainstorming phase with the educational
organization Khan Academy to develop resources for women in Afghanistan.
Mahfouz used a temperamental internet connection, laptop and free online
resources like Khan Academy when she taught herself.
“We
have been in the brainstorming process to create a digital space where women
can gather, they can read, they can share stories they can write ... because
you can’t just give a woman a computer, you can’t just tell them, ‘OK, just go
online, and just like learn.’” Mahfouz said, “Afghan culture is very social …
So how can you have that social environment where they can support one another,
be safe and learn?”
Kapoor,
21, and Mahfouz are also creating an educational curriculum for teachers to
educate American children on the challenges happening in Afghanistan today
using their book to guide discussions.
They
have been invited to participate in programs by the United Nations for Women’s
History Month and beyond to continue advocating for the rights of Afghan women.
Mahfouz
has also been able to teach some of her younger relatives in Afghanistan who
are impacted by the education ban.
“I’ve
been helping them with English,” she said, “I have been reading books to try to
communicate with them and educate them about the resources that are available.”
Ultimately,
the duo said their goal is to continue elevating the stories of the girls and
women in Afghanistan.
“Every
day in Afghanistan, there are millions of human rights violations against women
and that’s something that women around the world, but also everyone around the
world, should feel very, very deeply,” Kapoor said, “And so, our mission is to
bring these stories through our work with the U.N. through our work with
schools and building curriculum to educate as many people as we can.”
CORRECTION
(March 26, 2024, 6:53 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled
the first name of an Afghan researcher. She is Fereshta Abbasi, not Fareshta.
Source:
nbcnews.com
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/secretly-educated-escape-afghanistan-now-s-working-help-women-still-rcna144527
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Plestia
Alaqad, The 22-Year-Old Journalist Who Made The World See Gaza Through Her Eyes
Young journalists like Plestia Alaqad
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March
26, 2024
Amid
the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza, a new crop of young journalists have
risen to document the conditions around them. As foreign correspondents cannot
get into Gaza, Palestinian writers, creators, and photojournalists have used
social media platforms to raise awareness. Young journalists like Plestia Alaqad
have used Instagram to cover the war. Their reels, posts, and broadcast
channels routinely draw hundreds of thousands of viewers, and millions of
followers. Many of these internet journalists are young people, aged from just
9 to 26. This reflects the young demographic of the Gaza Strip’s population,
where more than 70% of people are under the age of 30.
PlestiaAlaqad
is a young Gazan journalist who has amassed millions of followers on her Instagram
page through covering the war in Gaza. Raised in Beit Lahia, Gaza, Plestia had
a happy childhood and attended the American International School, after which
she became one of the few to leave Gaza, and pursued New Media and Journalism
at Eastern Mediterranean University in Cyprus, graduating in 2022.
Wanting
to showcase a different perspective of the Gaza Strip, most of Plestia’s
content before October was lifestyle content, showcasing makeup looks, scenery
in Turkey and Cyprus, and photos with family and friends. Initially making
freelance content and working as an HR manager, she began to post video diaries
about her life under Israeli aggression after October 7.
Her
videos depict the bombing of her home, the displacement to southern Gaza, and
the trauma and pain of Gazans. Not shying away from the graphic, Plestia’s work
is raw and unfiltered, often showing her vulnerability and fear amidst
airstrikes and firing. The deep dive Plestia does into her life in Gaza, and
how she showed us the personal losses she went through resonate with viewers
across the world. The video of her house being destroyed went viral on Twitter
and brought so many more eyes to the violence unfolding in Gaza. Plestia’s
videos often go viral on Facebook and Twitter and routinely gain hundreds of
thousands of views.
From
depicting conditions in Rafah to the displacement from the north of Gaza to the
south, her work shares impactful and powerful stories. Even something like
sharing with us the difficulty in charging her phone on which she records, and
finding an internet connection amid firing and the electricity being cut, is an
integral part of the Gazan story.
From
depicting conditions in Rafah to the displacement from the north of Gaza to the
south, her work shares impactful and powerful stories.
