Switzerland: Burqa Ban Vote Appeals To Islamophobia and Feminists
New
Age Islam News Bureau
16
February 2021
•
Toni Breidinger Becomes NASCAR’s First Arab-American Female Driver
•
Saudi Woman Sentenced To Death for Killing Bangladeshi Maid
•
New Zealand Woman Identified As Isis Terrorist Captured At Syria Border with
Two Children
•
Saudi Arabia: 65-Year-Old Female Scholar Arrested For ‘Teaching Quran’ At Home
•
Meet 6 Female Arab Scientists Who Are Making Us Proud
•
Lulu Opens First Women-Led Store In Kingdom
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/switzerland-burqa-ban-vote-appeals/d/124320
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Switzerland:
Burqa Ban Vote Appeals To Islamophobia and Feminists
The number of women in Switzerland wearing a burka
or a niqab in public is estimated at 30, but supporters of the initiative argue
a nationwide law is needed. Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone
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February
16, 2021
Often
referred to as “the Burqa ban”, the initiative by right-wing groups also
includes a ban on the wearing of Niqabs as well as other non-religious forms of
face coverings.
The
vote is scheduled for March 7.
The
campaign takes place as hygiene masks are mandatory in busy public places due
to the current coronavirus pandemic. It adds an ironic note to a debate which
takes in religious freedom, female equality and fears of terrorism.
What’s
at stake?
The
proposal aims to outlaw the wearing of face coverings in public, notably in the
streets, in public transport and offices, restaurants, shops and football
stadiums. Exceptions are not allowed for tourists.
However,
special rules apply for religious sites, health reasons or particular weather
conditions.
In
a bid to block the initiative, parliament has approved a legal reform which would
ban face coverings purely for the purpose of identifying an individual, notably
in public office or in public transport.
The
alternative proposal foresees measures to promote equal rights for and
integration of Muslim women. The legal amendment will come into force if the
initiative is rejected in the nationwide vote.
What
are the main arguments for and against?
Supporters
argue a face covering ban helps prevent terrorist attacks and other forms of
violence.
At
the same time the ban is seen as a way to promote equality between Muslim women
and men, giving women freedom from a discriminatory patriarchal society.
Members
of the initiative committee have warned of Islam spreading in Europe and
threatening Christian culture. But the committee rejects allegations that its
proposal is undermining religious freedom. Instead the ban is aimed at
strengthening basic values of the western world, they say.
In
addition, supporters stress that similar restrictions are in place in other
countries and that regional Burqa bans introduced in Switzerland five years ago
have been efficient.
However,
opponents say a Swiss-wide face covering ban is unnecessary, damaging for
tourism and not in line with the divided power structure between the national
and the cantonal authorities.
They
say there is no reason to amend the country’s constitution for a very small
group of people – estimated at up to 30 women - who wear a Niqab or Burqa of
their own free will.
Opponents
say a ban would not be able to boost equal rights for Muslim women and improve
their integration in Swiss society. A
legal reform, approved by parliament last year, is better suited, they say.
Opponents
also warn that tourists from wealthy Arab Gulf states could be discouraged from
holidays in Switzerland if the ban wins a majority in the vote.
Why
do voters have a say?
A
committee of right-wing politicians and conservative activists submitted the
necessary number of signatures to force a nationwide ban on face coverings in
public.
More
than 105,500 signatures for the people’s initiative were collected between
March 2016 and September 2017.
Under
the Swiss system of direct democracy, an amendment to the country’s
constitution needs the support of at least 100,000 Swiss citizens.
Who
are the opponents and supporters?
The
main supporters of the initiative are the right-wing Swiss People’s Party as
well as other conservative groups and several politicians from centre-right and
centrist parties.
A
group of feminists and liberal Muslims have also come out in favour of the ban
on Burqas and niqabs in public.
The
supporters face a broad alliance of opponents from the other main political
parties from the left to the centre, the government and a clear majority of the
Swiss parliament.
Human
rights and women’s groups, church committees as well as the Swiss tourism
sector and trade unions have also recommended rejection of the proposal.
How
does Switzerland compare with other countries?
About
15 countries in Europe have introduced general face covering bans over the past
decade.
France
was a front-runner in 2011, but Switzerland’s other three neighbouring
countries – Germany, Italy and Austria - have also implemented restrictions;
either general bans, or specific and regional measures.
Burqa
and niqab bans of some sort are in place in numerous countries in Europe, Asia,
Africa and North America.
In
Switzerland, two of the country’s 26 cantons have imposed a Burqa ban since
2016. Another 15 cantons have banned face covering for demonstrations and
sports events.
