Young Arab Women Say Society Shackles, Infantilizes Females
New Age
Islam News Bureau
19 July 2023
• Young Arab Women Say Society Shackles,
Infantilizes Females
• Arab Women In Sports: Overcoming
Obstacles And Achieving Excellence
• Morocco’s Women’s Soccer Team Inspires
Girls in Arab World
• Muslim Community Suggests Olive Garden
Attack On Black Woman Was Motivated By Hate
• £337,485 For Life-Saving Scheme In
Sunderland To Help Improve Cancer Screening Among Muslim Women
• Iranian Women's Rights Official Says
Gender Justice No Longer Needed In Policy Plan
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/young-arab-society-females/d/130253
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Young Arab Women Say Society Shackles,
Infantilizes Females
Photo:
Khaleej Times
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KUWAIT:
It is said that human beings are their
purest, most unfiltered self the day they are born. The very first day they
step foot into the world, free of the shackles and limitations of society’s
expectations based on the gender they came as into this world. Gendered
socialization often happens from learned behaviour — boys and girls start to come
to terms with what is expected of them solely based on their gender despite
them having the same capacities at birth. So, how is it that during their
formative years, they’ve already developed behaviours and adopted roles
associated with what is expected of them as girls and boys?
In the Arab world, most boys are taught
from an exceptionally young age that they’re not allowed to cry on the
playground if they ever got hurt as it is unmanly, that they are allowed to
roam the streets without a chaperone as it gears them up for independence, and
that no one has the right to belittle or humiliate them as it could harm their
ego and, possibly, their masculinity. Girls learn from a very young age that it
is expected of them to be obedient, tidy, passive, and have less options when
it comes to activities or hobbies in general. Initially, the family or
household dynamic is the first thing that children are introduced to.
“I’ve been taking care of my younger
siblings, helping my mother out my entire life, and what kills me is that I
still ask for permission to do things on my own despite being 27 years old,”
said Aya. “As a woman, you constantly compensate for not being a man. So, you
work twice as hard just to prove you’re worth being taken seriously. So, it
does not matter that I help my mother out by basically being a third parent,
this does not grant me the life that I want. Why? Because it is simply expected
of me.”
When girls are brought up in a society
that treats them as second-degree citizens no matter where they are in life, it
eventually gets buried in the subconscious to never ask for more and never take
up space as some girls truly believe they are unable to get tasks done without
a guardian. They learn to depend on adults rather than themselves as they sense
the behaviors that are expected of them by their parents, and so they act
accordingly as men were always considered the showrunners despite these women
being fully functioning adults who are capable of the same experiences as men.
“Women are expected to be caregivers,
nurturers, teachers, and therapists. We fix things, we always have the answer,
but are not allowed to run things or do things independently as this may hinder
any chance of us getting married. They teach men to be providers their entire lives
and God forbid a woman is independent and can provide for herself, she is
instantly seen as unwomanly. We don’t want to come off too strong, otherwise
we’re too intimidating and no man would want to come near us,” Aya said
laughing.
The very first years of any child’s life
are extremely crucial as they are extremely influential as well as
impressionable — their brains are basically sponges where they mimic, mirror,
and absorb every bit of mannerisms presented in front of them. Studies have
shown that children notice how their parents react to certain things, as well.
So, with girls choosing pink and boys opting for the monster truck, the
parents’ reaction is usually positive, making their kids think that there is a
right answer as well as a wrong one. Here, the child’s brain starts
categorizing and putting things in boxes for them to understand things better.
In some societies, girls are not allowed
to study abroad whereas men are often encouraged as well as emotionally
supported by their parents to do so. Frequently, girls talk about how
heartbreaking it is to have grown up in the same household but have a
completely different experience of ‘life’ as their very own siblings solely
because of their gender. 19-year-old Ayah expresses how somewhat disappointing
it is to “see your parents be supportive of my brother continuing his studies
abroad whereas my father’s excuse for me not being able to do so is because he
is scared.”
“I have been told numerous times that it
might be too much for me to handle as he does not believe I can navigate my way
around a foreign city on my own, but even if that were true, I was never really
taught to be my own person and experience life on my own terms. As girls, we
learn to fit the stereotype as much as possible, there is no such thing as a
woman with her own personality, so no one truly knows who you are or what
you’re capable of, not even myself.”
