Angelina Jolie Dedicates Persian Poem to Iranian Women
New
Age Islam News Bureau
31
October 2022
• First
Female Saudi Pro Tennis Player, Yara Al-Haqbani, Wins Bahrain Tournament
• Women
Activists in Kabul Protest Closed Girls' Schools
• Taliban
Deny Entry of Female Students in Badakhshan University Campus for Not Wearing
Burqa
• Allison
Fluke-Ekren, US Woman, Accused Of Leading Female Islamic State Battalion Faces
Up To 20 Years in Prison
• Female
TV Reporter, Sadaf Naeem, Crushed to Death by PTI’s Long March Container
• President
Halimah Ranked 33rd Most Influential Muslim in the World
• 77%
of Saudi Women Have Enough Information about Breast Cancer
• How
the UAE Is Empowering Women in Peacekeeping and Security Roles
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/angelina-jolie-persian-poem-iranian/d/128311
--------
Angelina
Jolie Dedicates Persian Poem to Iranian Women
Angelina
Jolie
------
October
30, 2022
Hollywood
superstar Angelina Jolie expressed solidarity with the people of Iran.
Taking
to Instagram, she shared a Farsi poem and wrote, "An Iranian friend
reminded me of this poem."
She
added, "I am thinking today of all the young Iranians bravely standing up
against decades of brutal abuse and repression of Iranian women.
Source:
The News Pakistan
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1004961-angelina-jolie-dedicates-persian-poem-to-iranian-women
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First
Female Saudi Pro Tennis Player, Yara Al-Haqbani, Wins Bahrain Tournament
File
Photo of Yara Al-Haqbani, (Twitter)
----
31 October,
2022
Saudi
tennis star Yara al-Haqbani defeated her Russian opponent Tamara Ermakova to
win the J5 Isa Town tournament in Bahrain on Sunday.
The
17-year-old prodigy took home a victory after scoring 6-4 and 6-2 in two sets.
It
was the second time the pair had faced off. In the second round of the J4 Isa
Town tournament in 2021, the Saudi player beat Ermakova 6-1 and 6-2 in two
sets.
The
win brings al-Haqbani’s record to 22 wins to 21 losses. She is currently ranked
946 by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Al-Haqbani
previously defeated Israel’s Isabell Bilaus in the semi-final of this year’s
tournament on Saturday.
Born
in 2004, al-Haqbani is the first female tennis player to represent Saudi Arabia
at the professional level.
The
Kingdom has seen a rise in female participation in sports in recent years amid
a wave of reforms that have lifted many restrictions for women.
Source:
Al Arabiya
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Women
Activists in Kabul Protest Closed Girls' Schools
By
Waheeda Hasan
October
31, 2022
Following
calls for the reopening of girls' schools above sixth grade, a group of women
activists staged a protest near the Malika Suraya High School in the Taimani
area of Kabul to express their concerns about the continued effective ban on
female students over 6th grade.
The
protesters asked the Islamic Emirate to immediately reopen girls' schools,
saying that it had been more than 400 days since the closing of the schools.
“We
ask the Islamic Emirate to reopen the schools and let the girls go to school,”
said Sodaba Nazhand, a teacher.
"We
will bravely continue our struggle until the schools are opened,” said Humaira
Farhangyar, women’s rights activist.
"Girls
in other nations have advanced, but in Afghanistan, our girls cannot even
attend school,” a women’s rights activist said.
Meanwhile,
female students said that schools shouldn't be closed any longer and they urged
the authorities to reopen them.
"Open
our schools. Is this our sin because we are girls?" said Hadia, a student.
“We
ask the officials to reopen the schools, it has been over 400 days that our
schools are closed,” said Yalda, another student.
Earlier,
the Islamic Emirate said it is working on a plan to reopen girls' schools,
although it is unclear when this plan will be completed and when schools will
reopen.
Source:
Tolo News
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-180512
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Taliban
Deny Entry of Female Students in Badakhshan University Campus for Not Wearing
Burqa
October
31, 2022
Taliban
crackdown on Afghan women and girls continues as one of the Taliban guards
barred female students from entering the campus for not wearing a Burqa on
Sunday.
The
incident occurred at the Badakhshan University in northeastern Afghanistan. The
Afghan girls were forced to remain outside the entry gate as the students were
not following the norms of the Taliban's preferred attires, Khaama Press
reported.
Taliban's
restriction on women's freedom of movement, speech, expression, work
opportunities, and attire does not just end here. The group has also barred
girls from attending school from sixth grade since taking control of war-torn
Afghanistan.