What’s
does the Burqa vote have in common with the minaret ban?
The
committee behind the Burqa ban is the same as the one that launched a proposal
for a ban on the construction of new minarets in Switzerland.
The
vote in 2009 resulted in a ballot box upset when 57.5% of voters and 22 of the
26 cantons came out in favour of outlawing new minarets at mosques.
Unlike
12 years ago, opinion polls suggest that supporters of Burqa ban enjoy solid
initial backing. But experts say another political upset appears less likely,
as anti-Islamic sentiment is no longer taboo.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/politics/Burqa-ban-vote-appeals-to-islamophobia-and-feminists/46334100?
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Toni
Breidinger Becomes NASCAR’s First Arab-American Female Driver
Toni Breidinger will become the first Arab
American female driver to compete in a NASCAR national series.Icon
Sportswire/Getty Images
-----
Tala
Michel Issa
16
February, 2021
Twenty-one-year-old
Toni Breidinger made history on Monday as she became the first Arab-American
female driver to take part in a NASCAR national series, at Daytona
International Speedway, US-based media CBS reported.
Breidinger,
who is of Lebanese descent, told CBS, that it was “exciting” to be a
trailblazer.
In
an interview with international news media CNN, she said, “I’m honored and
excited to be the first, but I don’t want to be the last. I hope I can pave the
way for future female Arab drivers as well”.
“Daytona
has always been on my bucket list to race at. Every driver’s dream is to race
there one day. It’s such a historic track. It’s a step in the right direction
to hopefully race in the Daytona 500 one day,” she added.
She
made it to the 18th place in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season-opener in
Daytona, Florida.
“I
went to that race last year just to go watch and I told myself, ‘I want to be
racing here next year. So, that was a really big goal for me,” she said to CBS.
Breidinger
is a 19-time United States Auto Club winner, a first-of-its-kind record for a
female driver. She also made it to the Top 10 at Madison International speedway
in ARCA Menards back in 2018, CNN reported.
At
the age of nine, she sat behind the wheel of a go-kart and immediately knew
that she wanted to become a racecar driver one day, she said in an interview
with New York-based lifestyle media Paper Magazine.
“I’ve
always had so much passion for it. I love the competition, the adrenaline rush.
I’m hooked on it. When the helmet comes on and I’m racing, it’s not about being
a female driver anymore. I’m just like anyone else trying to get to the finish
line,” she told CNN.
https://english.alarabiya.net/sports/2021/02/16/Toni-Breidinger-becomes-NASCAR-s-first-Arab-American-female-driver
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Saudi
Woman Sentenced To Death for Killing Bangladeshi Maid
Thomson
Reuters Foundation
February
15, 2021
DHAKA:
A Saudi woman has been convicted of murdering her Bangladeshi maid by a
criminal court in Saudi Arabia, in a ruling rights groups in the South Asian
nation said was a rare example of an employer being found guilty of abusing a
migrant worker.
Ayesha
Al Jizani was sentenced on Sunday to death by the court for killing Abiron
Begum in March 2019, some two years after Begum went to the Gulf state in
search of better paid work, a Bangladeshi government official said.
Begum’s
relatives urged the Bangladeshi government to take action against the brokers
who “tricked” Begum, 40, into taking the job in Saudi Arabia four years ago.
“(She)
wanted to go abroad to earn more money so that she could pay for her aged
parents,” Ayub Ali, Begum’s brother-in-law, told the Thomson Reuters
Foundation.
“They
started torturing her two weeks after she left. She would call us and cry … we
begged the brokers here to bring her back, but no one listened to us.”
Jizani’s
husband was jailed for three years for failing to help Begum access medical
treatment and making her work outside the family home illegally, confirmed
Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, a senior official at Bangladesh’s expatriate ministry.
Jizani’s
son was sent to a juvenile facility for seven months, Saleheen added.
Bangladesh
is one of the world’s top exporters of labour and depends heavily on the
remittances they send home to relatives.
Prior
to the pandemic, about 700,000 Bangladeshis used to travel abroad for jobs
annually, with Saudi Arabia being the top destination despite having one of the
highest recruitment fees for migrant jobseekers from the South Asian nation.
Labour
rights activists say the fee, which is often paid through a network of
unofficial brokers, opens the door to exploitation and trafficking.
Campaigners
said the Saudi court’s verdict against an employer was unusual.
“I
have been working in the migration field for several years and I have never
heard of such a verdict,” said Shakirul Islam, head of the Ovibashi Karmi
Unnayan Programme, which deals with migrant rights in Bangladesh.