Aya said women are “constantly breaking
(themselves) into digestible pieces and making (themselves) small especially
when a man is around.” Her brother, on the other hand, thinks it’s unfair for
society to put so much pressure on men. “We are ridiculed for the weirdest
things like showing emotion, what do you mean I’m not allowed to cry?” he
laughs. “I think boys never get to be kids whereas girls are treated like kids
forever”.
Source: kuwaittimes.com
https://www.kuwaittimes.com/young-arab-women-say-society-shackles-infantilizes-females/
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Arab Women In Sports: Overcoming Obstacles
And Achieving Excellence
Kenneth Stjernegaard
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18 Jul 2023
OnsJabeur reached the final of
Wimbledon, one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments, for the second time.
The Tunisian stated that her loss was "the most painful" of her
career, but she is determined to come back even stronger. This has been the
story of women’s sports in the Arab world: a tale of struggle, obstacles,
challenges, as well as top performance. Looking at the history of the modern
Olympics, although the participation of Arab women following the independence
of Arab nations and their integration into the international sports system was
delayed, with priority given to male sports (and still is), their performance,
on the other hand, has been notable.
It all started with Nawal El
Moutawakel’s gold medal in the 400 meters hurdles at the 1984 Summer Olympics
for Morocco, followed by the impressive performance of Algerian Hassiba Boulmerka,
who won both Olympic and world championship titles while her country was going
through one of the most difficult times in its contemporary history. GhadaShuaa
also deserves recognition for winning Syria’s first and only gold medal in the
heptathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics, which is not an easy discipline in
track and field.
Let’s not forget other Arab women
champions such as Nizha Bidouane, a two-time world champion in the 400 meters
hurdles, and middle-distance runner NouriaMérah-Benida, who won gold in the
2000 Sydney Summer Olympics. Habiba Ghribi also deserves praise for her gold
medal in the 3000 meters steeplechase at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. The
2012 Olympics were a milestone for Arab women’s participation, witnessing the
inclusion of women from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This happened after the
International Olympic Committee and international sports federations relaxed
their rules regarding the wearing of veils.
Since then, Saudi women have started
participating in other regional and international sports events, including for
the first time the Arab Sports Games, which were held this month in Algiers
after a 12-year of interruption since the Doha 2011 Arab Games due to various
political and financial reasons.
We have many more OnsJabeurs in
different sports, such as judo, taekwondo, and even boxing, who deserve greater
celebration. In the upcoming Summer Olympics, the ratio between male and female
athletes will be equal. To enhance the nation’s performance and increase the
number of medals, investing in women’s sports is not an option but a necessity.
The women’s Moroccan national football
team is representing Arab women in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New
Zealand which will kick off in the next few days. Let’s cheer for them as we
did for the men’s team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Source: thepeninsulaqatar.com
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/opinion/18/07/2023/arab-women-in-sports-overcoming-obstacles-and-achieving-excellence
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Morocco’s Women’s Soccer Team Inspires
Girls in Arab World
July 18, 2023
Morocco’s national women’s soccer team
is set to make its first appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. After years
of being largely hidden, Moroccan women’s soccer is gaining new ground at home
and around the world.
During one game in May, the crowd was
not very big. The game was between a Moroccan national women's professional
league team and the armed forces team called ASFAR. ASFAR, a strong women’s
team in Morocco, won 7 to 0.
One young fan in the crowd was still
very excited.
Dressed in a shirt reading “Morocco” in
Arabic, AliaeBenazzouza went to the field to meet the players.
“I was very happy,” the young girl said.
IdrissBenazzouza is Aliae’s father. “I
teach (my daughters) confidence, not fear,” he said. “Sports don’t
differentiate between genders.”
The women’s national team is known as
the Lionesses. Benazzouza said the Lionesses show “how women’s soccer has
progressed” in the North African country. He said the team has filled him with
joy. He added, though, that not everyone he knows shares his happiness. Those
with conservative views or religious beliefs are opposed to women wearing
shorts.
The national team’s upcoming Women's
World Cup appearance follows the male team’s historic semifinal run in the 2022
FIFA World Cup. The team gained support from other Arab countries.
That year, Morocco also hosted the 2022
Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The event drew large numbers of fans and
increased enthusiasm for this year’s worldwide women’s tournament.
“The qualification of the women’s team
for the finals at the Africa Cup of Nations … breathed new life into women’s
soccer in Morocco,” said Khadija Illa. She president of the national women’s
soccer league.
Team victories, she said, were the
results of efforts in recent years by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation to
develop soccer, including for women. Female players and teams had often been
ignored in Morocco and the Arab world.