Eventually,
after documenting the war until she reached Rafah, Plestia decided to leave
Gaza for Egypt. Part of her decision was the increasing Israeli surveillance
she was under, and the killing of many Palestinian journalists. Notable journalists
such as Wael al-Dahdouh had lost his entire family, as well as his son who was
a photojournalist in Gaza. Plestia has said the presence of Israeli drones in
the area led her to fear her family would be targeted next due to her activism.
Now based in Australia, Plestia’s work helps connect the world to Gaza and
brings Gaza to the world.
Sourcve:
muslimgirl.com
https://muslimgirl.com/meet-plestia-alaqad-the-22-year-old-journalist-who-made-the-world-see-gaza-through-her-eyes/
---
'Terrorists
Are Villains Not Muslims': ActressAdah Sharma REACTS To A Fan Who Called Her
'Fraud' For Attending Iftar Party
Mar 27, 2024
Actress
Adah Sharma who was recently seen in 'Bastar: The Naxal Story', attended the
Iftar party hosted by politician Baba Siddique during the holy month of Ramadan
in Mumbai
The
actress was a part of 'The Kerala Story', which is about a group of women from
Kerala who are forced to convert to Islam and she was trolled by netizens for
attending the Iftar party.
A
user on X tweeted, "What a fraud she is!!! On Odd Days Muslims are
Villains for these people and you make hate movies against them!!! On Even Days
Muslims are great for these people because you get invited for a
Biryani!!!"
Reacting
to this, Adah said, "On odd and even days dear sir terrorists are
villains. Not Muslims."
On
Tuesday, the actress shared a video, in which she is bathing the elephants.
However, a user commented, "Ma'am please muslimke against waalepropoganda
film mat banaao Mai aapkabohotbada fan thaa." Adah replied saying,
"Terrorists ke against film banaya. I'm sure aapbhiunke against ho"
For
the unversed, ‘Bastar: The Naxal Story,’ is based on real events in
Chhattisgarh. Written by Amarnath Jha and directed by Sudipto Sen, the movie
boasts a stellar cast including Adah Sharma, Raima Sen, Shilpa Shukla, Yashpal
Sharma, and more.
Source:
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/terrorists-are-villains-not-muslims-adah-sharma-reacts-to-a-fan-who-called-her-fraud-for-attending-iftar-party/articleshow/108810414.cms
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Sharjah
Women's Sports Club dedicate General Volleyball League title to Sheikha Jawaher
Mar 26, 2024
The
Sharjah Women's Sports Club have dedicated the title of the General Volleyball
League Championship for the 2023/2024 season to Her Highness Sheikha
JawaherBint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of
the Sharjah Women's Sports.
They
dedicated the title following their thumping victory over Epic Academy 3-0
(25/5, 25/31, and 25/8) in the final match of the competition held at the
Sharjah Women's Club Hall.
Sharjah
Women's Sports Club volleyball team performed well throughout the tournament
and maintained their unbeaten streak. In the final, they dominated the
proceedings from the beginning and kept their rivals under pressure till the
end to clinch the title.
Defending
champions Al Wasl finished second while the American University team came
third.
Abdullah
Juma Al Darmaki, the President of the UAE Volleyball Federation, Hanan Al
Mahmoud, Vice Chairperson of Sharjah Women's Sports, Noura Al Noman,
Chairperson of the Executive Office of Her Highness Sheikha JawaherBint
Mohammed Al Qasimi, Dr. Abdulaziz Al Noman, advisor to the Sharjah Women's
Sports, as well as the Vice Presidents of the UAE Volleyball Federation, Osama
Al Qarqash and Jamal Al Mataroshi, in addition to the Secretary-General
Abdulaziz Al Salman, among other dignitaries graced the presentation ceremony.
Noura
emphasized that the well-deserved victory and the overwhelming joy across the
Sharjah Women's Sports Club were not fortuitous occurrences.
“It
was the result of significant financial and moral support, where everything
possible and necessary was provided to achieve the best results, she added.
