Seylihan Rozi, an Uyghur Woman Sentenced To 17 Years For Teaching Islam To Her Kids And A Neighbour
New Age Islam News Bureau
11 January 2025
· SeylihanRozi, an Uyghur Woman Sentenced To 17 Years For Teaching Islam To Her Kids And A Neighbour
· UK Muslim Police Officer, Zara Basharat Shares Harrowing Abuse As She's Called 'P' Word And Has Headscarf Ripped Off
· Haldwani Violence Case: Detained Six Muslim Women Allege Inhumane Treatment in Jail
· We’ll Protect Muslim Women’s Right To Wear Hijab Freely: President of Ghana
· Three Women Killed in Western Iran in Separate Incidents of Gender Violence
· Decade After IS Abduction, Yazidi Survivor, SilvanaKhider, Returns To Iraq
· Sr. Mukari: Synodality will prove a ‘game-changer’ for women in Africa
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/uyghur-woman-teaching-islam-neighbour/d/134306
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Seylihan Rozi, an Uyghur Woman Sentenced To 17 Years For Teaching Islam To Her Kids And A Neighbour
By ShohretHoshur for RFA Uyghur
2025.01.10A
Saylikhan Rozi in an undated photo from a video screenshot. (RFA)
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Uyghur woman has been sentenced to 17 years in a Xinjiang prison for giving religious lessons to her two sons and a neighbor, officials in the region told Radio Free Asia.
SeylihanRozi, 49, was sentenced for providing “illegal underground religious activity” by teaching others the 10 Quranic verses that Muslims recite when they perform namaz, the practice of praying five times a day, said a policeman in Saybagh village who oversaw her case. He did not provide further information about her imprisonment.
A Bulaqsu Township Party Committee staffer in Kashgar prefecture’s Konasheher county told RFA that Rozi was originally a resident of Saybagh village and that she had been sentenced to prison for her “illegal religious activities.”
In recent years, Chinese authorities have penalized many Uyghurs in Xinjiang for religious activities, such as teaching the Quran to children, based on leaked Chinese government documents, data gathered by Uyghur rights organizations and testimonies from former detainees who were in “re-education” camps.
The government has criminalized normal religious practices of Uyghurs, such as reading the Quran, praying, growing a beard and going to mosques, under the pretext of fighting against alleged separatism, terrorism and extremism in the region.
Sons sentenced
Rozi’s sons were sentenced to seven and 10 years, respectively, in prison for receiving “illegal religious education” from their mother, the police officer in Saybagh village said.
Another staffer at the same police station in Saybagh village who also dealt with Rozi’s case said she received 17 years for teaching “illegal religious education” to her neighbor, YakupHidayet, and engaging in “illegal underground religious activities.”
Hidayet received a 9-year sentence, he said.
A review of detained Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Police Files — confidential documents hacked from Xinjiang police computers that contain the personal records of 830,000 individuals, and were first published by the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in 2022 — confirm the sentences given to Rozi’s sons, Sattar Kadir and Yusuf Ahmed Kadir.
Although Rozi’s arrest was mentioned in the files, no information was given about her sentencing.
The documents said Sattar and Yusuf Ahmed received “illegal religious education” between 2004 and 2008 from Rozi, who also taught her neighbor, YakupHidayet, for three days in June 2006.
Since 2017, the Chinese government has rounded up an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs in internment camps, accusing many of practicing their Muslim faith or sending their children to study Islam in countries like Egypt and Turkey. China has said the facilities were vocational training centers that have since been closed.
Other Uyghurs who were arrested for teaching their children the Quran or sending them to study the basic principles of Islam have also been charged with providing “illegal religious education” and sentenced to prison terms of 10 to 20 years. Their children were given sentences of less than 10 years.
Source: rfa.org
https://www.rfa.org/english/uyghur/2025/01/10/woman-sentenced-teaching-islam/
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UK Muslim Police Officer, Zara Basharat Shares Harrowing Abuse As She's Called 'P' Word And Has Headscarf Ripped Off
11 JAN 2025
PC Zara Basharat has been subjected to racial slurs, abuse and assaults on at least 41 occasions during her five-year career, which has been spent mainly on response in Sandwell (Image: WMP)
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A Muslim police officer has told off the horrific abuse she has faced whilst doing her job. PC Zara Basharat has had her headscarf ripped off, been repeatedly called the 'P' word, assaulted and been labelled a 'traitor' by members of her own community for covering the pro-Palestinian protests.
