Women break stereotypes to encourage interreligious dialogue in violence-torn Nigeria
New Age
Islam News Bureau
30 November 2023
· Women break stereotypes to encourage interreligious dialogue in violence-torn Nigeria
· Last Girl in Hamas Captivity Is a Muslim Teenager
· CAIR Files Suit Against Kentucky Jail for Removing Muslim Woman’s Hijab and Livestreaming Her Strip Search
· Arab-Israeli female detainees in Israeli jails refuse to join the Hamas deal
· Türkiye stands with Palestine's struggle for freedom, says Turkish first lady
· 12 Israeli women and teens, 4 Thais, released from Hamas captivity under truce deal
· Palestinian activist Ahmed Tamimi among 30 prisoners released in deal for hostages
· Indian woman who went to Pakistan to marry Facebook friend returns to country
· WiSER co-hosts Arab Women Leaders’ Summit during COP28
· German Minister Urges Global Support For Iranian, Afghan Women
· 11-year-old girl raped by Maulana in mosque in UP''s Hamirpur
· Jihadists in Burkina Faso: Mariam Ouedraogo, journalist haunted by the rapes
· Iranian Interior Minister Defends Public Surveillance For Hijab
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-encourage-violence-nigeria/d/131225
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Women break stereotypes to encourage interreligious dialogue in violence-torn Nigeria
Nov 29, 2023
Alhaja Bola Usman, a Muslim woman who is
a retired Nigerian Customs officer, and Sister Agatha Chikelue, a member of the
Congregation of Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy, pictured in an undated
photo, are building a movement of women of faith to stand up against violence
and search for peaceful coexistence in Nigeria. (OSV News photo/Sister Agatha
Chikelue)
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ABUJA, Nigeria (OSV News) -- While religion was not originally an issue linked to conflicts in the country, deeply rooted religious hostility has in recent decades created a divide between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.
Now, when the state of religious freedom in the country is called "abysmal," an interreligious duo is working together to make a push for religious tolerance.
"It's not a Christian and Muslim conflict but a group which feels the way others are practicing religion isn't the right way," Sister Agatha Chikelue said.
Sister Agatha is a Nigerian Catholic woman religious from the Congregation of Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy. Along with her counterpart, Alhaja Bola Usman, a Muslim woman who is a retired Nigerian Customs officer, they are building a movement of women of faith to stand up against violence and to search for peaceful coexistence in their country -- Nigeria Women of Faith Peacebuilding Network.
The duo started their efforts in 2008, just one year before the insurrection by Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast region of Nigeria. In 2012, Sister Agatha and Usman institutionalized the network.
The terrorist group has since targeted and killed Christians. In 2014, the group abducted 276 students from a girls' school in Chibok, and nine years later, 98 girls are still being held by Boko Haram. Other groups such as Fulani herdsmen are violently targeting Christian communities, killing people and forcing them from their villages.
The security situation has further been complicated by other militia groups targeting Christians. In the most recent gruesome news from the country, a Catholic novice of the Benedictine monastery in Nigeria's northern IrukuKwara State, Brother Mark Onyekachi Godwin Eze was abducted and killed by his kidnappers, and his body was thrown into the river. He was buried Nov. 22. Terrorism and persecution of Christians are constantly a great concern for Nigerian citizens.
A new report released by Open Doors, an international network monitoring global Christian persecution, said that more than 360 million Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith in countries across the world.
No fewer than 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith last year. Ninety percent of these were from Nigeria alone, with the country’s levels of violence toward Christians marked as "extreme" by Open Doors.
"The jihadist movement, which seeks to expand Sharia (law) across the continent, has forced Christians into constant motion, from their homes to displacement camps, or to other countries," Open Doors said.
"The insecurity stemming from this experience of forced displacement makes Christians even more vulnerable to further violence. Christian women, in particular, can be easily targeted for sexual attack, while men are more likely to lose their lives," the organization added.
Nigeria is about equally divided: a little more than half the country's 225 million people are Muslim, a little fewer than half are Christian.
Sister Agatha, who has read the Quran and has made many Muslim friends, told OSV News she doesn't see the terrorist sect as a force but as misguided fanatics. "It's a fallacy that doesn't exist anywhere in the Quran, when you kill one person unjustly; it's as if you have killed the whole nation."
She added that the holy book of Muslims states that "even if you kill mistakenly, you'll have to do a lot of atonement."
Born in the eastern part of Nigeria into a family of six in 1973 in Anambra, in the southeastern region of Nigeria, Sister Agatha is the director secretary of the Interreligious Dialogue Office of the Archdiocese of Abuja and co-chair of the Nigeria Women of Faith Peacebuilding Network.