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2021/02/15/saudi-woman-sentenced-to-death-for-killing-bangladeshi-maid/
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New
Zealand Woman Identified As Isis Terrorist Captured At Syria Border with Two
Children
16
Feb, 2021
A
New Zealand woman named as an international terrorist by Turkish authorities is
facing deportation, along with her two children, after being caught trying to
leave Syria.
The
Republic of Turkey's Ministry of National Defence says the 26-year-old woman is
an Islamic State terrorist.
"Three
New Zealand nationals including an adult and two children were caught by our
border guards in Hatay's Reyhanlı district while trying to enter illegally from
Syria," a ministry statement said.
"The
adult, a 26-year-old woman named S.A. was identified as a Daesh [ISIS]
terrorist wanted with a 'blue notice'. The captured terrorist was handed over
to the Reyhanli Public Prosecution Office."
Local
police confirmed the woman was the mother of the two children found with her at
the Turkey-Syrian border.
A
spokeswoman for the Prime Minister refused to say whether Jacinda Ardern had
been briefed on the case, or whether the woman's identity was known to New
Zealand authorities.
She
said no information would be forthcoming from the Prime Minister until she made
her way to Parliament prior to 2pm when press gallery journalists would have
the opportunity to quiz her.
Police
told Newstalk ZB they had been in contact with the NZ Embassy in Ankara.
They
say the woman is likely to face deportation to New Zealand.
New
Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is "aware of the
situation".
Overseas
media reports say the woman was wanted by Interpol with what is dubbed a blue
notice.
A
blue notice is an international alert, circulated by Interpol, to locate,
identify or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal
investigation.
It
differs from a red notice, to seek the location or arrest of a person wanted by
a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his or her
extradition.
Intelligence
expert Dr Paul Buchanan, of 36th Parallel Assessments, said the blue notice
indicated the woman was sought for information rather than acts of terrorism.
"It's
a notification they want to get information on a person. It doesn't mean she's
been doing anything bad. Walking across the border with kids would seem to
indicate she was a camp follower or concubine."
He
said that would fit with the role of women in the Islamic State of Iraq and
Syria, or Daesh.
During
the peak of ISIS in 2014-2015, the would-be Caliphate sought to import male
foreign fighters but also women who would produce future generations.
"We
have yet to determine if she was a fighter or a breeder," he said,
although the religious confines and structure of ISIS suggested the latter.
"I seriously doubt she would be a fighter."
Buchanan
said it was likely she would fit the description of those who were described at
the time as "Jihadi brides" - primarily young women who were
indoctrinated online or by local recruiters to travel to ISIS territory where
they would marry fighters.
If
so, Buchanan said it was also possible the woman was from Australia.
In
2015, the prospect New Zealanders were among those women who had travelled to
marry fighters was raised by NZ Security Intelligence Service director-general
Rebecca Kitteridge.
She
told Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee that there had been
growing numbers of New Zealand women travelling to areas controlled by ISIS.
She
told MPs: "Something that has changed over the last year is the issue of
New Zealand women travelling to Iraq and Syria, which is something we haven't
seen previously or been aware of."
Then-Prime
Minister John Key asked Kitteridge if they could be called "jihadi
brides".
The
exchange caused a furore over the prospect of women travelling from New Zealand
to join the would-be Caliphate. It later emerged none of the dozen women known
of by the NZSIS left from New Zealand. Instead, they had travelled from
Australia.
The
claims led to puzzlement from New Zealand's Muslim community, and then demands
for an apology with the Islamic Women's Council submission to the Royal
Commission of Inquiry into the Attacks on Christchurch Mosques saying it had
caused a rise in hostility towards New Zealand's Muslim community.
Buchanan
said the primary focus needed to be on the humanitarian rights of the woman and
particularly the children she had with her when she crossed the border. When
she returned to New Zealand, legislation existed that would allow her
involvement with ISIS to be closely examined, and prosecuted if necessary.
He
said the children would be New Zealand citizens by maternal right and it was
critical the Government took steps to make sure they were safe and were able to
be returned to New Zealand.
Buchanan
said it was highly likely the NZSIS would want to speak with her, particularly
in the hope of receiving intelligence about missing Red Cross nurse Louisa
Akavi, a New Zealander who was taken hostage by ISIS in 2013 and has been
missing since.
Green
MP Golriz Ghahraman said it was important to bring the woman and her children
back to New Zealand.
"Right
now, the safety, the rights and wellbeing of these children should be
paramount. We have a responsibility to bring our people home."
