Srinagar School in Eye of Storm after Muslim Girls Say They Were Asked to Remove Abaya
New Age
Islam News Bureau
09
June 2023
• Srinagar School in Eye of Storm after
Muslim Girls Say They Were Asked to Remove Abaya
• Reality Show 'Secrets &
Sisterhood: The Sozahdahs' Highlights Culture, Religion of 10 Muslim-American
Sisters
• Montreal Students Lift 250,000 Pounds
In Support Of Women’s Rights, Iranian Protesters
• My Husband Does Not Pray, Observe
Ramadan Fast- A Civil Servant, Mrs Wasilat Saka, Seeks Divorce
• Hindu Teen, Identified As Suhana,
Kidnapped, Converted To Islam and Married Off In Pakistan
• Indonesian Woman Living in Korea Who
Thwarted Islamist Extremist’s Terror Plot Now Faces Deportation — Korean
Netizens React
• 2 Female Arab Passengers Sue Israel Airline
After Being Humiliated In Airport
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/srinagar-muslim-girls-school-abaya/d/129956
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Srinagar School in Eye of Storm after Muslim Girls Say They Were Asked to Remove Abaya
Girls
protest against the ban on abaya imposed by the Vishwa Bharati Public Higher
Secondary School in Srinagar's Rainawari locality on June 8, 2023. Photo:
Faizan Mir
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Jehangir Ali
Srinagar: A school in Jammu and
Kashmir’s capital Srinagar is in the eye of a storm after several girl students
in Abayas, a loose-fitting robe worn by Muslim girls and women, were disallowed
from entering the campus on the morning of June 8, Thursday.
The move prompted angry reactions from
political parties and religious leaders, who termed the decision as
“interference in religious matters”. Aggrieved students said that they would
rather sit at home than follow the school “diktat”.
The principal of Vishwa Bharati Higher
Secondary School (VBHSS) initially admitted that the girls were asked to remove
their Abayas but following the uproar, the management of the privately-owned
school – which is located in Srinagar’s Rainawari locality – apologised for the
“misrepresentation of facts”. It claimed that there was no official order
banning the abaya on school premises and that the girl students were only told
to follow a “dress code”.
Protests and anger against ‘diktat’
The issue came to light on the morning
of June 5, Monday, when dozens of girl students of Class 11 and Class 12 at
VBHSS staged a protest outside the school, alleging that they were asked to
remove their Abaya before entering the school premises.
The protesting students said that the
school principal directed them on Wednesday to come to school without wearing
an Abaya. “When I turned up at school on Thursday morning, the gatekeeper
didn’t allow us inside. He told us that if we insist on wearing hijab, we
should go to Darasgah (Islamic seminary),” said Nighat Rasool, a Class 11
student.
A video from the protest that went viral
on social media shows a Class 12 student, who was identified as Rehana Manzoor,
arguing with a male staffer after she was purportedly disallowed from entering
the school premises on Thursday morning.
“What have I got to do with this? Go and
do what you want,” the male staff, who is not visible in the video, shouted at
the girl student.
“Why should we obey these diktats,” the
student shouted back in response. “There are boys inside the school. Instead of
checking their illicit activities, the school principal is asking us to remove
our abayas. As a female Muslim, she should be ashamed of herself.”
Rehana added: “My creator is dearer to
me than this school. It is my Allah and Prophet Mohammad’s order that females
should wear abaya. I will not remove it”.
Rumaisa Jan, another Class 12 student at
VBHSS, claimed that the school principal, who met the aggrieved students on
Wednesday, accused them of wearing abayas in order to indulge in “illegal
activities”.
“I am one of the school toppers. The
school management spoke to my parents on Wednesday and still insisted that we
should remove the abaya. They want us to wear jeans. They don’t allow us to
participate in extracurricular activities because of our abayas,” she said.
Some parents, who also joined the
protest, and agitated students said that the school was a girls-only
institution but the management recently converted it into a coeducation
institution without any consultations.
Abdul Majid, an aggrieved father, told
The Wire that the decision of the school management was “against the tenets of
Islam”. He said, “I will rather have my daughter sit at home than allow her to
go to school without wearing an abaya. If she wears abaya at home, why should
the school management have any problems if she wears one at school.”
A Class 11 student, Rabia Rasool, said
that there was no dress code at the school and the management was forcing the
girl students to remove the abayas. “Students in foreign universities wear
hijabs. The Indian constitution gives us this freedom. Who is she to tell us
what we should or should not wear? Under which rules are we stopped from
entering the school?” she asked.