The activity of the network focuses on bringing Muslim and Christian women together to tackle issues tied to interreligious conflicts and domestic violence against women -- two topics that are deeply woven into the fabric of the northern region.
"When we started … there were challenges; it was more difficult to get Christian women than Muslims. Eventually, when we all came together, it was more like an eye-opener," Sister Agatha said.
Over time, she said, "we discussed issues that were affecting us as Nigerians; we discussed issues of social injustices, bad governance, economic breakdown, insecurity, abuse and misuse of religion. Gradually, these women began to trust us; the wall of fear began to collapse."
The interfaith network organizes annual fellowship programs on interreligious dialogue and mediation to build the capacities of religious leaders to become peace builders in their respective communities and also mediate and dialogue for peace during conflicts with all representatives of different religious organizations in Nigeria.
The network also offers training in bread making, fashion design and other activities to make women come together and invite coexistence.
Co-founder Usman may be from a different religion, but one thing the 62-year-old grandmother has in common with Sister Agatha is her thirst for humanity.
"Alhaja Bola would wear her hijab and walk into the church. And when they obstruct her at the gate, she won't get angry or go back, rather she would smile and give me a telephone (call), while I wear my habit, and walk into the mosque with the rosary and Bible," Sister Agatha said.
"All these happened at the peak of the Boko Haram attacks," she said.
Usman was educated at St. Bernard Catholic School in southwestern Nigeria. This gave her a vast understanding of the Bible and exposure to how to override negative impressions and perspectives between Muslim and Christians.
She prays the Hail Mary and recites the Angelus, a Catholic devotion commemorating the incarnation. "When I was saying Hail Mary full of grace, Sister Agatha was amazed that a Muslim woman was saying the rosary," Usman said.
Their work is being supported by the Swiss Embassy and the Cardinal John Onaiyekan Foundation For Peace, an organization working for peace in northern Nigeria.
Source: detroitcatholic.com
https://www.detroitcatholic.com/news/women-break-stereotypes-to-encourage-interreligious-dialogue-in-violence-torn-nigeria
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Last Girl in Hamas Captivity Is a Muslim Teenager
11/30/23
Aisha Ziyadne, 17, was kidnapped from
kibbutz Holit with her father and brothers on Oct. 7.Courtesy of Ziyadne's
Family
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After the release of more children on Wednesday, only one child remains in captivity by Hamas.
Aisha Ziyadne, 17, was kidnapped from kibbutz Holit with her father and brothers on Oct. 7.
Ziyadne is a Muslim Israeli citizen, according to Haaretz. She had recently gotten engaged.
Wahid Ahoziil, a volunteer for the Center for the Missing and Captives in the Arab community, described the family as “simple people” who have worked at local kibbutzim for several years, the Times of Israel reported.
Aisha's father, 53-year-old Yusuf, has 18 children and 20 grandchildren.
“Yusuf is a friendly guy, well-liked by everyone, one of the best in the clan,” his brother Ali told Haaretz. “He resolves conflicts and problems, bridging between families. He takes care of everyone like a brother and a friend. Everyone respects him. He's an exemplary person, he really is.”
Yusuf has diabetes and his family is concerned that he may not have access to medication.
Aisha's brothers, 18-year-old Bilal and 22-year-old Hamza, are also being held hostage. Hamza is married with two children.
Two children who were originally believed to be in captivity were pronounced dead by Hamas on Wednesday. Ariel Bibas, 4, and KfirBibas, 10 months, were killed along with their mother, Sherry Silverman Bibas.
Source: themessenger.com
https://themessenger.com/news/aisha-ziyadne-last-child-hamas-captivity-muslim-teenage-girl-israel
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CAIR Files Suit Against Kentucky Jail for Removing Muslim Woman’s Hijab and Livestreaming Her Strip Search
Ibrahim Hooper
November 29, 2023
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/29/23) – The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil
rights and advocacy organization, today announced the filing of a lawsuit in
partnership with RoulaAllouch of Bricker Graydon against Warren Country
Regional Jail in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for depriving a Muslim woman of her religious rights by forcing her to remove
her hijab, taking a booking photograph without it and allowing the photo to
remain publicly available on its website.
The woman was also subjected to an unnecessary full-body strip search that was filmed and projected on a TV screen for all those present in the jail lobby to see.
CAIR’s lawsuit states in part:
“All incarcerees and their religious beliefs are entitled to basic respect and certainly privacy, particularly Muslim women whose modesty is not just a personal conviction but a religious obligation.”
