‘People Laugh, Women Walk Freely’: Pakistani Designer Deepak Perwani Gets Slammed For Praising India
New Age Islam News Bureau
22January 2025
• ‘People Laugh, Women Walk Freely’: Pakistani Designer Deepak Perwani Gets Slammed For Praising India
• Women in Evin Prison Protest Executions with Hunger Strike
• Exiled Afghanistan Women Cricketer Urges Men's Team To Be The 'Voice Of Girls'
• Norwegian Women’s Rights AmbassadorSidsel Bleken Received By Saudi Shoura Council Official Receives
• Kurdish Cities In Iran Strike Over Death Sentences For Two Kurdish Women
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-pakistani-deepak-perwani-india/d/134402
-----
‘People laugh, women walk freely’: Pakistani designer Deepak Perwani gets slammed for praising India
By Fareha Naaz
22 Jan 2025
Pakistani designer Deepak Perwani contrasted the roads of Karachi with Indian roads and described them as being less accommodating for pedestrians(Deepak Perwani @X)
-------------
Deepak Perwani, the Pakistani fashion designer and actor, drew backlash after he said that India is doing better than Pakistan, during an interview on the show Something Haute. While sharing opinions with anchor Aamna Haider on the contrasting realities of life in Pakistan and India, he alleged that India ranks higher on the happiness scale, attributing it to the freedom Indian women enjoy.
The Pakistani fashion designer said, “If you see their lives comparatively, Indians have it better. Happiness abounds. People laugh and live their lives. Women walk freely on the streets, ride bicycles and motorbikes. Even rickshaw pullers and cab drivers use UPI.” He pointed to the stark differences between the two countries, especially in terms of freedom, happiness and infrastructure.
According to Deepak Perwani, India “is far more dynamic”. He made a veiled jibe on Pakistan's pavements and footpaths and said, "There are pavements and footpaths too. It's not a concrete jungle." He contrasted the roads of Karachi with Indian roads and described them as being less accommodating for pedestrians.
The 50-year-old Sindhi designer made these comments on Friday following his recent visit to India. He reminisced about the colourful life in Jaipur and said that he was pleased with the atmosphere, way of living and the technological advancement. However, he remarked that one could find similar environment in Lahore.
His comments about societal differences sparked mixed reactions on social media. A user remarked, "Pakistan is a third-world country with a low economy rate. Who is safe in Pakistan? Not even a 4 year old kid. Wherever you see, Indians are making a name for themselves. Accept the reality and do something productive. Get out of the illusion that we are exceptional and there is no one like us."
Another user added, "I have an old picture of Karachi when women were riding motorbikes. And I also have a picture of Mumbai being Bombay, and people were happy to have a mosque beside a temple! Things have changed in both countries, and disappointments are everywhere. But if you like that country more, don't badmouth, MOVE Out!!" A third user commented, “He needs to move to India and spare us!”
A fourth user stated, “Running away isn't solution. Go goindia u would never get respect u r getting here. Instead of making country better they are complaining.” A fifth user replied, “True, in India everyone has freedom. Especially for woman, you are free to go anywhere, study and to wear.” A sixth user responded, “We should aim to make our country and most importantly our city better.”
Source: Www.Livemint.Com
-----
Women in Evin Prison Protest Executions with Hunger Strike
January 22, 2025
A group of women prisoners in Tehran's Evin Prison began a two-day hunger strike on Tuesday to protest capital punishment in Iran
-----------
A group of women prisoners in Tehran's Evin Prison began a two-day hunger strike on Tuesday to protest capital punishment in Iran.
The strike, scheduled for January 21-22, coincides with the 52nd week of the "No to Execution Tuesdays" campaign, a prisoner-led initiative against capital punishment in Iran.
Many of the women executed were convicted of murder while defending themselves or their family members from domestic violence, rape, or forced marriage.
While most executions were for drug-related offenses, the UN also reported that political dissidents and individuals connected to the 2022 protests were among those executed.
Source: Www.Iranwire.Com
https://iranwire.com/en/women/138377-women-in-evin-prison-protest-executions-with-hunger-strike/
-----
Exiled Afghanistan women cricketer urges men's team to be the 'voice of girls'
Jan 22, 2025
Afghanistan women cricketer urges men's team to be the ‘voice of girls'. Courtesy: AFP
-----------
Afghanistan women’s cricketer Firooza Amiri urged the men’s team to come out in support of the women in the war-stricken country. After the Taliban took over in 2021, Amiri was amongst the women to flee the nation after the formation of laws that disallowed women from studying, working or taking part in any sport in Afghanistan.
