Thousands Protest Against Belgium’s College Headscarf Ban Ruling
New Age Islam News Bureau
6
Jul 2020
•
'Break This Taboo': Religious Singer Koveitipour's Duet with Young Girl Shocks
Iran
•
Egypt: Women's Clothing 'Delusional Excuse' For Sexual Harassment, Say
Religious Authorities
•
Al AzharReligious Body Encourages Victims of Assault to Speak Up, Report
•
Aurat Foundation:Increase Seen in Incidents of Violence Against Women in
Pakistan
•
Sudan’s Bid to Ban Female Genital Mutilation Sparks Hope, Caution
•
Uyghur Muslim Women: Living in A Parallel World with Contrast Reality
•
Pakistan's Ruling Party Expels Senior Lawmaker UzmaKardarAfter Audio Tape
Controversy
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
--------
Thousands
Protest Against Belgium’s College Headscarf Ban Ruling
JUL
05, 2020
Demonstrators
protest against a ruling by the Constitutional Court upholding a ban on
headscarves in higher education, Brussels, Belgium, July 5, 2020. (AA Photo
-----
About
4,000 people gathered in Brussels on Sunday to protest against a ruling by
Belgium’s Constitutional Court that a ban on headscarves in higher education is
permissible.
Responding
to the call of non-governmental agencies, demonstrators gathered in Mont des
Arts square in the center of the capital.
The
protesters carried signs bearing slogans such as “Take your hands off my
headscarf,” “My right” and “Enough.”
The
group read a statement drawing attention to the religiously motivated
discrimination faced by Muslim women in Belgium and requesting that Muslim
women’s rights be taken into consideration in the making of Belgian laws.
A
group of demonstrators wore graduation caps.
The
Constitutional Court ruled in early June that a ban on headscarves expressing
religious or political opinions would not be contrary to the constitution or
the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The
case was referred to the Constitutional Court by a Brussels court after Muslim
students sued the Francisco Ferrer Brussels University College about a ban on
all religious symbols.
The
ruling sparked a backlash on social media among young people and students, with
rights organizations also decrying the move as a violation of a basic human
right.
Since
the decision, 12 Belgian universities and colleges have assured students they will
not impose such a ban, stressing that religious freedom is protected in their
classrooms, according to The Brussels Times.
https://www.dailysabah.com/world/europe/thousands-protest-against-belgiums-college-headscarf-ban-ruling?gallery_image=undefined#big
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'Break
This Taboo': Religious Singer Koveitipour's Duet with Young Girl Shocks Iran
By
RohollahFaghihi
5
July 2020
Gholam
Koveitipour has caused controversy by releasing a recording of a duet with a
13-year-old girl known as Parichehr (YouTube)
-----
A
well-known religious singer has caused controversy in Iran by releasing a
recording of a duet with a 13-year-old girl, which has gone viral on social
media.
The
song, which was first released by GholamKoveitipour during the Iran-Iraq war,
was reprised by Koveitipour and a girl, known as Parichehr, recording their
lines separately.
Women
singing on their own or with, or in front of, men, was banned in Iran after the
1979 Islamic revolution.
But
a number of cases in recent times have brought the issue to the fore once
again.
Known
by almost all Iranians, Koveitipour is a eulogist - a speaker who delivers a
funeral oration - and singer who embarked on his career by singing epic songs
during the eight-year war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq in the 1980s.
“MamadNaboodiBebini”,
translated as “M0hammad, you weren't [alive] to see”, is among the most
celebrated songs in Iran’s contemporary history, released on the occasion of
the liberation of the southwestern city of Khorramshahr in 1982.
Koveitipour
sang the song a year after the port city was recaptured. In it, he also eulogised
the “martyrdom” of Mohammad Jahanara, the commander of Iranian forces in
Khuzestan, who was killed in 1981.
Shockwaves
Koveitipour’s
decision to sing with the young Parichehr, the recording of which was released
on 23 June, has sent shockwaves through Iran.