Noura
Al Noman pointed out that sports in general, and women's sports in particular,
have made significant progress in recent years thanks to the resources made
available to them.
Expressing
hopes for further accomplishments, she articulated a desire to elevate the
emirate's standing and aspirations.
Noura
Al Noman stated, "Securing the volleyball league title and the overall
excellence of our club's teams will significantly bolster the national teams'
progression, a goal the Sharjah Women's Sports is steadfastly pursuing."
Amidst
the joy of winning the title, Hanan Al Mahmoud conveyed greetings and
congratulations of Her Highness Sheikha JawaherBint Mohammed Al Qasimi to all
the team players for their well-deserved victory in the league's final match.
She
considered the victory as the beginning of a series of future championships and
achievements awaiting the club not only in volleyball but also in other sports,
especially after a series of preparations and camps that preceded the recently
concluded Arab Women Sports Tournament and yielded positive results for all
teams.
Hanan
Al Mahmoud mentioned that the technical follow-up and performance measurements
conducted by the Scientific Center for Research and Sports Performance
Development, affiliated with the Foundation, contributed to harnessing the
players' capabilities and achieving the desired outcomes during the
competitions.
“This
systematic approach is anticipated to positively influence all teams within the
club in the upcoming period.”
She
expressed optimism about attaining improved results in the next season,
extending beyond volleyball to encompass all sports. Hanan Al Mahmoud
attributed this outlook to the steadfast support and diligent monitoring of the
club's operational framework.
Sofian
Al Jarbi, the statistician for the Sharjah Women’s Sports club team, revealed
that all the match statistics favored their club, confirming their superiority
throughout the game.
“Sharjah
Women’s Sports club team was the best in the match, with player Sheroub Mildred
scoring 21 points and MatiaMagik scoring 15 points. They were the best in
serving and receiving, committing only 16 errors, which is an excellent ratio.
The reception rate was also high at 63%, indicating the team's proficiency and
improvement compared to the opponent.”
Dr.
Karim Bin Ayad, the coach of the Sharjah Women's Sports Club’s volleyball team,
affirmed that his team deservedly won the championship title due to their
exceptional performance and commendable results throughout the season, both
domestically and in the recently held Arab Women’s Sports Tournament, where
they secured third place.
He
promised to achieve better results in the next season, affirming the team's
commitment to championships and expressing gratitude to Dr. Abdulaziz Al
Nuaimi, the Sharjah Women’s Sports’ advisor, for his constant support.
The
winning team members included Aliya Nasser, Mona Abbas, Fatima Khalid, Latifa
Al Kaabi, Nada Waseem, Mahra Mohammed, Fatima Thabet, Reem Al Sweidi, Nibal Al
Kabir, MatiaMagidik, Ma'ida Mohammed, Sheroub Mildred, Mashael Salem, Amina
Malallah, led by coach Karim Bin Ayad, his assistant Sofian Al Jarbi, and
administrator Anoud Al Mahiri.
Source:
gulftoday.ae
https://www.gulftoday.ae/sport/2024/03/26/sharjah-womens-sports-club-dedicate-general-volleyball-league-title-to-sheikha-jawaher
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Education
For Employment and J.P. Morgan together will train a new league of Arab women
in tech-future jobs
March
26, 2024
Following
the successful implementation of Phase I of the Women in Tech-Future Jobs
project, which trained over 140 young women in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and
Egypt, J.P. Morgan and EFE are launching Phase II of this expanded regional
support from J.P. Morgan. This new two-year project will train 195 Saudi,
Bahraini, and Egyptian women for high-quality IT related jobs in their
countries’ respective sectors like e-commerce, digital marketing, and
cybersecurity, with focus areas on workforce readiness and career readiness
with technical skills. This project will focus on fast-growing sectors in Saudi
Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt with programming targeting young women in each
country to find jobs that require digital skills and knowledge.