Currently, playing club cricket in Australia, Amiri hasn’t lost out on hopes to once represent her country, which doesn’t seem to be possible under the current Afghanistan cricket board. Amiri said that the men’s team has gained enough popularity to help women in the Asian country flourish.
"They are in a good position at the moment in the world and if they start supporting us, they'll have a big impact on our team. They can be very, very helpful for us and for all the women. If women can start playing sport, women can start studying as well. It can be a pathway,” Amiri said on ESPNcricinfo'sPowerplay podcast.
"If they start supporting us, it's going to be a way for all women. If they can hear my voice from here: Afghanistan, national players, please, please be the voice of the girls at the moment. Please do more for us. Start doing something for women. You are the voice of Afghanistan. They are the most famous people at the moment. They can be the voice of millions and millions of girls,” Amiri said.
Due to Afghanistan’s resistance in women’s cricket, Australia and England have refused to play bilateral cricket with them. Australia have lent their helping hand to the Afghan women, arranging a T20 match between an Afghanistan Women's XI and a Cricket Without Borders XI on January 30 at the Junction Oval in Melbourne before the Day-Night Women’s Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Amiri hoped that pressure from the other boards may pave the way for Afghan women’s cricket to flourish. "If it has an impact on our team, that we can put pressure on the Afghanistan Cricket Board to make a women's team, then we will be happy, but only if it's a way we can start playing cricket,” Amiri added.
Amiri also acknowledged the danger that could bring to the Afghan men’s team if they raise their voices for women. "I know that there were always some challenges for them as well. Some of their families are still in Afghanistan. We don't want you to be in danger,” Amiri said.
Source: Www.Indiatoday.In
-----
Norwegian Women’s Rights AmbassadorSidsel Bleken Received By Saudi Shoura Council Official Receives
Arab News
January 22, 2025
RIYADH: Hanan Al-Ahmadi, assistant speaker of the Saudi Shoura Council, emphasized the positive impact of the Kingdom’s reform agenda in a meeting with Sidsel Bleken, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ ambassador for women’s rights, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Al-Ahmadi, who provided an overview of the council’s legislative and oversight functions to the visiting diplomat, lauded the achievements of Saudi women across various sectors in the Kingdom.
The pair also discussed bilateral cooperation and explored several topics of mutual interest.
Source: Www.Arabnews.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2587326/saudi-arabia
-----
Kurdish cities in Iran strike over death sentences for two Kurdish women
22 Jan 2025
Businesses in several Kurdish cities in Iran went on strike Wednesday after Kurdish groups called for a protest against the death sentences of two female political prisoners.
Social media images showed closed shops in cities such as Sanandaj, Saqqez, Divandarreh, and Marivan in Kurdistan province, as well as Mahabad, Bukan in West Azarbaijan province, and Kermanshah.
Earlier this week, six Kurdish groups released a joint statement urging people to stage a strike on Wednesday to prevent the executions of Pakhshan Azizi and VarisheMoradi by shutting down marketplaces, workplaces, and schools.
Moradi was sentenced to death in November by Tehran's Revolutionary Court on charges of "armed rebellion." Azizi received the same sentence in July.
Both sentences have sparked outrage locally and internationally. Shirin Ebadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, also joined the protest calls, writing on Instagram, “I urge all political, social, cultural, civil, and professional organizations to join this strike.”
Among the parties supporting the strike were the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, also known as the Kurdish Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI), the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan, the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, and the Kurdistan Organization of the Communist Party of Iran.
Azizi was sentence to death in July 2024 for “armed rebellion against the state” and imposed an additional four-year prison sentence for alleged membership in the PJAK, accusations her lawyers have denied. PJAK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Iran, Turkey, and the US.
In addition to these groups, students and a coalition of Kurdish women issued separate statements condemning the death sentences. They also expressed support for the strike, denouncing the treatment of Azizi and Moradi, who are detained in Tehran’s Evin Prison, notorious for its harsh conditions and political detentions.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International has condemned Iran’s Supreme Court for upholding Azizi’s death sentence, calling her trial deeply flawed and her punishment unjust. Amnesty said, “Iran’s authorities must halt any plans to carry out her execution and release her immediately,” adding that her conviction appears to be tied to her peaceful humanitarian and human rights work.
In a letter from prison, Azizi has described instances of torture and harassment, including mock executions. Her case has become a focal point for human rights organizations, with many viewing her sentencing as part of a broader pattern of state repression against political dissidents.
According to the US-based rights group HRANA, at least 54 political prisoners, including Azizi, are currently facing execution across various prisons in Iran. Iran has faced increasing international criticism for its widespread use of the death penalty, especially against political prisoners and activists.
Source: Www.Livemint.Com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202501228532
-----
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/women-pakistani-deepak-perwani-india/d/134402