UN Investigator Calls On Saudi Arabia To Free Female Activists
New Age Islam News Bureau
10
Jul 2020
•
Syrian Woman Promoting Quran in Istanbul
•
Professor Dr. Maha El Rabbat,the Egyptian Woman Selected As WHO’s Special Envoy
on COVID-19
•
UFC Abu Dhabi: Women Fighters Get A Shot at Redemption
•
Egypt Moves To Encourage Women To Report Sexual Crimes
•
Afghanistan To Appoint Female Deputy Governors, Starting with President’s Home
Province
•
Minister Stands Up for Saudi Woman Inventor — A Victim of Cyberbullying
•
Jordan- Gov't Has Issued Decisions to Promote Women Empowerment, Says Adaileh
•
PPP Women MPs Surround Speaker's Dais After Inappropriate Language Used ByPTI
MP
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/un-investigator-calls-saudi-arabia/d/122337
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UN
Investigator Calls On Saudi Arabia To Free Female Activists
Jul.
09, 2020
A United Nations special rapporteur has called on
the member states of the UN Human Rights Council to pressure Saudi Arabia to
free women activists
----
GENEVA:
An investigator for the UN Human Rights Council urged member states Thursday to
pressure Saudi Arabia to free women activists before a G20 nations summit which
Riyadh will be hosting in November.
At
least a dozen prominent women's rights activists were arrested in Saudi Arabia
in 2018 as it lifted a ban on women driving cars, a step that many of the
detainees had long campaigned for. The women were rounded up as part of a
broader crackdown on dissent that extended to clerics and intellectuals.
In
a speech to the council in Geneva, Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur
on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said Saudi Arabia should
release "prisoners of conscience, women, human rights defenders that are
currently in prison for demanding the right to drive".
There
was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia, the current chair of the Group of
20 major economies.
Several
of the arrested women have alleged torture and sexual assault in detention.
Saudi officials deny this and said the detainees were suspected of having
harmed Saudi interests and offered support to hostile elements abroad.
Some
of the activists are now on trial, but few charges have been made public.
Charges against at least some of the activists relate to contacts with foreign
journalists, diplomats and human rights groups.
Their
prosecution has drawn global criticism, particularly following the 2018 murder
of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the kingdom's Istanbul
consulate.
The
families of some of the activists, included Loujain al-Hathloul, raised
concerns earlier this year when they were unable to contact their detained
relatives in prison for several weeks. Contact was eventually restored.
Callamard,
who led a UN investigation into Khashoggi's killing, also said that "far
more needs to be done" internationally regarding accountability for his
death.
She
welcomed efforts by Turkey, which last week began trying 20 suspects in
absentia over Khashoggi's killing. Callamard attended those proceedings.
https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2020/Jul-09/508775-un-investigator-calls-on-saudi-arabia-to-free-female-activists.ashx
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Syrian
Woman Promoting Quran in Istanbul
July
10, 2020
Suzan Shaikha is a Syrian Quran activist residing
in Istanbul, Turkey.
-----
She
left Damascus for Istanbul some 25 years ago and has since been trying to learn
the Quran and promote teaching it.
She
is a memorizer of the Quran and has also mastered the ten styles of Quran
recitation.
Shaikha,
who is also known as Umm al-Bashar, has established a Quranic society named
Diyar al-Quran to teach the Holy Book to women and girls.
She
told Anadolu Agency that as a Muslim woman, she has always sought to act in a
way Islam expects her to act.
“I
used to teach the Quran in homes and realized there were weaknesses in teaching
the Quran and religious issues. That is why the idea of founding a Quranic
society came into my mind and it was realized in 2015 with the support of my
family.”
Shaikha
said there are currently 450 Arab women and 170 Turkish women learning the
Quran and Quranic issues at the society.