“We
are very excited about this project,” commented Khaled Hobballah, Senior
Country Officer for MENA. “Many young women across Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi
Arabia are incredibly ambitious and want to work in high-growth IT sectors like
e-commerce, cybersecurity and digital marketing. Not only will this project
prepare them to work in dynamic workplaces, it will also encourage them to
further develop their skills and grow professionally.”
“EFE
is excited to see J.P. Morgan’s ongoing support continue and expand further in
MENA region. The need to address youth employment challenges has never been
greater, and I am particularly pleased by the emphasis on supporting young
women in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Together with J.P. Morgan we have
seen the profound positive impact that preparing youth for workplace success,
and securing a first job can have on a youth and their family. With a focus on
quality jobs in digital and IT sectors, we hope to not only impact those
gaining employment, but open the doors for other women to follow into these
important sectors,” said Andrew Baird, President & CEO, EFE-Global.
Throughout
the recent years, the Saudi government has promoted policies that would provide
rapid support to the market with financial subsidies, resources, and leadership
to control the outbreak and reduce the direct impact on sectors. The Egyptian
government has launched a wave of reforms that would allow the private sector
to expand, aiming to generate more jobs and reduce poverty for workers in the
informal and private sectors. The three governments have made youth labor force
participation in high-growth sectors like ICT, e-commerce, digital marketing,
and cybersecurity a top priority.
In
line with Saudi Vision 2030, Bahrain’s Vision 2030, the Egyptian government’s
economic recovery plan, and Egypt Vision 2030, EFE will carry out programming
in all three countries to equip 60 Bahraini, 45 Saudi, and 90 Egyptian women
with the professional training and connections to employers that are necessary
to secure employment opportunities. The project is an initiative that provides
demand-driven training linked to jobs as one of the key tools for reducing
unemployment and expanding economic opportunities for young Saudi, Bahraini,
and Egyptian women, with a focus on employment in the high-growth sectors that
need digital skills and IT knowledge.
“We
are very pleased to partner again with J.P. Morgan to enable Saudi, Bahraini,
and Egyptian female youth reach their potential by empowering them with the
cutting-edge skills to compete in growing sectors, especially in the
digital-based economy, for the future of work,” said EFE-Global’s Director of
Gulf Programs, Amr Abdallah. “The skills that these young women will acquire
are based on the proven model that has enabled EFE in Saudi to connect over
12,000 youth to the world of work, in which 52% of them are young Saudi women.
We look forward to the continued support from J.P. Morgan” Noted Amr Abdallah.
Stronger
IT infrastructure in all three countries was recognized as necessary to support
remote work and protect businesses from cyber-attacks. Therefore, there will be
a need for more technology-oriented youth entering the workforce to fill the
gap for jobs like digital marketing, cybersecurity professionals, coders, etc.
Affiliates are engaging with the Saudi Ministry of Information and
Telecommunication, the Bahraini Business Community and Chambers of Commerce,
and the Egyptian Ministry of Labor to support their respective governments’
recovery and economic plans.
The
continued support EFE has received from J.P. Morgan and the launch of Phase II
of this project in Egypt, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia represent a leap forward in
realizing the underrepresented potential of young Arab women in diverse digital
spaces and linking them to job placements, business start-up support, and
mentoring opportunities.
Source:
zawya.com
https://www.zawya.com/en/press-release/companies-news/education-for-employment-and-jp-morgan-together-will-train-a-new-league-of-arab-women-in-tech-future-jobs-xfep1itn
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Fact-Finding
Mission To Investigate Young Iranian Doctors Suicides
March
27, 2024
In
response to a trend of young doctors' suicides in Iran, the Medical Council Of
Iran has announced the formation of a fact-finding mission.
ParastooBakhshi,
a 34-year-old specialist in cardiovascular diseases, took her own life at her
residence in NoorabadDelfan Hospital in Lorestan Province, the latest in a
string of mystery deaths.
The
confirmation came from an official statement by the Medical Council Of Iran,
citing "excessive pressure in the workplace" as a contributing
factor.