Khaama
Press reported quoting the president of Badakhshan University, Naqibullah
Qazizada who said that the terror outfit's violence and unlawful conduct toward
the students will be taken care of and the student's request would be realized.
After
the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, they immediately
began rolling back the rights of women and girls. Women began to protest on the
streets since Taliban's first week in power, despite the grave risks they faced
in doing so.
By
early September, women-led protests were taking place in Herat province in
western Afghanistan and quickly spread across multiple provinces.
According
to Human Rights Watch, the Taliban response was brutal from the beginning,
beating protesters, disrupting protests, and detaining and torturing
journalists covering the demonstrations. The Taliban also banned unauthorized
protests. Over time, the Taliban's abusive responses escalated, with a
particularly brutal response to a protest on January 16 in Kabul, when Taliban
members threatened, intimidated, and physically assaulted protesters, using
pepper spray and electric shock devices.
Notably,
the situation of human rights in Afghanistan has worsened since the collapse of
the Afghan government and the Taliban's return to power in August last year.
Although the fighting in the country has ended, serious human rights violations
continue unabated, especially against women and minorities.
Besides
this, the continuously soaring prices of food products in the country have
emerged as a new challenge for Afghans. In a short span of fewer than three
months, food prices have almost doubled, reported Khaama Press.
Source:
Business Standard
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Allison
Fluke-Ekren, US Woman, Accused Of Leading Female Islamic State Battalion Faces
Up To 20 Years in Prison
Oct
31, 2022
An
American woman who grew up on a farm in Kansas, converted to Islam and joined
the Islamic State in Syria, where she led an all-female military battalion, is
to be sentenced on Tuesday for providing support to a foreign terrorist group.
Allison
Fluke-Ekren, 42, faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to terror
charges in June in US District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.
"For
at least eight years, Fluke-Ekren committed terrorist acts on behalf of three
foreign terrorist organizations across war zones in Libya, Iraq, and
Syria," US attorney Raj Parekh said in a pre-sentencing memo.
"Fluke-Ekren
brainwashed young girls and trained them to kill," Parekh said. "She
carved a path of terror, plunging her own children into unfathomable depths of
cruelty by physically, psychologically, emotionally, and sexually abusing
them."
Parekh,
urging Judge Leonie Brinkema to impose the maximum 20-year sentence, traced
Fluke-Ekren's path from her upbringing on an 81-acre (33-hectare) farm in
Kansas to her apprehension in Syria after the 2019 territorial defeat of IS.
While
other Americans traveled to Syria and Iraq to join IS, most were men and
Fluke-Ekren is the rare American woman who occupied a senior position in the
ranks of the now defunct Islamic Caliphate.
Born
Allison Brooks, she grew up in a "loving and stable home" in
Overbrook, Kansas, and was considered a "gifted" student, the US
attorney said.
She
dropped out of high school in her sophomore year, however, and married a local
man named Fluke, with whom she had two children.
Her
son from that marriage testified anonymously about years of abuse inflicted on
him and his siblings by their mother.
"My
mother is a monster without love for her children, without an excuse for her
actions," said her son, who plans to attend Tuesday's sentencing in
Alexandria. "She has the blood, pain, and suffering of all of her children
on her hands."
After
leaving her first husband, Fluke-Ekren attended the University of Kansas, where
she married a fellow student named Volkan Ekren and became a Muslim. She later
earned a teaching certificate from a college in Indiana.
They
had five children together and adopted another after the child's parents were
killed as suicide bombers in Syria.
-
'Extremist ideology and violence' –
In
2008, the family moved to Egypt and in 2011 to Libya where, the US attorney
said, "Fluke-Ekren's dogged pursuit to obtain positions of power and
influence to train young women in extremist ideology and violence began."
They
were in Benghazi in September 2012 when the Islamic militant group Ansar
al-Sharia attacked the US mission and CIA office there, killing the US
ambassador and three other Americans.
Fluke-Ekren,
a fluent Arabic speaker, assisted Ansar al-Sharia by "reviewing and
summarizing the contents of stolen US government documents."
The
family left Libya in late 2012 or early 2013 and moved around between Iraq,
Turkey and Syria, becoming deeply involved with IS and living in the group's
Mosul stronghold for a time.
After
Fluke-Ekren's husband -- the leader of an IS sniper unit -- was killed in 2015
she forced their 13-year-old daughter to marry an IS fighter, according to the
US attorney.
Fluke-Ekren,
who adopted the nom de guerre Umm Mohammed al-Amriki after joining IS, would go
on to marry three more times and have four more children.
Her
fourth husband was an IS military leader who was responsible for the IS defense
of Raqqa in 2017.