PC Basharat said because she is a female and wears a headscarf, she is seen as 'an easy target' by thugs. Despite suffering more than 40 racial slurs, abuse and assaults during her five-year career on response in Sandwell, she has been trying to improve support for colleagues in similar situations.
Her work has been recognised and will be presented with the Sam Hughes Inspiration in Policing Bravery Award, at the end of the month.
PC Basharat said: “Officers in general face abuse all the time, but ethnic minority officers get it more. I’m female, I’m South Asian, I wear a headscarf, and some see me as an easy target.
"I’ve already been racially abused twice this year by members of the public – it happens too often. My experiences are not the only ones. There are so many officers that face it day in, day out.”
At the very worst, attacks included having her hijab pulled off, which she proudly wears as a Muslim woman. She has been called the ‘P’ word countless times, has been told to ‘go back to your prayer mat’ and has even had threats made to burn her headscarf.
The West Midlands Police Federation member said: "I have faced abuse even in my own community. I have been labelled a ‘traitor’ and been subject to harassment, and have also been videoed and posted online while on deployment for the pro-Palestinian protests. There was so much hate and resentment towards me, which did upset me.”
PC Basharat is using her experience as a frontline officer to try to improve support for colleagues who have been racially assaulted or abused. It includes developing a resilience programme, which will be focused on improving the way supervisors and the organisation support colleagues who are subject to abuse at work.
She is working with the Force’s Black and Asian Police Association on the programme and has had support from its chair, Chief Inspector Chris Grandison. The officer said: “He has really motivated me to keep going. The purpose of the programme is to help officers to build their resilience, to expand it and grow, as well as to build a network and make meaningful connections between officers and offer that support to each other.”
Her experiences of the policing of the Palestine protest were shared with senior leaders. And now her work has been recognised with the Sam Hughes Inspiration in Policing Bravery Award.
PC Basharat added: “As police officers we don’t get recognition often but when we do, it’s a nice feeling, especially coming from the senior leadership team, and them recognising their staff and what they go through. But while it is nice to receive, we don’t do it for awards. A quote that resonates with me is from Ghandi, who said ‘be the change you want to see in the world’.
“There is a gap in training and support for officers around physical and racial abuse during frontline duties. The support needs to be consistent from the first assault onwards. If the wellbeing support is not right from the beginning, this may have a detrimental effect on an officer’s wellbeing.
"I believe this training is needed to help improve the way supervisors and the organisation support colleagues who face abuse. This may have a positive overall lasting impact on officer’s welfare and staff retention issue. It is so important to have a diverse police force, as we need to have a police force that represents the community that we serve.”
Source: birminghammail.co.uk
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/muslim-police-officer-shares-harrowing-30752306
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Haldwani Violence Case: Detained Six Muslim Women Allege Inhumane Treatment in Jail
January 11, 2025
NEW DELHI – In a shocking revelation, six women who were imprisoned in connection with the February 2024 Uttarakhand’s Haldwani violence case and recently released on bail, have accused prison authorities of forcing them to perform unpaid manual labour during their seven-month incarceration. The women allege that they were compelled to clean toilets, mop floors, and undertake other tasks typically outside their prison duties.
According to the detainees, forced labour violated their fundamental rights under Article 23 of the Constitution, which prohibits forced labour in any form. The prison laws also explicitly forbid such practices, but the women insist that they were subjected to harsh and degrading conditions during their time in jail.
The Haldwani violence, which saw the loss of seven lives and injuries to over 150, erupted following the demolition of a mosque and madrasa in the Banbhulpura area on February 8, 2024. While police claimed the structures were illegally built, the demolition sparked violent protests, which led to arrests, including those of the six women. The accused are now facing severe charges, including violations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), though many argue they were wrongfully implicated.
The women, who come from low-income backgrounds, described their imprisonment as a nightmare. One of them, Reshma, who suffers from diabetes and severe kidney infections, said she was forced to clean toilets and perform other tasks despite her fragile health. “I was not given proper medication. They only gave me painkillers for my ulcers, and when I asked to be exempted from cleaning due to my health condition, I was beaten up,” she claimed.
Salma, another woman, recalled being taken into police custody after being shown a photograph of her in the crowd during the protests. She said, “I was washing clothes when the police came for me. They took me to the station, showed me a photo, and after I confirmed it was me, I was arrested.” Despite her protests, Salma was held for several months without trial. “The worst part was not the cell itself, but the uncertainty, the feeling of being abandoned,” she said.