She
added that the Quran learners of the society take exams organized by Turkey’s
Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) and 22 of them received permission for
recitation of the Holy Quran last year.
https://iqna.ir/en/news/3471944/syrian-woman-promoting-quran-in-istanbul
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Professor
Dr. Maha El Rabbat , the Egyptian Woman Selected As WHO’s Special Envoy on
COVID-19
JULY
9, 2020
Professor Dr. Maha El Rabbat , the Egyptian
Selected As WHO’s Special Envoy
-----
Have
you heard of the name Professor Dr. Maha El Rabbat? She was appointed earlier
this year as one of the six special envoys on COVID-19 by the World Health
Organization, one of the only three Africans and two women appointed to the
position.
The
special envoys are tasked to provide strategic advice as well as political
advocacy in many parts of the world, and work closely with WHO Regional
Directors and country offices to manage the global response to COVID-19.
Previously,
professor Dr Maha El Rabbat was appointed to serve as the Minister of Health
and Population between July 2013 and March 2014, which made her the first lady
minister of health in Egypt. She has long been an advocate for better health
system governance and management and universal health coverage ever since.
She
graduated from Cairo University and was granted with her undergraduate and
postgraduate degrees with distinction. Following that, she held several
prestigious academic and leadership positions, such as being the Head of the
Public Health Department at Cairo University and worked as an international
expert in governance reform regarding hepatitis C virus and novel diseases in
deprived areas and vulnerable groups.
El
Rabbat was then elected as the chairperson of the public health department at
Cairo University in 2011, and made innovative changes by working with a team
from Indiana University to establish a research center on public health in
Africa to supporting the university’s regional and African efforts.
Currently,
she serves as the Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa Health
Policy Forum (MENA HPF), aiming to strengthen health systems and human
development in lower and middle income countries. She produces evidence-based
policy proposals, knowledge exchange, as well as research, and capacity
building all of which contribute to promoting better health and human
development in these regions.
El
Rabbat is also working on a critical new project with UNHCR and League of Arab
States, which aims to develop a regional strategy for public health for
refugees in asylum context, and how LAS member states can ensure better access
to public health for vulnerable people.
https://egyptianstreets.com/2020/07/09/meet-the-egyptian-woman-selected-as-whos-special-envoy-on-covid-19/
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UFC
Abu Dhabi: Women fighters get a shot at redemption
Ashwani
Kumar
July
8, 2020
TOP GUN: Brazilian star Jessica Andrade (right)
will be one of the biggest attractions at the UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. -
AFP file
-----
Jessica
Andrade squares off against Rose Namajunas in the UFC 251 Fight Island's first
non-title bout on Sunday
Jessica
Andrade and Rose Namajunas are two of a kind in the UFC women's strawweight
division. These two former champions have the most finishes (four each) and
both will seek to bounce back from demoralising losses.
The
UFC 251 Fight Island's first non-title fight presents them a shot at redemption
and a prospective clash against champion Zhang Weili.
For
both the fighters, Sunday's bout is a rematch of last year's championship fight
and their flashback is quite intriguing too.
While
defending her belt at the UFC 237 in May 2019, Namajunas was on a roll and
dominated Andrade until a split-second knockout slam floored the champion.
And
in her first title defence in August, Andrade was knocked down by Weili in just
42 seconds. Both fighters have been embarrassed by their failures and this main
card is a chance to bury the ghosts of 2019.
Andrade,
a Brazilian brawler with power punches, is hungry for success.
"I
am training three times a day. I am focused. I hope this fight leads to a title
shot," the number one ranked strawweight contender told reporters in
virtual media day from the Fight Island.
An
experienced Andrade has made a lot of adjustments to her style. "Rose
thinks she knows me but I have changed a lot since our last fight. I want to win
this fight but we will have to see who wants it more."
Andrade
has a high percentage of takedown accuracy and tops in strikes landed every 60
seconds. But she hasn't been touted as favourite here. However, she warned:
"I have been always underestimated but I don't mind. I want to enter the
cage and show the warrior inside me."