“The principal told us on Wednesday that
she feels very bad to see us in abayas, that we should not wear them. Our
parents are being told that we are teaching other girl students to wear abayas.
Even if we are doing it, what is wrong in it?” said Sana Rahim, a Class 11
student.
The National Conference’s chief spokesperson
Tanvir Sadiq said that wearing a hijab should be a personal choice and there
should be no interference in matters of religious attire. “It is unfortunate to
witness such incidents in a Muslim majority Jammu and Kashmir. We strongly
oppose this and urge for immediate corrective action,” he tweeted.
Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam
said that there is no official order to disallow abaya-wearing students from
entering the school. “Since the institution has been converted into a
co-education institution despite being a girls-only institution, the girls have
every right to protect their modesty by wearing a hijab,” he said.
Principal admits, later backtracks
Nimroz Shafi, the school principal,
initially admitted that the girl students have been asked to remove their
abayas. She told media persons at her office that the students have been asked
to wear a white coloured hijab at school.
Hijab is headgear which doesn’t cover
the wearer’s body.
“Some girl students come to school in
multi-coloured abayas with different designs, which is against the rules. Hijab
is included in school uniform and a student is bound to wear uniform at school.
I have given them three choices. No one is removing their abayas but they have
been asked to wear hijab or headscarf at school,” she told media persons at her
office.
Later, in a statement, the school
principal said that the allegations of the students are “totally baseless and
misrepresented”.
“The school management always respects
the sentiments of all the sections of the society vis-a-vis the dress code ….
no ban has been imposed … on wearing abaya but it was politely conveyed to the
students to wear school uniform underneath the abaya,” the statement said.
“All students … can wear the abaya and
no such restrictions have been imposed in the classrooms. Today’s conversation
with the students and the parents has been misrepresented and in any case if it
has hurt the sentiments of the students or the parents, I unconditionally
apologise for the same,” she said.
Source: thewire.in
https://thewire.in/rights/srinagar-school-muslim-girls-abaya
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Reality Show 'Secrets & Sisterhood:
The Sozahdahs' Highlights Culture, Religion of 10 Muslim-American Sisters
Streaming
now on Hulu, a brand new reality show called "Secrets & Sisterhood:
The Sozahdahs" made its debut on the platform.
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Friday, June 9, 2023
Streaming now on Hulu, a brand new
reality show called "Secrets & Sisterhood: The Sozahdahs" made
its debut on the platform.
The sisterhood refers to the 10 sisters
in a Muslim-American family living in Los Angeles.
6abc's Alicia Vitarelli had a chance to
chat with three of the ten Sozahdah sisters, who opened their homes, and their
private lives, to television cameras.
They wanted to capture life in a large
family, with a mother who fled Afghanistan in the 1980s.
They expected some excitement, for sure,
but maybe not all of the secrets.
"It's been really surreal and
amazing," says Khadija Sozahdah.
"I feel like I've definitely had to
express a lot of vulnerability," adds her sister Jamila, "but at the
end of the day, we're sisters, and our bond really is strong."
The ladies admit that bond was tested at
times.
"We've noticed that there are these
secrets that we keep from one another, but you really can't keep them forever,
because they eventually come out," Jamila says.
What drew the Sozahdahs to the big
screen was the chance to share their culture and their religion.
They were raised in a conservative
Muslim household.
The elder sisters are more traditional,
but the rest of the sisters were born in the United States.
They call themselves, "The Wolf
Pack."
"You're going to see a lot of
generational tension within the show," Jamila says, "but it's what's
really happening out there. There are a lot of families that I'm sure can
relate to being able to find your identity and footprint."
And while there are secrets, at the
core, they say the show is about sisterhood.
"Blood is stronger than
drama," says Shakur Sozahdah. "Drama and family over everything. We
always resort back to family."
Source: abc7news.com
https://abc7news.com/secrets--sisterhood-the-sozahdahs-hulu-reality-show-10-sisters-muslim-american-family/13360100/
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Montreal students lift 250,000 pounds in
support of women’s rights, Iranian protesters
June 8, 2023
There was a whole lot of strength, sweat
and determination on display in a LaSalle schoolyard Thursday afternoon, as a
group of Montreal students came together to accomplish an extraordinary feat
for a worthy cause.
Dozens of people combined to lift
hundreds of thousands of pounds in less than an hour in the name of women’s
rights.
The initiative is called Lifting the
Weight of Oppression, a challenge born out of Jason Gannon’s class at Options
High School in LaSalle.