MaysamMotiee,
a hardline eulogist, on 24 June attacked Koveitipour for performing with a
girl, tweeting that he was “delivering serious blows to our religious
traditions and spiritual legacy”.
Tebyan,
a conservative cultural institute whose head is appointed by the country's
supreme leader, on 28 June lamented Koveitipour's actions, claiming that he had
been taken advantage of by a company specialising in introducing new singers.
What
may have angered hardliners more, however, were the lyrics: “We can't go back,
this is the result of our own actions, and the result is not good at all.”
On
24 June, the Fars news agency took a swipe at Koveitipour, saying it was not
clear whether he was denouncing the country’s current economic problems, or his
past beliefs about the Islamic revolution.
Economic
statement
In
reaction to the criticism, Koveitipour spoke to a cultural journalist on 25
June on Instagram.
He
did not say why he had chosen to do a duet with a young girl, but said that he
was proud of singing the song and that his purpose had been to raise people’s
spirits amid the country's economic troubles.
Koveitipour
asserted that 40 years ago, when the revolution occurred, “I told [myself]
‘Thank God that we won't have any poor people in the country anymore.’
“We
have a wealthy country, why should such a rich country reach this point?” he
asked.
Speaking
to Middle East Eye, HosseinKanani-Moghaddam, a conservative activist, expressed
his regret over Koveitipour's song.
“We
should find out who is behind the project of tarnishing the image of such a
eulogist, whose voice is reminiscent of our martyred soldiers in the 1980s
war,” he said.
'No
problem from a religious perspective'
Before
1979, Iran had numerous successful female singers, most of whom decided to
leave the country following the revolution to pursue their careers abroad.
In
recent years, the country has slightly softened its approach, with some female
vocalists permitted to perform in concert halls solely for women.
However,
allowing women to sing to an audience of both men and women, live or on TV, has
not been allowed since 1979, with some clerics saying that women singing may
tempt and induce men to commit “sin”.
Former
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic
Republic, was reportedly not opposed to women singing.
However,
during his leadership in the 1980s, no women were allowed to perform.
Mohammad
Khatami, a former Iranian president and the leader of the country's reformists,
once quoted Khomeini as saying that women singing solo, and men listening to
the music, was not a problem from a religious perspective.
'Officials
should show courage'
The
present religious leadership in the country also seems to hold similar views.
“The
current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been asked once about his
view regarding women singing solo,” a former concert organiser, who wished to
remain anonymous, told MEE. “In response, he didn't reply negatively.
"Therefore,
there is no religious obstacle issue standing in the middle of our path. But we
have been told that they believe society wouldn't accept this.”
The
organiser hypothesised that the influence of hardliners in Iranian politics may
have kept the issue from being re-examined.
“If
the priority is Islamic law and the supreme leader, they all have no issue with
women singing solo,” he said. "Officials should show courage and break
this taboo, but I think they are terrified of radicals’ possibly harsh
reactions.”
Iranian
female singers angered
Koveitipour
is not the only Iranian musical artist to have flouted the rules.
Popular
folk singer HomayounShajarian, the son of legendary singer Mohammad Reza
Shajarian, released a video on 19 June with Lebanese singer AbeerNehme, with a
cover of the old song “MorgheSahar”.
But
the backlash against Shajarian has not only just come from conservatives.
Iranian
female vocalists have slammed him for preferring to choose a foreign woman to
accompany him on the song.
“Even
Iranian male singers ignore [Iranian] female vocalists,” acclaimed Iranian
vocalist Sahar, who based in London, told BBC Persian last month.
Referring
to the ban on women singing solo in Iran, Madmazel, another singer, addressed
her fans on Instagram, saying: “Have you seen the video clip of HomayounShajarian?
Only the voice of Iranian women provokes [men]?”
Anger
from Iranian women vocalists also followed the release of a comedic movie,
Motreb, which was screened in Iran in November.
In
the movie, Iranian actor ParvizParastui sings a song with female Turkish singer
AysegulCoskun.
While
this could have led to the movie being barred from theatres, neither the
government nor hardliners objected to it.