Those efforts include the hiring of the
Lionesses’ coach ReynaldPedros. The Moroccan federation also supports women’s
clubs with salaries. Providing financial help was part of an agreement
announced in 2020 for the growth and professionalization of women’s soccer.
Hiba Karami plays for a local team
called Fath Union Sport. The advancement in women’s soccer has made a dream of
hers a reality. Last year, Karami was one of the players representing Morocco
in the FIFA under-17 Women’s World Cup.
“Some kids or men would say that women
belonged in the kitchen and weren’t made for soccer,” she said. “I knew that I
loved the game and that I will play.”
Boys in her neighborhood accepted her
“because I played better than they did,” Karami said.
NouhailaBenzina also plays for the
national team and for ASFAR. She said her soccer career has opened up new
possibilities for her. The 25-year-old never saw soccer in conflict with her
modest clothing and the Islamic headscarf she wears on and off the field.
Many think of her as a role model.
“This ... makes me want to work harder
to show girls that they can achieve great things,” Benzina said.
In parts of the Middle East and North
Africa, women’s soccer is limited by financing or conservative feelings. But
the game is making new pushes in places when there are official efforts to
develop the game.
Ahmed Qoffa is a shopkeeper in Gaza,
ruled by the militant Hamas group. He said he supported Morocco’s men’s team
but has a problem with female players wearing shorts.
“If it is within the legal, cultural and
societal limits, then there is no problem,” he said.
In Egypt, 61-year-old Hassan Yousef
argued that soccer “is a rough game that is not at all fit for women.” He said
he would not enjoy watching women play.
Dr. Husam Mokhtar, a Libyan in Egypt,
said he doubts women’s soccer can become as popular as men’s. He added that
“soccer is a men’s game.”
His 13-year-old daughter, Miral,
disagreed. “Every sport should be played by everyone,” she said.
I’m Dan Novak.
Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA
Learning English based on reporting from Associated Press.
_____________________________________________________
Words in This Story
gender — n. a person's own sense of
being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor
female
view — n. an opinion or way of thinking
about something
shorts — n. short pants that reach down
to the knees
host — n. a person who is entertaining
guests socially
enthusiasm — n. strong excitement about
something
qualify — v. to give the necessary skill
or knowledge to do a particular job or activity
modest — adj. not very large in size or
amount
role model — n. someone who another
person admires and tries to be like
achieve — v. to get or reach by working
hard
society — n. people in general thought
of as living together in organized communities with shared laws, traditions,
and values
Source: learningenglish.voanews.com
https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/morocco-s-women-s-soccer-team-inspires-girls-in-arab-world/7181309.html
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Muslim Community Suggests Olive Garden
Attack On Black Woman Was Motivated By Hate
Jul 18, 2023
The stabbing of a Black Muslim woman
working at a Winnipeg Olive Garden restaurant last month must be further
investigated as a targeted hate crime, members of Manitoba's Islamic community
say.
"Today, every leading Muslim
organization in Winnipeg is gathering in solidarity with one of our own. She is
a young woman who was just about to graduate high school this June when she was
attacked," Aasiyah Khan, acting CEO for the National Council of Canadian
Muslims, said at a news conference Tuesday.
"Make no mistake, we could have
been coming to a funeral today."
The 18-year-old woman was rushed to
hospital in unstable condition on the evening of June 8 after a man repeatedly
stabbed her inside the restaurant at the corner of Reenders Drive and
Lagimodiere Boulevard.
The woman, whom police have not named,
received emergency medical aid from bystanders before officers arrived. She was
rushed to hospital in unstable condition and later upgraded to stable.
Police allege Robert Alan Ingram, 27,
went after her without provocation in a random attack. He is charged with
aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and failing to comply with a
probation order.
The Islamic community, however, doesn't
believe it was random and wants a more comprehensive investigation "as to
whether it was targeted or potentially hate motivated," Khan said.
She read a statement from the woman, a
member of the Somali community who wants to remain anonymous. The woman said no
one else in the restaurant was a visible minority or wearing hijab.
"But I was. And he was staring at
me," she said in the statement.
The woman estimates he watched her
intently for half an hour before he left for a brief time.
When he returned, her back was turned to
other customers. The man stabbed her in the neck, the torso and arms before she
was able to strike back at him, making him stagger, and then bystanders
intervened.