However,
she said New Zealand also had a legal responsibility to determine the mother's
culpability in any terrorist activities and to prosecute.
"If
she has been contributing to terror, the Syrians - the victims of terror -
don't have the resources to make themselves safe right now."
If
it were the case she returned with behaviours or an ideology that raised our
threat level, that also needed to be managed. "Then we have to make New
Zealand safe," she said.
Ghahraman,
a former United Nations lawyer, said New Zealand's foreign fighters legislation
was designed to manage those who repatriated from conflicts such as that which
sprawled across the Middle East during the rise of the would-be Caliphate.
She
said the age of the woman now - 26 - and the timing of movement of young women
to ISIS during its peak suggested she would have been very young when she went
there.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/new-zealand-woman-identified-as-isis-terrorist-captured-at-syria-border-with-two-children/6DUMFX47TM5UTCUNAHEBMBOSAI/
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Saudi
Arabia: 65-Year-Old Female Scholar Arrested For ‘Teaching Quran’ At Home
16th
February 2021
Aisha
Al-Muhajiri, a well known 65-year-old female Islamic scholar has been detained
by Saudi authorities reportedly for preaching and giving Quran courses at her
house, a report by Prisoners of Conscience stated.
She
was reportedly detained by a 20 member squad of Saudi intelligence from her
home in Makka along with two other women.
Prisoners
of Conscience, which reports on the Saudi government’s arrest and repression of
activists and public figures, tweeted “We confirm the detention of the famous
female preacher Aisha Al-Muhajiri (65 years), after authorities broke into her
house in Mecca. The grounds of her detention is her working in preaching and
giving Quran courses at her house.”
In
another tweet, the Prisoners of Conscience wrote, “We also confirm that TWO
WOMEN were arrested with Aisha Al-Muhajiri, on the same day of the raid on her
house in Mecca; one of the two women is 80 years old, while the family of the
other woman refused to publish any information about her.”
Following
the arrest, the report also stated: “We confirm also that the sons of the
preacher Aisha Al-Muhajiri were threatened of being detained when they asked
about her after she was arrested; authorities said literally: ‘We will arrest
anyone asking about her’.”
Iran
based International Quran News Agency (IQNA) criticized the arrests of the
scholar stating, “A number of scholars, activists and critics of the Saudi
regime have been arrested over the past few years. Even highly-regarded and
well-known clerics have been detained simply for commenting on current affairs
or government policy, among them Aid Al-Qarni, Ali Al-Omari, Safar Al-Hawali,
Omar Al-Muqbil and Salman Al-Ouda. Many are known as reformists and are thus
seen as a threat by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.”
IQNA
further stated “Even foreign scholars have not escaped under the crackdown.
Amidoula Waili from China’s persecuted Muslim Uyghur minority was arrested by
the Saudi authorities in November at the request of the Chinese government.
Having already been detained in China years ago before escaping to turkey,
Waili is reported to be at risk of being deported to China.”
https://www.siasat.com/saudi-arabia-65-year-old-female-scholar-arrested-for-teaching-quran-at-home-2091305/
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Meet
6 Female Arab Scientists Who Are Making Us Proud
Riham
Darwish
February
11th, 2021
While
many of the countries in the Arab World rank amongst the lowest in terms of
gender equality and opportunities available for women, there is a really long
list of outstanding female scientists who have successfully achieved
international recognition and respect.
It
is one thing to make it in an environment that provides you with all the tools
you need for success, and a whole other thing to achieve success in a highly
challenging one, whether in terms of resources, opportunities, or even cultural
and social stigmas and traditional gender roles.
All
over the world, the scientific field continues to be heavily male-dominated,
creating extra challenges for women who are passionate about the different
sciences. Meanwhile, in the Arab World, things get a little extra challenging,
not only because of the relatively higher regard for traditional gender roles,
but also because of the general scarcity for appreciation and availability of
resources available for scientists.
Celebrating
International Day of Women and Girls in Science this year, we have chosen to
highlight a number of Arab women scientists who have, despite all odds,
excelled in their respective fields, achieved great success, and gained
recognition for their work.
1.
Dr. Lama AlAbdi (Saudi Arabia)
Honored
last December as one of six women scientists in the Middle East who are engaged
in breakthrough research, Dr. AlAbdi's work as a biochemist has been mainly
concerned with the connection between gene expression and the development of
non-genetic diseases.
2.