The lawsuit “aims to have Warren County Regional Jail implement a policy change prohibiting it and its officers from taking booking photographs of Muslim women without their hijab, and to order Defendants to destroy the publicly available image of Mrs. Doe from their database and any security footage that captured her without her hijab during her time at their facility.” Furthermore, “to enjoin Warren County Regional Jail and its officers from engaging in public, unnecessary strip searches of any individual.”
“Every moment that photo remains on Warren County Regional Jail’s website perpetuates the harm and anguish suffered by Mrs. Doe. It is a permanent record and consistent reminder of the violations to Mrs. Doe’s privacy and religious beliefs,” said CAIR Legal Fellow Aya Beydoun. “To make matters worse, we believe the Jail still has the recording of her strip search in their records.”
CAIR offers an educational toolkit, called “A Correctional Institution’s Guide to Islamic Religious Practices,” to help correctional officers and administrators gain a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanesen los Estados Unidos.
Source: cair.com
https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-files-suit-against-kentucky-jail-for-removing-muslim-womans-hijab-and-livestreaming-her-strip-search/
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Arab-Israeli female detainees in Israeli jails refuse to join the Hamas deal
November 29, 2023
Misinformation surrounding the Arab Israeli detainees' inclusion in the Hamas deal sparked outrage within the jails
Arab women detained in Israeli prisons have expressed their refusal to be included in the list of individuals freed as part of the Hamas deal.
Lawyer Hassan Jabareen, director of the AdalahCenter for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, confirmed this stance in an interview with the Walla news website.
Jabareen, representing the detained students, emphasized that the arrests were related to inflammatory posts on social media since October 7, with no indictments filed against them. He stated, "We see no justification at all for filing an indictment, nor extending the detention, which is illegal." The detainees intend to present their position against the decision to the Ministry of Justice.
According to Jabareen, none of the 20 detained female university students have been convicted, and their hearings have not yet begun. They are presumed innocent, making their inclusion in the Hamas deal unclear and legally contentious.
Moreover, Jabareen raised concerns about misinformation surrounding the detainees' inclusion in the Hamas deal, suggesting that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir may be behind the spread of such news.
He highlighted that neither the Public Prosecution nor the families and lawyers were informed about the alleged inclusion. The lack of information raises additional concerns and prompts the demand for clarification.
Source: i24news.tv
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel-at-war/1701280849-arab-israeli-female-detainees-in-israeli-jails-refuse-to-join-the-hamas-deal
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Türkiye stands with Palestine's struggle for freedom, says Turkish first lady
Muhammed EnesCalli
29.11.2023
Türkiye stands with Palestine's struggle for freedom, Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan said Wednesday as she marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
Using the hashtag #FreePalestine on X, Erdogan said: "Today, we stand in solidarity with the innocent people in Gaza, who lay their heads upon the earth as their pillow and the heavens above serve as their sole coverlet."
"No one will ever be entirely secure anywhere in the world so long as innocents continue to be brutally murdered for an unjust cause."
"We once again appeal to the conscience of the international community on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People; we demand an immediate, permanent, and sustainable peace for pregnant women, newborn babies, and all civilians who are being massacred, rather than a temporary ceasefire," she added.
Those who stand against any form of oppression, irrespective of the perpetrator, and those who prioritize brotherhood and mercy over holding grudges and animosity should know that they are not alone, she said.
"Regardless of the situation, Türkiye will consistently support the innocent and oppressed, and will strive to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. And I am convinced that ultimately, humanity will prevail," she added.
Late on Monday, Qatar announced an agreement to extend a four-day humanitarian pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas for an additional two days, during which more prisoner exchanges will take place.
The pause has given some respite to Gazans, who just faced a relentless six-week offensive by Israel in the wake of an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas.
It has since killed over 15,000 people, including 6,150 children and 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave, and through a tight blockade, has left Gazans with little to no food, water, fuel, and medicine, in a desperate humanitarian state.
The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.
Source: aa.com.tr
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkiye-stands-with-palestines-struggle-for-freedom-says-turkish-first-lady/3068312
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12 Israeli women and teens, 4 Thais, released from Hamas captivity under truce deal
11/30/23
Another 16 people were released from Hamas captivity in Gaza on Wednesday night, including 12 Israelis — five of them teens — and four Thais, as efforts were ongoing to extend the truce deal for at least another two days in exchange for the release of further hostages.
The group saw a significant delay in its release, with 10 Israelis and the four Thais being handed over the Red Cross only around 11 p.m. The group passed through the Rafah crossing into Egypt and entered Israel around midnight.
Two Israeli women with dual Russian citizenship were freed earlier in the evening as a “gesture” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, separate from the deal with Israel.