In
2017, Fluke-Ekren became the leader of a battalion of female IS members called
"Khatiba Nusaybah," which provided military training to more than 100
women and girls, according to the US attorney.
"During
training sessions, Fluke-Ekren instructed the women and young girls on the use
of AK-47 assault rifles, grenades, and explosive suicide belts" Parekh
said.
"One
of those children, some of whom were as young as 10 or 11-years-old, was her
own daughter."
Source:
India Today
--------
Female
TV Reporter, Sadaf Naeem, Crushed to Death by PTI’s Long March Container
October
31, 2022
LAHORE/MURIDKE:
A female reporter of a local TV channel Sadaf Naeem died on Sunday after she
was crushed under wheel of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s container durng long
march.
According
to details, the incident occurred near Sadhoke, where the female reporter was
covering PTI’s long march caravan en route to Islamabad during which she fell
down after being pushed and the truck ran over her.
A
person has also sustained critical injuries in the incident.
The
woman reporter died on the sport after suffered injuries on her face and head
and her body was shifted to a nearby hospital for post-mortem by Rescue 1122.
After the incident, the PTI leadership stopped the long march caravan and urged
the workers to stay away from the container.
PTI
Chairman Imran Khan, who was present on the container, expressed deep sorrow
and grief over the incident.
In
a statement, the late journalist’s husband said that his wife died after the
truck ran over her when she fell down from a divider on road. “This is an
accident and I do not want to initiate any legal action,” he said, adding that
he did not want the autopsy of his wife.
Sadaf
Naeem’s funeral prayers will be offered at 69 Shah Deen Scheme near Junior
Model School Icchra on Monday.
Meanwhile,
a police constable identified as Liaqat Ali has died reportedly of heart attack
while performing duty during the long march. According to local media reports,
he is survived by three daughters and a son.
Prime
Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed sorrow over the incident saying he is “deeply
saddened by the death of reporter Sadaf Naeem after falling from a long march
container”.
“Heartfelt
condolences go to the family. Sadaf Naeem was a dynamic and hardworking
reporter. We pray for patience for the family of the deceased,” he added in a
tweet.
PM
Shehbaz also announced compensation of Rs5 million for the family of the late
reporter. The premier instructed the authorities concerned to “immediately”
complete the due process and hand over the cheque to the family.
Later,
the premier also telephoned husband of late Sadaf Naeem and extended sympathies
to the bereaved family.
“Compensation
for loss of life is not possible. We will provide all possible support and help
to the bereaved family,” the prime minister assured the journalist’s husband.
President
Arif Alvi expressed regret over the journalist’s death and extended sympathies
to the grieved family.
“My
sympathies are with the family in this hour of sorrow,” the president said in a
statement.
Meanwhile,
Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi expressed sorrow over the death of the
female reporter, saying he was heartbroken at the incident.
“May
Allah grant patience to the bereaved family. Heartfelt condolences go out to
the bereaved family in their hour of grief,” he wrote in a tweet.
He
too announced financial assistance of Rs2.5 million for the journalist’s
family.
“The
Punjab government will take full care of the family of late Sadaf. Her death in
the accident is very heart breaking. Every heart is saddened by the tragic
incident,” the CM said in a tweet from his official handle.
The
Punjab CM later increased the compensation amount to Rs5 million on PTI chief
Imran’s directives.
“Thoughts
and prayers with Sadaf’s family – may they find strength, somehow,” said
journalist Yusra Askari said.
PML-N
Vice President Maryam Nawaz offered condolences to the grieved family, saying:
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the loss of a precious life of a TV
reporter Sadaf in the line of duty. My prayers for the bereaved family. May she
rest in eternal peace. Ameen.”
“Just
heard of the horrible & tragic accident that led to reporter Sadaf Naeem’s
death during our March. Some of us were far ahead past Kamoke so learnt of the
accident late. Such a tragic loss of life. No words can ever suffice to express
depth of sorrow to the bereaved family,” PTI leader Shireen Mazari tweeted.
Climate
Minister Sherry Rehman said she was “shocked and sorry” to hear of the
reporter’s tragic passing. “Hear she fell off IK’s container. Heart goes out to
her family in this terrible hour of bereavement and tragic loss,” she added.
“Terrible
tragedy the death of Sadaf Sahiba channel 5 reporter. Deeply grieved. She was a
dedicated journalist and died in the line of duty. May her soul RIP,” PTI
leader Shafqat Mehmood said.
“Terrible
news of Channel 5 reporter Sadaf Naeem’s tragic death as she slipped and fell
from the moving container… May she rest in peace,” said journalist Shiza
Yousafzai.