“Some
are resorting to the strategy of the normalisation of breaking taboos,”
Kanani-Moghaddam, the conservative activist, said, before claiming that certain
individuals “want to pave the way for feminist thought to dominate our art
arena”.
Risky
resistance
In
spite of Kanani-Moghaddam’s assertions, violating the rules remains a risky
endeavour.
On
2 February 2019, pop star Hamid Askari held a concert in Tehran during which he
suddenly handed over the microphone to the female guitarist, who began to sing
solo.
As
news of the incident went viral, the Iranian Ministry of Culture announced that
Askari was banned from staging any more concerts.
He
has not been back onstage in the country since.
A
similar situation occurred in 2015 when Mohammad Motamedi, a traditional
vocalist, performed a song with a female singer from Spain, leading the
Ministry of Culture to refuse to issue him a permit to release his new album
for a period of time.
Social
networks effect
But
social networks are helping to break these red lines, paving the way on
Instagram and Twitter for societal changes.
AmanullahQaraiMoqaddam,
a professor of sociology at the University of ShahidBeheshti, argued that
technology was changing lives, manners and habits.
“Social
networks will bring down all the walls and limitations,” he told MEE.
“Some
think that they are able to prevent such happenings, but they are wrong,
especially regarding women singing solo.
“I’m
sure decision-makers and the government will eventually retreat and will allow
women to sing.
"In
fact, society will impose this on officials, and they have no choice but to
accept it.”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/iran-koveitipour-religious-singer-parichehr-duet-women-young-girl
--------
Egypt:
Women's Clothing 'Delusional Excuse' For Sexual Harassment, Say Religious
Authorities
Hamza
Hendawi
July
5, 2020
Al
Azhar Mosque and the Mufti, or chief theologian, have rejected the notion that
how a woman dressed could be blamed for sexual harassment and rape.
-----
Egypt’s
two highest religious authorities have condemned sexual harassment after
alleged sexual assaults on more than 50 women by a university student.
Al
Azhar Mosque and the Mufti, or chief theologian, have rejected the notion that
how a woman dressed could be blamed for sexual harassment and rape.
In
statements at the weekend they said women should never be blamed for such
crimes.
The
case of the student, who was detained on Saturday for questioning, has
dominated the national conversation for close to a week.
Women
have used social media to recount their own experiences of harassment at the
hands of men.
Egypt
is notorious for sexual harassment of women in public, with rights groups often
calling the country of about 100 million people among the worst places to live
for women.
The
government has in recent years increased penalties for convicted harassers or
rapists, but the problem persists.
That
has led to calls for societal changes that would encourage women to go public
about crimes committed against them and press legal proceedings against
offenders.
The
debate about the student and his alleged victims, many of whom he is also
accused of blackmailing, has laid bare the dark side of a patriarchal and
conservative society.
Women
have been required to silently endure sexual harassment rather than risk what
many families see as the shame of going public with details of assaults or
rape.
In
the last few days, activists have vigorously reacted to the student’s alleged
crimes, including through an online petition calling on authorities to bring
him to justice.
Almost
35,000 people had signed the petition by Sunday afternoon.
Victims
have been called on to come forward and share details of their experiences and
press charges against perpetrators.
There
have also been calls for women to learn martial arts or organise workshops to
train women and girls on how to deal with harassment.
Some
of the accounts posted online by victims of the student made for harrowing
reading.
They
exposed a worrisome tendency by families and educational institutions, such as
the Cairo university in which the student was enrolled before he went to study
in Spain, for denial or trying to sweep cases under the rug.
Al
Azhar, the world’s top seat of learning for Sunni Muslims, devoted this week’s
issue of its magazine, Sawt Al Azhar, to the need to increase the fight against
the sexual harassment of women.
“Being
silent or looking the other way when it comes to those crimes poses a threat to
the security of society and encourages the violation of virtues and sanctity,”
said the magazine, which reflects Al Azhar’s views and policies.
“Women’s
attire, regardless of what it is, is not an excuse for assaulting their
privacy, freedom or dignity."