The Thais were also not part of the ceasefire deal, with their release taking place under an agreement with Bangkok. Thai officials have not published the identities of those released.
A senior Israeli official told reporters earlier on Wednesday that Israeli, American, Egyptian and Qatari representatives were in Qatar to discuss extending the truce the night, which would otherwise expire early Thursday. The pause in fighting had been pre-approved by the Israeli cabinet for up to 10 days, and has so far been in effect for six.
Ten of those released Wednesday were part of the extension of the ongoing deal, the sixth such group to be freed so far.
The release brings the number of civilian hostages freed from Gaza in the last week to 97 — 73 Israelis and 24 foreign nationals, mostly Thai agricultural workers. The IDF said earlier Wednesday evening, ahead of the latest release, that 159 hostages are estimated to remain in Gaza.
They were all kidnapped from southern Israel on October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took some 240 hostages, including about 40 children.
As part of the ongoing deal, Israel was releasing a further 30 Palestinian security prisoners late Wednesday evening, bringing the total released so far to 210.
Among those freed from the Strip were five children aged 18 and under, and seven other women, including one with US citizenship. Many of them have family members still held hostage.
The latest release reduces the number of known hostages aged 18 and under in the Strip to four: Kfir and Ariel Bibas, 10-months and 4-years-old, as well as siblings Aisha and Bilal Ziyadne.
Hamas claimed Wednesday that the Bibas children and their mother, Shiri, had been killed, something the IDF said it could not confirm but was investigating.
Who was released
Those released Wednesday night included RaayaRotem, 54, the mother of 13-year-old Hila Rotem who was freed alone several days ago. Hila told family members that the two had been held together until shortly before her release, angering Israel, which had demanded that mothers and children not be separated as part of the hostage deal.
The two Russian-Israelis released outside the framework of the deal were Yelena Trupanov, 50, and her mother, Irena Tati, 73. Yelena’s son, Sasha, remains in captivity along with his girlfriend, Sapir Cohen.
Yelena’s husband and Sasha’s father, Vitaly, was murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Nir Oz, and buried without any of his immediate family present.
The youngest hostage released on Wednesday was 13-year-old GaliTarshansky, taken captive from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. She was grabbed as she and her father Ilya jumped out of their safe room window after terrorists set their home on fire. Her 15-year-old brother LiorTarshansky was murdered. Ilya survived.
Tarshansky’s mother, ReumaAroussi, has been one of the public faces of the battle to return the hostages home. Reuma said the family chose not to bury or grieve Lior as they continued to battle for the return of Gali.
Another freed hostage was Itay Regev, 18, who was kidnapped with his 21-year-old sister, Maya Regev. Maya, who was shot before she was kidnapped, was released Saturday night without Itay. She underwent surgery following her release and is said to be recovering well. The siblings from Ramat Hasharon were taken hostage from the Supernova music festival in Re’im.
Upon Maya’s release, her mother, Mirit said her heart was “split in two,” as she rejoiced over the release of her daughter and feared for her son still held in Gaza.
Another partial family reunion can take place after Liam Or, 18, was freed from captivity. Or was taken captive with his cousins Alma and Noam, who were freed on Saturday. YonatOr — Alma and Noam’s mother, and Liam’s aunt — was murdered on October 7, something the children only found out once they were released from Gaza.
Dror Or, Liam’s uncle and Alma and Noam’s father, is still believed to be held captive in Gaza.
Amit Shani, 16, was also freed from captivity in Gaza Wednesday evening, after being kidnapped along with Ofir Engel, 17, who was also released in the same group of hostages.
Engel, a Jerusalemite, was visiting his girlfriend in Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7. He was taken hostage with her father and her uncle, Eli and Yossi Sharabi, who are both still held hostage. The rest of Yossi’s family was murdered in the onslaught. Engel’s girlfriend survived.
Shani, who lived in Be’eri, was the only member of his family taken hostage, loaded into a car with Engel and the Sharabis as his mother and two younger sisters looked on helplessly.
Four other women were released from Hamas captivity on Wednesday evening, with two of them having husbands still being held captive.
Raz Ben Ami, 57, was captured from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7 along with her husband, Ohad. Family members say that Raz has growths in her brain that press on her nerves and cause terrible pain, and can’t survive for long without her medications. Ohad, also 57, is still being held hostage. Both also hold German citizenship.
The women released also include US-Israeli citizen LiatBeininAtzili, 49, taken from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Atzili, a tour guide at Yad Vashem, was kidnapped along with her husband, Aviv — who remains behind in Gaza.
The couple’s three children, ages 22, 20 and 18, were unharmed and have been desperately awaiting the return of their parents.