Bakhshi's
body was discovered by staff members in the hospital's dormitory last Saturday
night, sparking shock and grief among her colleagues and the medical community
at large.
Ali
Salahshour, head of the Public Relations and International Affairs Department
of the Medical Council of Iran, took to Instagram to highlight the additional
burden Bakhshi faced after the loss of both her parents in the past four years.
Farhad
Teimourzadeh, a physician and university professor, also echoed the sentiments
on social media, condemning those in positions of power who exert pressure on
medical residents.
Suicide
among medical students, particularly in Iran, has become a growing concern,
with several reports documenting the issue in recent years. According to a
study conducted by a psychiatric association last year, the suicide rate within
the medical community has seen a significant rise, ranging from 3.1 to 5 times
higher than previous years.
In
February, the head of the Iranian Psychiatric Scientific Association disclosed
the news of 16 medical residents who had taken their own lives in the past year
alone.
Source:
iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202403278896
---
Female
journalists in Eastern Afghanistan persist despite economic hardships
Fidel
Rahmati
March
26, 2024
Female
journalists in local media in Nangarhar say that despite economic difficulties
and recent changes making work conditions tougher, they continue working in the
media.
They
mention that media outlets offer minimal benefits for the work they do. They
receive this compensation for their extensive work while work conditions for
women in local media in this province are severely restricted.
Female
journalists in this province say that conditions are worsening daily, and
restrictions are increasing.
It’s
worth noting that in Nangarhar, apart from national radio and television, two
private televisions and 14 private radios are operating daily.
The
presence of female journalists in Nangarhar media
With
the fall of the Republic system in Afghanistan and the resurgence of the
Taliban administration, restrictions against work, education, and movement for
women have been put into effect through separate orders.
This
situation has left many female journalists and media workers unemployed. Most
of them are now concerned about their uncertain fate.
A
journalist who has lost her job and is now confined to her home spoke to Khaama
Press, saying, “They show some sensitivity towards women. We hope with
continued work, this situation will change and improve. We hope to see equal
opportunities for women’s involvement and job opportunities. We hope the
restrictions will be lifted.”
Despite
financial problems, unemployment, and lack of access to information, female
journalists in this province are grappling with additional challenges that
restrict their media activities.
Fatima
Samimi, a journalist in a private media outlet, told Khaama Press about her
daily challenges: “The subject of reporting often changes due to pressures, and
sometimes the reports remain incomplete.”
However,
Sadiqullah Qureshi, the information officer of the Taliban’s Information and
Culture Directorate in Nangarhar province, assured female journalists that no
one could prevent them from working under the conditions of the Taliban
government.
But
Ms. Samimi says, “When we inquire about their views on our reports from
government officials, they do not share information with us. Experts and the
public refrain from sharing information due to fear, leading us to change the
subject. Although our subject is not sensitive, we change it because our report
remains incomplete.”
An
employee of the Gender Equality Department of a media-supporting institution in
Nangarhar province, commenting on the problems female journalists face, said,
“The presence of women in the media has decreased due to recent economic
constraints and limitations. According to her, the economic downturn in
Nangarhar has hit some media outlets hard.
Currently,
most media outlets in Nangarhar are facing economic difficulties, which have
negatively impacted female journalists’ work.
Mursal
Ahmadi, a journalist who is the sole breadwinner for her family of eight, is
active in media in Nangarhar province.
She
used to work in a media organization with a salary of $600 before the Taliban’s
takeover, but now she works with a local radio station for a monthly salary of
only 1,500 Afghanis.
It
is worth mentioning that following the current conditions, many media outlets
in the province have dismissed many of their female reporters, correspondents,
and staff.
It
is worth mentioning that in the previous republic system, there were 530 active
media outlets in Afghanistan, including 70 television stations, 300 radio
stations, and the remaining print media and news agencies where hundreds of
female journalists worked, and the field was conducive to women’s media
activities.
Source:
khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/female-journalists-in-eastern-afghanistan-persist-despite-economic-hardships/
---
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/sola-mahfouz-afghanistan/d/132017