A
separate statement by Al Azhar called for support for women seeking legal
retribution against offenders and urged members of the public to be proactive
if they witnessed sexual harassment or assault.
“Being
passive toward a harasser is unacceptable," Al Azhar said. "He must
be made to desist and handed over to police."
It
called on authorities to diligently enforce laws against sexual harassment and
on society at large not to take lightly the suffering of victims.
The
office of the Mufti, the country’s chief theologian, called harassment a
“cardinal sin” and called on authorities to deal “firmly and decisively” with
perpetrators.
It
also rejected the popular notion that at the root of sexual harassment lies in
the way women choose to dress.
“It’s
a delusional excuse that only sick people with malicious caprices entertain,”
the office said.
There
has been no word in public from the student on the allegations he faces, but a
popular talk show host, AmrAdeeb of MBC television, quoted his father on
Saturday as professing his son’s innocence.
The
father said the allegations prompted his Barcelona university to suspend and
later expel him.
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/egypt-women-s-clothing-delusional-excuse-for-sexual-harassment-say-religious-authorities-1.1044488
--------
Al
Azhar Religious Body Encourages Victims of Assault to Speak Up, Report
JULY
5, 2020
With
the escalation of Ahmed BassamZaki’s streak of assault and rape, a renewed wave
of support has manifested itself within various institutes and bodies in Egypt.
Indeed, only mere days after claims of the perpetrator’s crimes were
highlighted on social media, Egypt’s top Islamic clerical body has encouraged
speaking out on sexual harassment and assault in a statement on Saturday
The
religious body, echoing the sentiments and narratives of activists and the
National Council of Women, has stated that it highlights all support to victims
of sexual assaults, particularly encouraging them to report the crimes.
“Silence
or turning a blind eye to these crimes threatens the security of society and
encourages violations,” read the statement. It also rejected victim blaming,
which is a common narrative in Egypt where women are most criticized for their
attire or for leading a ‘permissive’ lifestyle.
“Women’s
clothing – whatever it may be – is not an excuse for attacking her privacy,
freedom and dignity,” also read the statement which stressed that harassment
was an illegal act for which perpetrators had to be accountable regardless of
the situation.
Finally,
the institution advised a series of surprising action steps such as protecting
victims from defamation, raising awareness among young women regarding their
rights as well as possible legal support, promoting ‘correct’ social and
religious cultures – with a focus on encouraging dialogue within families- and
properly portraying harassers and harassment in media.
Indeed,
the statement comes mere hours after Ahmed BassamZaki, a young Egyptian man who
was accused of harassing and raping over 100 women, was detained.
As
the investigation continues, all testimonials are welcomed against Zaki, and
victims willing to come forward can contact the National Council of Women at
15115 or message Khodir on her Instagram account to be connected with lawyers.
The
shocking case, which saw the involvement of young activist and writer Sabah
Khodir, the National Council of Women, an Instagram account gathering
testimonials against Ahmed BassamZaki, the American University in Cairo, as
well the Egyptian Prosecution office, sparked fierce social media support towards
victims of harassment and rape in the country.
However,
despite the clear stance against harassment and rape, victim blaming culture is
pervasive in Egypt, with many women bearing the brunt of the crimes.
Victims
of rape, particularly, are encouraged to not report to the police due to fears
of public shaming and reputation tarnishing.
In
a joint report on Sexual Violence in Egypt, prepared by Nazra Feminist Studies,
Fidh, New Women Foundation and the Uprising of Women in the Arab world, the
struggle of holding perpetrators accountable depended largely on feelings of
guilt and shame from the victims; these feelings and views were bolstered by
societal pressures, the media, and families.
The
report cited a study conducted by UN women which revealed that 34.6 percent of
interviewed women revealed that they did not report harassment to the police
because they feared for their reputation or that they may be asked how they
incited the harassment and rape to begin with thus invalidating their claims of
sexual violence altogether.