Moran Stela Yanai, 40, a jewelry designer abducted from the Supernova music festival, was also released on Wednesday night.
Days after the massacre and mass abduction at the festival — where Stela Yanai was going to sell her designs — her family came across a video posted online from the day, showing her sitting on the ground looking terrified.
Yarden Roman-Gat, 36, taken captive from Kibbutz Be’eri, was also freed from the Strip, and can be reunited with her husband and daughter, who managed to escape as terrorists tried to take the three of them captive.
Roman-Gat, a dual Israeli-German citizen, was visiting the kibbutz for the holiday after the family had moved away only a few weeks before, unable to stomach the ongoing rocket attacks that were common in the area.
Yarden, her husband, Alon Gat and their three-year-old daughter Geffen were forced into a car heading toward Gaza on October 7, but they seized an opportunity to jump out when the terrorists spotted an IDF tank.
They all jumped out, and Yarden handed Geffen to Alon as they split up, knowing he could run faster than she could. Alon hid with his daughter for 12 hours in bushes before being rescued. They found no trace of Yarden.
Truce in the balance
With close to 100 hostages already freed from Gaza — including one rescued by the IDF and the bodies of two recovered by the military from the Strip — all eyes are on the remainder of those held captive, mostly men, some of them elderly, and a number of IDF soldiers.
An extra two days of the truce would see an additional 20 Israelis released from the Strip, in exchange for 60 more Palestinian prisoners and a further 48-hour pause in fighting.
Israeli officials vowed Wednesday that the IDF would continue its ground offensive in Gaza in the coming days.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “In recent days I’ve heard a question: Will Israel return to fighting after this stage of returning our hostages is over? My response is an unequivocal yes,” the premier says. “There is no way we won’t return to fighting until the end.”
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that “IDF forces in the air, ground and sea are ready to renew the battle immediately,” as military chief Herzi Halevi approved a battle plan for after the ceasefire, saying: “We know what needs to be done, and are ready for the next stage.”
Source: timesofisrael.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-6th-release-12-israelis-and-4-thais-freed-from-gaza-following-54-days-of-captivity/
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Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi among 30 prisoners released in deal for hostages
29 November 2023
Prominent Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi was among 30 Palestinian prisoners, all women or minors, released from Israeli jails overnight Wednesday as part of a deal for the Hamas terror group to set free 10 more Israelis from among those it is holding captive in the Gaza Strip.
“During the night, 30 male and female security prisoners were released from a number of prison facilities,” Israel’s prison service said in a statement.
The Wafa news agency cited the Palestinian Prisoners Commission as saying 15 women and 15 teenage boys were released from Israeli prisons. Qatar gave a slightly different breakdown, of 14 women and 16 minors.
All of those released, with the exception of one, were arrested after October 7, when Hamas carried out a devastating attack on Israel that killed over 1,200 people. The terrorists also abducted at least 240 people who were taken hostage in Gaza. Israel responded with a military campaign to crush Hamas and remove it from power in the Strip.
Tamimi, a 22-year-old West Bank Palestinian, was arrested some three weeks ago after posting on social media that Palestinians will “slaughter” settlers and “drink your blood.”
“Our message to the herds of settlers is that we are waiting for you in all the West Bank cities, from Hebron to Jenin,” Tamimi wrote then. “We will slaughter you and you will say that what Hitler did to you was a joke, we will drink your blood and eat your skulls. Come on, we’re waiting for you.”
A temporary truce in the war began last week and was extended on Monday. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas releases 10 women and children it is holding hostage every day and Israel lets 30 Palestinian prisoners out of jail.
Seven of the Palestinians to be released are Arab Israeli women, the Ynet outlet reported, citing a list published by Hamas.
Tamimi became an icon of the Palestinian cause at age 16 after she was jailed for slapping an Israeli soldier. She served an eight-month sentence in an Israeli prison, and after her release went on a victory tour, crisscrossing Europe and the Middle East.
Also released Wednesday was Suhir Ismail Musa Barghouti, 64, a Hamas member from the West Bank who has been held since October 26 on unspecified suspicions. She is the oldest woman from among the hundreds of Palestinian security prisoners who could be released in exchange for hostages.
Her two sons, Asem and Salih Barghouti, carried out a December 2018 shooting attack at the Ofir Junction in the West Bank, critically injuring Shira Ish-Ran and moderately injuring her husband Amichai. As a result of the attack, Ish-Ran, who was heavily pregnant at the time, lost her baby son.
Salih was killed by the IDF a week after the attack and Asem was arrested a month later.
