New
Age Islam News Bureau
12
November 2021
• UK Muslim MP Zarah Sultana Receives Racist Hate Mail
Telling Her to "Go Back To [Her] Country"
• UN Women’s Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen on Celebrating
the Successes of Arab Women Everywhere
• Grant to Help Saudi Arabian Women Learn To Become
Entrepreneurs
• Afghanistan’s Women’s Soccer Team Played a Game
Again after Escaping from the Taliban Regime
• Ramiz Raja Hints At Women's PSL for Pakistan in the
Near-Future
• Good News for Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders! US To
Give Automatic Work Authorisation Permits
• Program Aims to Help Women Veterans Enter World of
High Tech
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/uk-muslim-zarah-sultana-racist-hate/d/125758
--------
UK Muslim MP Zarah Sultana Receives Racist Hate Mail
Telling Her to "Go Back To [Her] Country"
Sultana [right] has previously spoken out about her
experiences of Islamophobia as a Muslim woman in politics [Getty]
------
The New Arab Staff
11 November, 2021
British Muslim MP Zarah Sultana has reported receiving
racist hate mail telling her to "go back to [her] country", in a
tweet she posted on Thursday.
Sultana said she found the email on her return from
bereavement leave following her grandmother's death.
"Go back to your country, you are in my country
not yours, you do not belong here. Britain First [is] rising, we will soon get
[our] heritage back and tough if you don’t like it," read the email,
which made reference to the far-right Britain
First party.
Britain First registered as a political party last
September after its application was approved by the Electoral Commission.
The far-right group's leader, Paul Golding, was
sentenced to jail for 18 weeks after conducting a campaign of hate against a
group of British Muslims in 2018. He was also was found guilty of a terror
offence in May last year after refusing to give police access to his electronic
devices on his return from a political trip to Russia, according to the Press
Association.
Sultana's tweet on Thursday prompted messages of
solidarity on the social media platform, including her fellow Labour MPs Louise
Haigh and Nadia Whittome.
Sultana has previously spoken out on her experiences
of Islamophobia, stating at a UK parliamentary debate last September that “to
be a Muslim woman... and to be left-wing is to be subjected to this barge of
racism and hate”.
In a separate incident this week, Oldham council's
first female Muslim leader, Arooj Shah, revealed she has received regular death
threats since taking up her role.
At an Oldham council meeting on Wednesday, the Labour
councillor called for less hatred and personal abuse, "most of which is
fuelled by lies and misinformation... by the colour of my skin, by my religion
and by the fact I am a woman", The Oldham Times reported.
Shah was also targeted earlier this year when her car
was firebombed outside her home in July.
Source: English.Alaraby.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/uk-muslim-mp-targeted-racist-hate-mail-amid-bereavement
----------
UN Women’s Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen on Celebrating the
Successes of Arab Women Everywhere
Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen
------
BY Susanne Mikhail Eldhagen
November 11, 2021
I’m writing this month’s column after having had the
immense pleasure of meeting a group of remarkable women recognised for their
achievements at the 2021 Arab Women Awards, UAE Edition.
Their achievements have not only served their
respective field, such as medicine, business, art, fashion, or finance, but
rather benefitted the country as a whole. In other words, their achievements
are directly linked to the overall economic prosperity and development of UAE.
Hearing what these women have achieved, and how their
experience and expertise benefits women, men and societies, it is clear that
the progress evidenced in their respective fields is a fundamental pillar of
human development. And human development is in essence about movement in a
constructive and positive direction – upwards and forwards. In many ways, it is
about “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, which also is the very theme of
the 2021 Expo in Dubai.
And UN Women is proud to partner with the Expo to
bring stories of inspiration and dedication such as demonstrated by the winners
of the Arab Women Awards 2021 to the Expo visitors. Indeed, the winner of the
AWA 2021 Inspirational Woman of the Year Award, H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister
of State and Managing Director for Dubai Expo, embodies this spirit of
leadership and dedication to achieve success.
Caroline Faraj, Vice President of CNN Arabic and who
was recognised for her achievements in the AWA 2021 Media category, is another
incredible example of a woman from the Arab region succeeding at the highest
levels, in what often continues to be a male-dominated industry and – more
importantly – a male-dominated position due to its seniority.
In January, CNN Arabic will mark 20 years of sharing
the stories of the region with the world. More than ever before, the Arab
States region is demonstrating its rich diversity of stories to showcase the
crucial role of women in shaping both our world and our future.
Speaking of the world stage, I am personally delighted
by the appointment of Sima Sami Bahous as UN Women’s Executive Director. Sima
was last month appointed to a four-year term by the UN Secretary-General,
becoming one of very few UN chiefs from the Arab States region.