In
the past two years, accounts of women shared on social media have gone viral in
Egypt: from 2018’s video of a man harassing a woman in Cairo’s Fifth Settlement
to the controversy with Egyptian footballer AmrWarda.
https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/07/05/al-azhar-encourages-victims-of-assault-to-speak-up-report/
--------
Aurat
Foundation: Increase Seen in Incidents of Violence Against Women in Pakistan
July
06, 2020
QUETTA:
The Aurat Foundation, a non-governmental organisation working for women’s
rights in Pakistan, has said that the new coronavirus has severely affected
women in the country.
“Incidents
of violence against women have risen,” Yasmeen Mughal, project officer of Jazba
programme, said while speaking at the closing ceremony of a two-day training
workshop on women’s participation in the political process and local government
system in Quetta.
The
workshop was jointly organised by the Aurat Foundation and the South Asia
Partnership.
She
said coronavirus had severely affected women involved in economic activities in
the country and significant steps were needed to be taken to facilitate them at
the governmental and non-governmental levels.
She
said that if practical steps were not taken, millions of middle-class families
in the country would be forced to live below poverty line and the monster of
poverty would further increase in the country.
She
said that Aurat Foundation and the South Asia Partnership would take joint
steps for effective participation of women in economic and political processes
at the district level under the Jazba project and attention would be paid for
making laws for women’s individual and constitutional rights.
Speaking
on the occasion, AllauddinKhilji, regional director of Aurat Foundation,
Quetta, said that a society free from violence was the only guarantee of
sustainable development.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1567274/increase-seen-in-incidents-of-violence-against-women
--------
Sudan’s
Bid to Ban Female Genital Mutilation Sparks Hope, Caution
JULY
2, 2020
It’s
been more than 60 years. But the scene is seared still into Kawthar Ali’s mind.
The women pinned her down on a bed. She was maybe 5½ or six years old. Holding
her knees, they spread her legs open, her genitals exposed.
At
the time, she didn’t fully understand what followed. But that day, Kawthar
joined the many Sudanese girls who had undergone female genital mutilation, a
practice that involves partial or total removal of the external female
genitalia for non-medical reasons.
“It’s
the one incident that has affected my life the most,” Ms. Ali said. “It feels
shameful for people to expose your body and do this to you, like a rape.”
The
anguish unleashed that day led to an unwavering conviction: No daughter of hers
should ever endure that pain. That decision pitted Ms. Ali against her own
mother and a society in which nearly 87 per cent of women between 15 and 49
years old are estimated to have undergone a form of FGM, according to a
UN-backed 2014 survey.
Soon,
Ms. Ali and others like her might have the law on their side. Sudan’s
transitional authorities are expected to outlaw the procedure and set
punishments of up to three years in prison and fines for those who carry out
FGM, according to a draft bill obtained by the Associated Press. The Cabinet has
approved a set of amendments that includes criminalizing FGM. Procedures to
pass the law are expected to be completed, by the sovereign council and council
of ministers, in the coming few days, Minister of Justice NasredeenAbdulbari
said in a statement sent in response to AP questions.
“I’m
very excited, very proud,” said Nimco Ali, co-founder of The Five Foundation,
which works to end FGM. “Those are the kind of things that we need to be
celebrating because that was a part of democracy coming to Sudan.”
Although
she lauds the move, Kawthar Ali is not celebrating yet. “This thing will die
very slowly,” she said of FGM. “It’s an issue related to our traditions and the
Sudanese culture.”
Like
many in Sudan, Ms. Ali was subjected to an extreme form of FGM known as
infibulation, which involves the cutting and repositioning of the labia,
sometimes through stitching, to narrow the vaginal opening.
The
World Health Organization says FGM constitutes an “extreme form of
discrimination” against women. Nearly always carried out on minors, it can
result in excessive bleeding and death or cause problems including infections,
complications in childbirth and depression.
Millions
of girls and women have been cut in countries in Africa, the Middle East and
Asia. Reasons differ. Many believe it keeps women clean and protects their
chastity by controlling sexual desire. The opinions of religious leaders run
the spectrum. Some condone the practice, others work to eliminate it and others
consider it irrelevant to religion.