Meanwhile,
Namajunas, the number two ranked contender, is set to enter the octagon for the
first time since her loss to Andrade. It was a devastating loss for the
American and she took timeout to recover. Namajunas reconnected with her
grandmother in Lithuania and head coach in Minnesota, and focussed on enjoying
life rather than worrying about the reasons for the loss.
"The
most important thing was self-belief. My biggest challenge was to bring back
the confidence in me. I had a long training ground. Now there is a level of
excitement with correcting my mistakes and to see how my training has
been."
Namajunas
has the most submissions in her division and confident about her chances on
Sunday.
"I
am fully prepared. I am a normal born finisher. When I am in for 15 minutes,
the finish will present itself."
There
is more women's action on the main card with Amanda Ribas taking on Paige
VanZant in the flyweight division. Ribas is on a 9-1win-loss streak and
considered a top talent by Andrade and others.
"I
am beginning my career. I have my feet on the floor. The best energies are in
me. I am very excited as being in the main card is an amazing experience for
me. I have put all my heart into this fight," Ribas said.
The
perky Ribas is training with her team, including her father and brother. She
knows that VanZant, who is returning from injury, is a tricky opponent.
"She
is a little crazy. I have to prepare for everything. And I am prepared for the
best Paige VanZant ever," Ribas said, before adding that she would be
celebrating the win with a chocolate.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/ufc-abu-dhabi-women-fighters-get-a-shot-at-redemption
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Egypt
moves to encourage women to report sexual crimes
Hamza
Hendawi
July
9, 2020
Egypt’s
government has drafted an amendment to the country’s criminal law to allow the
protection of the identity of victims of sexual crimes, a move designed to
encourage more women to report such offences to authorities.
News
of the amendment comes as Egypt is gripped by a MeToo moment of its own, with
scores of victims of sexual harassment or assault breaking their silence and
sharing their experiences online.
The
unusually candid accounts from victims followed last week’s arrest of a man in
his early 20s who, according to activists and online testimonies, had sexually
assaulted or blackmailed up to 50 women.
Prosecutors
have accused the man, a former student at the American University in Cairo, of
attempting to sexually assault two women and an underage girl and blackmailing
others.
The
audacity of his alleged actions has dominated the national conversation and
unleashed a wave of anger over the lack of proportionate prosecution of the
perpetrators of sex crimes. It has also triggered soul searching by many about
the inferiority of women’s status in Egypt’s patriarchal society and how they
are commonly objectified in public spaces.
The
National Council for Women, a state agency with a mandate to protect women’s
rights and welfare, said it had received a staggering 400 complaints and
inquiries about violence against women between July 1 and 5.
Egypt,
an overwhelmingly Muslim nation of 100 million, is notorious for sexual
harassment. Its capital Cairo, home to some 25 million people, was found to be
the most dangerous megacity for women in a 2017 poll by the Thomson Reuters
Foundation. Ninety-nine per cent of women interviewed in Egypt by the United
Nations in 2013 reported sexual harassment.
Significantly,
the harassment comes from males of all ages, including boys as young as 9 or
10, and takes place in a multitude of places that include the streets, public
transport, shopping malls, parks, beaches, cinemas and historical sites.
A
government statement late on Wednesday said the amendment to the criminal law
was designed to protect the reputation of victims of sexual assault, immorality
or harassment. Protection of the victims’ identity, it said, is decided at the
discretion of the investigating judge.
The
next step would be for parliament to approve the amendment, a foregone
conclusion since the chamber is packed with government supporters.
The
amendment was warmly received by the National Council for Women, whose head,
Maya Morsi, described it as an “important step that history will remember”.
A
statement by the council quoted her as saying the change in the criminal law
reflects “the interest of the state in combating and eradicating this crime for
the protection of Egypt’s women and girls”.
The
public, particularly women, also have welcomed the amendment, but there is some
scepticism that the culture of sexual harassment and the perceived inferiority
of women’s status is far too entrenched in Egypt’s conservative society and
that a drastic, bottom-up change of attitude is needed.
