Tamana Zaryab Paryani, An Afghan Woman Leads Hunger Strike for Women’s Rights Amid Global Neglect
New Age
Islam News Bureau
05 September 2023
·
Tamana
Zaryab Paryani, An Afghan Woman Leads Hunger Strike for Women’s Rights Amid
Global Neglect
·
France
Evacuates Five Afghan Women ‘Threatened by Taliban’
·
An
Indian Muslim Woman’s Islamic Gift Shop Is Going Places
·
Iran
Closes Water Park Over Hijab Law Violation
·
First Woman President in Saudi Sport
Hopes to Bring Success to Wej Club
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/zaryab-paryani-afghan-global/d/130608
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Tamana
Zaryab Paryani, An Afghan Woman Leads Hunger Strike for Women’s Rights Amid
Global Neglect
Tamana Zaryab Paryani
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By Fidel
Rahmati
September
4, 2023
Tamana
Zaryab Paryani, an activist for women’s rights, along with several other women,
has initiated a hunger strike due to global neglect of the situation of women
in Afghanistan and what is referred to as gender apartheid. Despite feeling
unwell on the fourth day of their strike, they emphasize their commitment to
continuing the hunger strike.
On the
fourth day of the strike, Ms. Paryani said in an interview with Khaama Press
News Agency that the world has been unsuccessful in defending women’s rights in
Afghanistan. While women are fighting and sacrificing for their freedoms, the
world has engaged with the interim administration.
MsParyani
is a former detainee of the Taliban administration and has experienced being
imprisoned under their rule. She explains the reasons for setting up the
protest camp and going on a hunger strike: “We demand justice due to increased
travel, Taliban’s international outreach, funds sent to Afghanistan, and the
neglect of gender rights despite ongoing oppression.”
Four
days have passed since the hunger strike of Tamana Zaryab Paryani and some
women’s rights activists. Their condition on the fourth day of the hunger
strike is not good. If the German government and the global community do not
pay attention to their demand regarding the situation of women in Afghanistan,
this strike will continue for another eight days, until September 12.
The
health condition of MsParyani and her companion is not very good. The audio
recordings she sent to Khaama Press News Agency indicate that their health
situation on the fourth consecutive day of the hunger strike is not good.
She
continues sharing a video of herself inside the sit-in tent, confessing that
she and her companions’ conditions are not very good.
The
current situation in Afghanistan, especially for women, is described as
“horrifying,” emphasizing that remaining silent in the face of such oppression
and heinous crimes is shameful. According to her, the institutions expected to
raise their voices have not yet paid attention to their demands.
Ms.
Paryani calls on other women in Afghanistan not to remain silent in the face of
the human rights abuses occurring under the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan.
She believes that the fundamental rights of people, especially women’s rights,
are violated without any shame, and silence in the face of this is a sign of
society’s human and moral decline.
Other
women’s rights activists have welcomed Ms. Paryani’s protest and are demanding
its expansion within and outside Afghanistan.
Taranum
Saeedi, a women’s rights activist in Afghanistan, also supports Mrs. Paryani’s
protest, saying that these protests will continue until September 12 in Germany
and various other countries.
Ms.
Saeedi emphasizes the effective continuation of women’s persistence for their
rights and highlights that the most significant achievement of women’s struggle
in the past two years has been the global non-recognition of the Taliban
regime.
She has
asked the German government for support in the case of MsParyani’s struggle,
saying that women have faced significant deprivation in the past two years and
have been systematically excluded from society.
During
the past two years, women have been subjected to widespread deprivations,
including bans on education, work, and political and social activities in the
country, leading to their isolation and prompting the global community to
repeatedly call for lifting restrictions on women.
Other
women’s rights activists standing alongside Ms. Paryani urge the international
community to recognize “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan.
Gender
apartheid was first used by the head of Afghanistan’s permanent mission to the
United Nations to highlight the depth of anti-women practices in Afghanistan.
Later, instances of it were reflected in Richard Ben’s report.
Source: khaama.com
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-woman-leads-hunger-strike-for-womens-rights-amid-global-neglect/
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France Evacuates
Five Afghan Women ‘Threatened by Taliban’
Researcher and women's rights activist Naveen Hashim, right, embraces a
documentary journalist upon her arrival with four other Afghan women and three
children at the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport north of Paris on Sept. 4,
2023.
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September
5, 2023
PARIS:
France received on Monday five Afghan women “threatened by the Taliban” after
repeated requests it creates a humanitarian corridor for women shut out of
public life, an official said.
Since
returning to power in August 2021, Taliban authorities have imposed a strict
interpretation of Islam, with women bearing the brunt of laws the United
Nations has labelled “gender apartheid”.
Women
and girls have been banned from attending high school and university as well as
barred from visiting parks, fairs, and gymnasiums.
French
immigration authority chief Didier Leschi said that by presidential order,
“special attention is being paid to women who are primarily threatened by the
Taliban because they have held important positions in Afghan society… or have
close contacts with Westerners”. “This is the case for five women who will
arrive today,” Leschi said.
The
women include a former university director, an ex-NGO consultant, a former
television presenter, and a teacher at a secret school in Kabul. One of the
women was accompanied by three children.