“It’s an act of love that we want to
send to the people of Iran,” said Gannon. “It’s just an act of love over
oppression.”
The idea was ignited out of the
widespread protests that began last year in Iran after a woman was killed in
custody for not properly wearing her hijab.
Students CanelaBireck-Lapaix and Isis
Redmond both wanted to do something to help promote women’s rights.
“I felt a little bit powerless,” said
Bireck-Lapaix.
“We really wanted to do something big,”
said Redmond.
Gannon helped channel their feelings
into something positive, and the idea of Lifting the Weight of Oppression was
born.
“We committed to lifting 1,000 pounds a
day over our shoulder in an act of kind of carrying that heavy load and then
discarding it,” said Gannon.
Students each lift a weight over their
shoulder until they’ve done 1,000 pounds worth, every day.
“I’ve been lifting 1,000 pounds every
day since Sept. 3,” said Redmond.
Their motto is “All go, no quit.”
“If you have the 30-pound ball, you
throw that over your shoulder 34 times and you’ve got your thousand. If you’ve
got a 200-pound ball pound, you’ve only got five lifts but it’s quite
something,” said Gannon.
“It’s nothing compared to being sexually
assaulted and killed. It’s the bare minimum, in my opinion,” said Bireck-Lapaix
of the weight-lifting challenge.
Eventually, the idea spread to seven other
schools. At the culmination of the project, everyone gathered to lift the
weight of oppression as one. Their goal was to combine to lift 250,000 pounds
in 40 minutes. Gannon and other staff members joined the students in the
grueling task.
As part of their idea to “think global,
support local,” the event was a fundraiser for Chez Doris, a local women’s
shelter. It’s a cause close to Redmond’s heart.
“We should be allowed to dress how we
want, wear our hair how we want. In Iran, they’re being punished for not
covering their hair, choosing their own rights,” she said.
The students say Gannon has been a huge
source of inspiration.
“Jason lit this fire inside of me where
it’s like, I know I can do better,” said Redmond.
Source: globalnews.ca
https://globalnews.ca/news/9756304/montreal-students-womens-rights-iran-protest-weight/
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My Husband Does Not Pray, Observe
Ramadan Fast- A Civil Servant, Mrs Wasilat Saka, Seeks Divorce
June 8, 2023
A civil servant, Mrs Wasilat Saka, on
Thursday, pleaded with a Grade 1 Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, to dissolve her
marriage with husband, TajudeenJimoh, over alleged abandonment and conflicting
faith beliefs.
Saka told the court that she got married
to Jimoh under Islamic Law on July 30, 2022, adding that the marriage did not
produce any children.
She alleged that Jimoh, who claimed to
be a Moslem, soon abandoned her for months while refusing to perform all
Islamic rites.
“My husband does not observe five daily
prayers and does not observe Ramadan fast either.
“We always quarrel and fight; for these
reasons, I beg the court to grant my request for a divorce,”Saka said.
Though Jimoh was absent from court, the
court’s bailiff, Mr Dangana Bawa, tendered a proof that he was served the
hearing notice.
The Judge, Ibrahim Rufai, adjourned the
matter until June 13, for judgement.
Source: dailypost.ng
https://dailypost.ng/2023/06/08/my-husband-does-not-pray-observe-ramadan-fast-woman-seeks-divorce/
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Hindu Teen, Identified As Suhana,
Kidnapped, Converted To Islam And Married Off In Pakistan
Jun 8, 2023
By Subodh Kumar: A Hindu girl in
Pakistan's Sindh province was allegedly kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam
and married off, her father said. The teen, identified as Suhana, was kidnapped
and sent to the Qazhi Ahmed Taluka of Sindh's Shaheed Benazirabad district by
her tutor, Akhtar.
Speaking about the incident, the
14-year-old girl's father, Dileep Kumar, said that three armed men - Akhtar
Gabol, Faizan Jat and SarangKhaskheli - entered their home, looted gold
ornaments, and kidnapped Suhana at gunpoint.
Although Kumar has lodged a police
complaint, he has no hopes of getting his daughter back, since the police have
claimed that Suhana converted and married of her own will.Cases of forced
conversion of Hindu girls and married women continue unabated in Pakistan.
Hindus in Pakistan are primarily concentrated in Sindh province, where the
majority of Hindu enclaves in the country are found.
According to the Human Rights Commission
of Pakistan, Muslims account for about 96 per cent of the country's 207 million
population, while Hindus account for 2.1 per cent and Christians about 1.6 per
cent.