This speaks to the extraordinary strength of women
from the Arab States, and the deep experiences and capabilities we hold. Sima
Sami Bahous, for example, joins UN Women after serving as Jordan’s Permanent
Representative to the United Nations in New York, and prior to that, in some of
the highest senior leadership roles in the United Nations, the League of Arab
States, and the Government of Jordan.
Source: Harpersbazaararabia
https://www.harpersbazaararabia.com/hbanews/susanne-mikhail-eldhagen
-----------
Grant to help Saudi Arabian women learn to become
entrepreneurs
BY: TOM SNEE
2021.11.11
Saudi Arabian women will learn how to become
entrepreneurs with the help of an educational program from the Tippie College
of Business that will also connect them with mentors throughout the state.
The college’s Institute for International Business
(IIB) has received a $123,000 State Department grant through the U.S. Consulate
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to provide entrepreneurial education to women in the
western part of Saudi Arabia.
The women will participate in Venture School
International, an entrepreneurial educational program that guides students
through the startup process by teaching them how to identify a market need and
build a business to meet it. The university is partnering with the nonprofit
Education for Employment (EFE) to teach the Venture School International
training, which will be complemented by contacts with local financing
organizations, government officials, and business support services.
Iowa women entrepreneurs also will work with the Saudi
women as mentors, providing support and encouragement while serving as role
models. The mentors will be recruited from the institute’s existing networks of
women entrepreneurs in Iowa.
Source: Uiowa.Edu
https://now.uiowa.edu/2021/11/grant-help-saudi-arabian-women-learn-become-entrepreneurs
-----------
Afghanistan’s women’s soccer team played a game again
after escaping from the Taliban regime
By Kim Diaz
November 11, 2021
After escaping from the Taliban regime, the players of
the Afghanistan national soccer team they played a game again after two months.
It was in Qatar, in the Khalifa International Stadium which will host the 2022
World Cup, in a friendly with the local team played this Wednesday, which won
5-0, but the result was anecdotal on a day of great emotion that surpassed the
sports field.
Since the Taliban regime regained control of
Afghanistan in August, many of its inhabitants have sought to emigrate to other
countries. Qatar facilitated evacuation of 70 thousand people from Kabul,
including the members of the women’s soccer team, who have temporary residence
in that country.
Due to the situation in their country, the Afghan
players went two months without playing. For all that they lived to be able to
leave Afghanistan and for having the chance to enjoy the game they love so
much, it was a double joy. With mixed feelings for those who remained in their
country, but with the joy of stepping back onto a playing field after so long.
At the time, the former captain of the Afghan national
team, Khalida Popal, came to ask her colleagues to burn their shirts and flee
the country. He remained in the national team until 2011 and also focused on coordinating
the team as Director of the Afghanistan Soccer Association. That year he had to
flee the country due to death threats.
The Afghan national team was created in 2007 and has
always been in the spotlight. Popal also advised the players to delete their
posts and photos with the team on social media to avoid retaliation. “The last
few days have been very stressful, but today we have achieved an important
victory,” he said after achieving the exodus of soccer players from the
national team along with team members and family members on a flight from
Kabul.
Sport is often key to helping its protagonists and in
this case the Afghan team feels they have a new opportunity. Each cut, each
closure, a shot, goal, or whatever, will have an added value for them.
At the end of October it was known that the volleyball
player, Mahjab Judge, was beheaded by the Taliban, according to the Italian
Volleyball Federation in a statement posted on Facebook. Mahjabin, played for
the Kabul Township Volleyball Club, but failed to escape Afghanistan in recent
months.
Source: The News Trace
-----------
Ramiz Raja hints at women's PSL for Pakistan in the
near-future
Danyal Rasool
10-Nov-2021
PCB chairman Ramiz Raja hinted at the possibility of
organising a women's Pakistan Super League in the near-future. While he is yet
to provide any firm plans around the logistics or timing of the move, Ramiz did
say he wanted Pakistan to be the first country in Asia to have a women's T20
league. Alongside the proposed women's PSL, Ramiz also spoke of launching an
U19 PSL.
Ramiz was speaking after ECB CEO Tom Harrison visited
Pakistan earlier this week to try and repair relations following the
recriminations of England pulling out of a two-match T20I series last month.
The ECB agreed to tack those two games onto next year's five-match T20I series,
with Ramiz revealing further plans for deeper engagement were also in the
offing.