The
women had been unable to leave Afghanistan on airlifts to Western countries
when the Taliban returned to power in 2021. They fled to neighbouring Pakistan
where they sought temporary refuge. From there, the French authorities
organised their evacuation, Leschi said.
Source: dawn.com
https://www.dawn.com/news/1774129/france-evacuates-five-afghan-women-threatened-by-talibanSeptember
5, 2023
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An
Indian Muslim Woman’s Islamic Gift Shop Is Going Places
September
4, 2023
Nikhat
Fatima | Two Circles
In 2015
at the age of 27, Madiha Basheer started her business with her first product a
beautiful box curated with a handcrafted prayer mat, an Islamic storybook,
prayer beads (tasbeeh) and an alphabet toy laptop.
Her
company, The Little Muslims Gift Factory, has grown significantly over the last
eight years, serving thousands of consumers.
The
Origin of the ‘The Little Muslims Gift Factory’
Basheer,
who was born in Kuwait and raised in Saudi Arabia, was religious-minded. After
finishing her academic education in India, she returned to Riyadh and began a
career as a teacher, where she came up with the concept of opening an Islamic
gift shop with personalised personal products.
“I
wanted to create [a] platform that would provide a variety of resources for our
current and future generations in order to make Islamic learning fun,
interactive, and authentic,” she explained.
According
to Basheer, secular education has advanced, while the Islamic teaching process
has remained stagnant.
Her
idea, however, took 5 years to materialise. She left her job as a teacher to
concentrate on her business.
When
Basheer opened her shop, the concept of an Islamic store in India was new. Her
late mother supported her from the start but her father needed convincing. “I
was broke because I had stopped working, so I had to borrow the initial capital
from my father,” Madiha explained, adding that the first orders came from close
friends who appreciated the idea and wanted to help her.
Struggles
at the Start of Her Business
Madiha
Basheer first struggled to understand numerous facets of business such as
customs charges, shipping, product pricing, taxes, and so on. “So, I learned
from my mistakes, and the business gradually grew over the years as the
internet became more accessible,” she explained.
Selling
Products Related to Muslims
As her
business grew, she added new products such as Zikr magnets, prayer journals,
rehals (foldable lectern to hold the Quran) and Salah tracking posters — a
chart with timings of the Salah (Islamic prayer) that she made herself. The dua
(invocation) journal and the Zikr magnets are the best-selling items at The
Little Muslims Gift Factory.
Writing
Storybooks Based on Islamic Beliefs
Little
Ummions and F.S.W.A (Focus, Sacrifice, Work, and Achieve) are two sub-brands of
the Little Muslims Gift Factory. She started Little Ummions with her friend
Umaymah, who resides in Canada, and together they publish storybooks based on
Islamic beliefs for children under the age of ten.
They
have so far published three paperback and five plush books on duas, Arabic
alphabets, numbers, shapes, and Surahs (Quranic verses).
The
pocket-friendly books are also used by many for gifting during occasions like
Eid, return gifts.
Challenges
While Writing Her First Storybook
When
Madiha wrote her first interactive storybook, ‘So Remember Me, I Shall Remember
You,’ to teach children to remember Allah frequently, she encountered a number
of issues ranging from design to illustration to publication and marketing. “It
took us two years to publish our first book. We were duped by those who
promised to publish our book. But it was a learning experience that made us
wiser to publish our next book,” she explained.
Madiha
and her friend Umaymah’s debut book was an instant hit, and it was stocked at
Kino Kuniya, a Japanese bookshop chain located in The Dubai Mall.
“I
couldn’t believe what I was seeing… The dream of an Islamic book being put up
with other conventional books was a success for me,” she remarked.
Giving
Workshops To Empower Muslim Women
Under
F.S.W.A (Focus, Sacrifice, Work, and Achieve), Madiha conducts workshops to
empower Muslim women to contribute to Islamic education by authoring books,
creating content, starting their own Islamic businesses, Islamic podcasts, and
so on.
Madiha
has organised two interactive writing workshops under F.S.W.A, the first on
guiding Muslim women to contribute to Islamic literature and the second on
directing mothers through Islamic curriculum for their children, among other
things.
Inspiring
Muslim Women to Author Books
Madiha
has received a lot of praise for her workshops, but she considers her true
accomplishment to be the success of her participants. And the fact that many of
her customers and participants have become an extended family.
“In the
beginning, I felt ‘why will people read my book’ when there are thousands out
there like me aspiring to write,” Rameeza, a two-time cancer survivor, said.
“But Madiha’s encouragement and guidance pushed me to write my book, which is
now nearing completion,” she added.
And some
of her participants have started their own Islamic gift stores inspired by The
Little Muslims Gift Factory.
Marketing
Through Social Media and Improving Storybooks
Madiha,
who mostly markets her business through WhatsApp, Instagram, and word of mouth,
currently has over 10,000 customers in India and numerous other countries,
including Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Canada.
She
developed different strategies to stay relevant in the market – like constantly
improving the books through illustrations, adding different activities in the
children’s books, and so on.