One
major obstacle activists often cite is the belief held by many families and
institutions that a victim going public or seeking the prosecution of the
perpetrator brings shame or disrepute.
They
also claim that society is generally biased in favour of its males when it
comes to sexual harassment or assault, often blaming women for bringing such
crimes upon themselves. However, Egypt’s two highest religious authorities – Al
Azhar mosque and the Mufti – have for the first time publicly rejected the popular
notion that a woman’s attire could be blamed for such crimes. In milestone
pronouncements this month, they stressed that women cannot be held responsible
at any rate for rape, sexual assault or harassment.
“It’s
about time,” said a 22-year-old woman from Cairo who asked to be identified
only by her first name, Farida. “For far too long men and boys harassed women
on the streets with impunity. It is not OK to ignore the problem and it’s not
OK to feel unsafe on the streets.”
But
the feeling persists that the changes need to go beyond laws.
“As
much as I am happy and ecstatic about this big step for women in Egypt, I want
to see the officials that will be taking a victim’s report deal with her with
kindness and compassion rather than passing judgment and making her feel
worse,” a woman in her 30s wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
“The
sexual harassment-rape culture needs to change and it will when more women
speak up and more men support them.”
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/egypt-moves-to-encourage-women-to-report-sexual-crimes-1.1046830
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Afghanistan
To Appoint Female Deputy Governors, Starting with President’s Home Province
July
09, 2020
A
new decree from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani states that all of the country’s
34 provinces will appoint women as deputy governors.
Syed
Shah Saqim, a spokesman for the Independent Directorate of Local Governance
(IDLG), said the appointment will start with the southeastern province of
Logar, home province of the Afghan president.
Speaking
to Radio Free Afghanistan on July 9, Saqim said the appointment of female
deputies in all provinces has begun. “One of the women is set to be appointed
as deputy governor today in Logar Province, and this will continue in other
provinces, as well,” he said.
He
added that “after being interviewed by the president, the female deputy
governors will be selected and appointed based on merit and competence.”
Earlier,
presidential spokesman SediqSediqqi said the cabinet had decided that women
would be appointed deputy governor in every province.
According
to information from the president’s office, the proposal to elect female deputy
governors for all 34 provinces was initiated by the Women's Affairs Ministry
and was approved by the cabinet earlier this week.
Vice
President Amrullah Saleh also expressed support for including women in
high-ranking government positions. In a recent tweet, he stated that “each
province, as a MUST, will have a [female] deputy governor. This is part of our
structural reform to further empower women.”
“This
is a quota which has to be implemented in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan,” he
continued. “It must be done soon. Even if a woman becomes a governor the quota
still holds & applies.”
Women
in Afghanistan have made substantial gains in employment, education, and legal
protections since the fall of the hard-line Taliban regime nearly two decades
ago. Their regime banned women’s employment and education.
However,
Afghan women still face numerous challenges because of domestic abuse,
discrimination, taboos, and violence.
https://gandhara.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-to-appoint-female-deputy-governors-starting-with-president-s-home-province/30716750.html
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Minister
stands up for Saudi woman inventor — a victim of cyberbullying
July
04, 2020
Samir
Salama
Abu
Dhabi: Standing up for a victim of bullying, Saudi Minister of Communications
and Information Technology, Abdullah Al Sawah, phoned Aisha Al Saqqaf after she
was bullied on social media following publication of information about a new
vending machine for masks and gloves. “We are proud of you, creative,” Al Sawah
told Al Saqqaf.
Al
Saqqaf said: “I faced bullying from some trolls, and received criticism about a
Saudi-made project that I invented.”
Al
Saqqaf said she was a sponsored student in Malaysia with her husband, and
developed a number of customised self-service and vending devices. “I created
many self-service devices to sell single-use batteries for mobile phones, masks
and gloves, and prayer rugs,” Al Saqqaf added.
Danger
at the click of a button
On
her exposure to bullying, Al Saqqaf said, “In the age of the internet, the
opportunity to bully others has become easier, whereby harassment can take
place at the click of a button and reach a wider audience.