STORY
CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT
Mohammed
Hashim al-Hakim, a Sudanese Muslim cleric who opposes FGM, said religious
leaders must confront attempts to put a veneer of religion on a custom largely
rooted in culture.
The
practice, he said, predates Islam and crosses religious lines. “No one in their
right mind can say that a harmful practice … belongs to religion.”
Under
the rule of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in April last
year, some Sudanese clerics said forms of FGM were religiously allowed, arguing
that the only debate was over whether it was required or not.
It
was fear of what people would say, rather than religious beliefs, that led Ms.
Ali’s mother to fight her decision not to subject her own daughter to FGM. Ms.
Ali even feared her mother would have someone commit it on her daughter while
she was at work. She armed her child with a plan: Run to a nearby police
station.
Now
35, the daughter wonders if the police would have helped. She said she is
grateful for her mother’s battle. Among high-school classmates, she was “the
abnormal one” for not getting cut. A rights defender, she spoke on condition
she not be identified by name because of the sensitivity of her work.
The
practice of FGM, she argued, is interwoven with a patriarchal mentality that
connects a man’s sexual pleasure to a woman’s pain and exerts control over
women.
“Customs,
traditions and culture are much stronger than written laws,” she said, adding
that anti-FGM campaigners need to engage men more.
Neighbouring
Egypt shows how difficult it is to end the practice. Egypt banned FGM in 2008
and elevated it to a felony in 2016, allowing tougher penalties. Some of
Egypt’s top Islamic authorities have said FGM is forbidden.
Still,
a 2015 government survey found that 87 per cent of Egyptian women between the
ages of 15 and 49 had undergone FGM, though the rate among teens did fall 11
percentage points from a 2008 survey.
Reda
el-Danbouki, executive director of the Women’s Centre for Guidance and Legal
Awareness, said there have been cases in which judges handed down minimum
sentences on doctors who broke the law, giving the impression doctors can keep
doing so with impunity.
As
Sudan’s law is implemented, there is the risk that FGM will go underground,
said Othman Sheiba, secretary-general of Sudan’s National Council for Child
Welfare. But criminalization sends a strong message, he said: “The government
of the revolution will not accept this harm to girls.”
Women
were at the forefront of the protests against Mr. al-Bashir. Transitional
authorities have since taken steps to roll back his legacy, which activists say
disenfranchised women in particular.
For
FGM truly to end, women must be empowered, Nimco Ali said. “You bring in the
legislation and then you start having the conversation and then real change
happens.” A more “awoken” generation of young Sudanese rejects the practice and
wants equality, she said.
A
British activist of Somali origin, 37-year-old Ms. Ali underwent FGM in
Djibouti at age 7. She remembers feeling angry. A severe kidney infection – a
complication from the procedure – almost killed her at 11, she said.
“I
lost the concept of innocence,” she said. “I felt so broken and so alone.”
For
her own procedure, Kawthar Ali was dolled up “like a bride.” Her body was
rubbed with oil and she wore a new dress and gold bracelets.
Although
she had anesthesia, she remembers the cries of a relative who did not.
Physical
pain lasted about a month, but the psychological pain has endured a lifetime,
she said.
“It’s
like something getting ripped from inside of me,” she said. “Something was
forcefully taken from me.”
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/world/article-sudans-bid-to-ban-female-genital-mutilation-sparks-hope-caution/
--------
Uyghur
Muslim Women: Living in A Parallel World with Contrast Reality
July
6, 2020
Right
to freedom of religion, right to life and freedom of expression are some of the
fundamental principles ingrained in the Indian Constitution. Any person born in
India enjoys these rights right from the start. However, they never realise the
value of these rights as they are unable to contrast it with a different
reality. The case of Uyghur Muslim women is a classic case which can throw
light on the importance of these principles.
Freedom
for living, eating, speaking and dressing are some of the desires of human
beings but the Uighur Muslim women have been deprived of these basic rights for
more than a decade by the Chinese government. Although Chinese Authorities have
banned all the available social media channels and many witnesses have been
killed, some Uyghur women were able to give their interview secretly to some
global media channels and upload their story on social media. This helped the
outside world to get a glimpse of the atrocities they are facing every day.