The woman was in hospital and unable to
give police a full statement when she learned they had already characterized
the attack as random.
"He didn't go on a random stabbing
spree," she said in the statement. "He went straight for me. I know I
could have died."
Khan wants to know why police reached a
conclusion before getting the full statement from the victim and why a charge
of aggravated assault was laid "when it was clearly attempted
murder."
She said the Islamic community has had
conversations with the Winnipeg Police Service but are standing by their
request.
A police spokesperson, in an email to
CBC News, said, "We have nothing new to provide on this incident."
YoucefSoufi, a professor whose research
specializes in Islamophobia and who served as a spokesperson for the Manitoba
Islamic Association on Tuesday, called on non-Muslims to show support for the
community.
"It sends a clear message that
Muslims aren't alone, that we all stand together sharing in each other's pain
and in the mutual desire to forge a society free of prejudice and violence
against the members of any community," he said.
Police chief comments
Speaking at a different news conference
Tuesday afternoon in Portage la Prairie, Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth said
he wanted to make it clear police don't believe the woman and Ingram knew each
other at all.
He said police also had the opportunity
to meet with the family and the organization that held the news conference
Tuesday to walk through some of their findings.
"There is no evidence that supports
it being motivated by a hate crime," Smyth said during the press
conference. "That being said, this is a very serious crime, the individual
was charged with aggravated assault, which is a very serious charge. People go
to jail for that kind of thing."
"I certainly stand in support of
the Muslim community. I acknowledge their concerns and we addressed their
concerns privately yesterday."
Smyth added that while police "have
the ability to change charges if the evidence is there," he's satisfied
that the investigators in the case did a thorough job and "addressed the
concerns that were raised privately."
'We need answers'
Abdikheir Ahmed, who has worked with
immigrant and refugee communities in Winnipeg in various capacities, said he
put great effort into build trusting relationships between police and newcomer
communities of colour, but at times like this, those efforts are tested, he
said.
"We need justice for this victim.
At the basic minimum, we need answers," Ahmed said. "I was appalled,
and my community was equally appalled, by the haste with which the police
reached a conclusion.
"When someone drives a knife on
your neck, aimed at your jugular, [and] punctures your lungs and attacks you as
the only person of colour in that restaurant … you cannot come down to the
possibility of this being a random attack.
"We need to do better."
Politicians, including NDP MP Leah
Gazan, Liberal MP Terry Duguid and Progressive Conservative MP Obby Khan, also
spoke at the news conference.
Gazan and Duguid echoed the call for a
deeper look into the attack as well as Soufi's call for unity.
"We must not minimize what occurred
as just a random act," Gazan said.
Added Duguid: "This act of violence
at the Olive Garden on June 8 has all the hallmarks of an act of hate."
Obby Khan would not speak to the
specifics of the case, saying it's before the judicial system, but offered his
prayers and condolences to the victim's family.
Winnipeg city Coun. Brian Mayes, who was
also at the news conference, said council does not direct police work, but
offered to raise the issue with Coun. Markus Chambers, who chairs the police
board, and Mayor Scott Gillingham, who sits on the board.
"And certainly get some briefing on
what has happened and what the reasons were behind the decisions made by the
police."
Source: cbc.ca
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/olive-garden-attack-winnipeg-muslim-community-1.6909638
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£337,485 For Life-Saving Scheme In
Sunderland To Help Improve Cancer Screening Among Muslim Women
19th Jul 2023
A scheme to encourage Muslim women in
Sunderland and the North East to take up cancer screening invitations is to
receive £337,485 from Cancer Research UK. The three-year project, run jointly
by the Universities of Sunderland and Glasgow, aims to reach out to women in
Muslim communities with information to help women make informed choices.
Figures show low uptake for cancer screening among women in the Muslim
community, prompting the research team to launch a small-scale pilot in 2020 in
Glasgow with the aim of increasing uptake of screening in Scotland.* Previous
research by the team found several reasons for this lower uptake which included
not knowing about the screening, feeling shy or being worried about seeing a
male doctor.* After positive feedback from pilot participants, organisers now
hope to reach hundreds more women in the North East of England and Scotland.
Cancer screening saves thousands of
lives each year as it can detect cancers at an early stage when it is most
treatable and, in some cases, even prevent cancers from developing in the first
place. Project Lead Dr Floor Christie-de Jong, Associate Professor in Public
Health in the Medical School at the University of Sunderland, said:
“Socioeconomic and ethnic inequities in cancer persist, which need tackling.