“It
was a difficult day for me as I watched my effort over the past three years
collapse before me, until one of the followers alerted me that most bullies
were from fake accounts, some of them from outside Saudi Arabia, and their goal
was to thwart projects and aspirations of Saudi youth.”
She
thanked the minister of communications for his support, “which has proven to
everyone that there is no country like Saudi Arabia in its support for creative
persons”.
Well-being
of young people
Cyberbullying
or harassing someone on the internet is a faceless evil, which is fast becoming
a growing threat for teenagers and can do irreparable damage to the mental
health and well-being of young people.
It
involves using technology through cell phones and the internet to harass, bully
or shame another person. It can take the form of sending threats and negative
messages to a person’s email account or cell phone, spreading rumours online,
sending sexually explicit messages or visuals or circulating sexually
suggestive material about a person without his or her consent.
Al
Saqqaf expressed her ambition to establish a Saudi factory that exports smart
services to the world, develop the financial technology sector and create an
attractive platform for investment.
Al
Saqqaf affirmed: “Saudi women are capable innovators and inventors. They only
need support and encouragement so that they can be an effective building block
in society, as they are no less talented than anyone.”
https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/saudi/minister-stands-up-for-saudi-woman-inventor--a-victim-of-cyberbullying-1.72407763
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Jordan-
Gov't has issued decisions to promote women empowerment, says Adaileh
7/9/2020
Jordan
News Agency) Amman, July 9 (Petra) - Minister of State for Media Affairs, Amjad
AdaIleh, said Jordan has the political will, led by His Majesty King Abdullah
II, and a "great" resolve to support, empower Jordanian women in
various fields.
During
his meeting on Thursday with the Arab Women Organization of Jordan (AWO)'s
president, members, Adaileh cited the recent decisions taken by the government
to empower women.
In
this context, he said the National Strategy for Women Empowerment 2020-2025 was
approved, and the Ministerial Committee for Women Empowerment Directorate was
"institutionalized" to become an active unit at the Prime Ministry.
The
Jordanian women are "distinguished" in the media sector, with 25
percent women journalists working in the industry, Adaileh said, adding others
have assumed leadership positions during the past years.
In
turn, the President of the AWO in Jordan, RandaQsous, reviewed the
organization's steps in preparing a report on the Kingdom's gender equality
situation, supported by the European Union Commission in Amman.
The
report, the first in the Arab world, examines the focus on integrating gender
in crisis management, and monitoring gender-related achievements and gaps,
according to Qsous.
https://menafn.com/1100460774/Jordan-Govt-has-issued-decisions-to-promote-women-empowerment-says-Adaileh
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PPP
Women MPs Surround Speaker's Dais After Inappropriate Language Used By PTI MP
July
9, 2020
ISLAMABAD:
Female lawmakers from PPP surrounded the speaker's dais in the National
Assembly after a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA used inappropriate language
regarding them during a session today.
The
argument started when a call for attention notice was presented in the assembly
by PPP over the unannounced load shedding being done in Karachi by the city’s
sole power supplier K-Electric.
Protests
started after a war of word ensued between Energy Minister Omar Ayub and PTI
lawmaker Aslam Khan with the female members of the house.
The
tensions showed no signs of stopping even after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri urged
the PTI lawmaker to not to speak female lawmakers this way.
“Women,
whether they are from the government or opposition, are to be respected,” said
Suri.
Upon
the deputy speaker’s request, PTI lawmaker Khan apologised to the lawmakers and
stated that he did not target anyone neither did he take anyone’s name.
This
is not the first time that lawmakers of the PPP and the ruling party have
exchanged harsh words against each other.
Last
month, PPP lawmaker Naveed Qamar and Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi,
of the ruling PTI, were also involved in a heated face-off during a session of
the National Assembly after Zaidi levelled indirect accusations against the
PPP.
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/684299-ppp-women-mps-surround-speakers-dais-after-inappropriate-language-used-by-pti-mp
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