Indian Muslim women are free to live and express themselves as they wish. There
is no restriction on adopting their life-style, dress and education. Couple of
months ago, some Chinese companies have prohibited Muslim women to come to
offices wearing face veil and this decree was strictly enforced to the point
that many lost their jobs. In contrast, Indian Muslim women are free to wear
any type of Burqa/Hijab in any place including offices, malls, restaurants,
cinema halls etc. They can express their opinion without any restrictions,
unless it is related to the national security.
Uyghur
Muslim women are imprisoned in the detention camps and have to undergo tests.
If these women are found positive in pregnancy, they are forced to abort their
foetuses. Intrauterine devices are fitted in some women to prevent their
pregnancy which has resulted in birth rates getting down by 60% in the Uyghur
Muslim community. This has been termed as ‘Demographic genocide’ by some human
right organizations. On the contrary, Indian Muslim women are free to give
births as per their wishes.
They
can even adopt children as per their wishes. Indian Muslim women can look
towards the Indian judiciary for protection of their rights which is not
available for the Uyghurs Muslim women. They enjoy equality in comparison to
their counterparts and can raise their voices against the Indian Government
whenever they feel they are not getting justice. This is unimaginable for the
Uyghur Muslim women who can never raise their voices against the Communist
Party of China.
Indian
Muslim women have easy access to education and job opportunities. A lot of
Indian Muslim women have achieved outstanding government as well as private
jobs which has helped them to live a dignified life. They are not only free to
celebrate their own festivals but are also invited by the non-Muslim friends to
celebrate festivals like Diwali and Holi which shows the level of brotherhood
and communal harmony as well as the level of tolerance practiced by the Indian
Government. All these are only a distant dream for the Uyghur Muslim women.
They are forced to endure unbearable abuses that are considered as brutal
crime, and are infact permitted by the Chinese Government to suppress the
dissenting voices.
It
cannot be said that the Indian society is perfect, it has its own flaws but
that does not mean that it is unjust towards the women of a particular
community. Crimes against women are religion neutral in India which are
constantly being addressed at various levels in the government.
The
plight of the Uyghur Muslim women shows the real face of the Chinese Government
and deflates their so-called development model. Some pseudo intellectuals
questioning the Indian Government’s stance on Muslim women must first address
the atrocities imparted by the Chinese Government on the Uyghur Muslim women.
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/uyghur-muslim-women-living-in-a-parallel-world-with-contrast-reality/
--------
Pakistan's
Ruling Party Expels Senior Lawmaker UzmaKardarAfter Audio Tape Controversy
06th
July 2020
LAHORE:
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Sunday expelled a senior lawmaker, days
after a controversial audio clip was leaked on social media in which she was
purportedly heard speaking on the increasing role of the military establishment
in the government and commenting on the private lives of Prime Minister Imran
Khan and his third wife.
The
PTI in a statement said it has expelled Punjab Assembly member UzmaKardar from
the party for "violation of discipline". However, it offered no
further explanation.
Kardar,
who won a reserved seat for women as a PTI candidate in the 2018 general
elections, was one of the most active leaders in the Punjab province. A few
weeks ago, Kardar was removed from the Punjab government's media strategy
committee following the leak of the audio clip.
"The
establishment, the government and Prime Minister Imran Khan are going
hand-in-hand. No government in Pakistan can be run without the support of the
military establishment," she was heard saying in the tape.
Kardar
was also heard discussing the private lives of Prime Minister Khan and his
third wife BushraBibi in a negative way. She allegedly commented on how
"BushraBibi is influential in deciding important matters such as postings
of senior officials sitting in the Prime Minister House".
She
also spoke about how BushraBibi favours friends and prevent others from
approaching Khan. The prime minister's former wife Reham Khan in her
controversial memoir had mentioned the name of Kardar, alleging that she had
relations with Imran Khan.
https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2020/jul/06/pakistans-ruling-party-expels-senior-lawmaker-uzma-kardar-after-audio-tape-controversy-2165833.html
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