Source: indiatoday.in
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/minor-hindu-girl-kidnapped-converted-to-islam-married-pakistan-2390583-2023-06-08
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Indonesian Woman Living In Korea Who
Thwarted Islamist Extremist’s Terror Plot Now Faces Deportation — Korean
Netizens React
09-06-23
Netizens are up in arms after it was
revealed that an Indonesian woman living in Korea is facing deportation after
thwarting an IS terror attack.
In 2018, an undocumented Indonesian
woman (referred to as “A”) living in Korea called the police to report a man
who she suspected of plotting a terrorist attack.
“A,” who was pregnant at the time,
helped authorities over five months collect evidence im the alleged man’s dorm
room, where she found live ammunition and a USB containing instructions on how
to make a bomb. Thanks to her efforts, the man’s plot was thwarted, and he was
deported from the country.
Police thanked “A” by sending an
official letter to the immigration office asking them to review her case
positively since she helped ensure national security and had “A” returned to
Indonesia, she may have been in danger. The immigration office granted her a
temporary visa, and she was able to shed her undocumented status.
All seemed well, until this year when
her visa renewal was denied. The now mother of two is facing deportation
because, according to the immigration office, there was no evidence that “A”
was facing persecution in her home country. “A” expressed concern for her
safety as well as the well-being of her 9-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son,
who were both born in Korea and can’t speak Indonesian.
Currently, the law states that
undocumented immigrants whose child has lived for six years in Korea can not be
deported until the child graduates High School. Unfortunately, because “A” had
received a visa, her family is not protected by this law. Jung Mi Sun, who is
the director of Gwangju Migrant Woman Support Center, commented on the irony.
The news has since gone viral, with many
netizens expressing horror over the treatment of “A.” Netizens praised “A” as a
hero, and many demanded she be made an honorary citizen of Korea.
“Ah, what the hell is wrong with our
country?”
“Righteous people like her should be
granted citizenship, but you guys aren’t renewing her visa? Even when she
collected evidence to block a terror attack?”
“I can’t believe there was a terrorist
plot in our nation.”
“Crazy.”
“Treat her well, you f@ckers.”
“If you deport her, who would report a
crime? They’ll just act like they didn’t see anything. Sigh.”
“I mean… Are they idiots? Do they really
think if there is no evident threat that she isn’t in danger?”
“She is a hero! Are they crazy? If you
deport her, who would report crimes? You $hitheads.”
“This nation is freaking crazy.”
“Are they (government) f@cking idiots?”
“The level of our government…”
“You guys use her and then throw her
away? Wow.”
“Our country is really crazy.”
What are your thoughts?
Source: koreaboo.com
https://www.koreaboo.com/news/indonesian-woman-stopped-islamist-extremist-terror-deportation-korea/
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2 female Arab passengers sue Israel
airline after being humiliated in airport
June 8, 2023
A lawyer from the Racism Crisis Centre
submitted a compensation request to Israel's Arkia airline on behalf of two
Palestinian women who say they suffered humiliation and racism upon their
return to Tel Aviv from Istanbul.
Israeli lawyer from the Racism Crisis
Centre said the women arrived at Istanbul Airport on 13 April to return to Tel
Aviv but were stopped by Israeli security and questioned about their personal
lives. Later, after the Israeli security discovered that the two women, who
wear hijab, lived in Gaza for a period of time, their bags were marked with a sticker.
They were asked to go to their gate, bypassing the queue of waiting passengers,
and to hand over all their belongings to security, including their handbags.
The women objected, explaining that they were carrying medication because one
had undergone cancer treatment.
When they arrived at the gate they were
told the flight was delayed by more than four hours, they were later subjected
to another security check. They were asked to take off their hijabs and even
their hair ties and when they refused to remove their clothing, the Israeli
security employee conducted a humiliating search of their bodies, which led to
one of the women collapsing and crying.
During the process, they were told that
their plane was delayed once again to continue the search, which prompted
passengers to insult them when the plane took off. During the flight, they
discovered that security had removed the contents of their carry on bags
including the medication one of them needed.
They are now suing the airline for over
$45,000 as a result of the humiliation and racism they suffered.
The lawyer stressed that this was not an
isolated incident, noting that Palestinian citizens of Israel regularly report
profiling policies at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and at other airports when
they are returning to the country on Israeli airlines. This, she added, is a
result of racial profiling, which is illegal.
At time of going to press, Arkia did not
response to MEMO's request for comment.
Source: middleeastmonitor.com
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230608-2-female-arab-passengers-sue-israel-airline-after-being-humiliated-in-airport/
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/srinagar-muslim-girls-school-abaya/d/129956