The women reported that while they had access to limited religious freedoms, such as fasting and praying during Ramadan, the treatment they received was degrading. “We were given only two meals a day, and we saved some of it for iftar (breaking of the fast) and sehri (pre-dawn meal). There was no proper arrangement for iftar, and the food was terrible,” said one detainee.
The women also said that they faced threats from prison staff, with one victim alleging that she was warned of beatings if she spoke to relatives for too long during their visits. “It was like living in constant fear. Every day felt like a year,” said another woman.
The conditions inside Haldwani jail were described as appalling, with the women stating that the mattresses provided were thin and uncomfortable, and the blankets were dirty and stank. “It felt like they were treating us less than human,” said Shahnaz, a widow who works as a maid to support her family. She added that the forced labour started early in the morning and continued for hours, with little respite.
The plight of these women is compounded by their socio-economic backgrounds. Many of them come from families with no male breadwinner or live in extreme poverty. For instance, Soni, a mother of three, was separated from her nine-month-old daughter when she was sent to jail. “I couldn’t breastfeed my baby. It broke my heart to be away from her,” she said tearfully. The hardship caused by their prolonged detention also affected their families. Soni’s children missed out on their education during her time in jail, and now she faces the added burden of not having the financial means to re-enroll them in school.
The women all credited the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, a prominent Muslim religious and social organisation, with assisting them in their legal battles. Their gratitude is clear, as they acknowledge the group’s role in securing their bail and fighting for justice. “We would not have been able to get out of jail without their help. They gave us a voice when no one else would,” said one woman.
Meanwhile, the political and religious context of the Haldwani violence remains contentious. The Banbhulpura mosque and madrasa were demolished by the Haldwani Municipal Corporation on January 30, 2024, which led to widespread protests. The government justified the demolition by claiming that the structures were built on Nazul land, a designation for government property, but local Muslim leaders dispute this claim.
Advocate Mohammad Yusuf, the vice president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind in Uttarakhand, questioned the selective targeting of Muslim religious structures. “Why were these mosques and madrasas demolished when other religious buildings on Nazul land were left untouched?” he asked. Yusuf, who has been a vocal critic of the government’s actions, further questioned the legal justifications used to demolish the mosque and madrasa, arguing that the land in question was not Nazul land but “Crown land” given to Muslims by the British government in 1937.
The tensions surrounding the demolition have fuelled resentment among the local Muslim community, especially as the matter remains under litigation in the high court. “If the land was Nazul land, it could not be transferred between individuals. The government’s actions are unjust,” said Safia Malik, the wife of Abdul Malik, a prominent businessman and key figure in the protest movement.
Her husband, who is currently imprisoned along with their son, has been accused of masterminding the violence following the demolition of the mosque. Safia strongly denied these charges, asserting that her husband was in Delhi and Noida during the period of the violence.
The controversy surrounding the demolition and the resulting violence underscores the wider concerns about religious intolerance and the treatment of Muslims in India. Critics argue that the administration’s actions reflect a broader pattern of marginalising Muslim communities in the country, particularly through the targeting of religious properties.
Despite the traumatic experiences they endured, the women released from Haldwani jail have expressed their determination to fight for justice and hold the authorities accountable. “We were treated like criminals, but we are innocent,” said Salma. “We just want justice.”
The case of Haldwani continues to raise important questions about the treatment of Muslims in India, the role of religious discrimination, and the need for reforms in the prison system to ensure the protection of human rights. As the legal battles continue, it remains to be seen how the authorities respond to these allegations and whether the victims will see justice served.
Source: clarionindia.net
https://clarionindia.net/haldwani-violence-case-detained-muslim-women-allege-inhumane-treatment-in-jail/
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We’ll Protect Muslim Women’s Right To Wear Hijab Freely: President of Ghana
January 11, 2025
President John DramaniMahama has reiterated his commitment to safeguarding the rights of Muslim women to wear the hijab freely, emphasizing the importance of religious freedom and equality.
Speaking at the National Muslim Prayer and Thanksgiving event at the National Mosque in Kanda, Accra, on January 10, Mr Mahama assured the Muslim community of his administration’s dedication to upholding constitutional provisions that protect the rights of all citizens.
“We promised to uphold the constitutional provision that Ghanaians are free to belong to any religion and to profess their religion. Professing our religion includes how we dress. And so, in that vein, we will protect the rights of Muslim women to wear their hijabs wherever,” he stated.