"We talked about [improving the] pathways to
professional cricket. In October next year, we'll launch an U19 PSL. This is
very exciting because it's never happened anywhere else. England will send
their U19 players, who we'll look after. I also have the women's PSL in my
mind. We'll become the first cricket board in Asia to launch that."
This is the first time a PCB chairman has publicly
discussed the possibility of a women's T20 league at any level. England and
Australia have had women's T20 leagues, while The Hundred earlier this summer
also had a women's competition. The only women's franchise-style competition in
Asia right now is the Women's T20 Challenge that the BCCI has held alongside
the IPL play-offs, although it didn't take place this year.
Since taking over as PCB chairman in September, Ramiz
was handed a baptism of fire when New Zealand and England withdrew from their
tours, severely denting what was billed as the first complete home season
Pakistan has had in over a decade. After initially raging at what he called the
"Western bloc", Ramiz has tried to engage boards around the world
further to ensure Pakistan hasn't been set back in terms of playing
international cricket at home. The tour of the West Indies in December was
officially announced last week, while Australia also confirmed their
participation in their first full tour to Pakistan since 1998 next year.
Source: Espncricinfo
-----------
Good news for spouses of H-1B visa holders! US to give
automatic work authorisation permits
by Poulomi Ghosh
12-11-2021
The United States has agreed to provide automatic work
authorisation permits to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a decision which
will benefit thousands of Indian-American women. The Americal Immigration
Lawyers' Association filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of immigrant
spouses in which this settlement has been reached by the Department of Homeland
Security, PTI reported.
"This (H-4 visa holders) is a group that always
met the regulatory test for automatic extension of EADs (employment
authorisation documents), but the agency previously prohibited them from that
benefit and forced them to wait for reauthorisation. People were suffering.
They were losing their high-paying jobs for absolutely no legitimate reason
causing harm to them and US businesses," Jon Wasden from the association
said.
"Although this is a giant achievement, the
parties' agreement will further result in a massive change in position for the
USCIS, which now recognises that L-2 spouses enjoy automatic work authorisation
incident to status, meaning these spouses of executive and managers will no
longer have to apply for employment authorisation prior to working in the
United States," the association said.
Spouses of H-1B and L-2 visa holders will no longer
have to apply for work authorisation and need an employment authorisation
document as proof in order to work in the United States.
For H-4 spouses who have lawful status and merely need
to renew their employment authorisation, they will now enjoy an automatic
extension of their authorisation for 180 days after expiration should the
agency fail to process their timely-filed applications, the settlement says.
Dependents of H-1B visa holders are issued H-4 visas.
The lawsuit sought to remove the bottlenecks in the
policies that caused many spouses job loss as it may take two years to process
the applications for the spouses.
As Forbes reported, one of the original plaintiffs in
the suit was Divya Jayaraj who came to America as an international student and
returned as the spouse of an H-1B visa holder. She worked in the health care
sector. “Concurrent with her spouse’s extension, on August 25, 2020, she filed
applications to extend her H-4 status on Form I-539 and EAD on Form I-765,”
according to the lawsuit which claimed that Divya lost her job "because of
agency inaction."
Source: Hindustan Times
-----------
Program aims to help women veterans enter world of
high tech
By: Maya Rodriguez
Nov 11, 2021
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. — For U.S. Army veteran Laura
Evans, the world of computers wasn’t one that she ever pictured herself in.
“I am Latina and my family is from Colombia. I'm a
first-generation American,” she said. “No one in my family is a software
engineer and no one in my family was in the military. So, I've always kind of
felt like I’ve translated my life, throughout my life.”
Operation Level Up is run by Galvanize, a technology
education company. They help train service members transitioning out of the
military and into the world of high tech.
“One thing I try to do for my students is really
highlight for them, like what their military experience has done for them and
how to leverage that,” said Galvanize’s Caroline Virani.
Speaking with us at Galvanize’s New York City offices,
Virani said the company is doing something else, too. They are specifically
focusing on women veterans to get them into high-tech jobs.
In the technology sector, women make up only about 28%
of the workforce. In the U.S. military, enlisted men far outnumber women, who
only make up about 16% of the Armed Forces.
“Women are underrepresented in the tech industry
anyways. Women also are less represented in the military,” Virani said. “So,
we're kind of dealing with both of those things at once.”
“To me, it was more building up that confidence as a
woman in tech and as a female veteran,” Evans said. “You know, veterans are
capable of so many things in so many different industries, in so many different
facets, that we can't even imagine.”
“I kind of did a very, very sharp right turn into a
completely different industry,” Evans said, “and I haven't looked back since
and I've been so happy honestly.”
Source: The Denver Channel
------------
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/uk-muslim-zarah-sultana-racist-hate/d/125758