“Muslim
women have a lot of potential and [they] need a push to achieve the
unbelievable,” said Madiha.
She
cites Hazrath Khadija, the wife of prophet Muhammad and a successful
entrepreneur 1400 years ago, as her inspiration. “Every time I read about her,
it inspires me to strive to be like her,” said Madiha, who is in the process of
developing additional unique products for her business and wants to write more
storybooks for youngsters based on Islamic teachings. She hopes her books and
her products will one day reach every Muslim household.
Source: twocircles.net
https://twocircles.net/2023sep04/449369.html
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Iran
Closes Water Park Over Hijab Law Violation
September
04, 2023
TEHRAN,
IRAN — Iran has shuttered a water park for allowing women entry without the
mandatory headscarf, local media reported on Monday.
The
closure is part of stepped-up measures by authorities over the past few months
against women and businesses who fail to observe the Islamic republic's strict
dress code.
"The
MojhayeKhoroushan water park has been closed" since Sunday evening, Fars
news agency quoted the complex manager Mohammad Babaei as saying.
Babaei
said authorities have declared the park's closure due to people's
"ignoring chastity and hjiab" rules.
Covering
the head and the neck has been compulsory for women in Iran since 1983,
following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Iranian
women walk in Tehran, Iran, Aug. 5, 2023. These days, with uncovered women a
common sight on Tehran streets, authorities have begun raiding companies where
women employees or customers have been seen without the headscarf, or hijab.
Babaei
insisted that the park has "adhered to the law" and regularly warned
female visitors to respect the hijab rules.
Around
1,000 people working at the park are worried about losing their jobs, Babaei
told Fars.
The
MojhayeKhoroushan complex — which spans 60,000 square meters (more than 70,000
square yards) — is among the largest indoor water parks in the world.
It sits
on the outskirts of the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, home to the shrine
of the eighth imam of Shiite Islam.
Women in
Iran have increasingly flouted the dress code since mass protests triggered by
the September 16 death in police custody last year of a 22-year-old woman.
Mahsa
Amini, an Iranian Kurd, was arrested for allegedly breaching the dress rules.
As part
of efforts to enforce the ban over the past few months, businesses have been
closed when they do not adhere to the rules, and cameras have been installed in
public places to monitor violations.
In July,
state media reported increased police patrols aimed at catching those ignoring
the law.
Source: voanews.com
https://www.voanews.com/a/media-iran-closes-water-park-over-hijab-law-violation-/7254154.html
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First
woman president in Saudi sport hopes to bring success to Wej Club
September
04, 2023
JEDDAH:
On June 8, Hanan Al-Qurashi became the first Saudi woman sports club president
in the Kingdom’s history after she was appointed head of Taif-based Wej Club by
the Ministry of Sport.
Al-Qurashi
had previously served as a member of the board of directors at the Wej Club,
and she was assigned to handle women’s sports in 2021. In August 2022, she was
appointed vice president of the Wej Club.
Speaking
to Arab News, Al-Qurashi said: “I am truly honored to be Wej’s president, and
would like to thank the Ministry of Sport for putting its faith in me to
deliver this enormously important role, for the good of the sport I have loved
all my life.”
She
added: “This represents an affirmation of confidence in women and an
enhancement of their pioneering role in all fields with the support of the
leadership in the country that has provided and continues to provide all
citizens of the country, men and women, with all support and confidence, in
order to accomplish many difficult tasks for this dear country.
“This
confidence is ‘a crown on our heads’ as Saudi women, as it confirms that there
is no difference between men and women except through work and achievement,
which determines the competence and ability to perform the tasks assigned to
each of us.”
She
called being the first woman in the club’s history to be made chairperson “a
good gesture and a breakthrough for all women.”
She said
it will be a challenging job, revealing that the club has great ambitions for
the future.
“It is a
big job, so you’ve got to be brave in a lot of ways, and come out of your
comfort zone if you want to create change,” she told Arab News.
When
asked about her plan to develop the club in all sports, she said: “My ambition
is to work, strive and be up to the responsibility entrusted to us to work on a
new path for the club, from where we already started by forming a new council
that will be integrated and work together to expand the club’s games in order
to be more competitive with other clubs, and achieve the aspirations of the
people of Taif.”
Al-Qurashi
said that she did face difficulties when first entering the sports field. “I
certainly experienced opposition from the family at the beginning, but I saw
that the way would one day be paved for women to enter this field, and this is
what was achieved so far,” she said.
“In
fact, I was keen to learn, train and attend courses, whether in the Kingdom or
outside it,” she added.
On the
privatization of clubs, she said: “The privatization of clubs, I see it as a
good thing for the clubs; it will raise levels a lot. We have generous support.
It just needs us to take a serious stand, whether officials or others, to make
this vision a success.”
As for
the future, Al-Qurashi said she wants to make Wej Club competitive in all
sports, especially football, adding: “Our football is playing in the first
division and I hope we can see it someday in the Saudi Pro League. I look
forward to a successful sporting future for Wej Club in the coming years, with
the support of the people of Taif.”
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2367181/sport
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/zaryab-paryani-afghan-global/d/130608