The President also reaffirmed his commitment to educational advancement within deprived Muslim communities, pledging scholarships to promote equitable access to higher education.
“We also promised to provide more scholarships for students in deprived communities, especially the Muslim communities, to study three main subjects—medicine, so that we can have more doctors who are Muslims; law; and Information and Communication Technology,” he added.
Mr. Mahama’s remarks reflect his administration’s focus on fostering inclusivity and addressing disparities in education and religious freedom.
Source: citinewsroom.com
https://citinewsroom.com/2025/01/mahama-well-protect-muslim-womens-right-to-wear-hijab-freely/
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Three Women Killed in Western Iran in Separate Incidents of Gender Violence
JANUARY 10, 2025
Three young women have been murdered in western Iranian cities over the past week amid ongoing concerns about violence against women in the region.
In Kermanshah, 18-year-old KosarDarabi was shot and killed by her husband on January 1, according to the Hengaw Organization for Human Rights.
Sources report that Darabi was forced into marriage two months ago and had endured severe physical abuse before her death.
Her husband has been taken into custody.
In Saqqez, Sara Karami, a mother of a six-year-old boy who was in the process of divorce, was found dead in her home.
Her body showed signs of strangulation and head trauma, with bruising around her neck and blood from her ears. The identity of the assailant remains unknown.
In Sanandaj, 27-year-old GhazalehHodoudi, a mother and tailor who was married as a child, was attacked in her shop on December 25.
Reports say that SirvanSa’edpanah, a rejected suitor, set her on fire after she refused his marriage proposal. Sa’edpanah also sustained burns in the attack and is currently receiving medical treatment.
In Iran, official bodies do not provide accurate statistics on femicides, though incidents are reported in Iranian newspapers.
According to Etemad newspaper, 78 women were murdered by their relatives or family members between March and September this year.
In 2023, Shargh newspaper reported that male family members killed at least 165 women between 2021 and 2023.
Of these, 27 women were murdered in the first three months of 2023 alone, with “honor killings” cited as a primary motive.
These figures reflect only reported murders, and the actual number is likely much higher.
Source: iranwire.com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/137966-three-women-killed-in-western-iran-in-separate-incidents-of-gender-violence/
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Decade After IS Abduction, Yazidi Survivor, SilvanaKhider, Returns To Iraq
by Safin Hamid
Jan 10, 2025
Her family had lost hope she would ever return after Islamic State fighters took her and thousands of other Yazidi women and girls as sex slaves from Iraq into Syria during their reign of terror.
A decade later, 27-year-old SilvanaKhider walked for days across Syria as president Bashar al-Assad's rule came to an end, and was reunited with her sister in Iraq.
While she was taken by IS, she spent the last years of her ordeal in Syria's Idlib province, bastion of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that spearheaded Assad's fall on December 8.
"I am very happy, but also very sad. My father and two of my brothers are dead. My mother and another of my brothers are missing. And I have four sisters in Europe," said Khider, who wore a black overcoat and her jet-black hair in a bun.
Her story echoed that of thousands of other Yazidis whose community in northern Iraq suffered a murderous campaign in 2014 of death, mass rape and enslavement that UN investigators have qualified as genocide.
In August that year, IS jihadists murdered thousands of Yazidi men, and took into neighbouring Syria thousands of women and girls to sell them in markets as wives for militants from around the world.
Jihadists took Khider, who was 17 at the time, from her village in Sinjar province to Tal Afar in northern Iraq.
- 'No news' -
After she tried to escape, they took her to Raqa in Syria, a self-declared IS capital.
She ended up in Baghuz, the jihadists' last bastion in eastern Syria until their defeat in March 2019 at the hands of a US-led coalition and Kurdish-led forces.
"I had no news for 10 years and six months of my sisters, and they knew nothing about me," Khider said in broken Arabic.
Forced to speak Arabic for more than a decade, her native Kurdish has also become poor.
"They thought I was dead. They even laid a tomb for me," she said.
It was not entirely clear why she was unable to return home immediately after the defeat of IS in 2019.
But she said she spent more than four years in Idlib province, which was ruled by HTS.
She said those years were marked by "fear, hunger and aerial bombardment" of the last rebel and jihadist holdout of Assad's era.
"In Idlib people helped me, there was no IS," she said, though she added that she lived "alone in a basement".
She said the sheikh of a local mosque helped her -- but gave no details on the kind of help she received.
Asked whether she was forced to marry, she fell silent and then whispered: "No."