Investigation
needed after suspicion
Meanwhile,
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has called for investigation into the death of
female reporter, saying that the incident became “suspicious” following the
revelations of the journalists present on the spot.
Sanaullah
said according to the colleagues of the deceased reporter, Sadaf was pushed
intentionally which resulted into her death.
The
minister said the Punjab government has a legal obligation to investigate the
incident and arrest the suspect.
“After
this testimony, it is necessary to investigate the incident,” he said, adding
that the federal government would probe the matter if the provincial
authorities did not take action.
Source:
Pakistan Today
--------
President
Halimah ranked 33rd most influential Muslim in the world
Matthias
Ang
October
31, 2022
President
Halimah Yacob is ranked 33rd on a list of the world's 500 most influential
Muslims, according to a ranking compiled by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies
Centre for 2023.
This
is the highest ranking Halimah has received yet since she first made an
appearance on the list in 2018, a year after she became president in 2017.
She
was previously ranked 36th in the 2022 ranking.
Only
Singaporean in the top 50
Halimah
is the only Singaporean who made it into the top 50, and one of three women to
have done so this year.
The
others being Syria's Munira Qubeysi, who is ranked 25th, and the president of
Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, who came in at 38th.
Halimah
also ranked higher than most Southeast Asian world leaders, barring Indonesian
president Joko Widodo, who came in 13th.
Meanwhile,
Malaysian politicians Anwar Ibrahim and Mahathir Mohamad received honourable
mentions.
The
Russian former professional mixed martial artist, Khabib Nurmagomedov, also
received an honourable mention.
First
place went to the King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who had the most
influence as "King with authority over 35 million residents of Saudi
Arabia and approximately 14 million pilgrims annually".
Egyptian
footballer player Mohamed Salah came in at 39th, six places below Halimah.
Halimah
has a "strong international profile"
The
Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre's citation noted that Halimah was both
Singapore's first female president, as well as Singapore's first female Speaker
of Parliament.
She
was recognised for promoting "initiatives for supporting a cohesive society,
strengthening interfaith and recognising all workers who contribute to
Singapore's growth".
Halimah
was also said to have a "strong international profile, regularly meeting
world leaders".
In
addition, the centre highlighted her advocacy, noting that in 2019, she had
called on companies to embrace gender equality during her speech at the Women's
Forum Asia.
It
also referenced her public condemnation of "local media" for
offensive remarks against women and asking those responsible to apologise.
Other
Singaporeans on the list
Three
other Singaporeans were also featured on the list.
Zainul
Abidin Rasheed
Zainul
is Singapore's ambassador to Kuwait and Special Envoy to the Minister of
Foreign Affairs to the Middle East.
He
is recognised for fostering Singapore's diplomatic relations with the Muslim
world, and for sharing Singapore's expertise in inter-cultural and
inter-religious relations with nations that have substantial Muslim
populations.
Syed
Hassan al-Attas
Syed
sits on the Presidential Committee of Minority Rights, according to The Straits
Times (ST).
He
has been recognised for being a "pillar of strength and unity" in
building religious harmony in Singapore and throughout Southeast Asia.
Mohamed
Faizal Mohamed Abdul Kadir
Faizal
is a deputy chief prosecutor and senior state counsel at the Attorney-General's
Chambers, according to ST.
He
is the only Malay-Muslim senior counsel in Singapore and is recognised for
conceiving scholarship programmes for lower-income students.
Source:
Mother Ship
https://mothership.sg/2022/10/halimah-influential-muslim-2023/
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77%
of Saudi women have enough information about breast cancer
October
30, 2022
RIYADH
— 77% of Saudi women have enough information about breast cancer and know the
importance of the earlier examination to detect it, the National Center for
Public Opinion Polls (NCPOP) confirmed.
The
NCPOP's confirmation came during its disclosure of a random opinion poll they
conducted on about 1,078 Saudi women about breast cancer, as the results showed
a high awareness among them about this disease.
76%
of women gave the correct answer about what the mammogram device is and its
function, which is that it helps in the early detection of breast cancer, while
3% of them said that it protects against breast cancer.
7%
of women said that a mammogram reduces the risk of breast cancer, 2% said that
the device causes the spread of breast cancer, if any, and 12% of the women
indicated that they do not know what the function of the mammogram is.
As
for the efforts exerted to raise awareness and educate about breast cancer
prevention, 62% of the women said that they are excellent, while 27% said they
are good, 7% said they are poor, and 4% of the women said they do not know.