At least one of the Arab Israeli women who were added to the list of prisoners strongly objected and said that neither she nor her family nor her attorney were informed that she was being put on the list.
The woman, who did not wish to be identified in media, has been indicted for expressing support and identifying with a terror organization, following comments she made on social media following October 7, but has yet to be tried and denies her comments violated the anti-terrorism laws leveled against her.
“Due to the opposition of my client to being included on the list, and due to the heavy concern of severe harm to her as a result of being released under such circumstances when she is still entitled to the presumption of innocence, I request that you clarify what the legal significance is of my client being included in this decision and what the implications are on the legal process that is pending against her,” an attorney from the Adalah legal aid organization wrote in a letter to State Attorney Amit Aisman and Attorney General GaliBaharav-Miara.
So far, Hamas has released a total of 73 Israeli hostages and 23 Thai nationals and 1 Filipino during the six days of the temporary truce. The original deal stipulated that the pause in fighting could be extended up to a total of 10 days — if Hamas releases at least 10 additional hostages each day, with Israel freeing more Palestinian inmates at a ratio of three prisoners for each hostage.
Israel previously freed 180 female and underage Palestinians serving time in Israeli prisons for security offenses before the 30 released Wednesday, including Tamimi.
The government on Monday approved the names of 50 additional female prisoners who could be considered for release if Hamas freed 20 more Israeli hostages in the following days.
Many of the prisoners are affiliated with Hamas, Fatah, or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but some have no known affiliations with any terror groups.
The new list brings to 350 the number of Palestinian prisoners selected for possible early release as part of the agreement.
Source: timesofisrael.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-activist-ahed-tamimi-set-to-be-released-in-deal-for-gaza-hostages/
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Indian woman who went to Pakistan to marry Facebook friend returns to country
29th November 2023
AMRITSAR: Anju, an Indian mother of two children who travelled to Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend, returned to India through the Wagah-Attari border on Wednesday, officials said.
Anju alias Fatima, 34, had travelled to a remote village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan to marry her Facebook friend Nasrullah, leaving her children in India.
Her 29-year-old Pakistani husband accompanied her up to the Wagah border.
On reaching India, she was not allowed to interact with the media and straightway went to the airport to catch a flight to Delhi.
At the Shri Guru Ramdas International Airport here, Anju was spotted wearing a burqa.
She told the media there, "I am here in India to meet my Indian family. I came back to India of my own volition."
Anju had travelled to Pakistan via the Wagah-Attari border in July with a visa, converted to Islam, changed her name to Fatima after getting married to Nasrullah, whom she had befriended on Facebook four years ago.
Anju's Indian husband Arvind had said that she left home on the pretext of going to Jaipur but later the family came to know that she was in Pakistan.
Source: newindianexpress.com
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/29/indian-woman-who-went-to-pakistan-to-marry-facebook-friend-returns-to-country-2637323.html
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WiSER co-hosts Arab Women Leaders’ Summit during COP28
30th November 2023
Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy (WiSER) - Masdar’s global initiative that champions women as leaders of sustainable change - will co-host The Arab Women Leaders’ Summit in the Green Zone at COP28 on December 4.
Held under the theme, “Gender Inclusion and Climate Change: Advancing Equality for a Resilient Future”, the Summit will explore the critical relationship between gender equality and climate action.
Bringing together a diverse program of participants including researchers, activists, policymakers and civil society representatives, the Summit will convene high-level speakers including Princess Lamia Bint Majed Saud AlSaud, Secretary-General, AlWaleed Philanthropies, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Barbara Rambousek, Director, Gender and Economic Inclusion, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Participants at the half-day event will work together to identify challenges, share best practices, and develop strategies to promote gender equality in climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience efforts.
Dr LamyaFawwaz, Executive Director of Brand and Strategic Initiatives, Masdar, said: “We are proud of the impact that WiSER has made through its commitment to education, engagement, and the empowerment of tomorrow’s sustainability leaders since its founding in 2015. The Arab Women Leaders’ Summit at COP28 reflects the UAE’s continued commitment to advancing gender parity in sustainability, recognising the many women around the world who are entrepreneurs, innovating new technologies and leading the global mission to tackle climate change. More than 100 professional young women from 30 different nationalities have graduated from WiSER’s Pioneers programs so far, and we believe this Summit will provide further inspiration to the next generation of pioneering women leaders.”
Masdar’s WiSER initiative supports current and future generations of female leaders and seeks to integrate gender equality into climate change agendas, fostering a more inclusive, equitable, and resilient future for all.