While some Yazidi victims of violence have shared their story publicly, the sheer level of trauma has made it hard for many others to disclose the details of their captivity.
Equally unclear were the details of her journey home, which she made with the help of the Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office, an Iraqi Kurdish body.
Beginning her journey during the final days of Assad's rule, it took Khider five days to cross Syria, she said.
First she went to Manbij, a flashpoint Kurdish town in northern Syria. Then she walked by night until she reached Raqa, she said.
She kept walking to the Kurdish towns of Hasake and Amuda in eastern Syria, and then a car took her to the Iraqi border.
- Missing relatives -
Yazidi families have told AFP they paid traffickers thousands of dollars for information on their missing loved ones and to try to secure their release.
Hussein Qaidi, who heads the Kidnapped Yazidi Rescue Office, said IS abducted 6,416 Yazidis.
More than 3,500 have since been rescued in Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
One Yazidi woman was repatriated from the Gaza Strip in October.
But more than 2,600 Yazidis remain missing, according to data cited by the UN in Iraq.
Qaidi told AFP his team had received information on Khider in the days following Assad's ouster, which allowed them to "contact her and to help to return".
MulukaKhider, Silvana's sister, recalled receiving a phone call informing her that she was still alive.
"A few days later, I spoke with her by phone. It was a great joy," said Muluka.
Muluka too had been kidnapped by IS and taken to Raqa where she was sold in 2018, before she and a group of women escaped.
The remains of their father and two brothers were found in a mass grave, she said.
"We don't know what happened to our mother and our other brother. But I don't think they survived," she said.
Source: monitor.com
https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/01/decade-after-abduction-yazidi-survivor-returns-iraq
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Sr. Mukari: Synodality will prove a ‘game-changer’ for women in Africa
10 January 2025
By Susan Nzomo
For many religious sisters, the synodal process signals a long-overdue shift toward inclusion and shared responsibility. They believe that the Synod's outcomes could be transformative, especially in regions where leadership has traditionally been male-dominated.
In the past, leadership within the Church, particularly in theological and canonical fields, was largely reserved for men.
According to Sr. Lydia Mukari, with of the Mary Mother of God of Kakamega congregation, religious women had limited opportunities to engage in formal studies like theology, canon law, or scripture, and their voices were often absent from decision-making processes.
However, recent years have seen a gradual shift. More women, including religious sisters, are now pursuing advanced studies in theology and scripture, achieving qualifications that position them as knowledgeable contributors within the Church.
As Sr. Mukari told Vatican News, "For many years, women were seen as passive participants in the Church’s mission. But today, we are stepping into roles that allow us to share our God-given gifts in more profound ways. This change is not just for women—it strengthens the entire Church."
This shift has allowed women to take on roles as theologians and scripture scholars, expanding their capacity to influence and contribute to Church discourse and development.
Potential impact of the Synod on Synodality
Religious sisters are particularly hopeful that the recent Synod on Synodality will continue this momentum, leading to an even stronger recognition of women’s roles.
They believe the Synod can still be a “game-changer” for the Church in Africa and worldwide.
Sr. Mukari emphasized the importance of this potential change, saying: "The Synod is not just a meeting. It’s a movement toward justice and equality in the Church. By formally recognizing women’s leadership, the Church can become a true reflection of Christ’s inclusive mission."
By amplifying women’s voices, the Church can foster a community where all members, regardless of gender, feel integral to its mission and future.
Such an outcome could have far-reaching implications, especially in African societies where leadership roles are traditionally male-dominated.
She said the Synod promoted equal involvement for women, adding that it will both enrich the Church and empower communities by demonstrating the value of women’s perspectives in guiding the Church forward.
"In many parts of Africa, women are already leaders in families, communities, and educational institutions. It’s time for the Church to formally recognize this reality and invite us to lead with dignity and purpose," said Sr. Mukari.
Looking to the future
Synodality, said the religious sisters, presents an opportunity for a more inclusive and community-centered Church, with religious women hopeful that it will lead to a Church that values all contributions and allows women to take part fully in leadership.
"The Synod offers us a chance to rewrite the narrative of women in the Church. We are not just helpers; we are co-creators in Christ’s mission," Sr. Mukari explained.
As women’s voices become more central to Church life, the Church in Africa has the potential to model a more equitable and participatory leadership style that benefits all members.
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Source: vaticannews.va
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2025-01/synodality-africa-sister-mukari-women-leadership-interview.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/uyghur-woman-teaching-islam-neighbour/d/134306