“One size does not fit all and to allow women to make informed decisions about
cancer screening we need to use targeted approaches. “Working in partnership
with the community and using assets from that community in a positive way, can
help to tackle these inequities”. The
project, which was designed with Muslim women in Scotland, will run until
December 2025 with the first phase providing workshops, the second
administering surveys to assess changes in knowledge and attitudes towards
screening, and the third to assess if uptake of screening opportunities has
risen. Workshops, both online and in-person, will include discussions on
potential barriers to women taking up screening opportunities; health education
sessions led by a healthcare practitioner; videos of Muslim women’s experiences
of cancer or screening; and a religious perspective on cancer screening
delivered by a female religious Muslim scholar, Alimah, Cerysh Sadiq. Cerysh
Sadiq, an Alimah and Research Assistant in the School of Medicine at the
University of Sunderland, said: "Women can be uncertain as to how
screening fits in with their faith, and it will be a great privilege to help
guide women and assist with any religious concerns they may have about
cervical, breast and bowel cancer screening." There are three cancer
screening programmes in England. Bowel cancer screening is available for everyone
aged 60-74 in England, breast screening for all women aged 50-70, and cervical
screening for women aged 25-64. Dr RawandJarrar, Project Research Associate at
the University of Sunderland, said: “This new phase of the project takes what
we’ve learned from the pilot and expands it across a wider geographical area,
so we can reach more women and share knowledge about early screening. “This
project is ultimately about saving lives and early detection through screening,
which in turn leads to better success of the cancer treatments available for
these women. We are creating a path to early diagnosis and treatment.” Michelle
Mitchell, Cancer Research UK Chief Executive, said: “Tackling inequalities is
absolutely crucial to ensuring everyone, regardless of where they live or their
ethnic background, has the best chance against cancer. “We know people from
ethnic minorities may be less likely to respond to cancer screening invitations
and hopefully this project will encourage more people to take up such opportunities,
and to find out what barriers prevent them doing so. “Removing these barriers
could save lives by catching cancer early when treatment is most likely to be
effective.” The funding will also provide training for more women from Muslim
communities to help deliver workshops. It is hoped the results from the project
will allow lessons learned to be transferred to other cancer screening - for
example, male bowel screening - as well as to other ethnic minority groups.
Source: sunderlandecho.com
https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/ps337485-to-help-improve-cancer-screening-among-muslim-women-4224222
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Iranian Women's Rights Official Says
Gender Justice No Longer Needed In Policy Plan
July 18, 2023
Iran has removed gender justice from the
country's latest development program, sparking an outcry among activists who
say the Islamic regime continues to marginalize women's rights even as
widespread unrest over their suppression rocks the country.
The vice president for women and family
affairs, EnsiehKhazali, said in an interview with the Tehran-based ISNA state
news agency on July 18 that “the Iranian government had deemed gender justice
as already implemented and, therefore, unnecessary to be included in the
upcoming program.”
The Islamic leadership's development
plan, now in its seventh edition, previously mentioned protecting the
"well-being of families and integrity along with women's social,
political, and economic empowerment and aimed at creating a balance among the
multiple roles played by women to help with their effectiveness in the family
and society."
Despite the stated policy, Iran's
ranking in the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report placed the country 143rd out of
146 countries.
The annual report by the World Economic
Forum measures equality between men and women using a variety of indicators,
from access to education and public health to participation in economic and
political affairs.
Khazali disputed the ranking claiming
the statistics are flawed.
But women's rights activists have
pointed to it as evidence of their claims during recent nationwide protests
that fundamental amendments to the country's constitution to guarantee equal
rights and diversity are needed.
They have also called for the
implementation of a proposed Women's Legal Bill to ensure an "accurate and
concise reflection of women's struggles and demands throughout history"
and in future legal regulations, such as any new constitution that may be drawn
up.
Anger over the death of Mahsa Amini
while in police custody has prompted thousands of Iranians to take to the
streets nationwide to demand more freedoms and women's rights. The widespread
unrest represents the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979
revolution.
Amini's death, which officials blamed on
a heart attack while witnesses and her family say it was the result of being
beaten by police, touched off a wave of anti-government protests in cities
across the country.
The authorities have responded to the
unrest with a harsh crackdown that rights groups say has killed more than 500
people, including 71 children.
Source: rferl.org
https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-womens-rights-gender-justice-policy/32508930.html
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/young-arab-society-females/d/130253