Source:
Saudi Gazette
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How
the UAE is empowering women in peacekeeping and security roles
October
31, 2022
Samihah
Zaman
Abu
Dhabi: The UAE has long championed women’s empowerment, and its efforts are no
less visible when it comes to peacekeeping.
Speaking
on the 22nd anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325 on
Women, Peace and Security, a researcher at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy
(AGDA) in Abu Dhabi has called for more women to consider peacekeeping as a
career.
“The
UAE has committed more than $2 billion (Dh7.35 billion) since 2016 to various
initiatives related to the protection of women in more than 70 countries. [In
this way], it has not only committed itself to empowering Emirati women in the
UAE, but has also made women empowerment a key component of its foreign policy.
No other country in the region has done that,” Dr Sara Chehab, senior research
fellow at the AGDA, told Gulf News.
Women
under-represented
“Unfortunately,
women remain severely under-represented in military peacekeeping operations
globally. Yet, we know, for instance, that a peace agreement is 35 per cent
more likely to last 15 years and longer if women are included in its
preparation. While we are starting to see improvements in this regard, we are a
long way away from achieving gender parity in the field,” she added.
The
UN adopted its resolution 1325 on October 31, 2000 to reaffirm the important
role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace
negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in
post-conflict reconstruction. The resolution also stresses the importance of
women’s equal participation and full involvement in efforts to maintain and
promote peace and security.
UAE
efforts
The
UAE adopted its National Action Plan (NAP) on women peace and security in 2021.
Since 2019, it has also trained more than 350 military cadets from various
countries for various peacekeeping and military roles, through the Sheikha
Fatima Bint Mubarak Women Peace and Security Initiative.
“If
we look at how the UAE compares to other countries, it ranks first in the Arab
and Gulf region, and 22nd globally, with the same rank as Australia, on the
Georgetown University Women, Peace and Security Index of 2021 – 2022. What this
means is that, out of 170 countries covered by this Index, the UAE is taking a
lead role in improving women’s inclusion, security and legal rights by
implementing several reforms that empower women,” Dr Chehab said.
Diplomacy
training
For
its part, the AGDA is also advancing the role of women in diplomacy and
peacekeeping.
“AGDA
has always been committed to advancing the representation of women in
diplomacy. In fact, 60 per cent of our graduates since 2016 are women. We take
great pride in advancing ground-breaking research, such as our annual Women in
Diplomacy Index, where we map how many women make it to the top ambassadorial
posts worldwide,” Dr Chehab said.
The
academy has also partnered with the General Women’s Union and the UN Women
office in Abu Dhabi to deliver training to 140 female military cadets on topics
related to diplomacy, intercultural awareness and communication.
Women’s
roles
The
researcher, who has been teaching in the UAE for 11 years, explained that women
can take up a multitude of roles within peacekeeping efforts.
“They
can serve in multilateral missions, in the police force, but also as
negotiators, mediators and community representatives during peace processes and
national dialogues to end conflicts and wars. We also know that when you have
women peacekeepers on the ground, they often times can have access to
communities and can solve issues, such as gender-based sexual violence, which
men won’t necessarily be able to handle as well,” she said.
By
training in peacekeeping, women can also contribute to a field that is seeing
much transformation.
“When
we speak of women in diplomacy, we can mean different things here. At the most
basic level, we’re referring to women who serve in the diplomatic corps, who
are employed by ministries of foreign affairs. But since diplomacy is changing
and everything is becoming more globalised, we see women ministers and
parliamentarians, activists and researchers all doing groundbreaking work and
representing their countries in various diplomatic venues. Diplomacy is no
longer restricted to the persona of the diplomat – today we speak of space
diplomacy, economic diplomacy and even culinary diplomacy! This greater
diversity of perspectives and topics means that more women are able to play
important roles, even if informal,” Dr Chehab said.
Tracking
progress
Through
her experiences, Dr Chehab has also found female students among the brightest
in the field, and she pursued lines of study that created the AGDA’s Women in
Diplomacy Index.
“I
read a book back in early 2018 about women’s representation in diplomacy. The
book was written by renowned professors, but it was glaring that there was no
mention of the Arab world in that book! When I looked for information online
about other countries, the information was also missing. It was very surprising
to me that no one – except the book authors – was doing this research or
talking about this! So I took this to our top management and told them that
it’s an issue worth examining. They were very supportive and this is how our
annual Women in Diplomacy Index was born,” Dr Chehab said.
“The
AGDA is one of the very few institutes that do this kind of research and track
the information on a yearly basis. We hope that by doing so, we can really hold
people accountable to increasing the number of women in top posts,” she added.
Source:
Gulf News
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