WiSER’s engagement at COP28 supports the Presidency’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, by advocating for gender equality as a tool to improve working conditions, advance technology and ultimately, address climate change. --OGN/ TradeArabia News Service
Source: tradearabia.com
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/OGN_416309.html
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German Minister Urges Global Support For Iranian, Afghan Women
November 29, 2023
The German education minister says education is essential for the foundations of women's rights in Iran and Afghanistan, calling for international support.
Speaking to Iran International about ways to empower women in Iran and other authoritarian states, Bettina Stark-Watzinger, the Federal Minister of Education and Research and the Deputy Leader of the Free Democratic Party, praised the efforts by Afghan and Iranian women, pointing out that the fight for freedom is fostered by education, which is “the best way to make people independent.”
Speaking on the sidelines of an event organized by the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation, an NGO that supports human rights activists through financial support, Stark-Watzinger told Iran International’s Ali Samadi that the first steps for supporting Iranian women would be supporting dissident figures and make the world see “how human rights and women’s rights are violated.”
“We always have to speak up against” such violations, she added, alongside Iranian opposition figure Masih Alinejad and several other activists and officials.
Addressing Stark-Watzinger, Alinejad voiced appreciation for the German government, which she said has promised to back Iranian and Afghan women in their fight for freedom.
On the anniversary of the death of MahsaAmini, whose death in morality police custody triggered a nationwide uprising, German Foreign Minister AnnalenaBaerbock pledged Berlin's solidarity with the people of Iran.
"Even if the protests have disappeared from the headlines, we will not leave the people of Iran on their own," she said. "We will place the fate of the people in Iran on the agenda in Brussels, New York and Geneva."
"As much as it breaks our hearts, we will be unable to change conditions in Iran from outside, but we will not hold back from giving the people in Iran a voice," Baerbock said at the time. Germany has also backed ongoing EU sanctions on Iran relating not only to its nuclear program but for its brutal suppression of protesters during the Women, Life, Freedom uprising. Baerbock has repeatedly condemned Iranian authorities for human rights violations and is among the most vocal European leaders who speak out against Tehran’s treatment of women and protesters.
Alinejad recognised the support, and said, “We believe that Iranian and Afghan women are fighting against a common enemy: gender apartheid".
During the event, the Axel Springer Freedom Foundation gave its courage award to Afghan women for their fight against the rule of Taliban, which has been intensifying restrictions on women’s education and social presence since it seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war.
Referring to the award, Alinejad said that giving awards alone is not enough. “If you do not take practical steps to remove the Islamic Republic and the Taliban, they will eliminate you on German soil,” referring to assassination attempts she has so far evaded from regime security forces on foreign soil.
A UN assessment of the women’s rights situation submitted to the 15-member Security Council in November read, "The basic rights of women and girls, including the right to education and to work, and representation in public and political life – are not only fundamental obligations of a state, but also critical to build state capacity for long-term development and economic growth and peace and security.
"Any formal re-integration of Afghanistan into global institutions and systems will require the participation and leadership of Afghan women.”
Since the Taliban returned to power, most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities. The Taliban have also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian.
In Iran, since last September's uprising, women have been under increasing oppression as they rebel against mandatory hijab. They have been banned from public spaces, education and faced fines and jail terms for shunning the state laws which has seen a nation rise up.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311291423
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11-year-old girl raped by Maulana in mosque in UP''s Hamirpur
30th November 2023
HAMIRPUR: An 11-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a Maulana in a mosque here, police said.
The incident allegedly took place when the girl had gone to take Urdu class from Maulana MuntazirAlam, 28, in a mosque in the Kurara area, they said.
It is alleged that the Maulana stopped the girl after the class and raped her, they said.
He allegedly gave toffee to her younger brother and asked him to sit outside the mosque before committing the rape, they said.
Later, when the girl reached home she told her parents about the incident, and they informed the police.
SHO, Kurara, Sri Prakash Yadav said that an FIR has been registered in this connection under the relevant sections of the IPC and the POCSO Act, and the accused has been detained.
The accused hailed from Bihar, he said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/nov/30/11-year-old-girlraped-by-maulana-in-mosque-in-ups-hamirpur-2637348.html
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Jihadists in Burkina Faso: Mariam Ouedraogo, journalist haunted by the rapes
29th November 2023
The rapes are "sometimes collective or even public, in front of a spouse, in front of the children: these stories leave insurmountable traces", says Burkinabe journalist Mariam Ouedraogo, who has never finished recounting the jihadist violence that has struck her country since 2015.
Her gaze vacillates between concern and overwhelm, contrasting with the energy of her rebellious curls and the brightness of her yellow jumpsuit. This 42-year-old woman, the first African woman to win last year's Bayeux Prize for war correspondents, goes to the front every night and every day. Endlessly.