Dr. Abeer Al Bawab (Jordan)
Despite
battling kidney cancer for the last three years, Dr. Abeer Al Bawab, a
professor of chemistry at the University of Jordan has successfully excelled
through her research in physical chemistry, receiving several international
awards, including the prestigious IUPAC 2021 Distinguished Women in Chemistry
or Chemical Engineering award.
3.
Ayah Bdeir (Lebanon)
Supported
by her family, Ayah's love for science and entrepreneurship has been focused on
educational robotics, as she has founded littleBits in 2011 hoping to create an
open-source library of modular electronics.
4.
Dr. Nour Al-Sabeeh (Kuwait)
As
an assistant professor at the Physiology Department at Kuwait University, Dr.
Al-Sabeeh has received the L’Oreal-UNESCO Middle East Fellowship in 2019, in
recognition of her research focusing on the different mechanisms underlying the
development of type 2 diabetes.
5.
Dr. Samia Elfekih (Tunisia)
Focused
on climate change, food security, and global human health, Dr. Elfekih has
dedicated her life to studying and exploring the different ways through which
humanity could utilize eco-friendly strategies to achieve better environmental
balance.
6.
Dr. Maryam Al Yammahi (UAE)
Featured
for her work during the sixth edition of L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science
Middle East Fellowship in 2019, Dr. Al Yammahi's research is mainly
concentrating on data science, big data, and artificial intelligence as main
drivers of the decision-making process in every field. She is the Assistant Dean
for Students at College of IT UAE University.
Lately,
the UAE has celebrated its first Mars exploration mission called Hope, one that
has been prepared for by a science team 80% of which are women.
Not
only has the Hope Mars mission been accomplished mostly by women, but the whole
mission has been supervised by a woman scientist, the Emirati Minister of State
for Advanced Sciences Sarah Al-Amirim, who has also been named the chair of the
UAE Space Agency and the United Arab Emirates Council of Scientists, and Deputy
Project Manager of the Emirates Mars Mission.
What
is the most challenging issue facing women in science in this day and time?
Where do you think are women's experiences in the scientific fields relatively
easier?
https://www.albawaba.com/business/meet-6-female-arab-scientists-who-are-making-us-proud
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Lulu
Opens First Women-Led Store In Kingdom
February
10, 2021
JEDDAH
— Leading UAE-based retailer LuLu Group further strengthened its presence in
the western region of Saudi Arabia with the soft opening of its new Express
Store in Al Jamea, Jeddah, thereby increasing its total store count to 201
globally.
As
a first, it is the group’s first store led by an all-women staff, which is a
pioneering initiative among all the hypermarket brands in the Kingdom and
reaffirms its commitment to economic empowerment of Saudi Women in line with
the Vision 2030 reform plan.
Located
near King Abdul Aziz University, in a retail space of 37,000 square feet, the
new express store which is also 20th in Saudi Arabia is home to a wide variety
of globally sourced products such as grocery essentials, fresh food, health and
beauty, household and much more.
“The
LuLu brand has always been known for catering to shoppers based not only in
city centers, but as well as the outskirt areas and suburbs, where people do
not need to drive long distance. We commit to providing world-class shopping
and we shall continue meeting the lifestyle needs of our clientele base.
Amidst
COVID-19 crisis and public movement restrictions, an inaugural function was not
held. To support the government’s mandate, LuLu only permits entry to shoppers
who have downloaded the Tawakkalna App as a safety precaution.
In
the midst of the pandemic, LuLu has played a very crucial role and ensured
uninterrupted supply of food and non-food products, while maintaining the
highest standards of hygiene, health and safety of both its customers and
employees. Enhanced sanitization programs and social distancing norms are being
adhered as per industry protocols.
“Apart
from introducing innovative shopping platforms, we are also proud to announce
that this our very first store led by our female team, from the general manager
to the cashiers, which signifies our effort to empower more Saudi women in the
workforce,” said Shehim Mohammed, director of LuLu Hypermarkets Saudi Arabia.
“At
present, we employ 3,000 Saudi nationals including 800 women in all the
hypermarkets across the country in various positions and our aim is to
encourage more women in our organization, thereby ensuring Saudi women’s
economic participation,” added Shehim.
Maha
Mohammed Alqarni, general manager of the newly launched store, said: “I am
extremely happy to be part of LuLu Group’s first ever store that is fully
managed by women. This is such a great honor for me to represent the growing
community of Saudi women who are supporting for the progress of the country’s
economic activities and aiming to share their skills and be of greater
contribution to the public.” —SG
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/603406/BUSINESS/LuLu-opens-first-women-led-store-in-Kingdom
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URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/switzerland-burqa-ban-vote-appeals/d/124320
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