"It's my cross," says this Muslim employee of the state-owned daily Sidwaya, who was recently invited to a conference on investigative journalism in Johannesburg.
Burkina Faso is caught up in a spiral of violence perpetrated by jihadist groups affiliated to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, which have already struck neighboring Mali and Niger. More than 17,000 people have been killed and more than two million internally displaced.
For four years now, Mariam Ouedraogo has been writing about "sexual violence linked to terrorism, mainly rape", which is difficult to tackle "because in Burkina Faso, everything to do with sexuality is taboo". Rape even more so.
Victims also don't like to confide in us "because it touches on their intimacy and their dignity".
Mariam, mother of a seven-year-old girl, has forged strong ties with these women, who have placed their trust in her. As well as recounting the violence, she keeps in touch to listen and tell them what happens next, the repudiation by their families, the pregnancies resulting from this violence, the birth of these traumatized children.
Mariam was so overwhelmed by these "atrocities" that she was unable to maintain the necessary, salutary distance. For a long time now, she has been struggling with symptoms of post-traumatic stress, insomnia, anxiety and depression.
"Every time they told me about their rapes, it was as if I was being raped in their place," she says, her eyes clouded with emotion. "Maybe I didn't know how to put distance between what they were telling me and me being there, just to reap".
Today, "whenever they're in distress, they call me. Unfortunately, I see myself as powerless", which gives rise to "an internal conflict that persecutes me to this day".
- Every night at the front -
Mariam Ouedraogo was already interested in life's wounded and vulnerable. The legacy of an exceptional maternal grandmother, a "lady of heart" who fed and welcomed all the "social cases" in her neighborhood.
"Our courtyard was like a refuge for all those in difficulty, marginalized people, widows and orphans", she recalls. If she went out and left a pair of shoes, when she came back the grandmother had given them away. "She felt that me and my sisters had enough, that we didn't need them".
When the jihadist attacks began, the journalist first became interested in the women involved in self-defense groups. Then she realized that "in the killings, women weren't automatically killed. I wondered why.
She went out into the field. "And that's when I understood: we traumatize them differently. I knew they were being raped, kidnapped and held captive.
In her small way, her grandmother restored social justice. Mariam follows in her footsteps through journalism.
"I'm sensitive to human suffering, observant of those little things around me that to others may seem trivial. I capture everything that is pain", says this sensitive woman.
She won't stop. "I've turned the corner and I'm going to continue on the subject of rape. These women need me.
Even if it means losing sleep forever. "Every night, I'm at a crossroads, between the army and the terrorists. I direct the people, the population, 'Run, they're coming, they're here'. Every morning I wake up exhausted", she confides.
From the capital Ouagadougou, where there have already been attacks, she travels a hundred kilometers to meet displaced women.
"Zero risk doesn't exist. If they're everywhere, no one is safe," she says with a touch of fatalism. "We're going with fear in our stomachs, but we're going anyway."
Source: africanews.com
https://www.africanews.com/2023/11/29/jihadists-in-burkina-faso-mariam-ouedraogo-journalist-haunted-by-the-rapes/
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Iranian Interior Minister Defends Public Surveillance For Hijab
30th November 2023
Iran's Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has defended the practice of government agents photographing citizens in public spaces, describing it as "natural."
As a response to public outcry, Vahidi compared traffic control cameras, asserting that capturing images of those violating rules is a common and convenient method.
In April, Iran's police announced that new cameras were installed in public places and thoroughfares to identify and penalise unveiled women, another attempt to rein in the increasing number of women defying Iran's compulsory dress code.
Tehran’s prosecutor opened a case against the reformist Etemad newspaper on Sunday after it published an interior ministry document outlining the enforcement of hijab rules. The report provided details about the deployment of hijab enforcers at Tehran's subway stations and cited a directive issued by Vahidi to several government entities, including Tehran Municipality and the Metro Company.
The document, outlining steps for enforcing hijab rules in "government-controlled places," contradicted Vahidi's earlier denial of his ministry's involvement in the deployment of hijab enforcers at subway stations.
A state official responsible for promoting religious social standards, Mohammad-Hossein Taheri-Akerdi, said on Saturday that over 2,850 "revolutionary and jihadi forces" are voluntarily carrying out the religious duty of enforcing hijab.
Vahidi's directive, as disclosed in the document, grants authority to the police, the intelligence organization of the Revolutionary Guards (SAS), and the Ministry of Intelligence to photograph and film women defying hijab rules in public places, including subway stations and metro cars. The collected evidence will be used for prosecution and intimidation, aiming to enforce compliance with hijab regulations.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202311295496
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