Assam’s Oldest Jail, First Muslim Woman Jailer In The North eastern Region, Nayama Ahmed, And The Road To Reformation
New Age Islam News Bureau
3 March2025
· Assam’s Oldest Jail, First Muslim Woman Jailer In The Northeastern Region, Nayama Ahmed, And The Road To Reformation
· India Should Not Support Afghan Cricket Team At The Cost Of Afghan Women, Says Exiled Sportswoman Marzieh Hamidi
· Cricket Diplomacy: Can ICC Stand Up For Afghan Women?
· Number Of Martyrs Of Zionist Targeting Rises To Four, Including Woman
· Empowering Women In Today’s Workplaces: What’s Shaping DEI Efforts In The ME Region?
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/assam-muslim-woman-jailer-region/d/134770
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Assam’s Oldest Jail, First Muslim Woman Jailer In The Northeastern Region, Nayama Ahmed, And The Road To Reformation
Maitreyee Boruah
3 Mar 2025
Nayama Ahmed, the Muslim woman jailer of Assam, who champions the cause of reformation and rehabilitation of inmates at the Central Jail in Tezpur, Assam. Photos: Maitreyee Boruah
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As one approaches Central Jail in Tezpur, Assam, a large yellow signboard greets visitors with bold black letters, marking their arrival at the first jail in the Northeastern state built during the British rule in 1846. A leisurely five-minute walk along a paved lane lined with traditional Assam-type houses leads to a striking brick-red wall, its weathered surface hinting at a rich history. Countless prisoners have served their sentences inside this historic fortress for almost two centuries, each with their own stories and secrets. The thoroughfare is open to the public, and life appears “normal”. Cars honk as pedestrians do their best to walk along the corners of the lanes to avoid bothering drivers. Intrigue sets in when one glances at the jail building, which has white-painted walls and a red roof, sparking They serve tea with snacks and biscuits.
For those feeling hungry, there is French toast, perfectly soaked in eaten eggs and milk but not overly greasy. The tea comes in both milk and non-milk varieties, but without sugar. If a patron desires sweetness, they can request sugar, and the waiter will kindly bring a small bowl of it. This setting encourages you to strike up a conversation with the man who seems decent and is in his early 30s. He may share the reason for his incarceration, and learning about his "long jail term" might trouble you. You may find yourself wanting to judge him for his crime. He mentions that he does not have a family, which he clarifies by saying that he is unmarried
Currently, around 470 individuals, including undertrials, convicts, and nine women prisoners, reside there under the supervision of an inspiring figure, Nayama Ahmed, a 44-year-old Muslim woman who serves as the jailer. She is the first woman jailer from the Muslim community in the Northeastern region. The most common question she is asked is, "What does it mean to be a woman jailer?" Those who dig deeper often ask, "What does it mean to be a Muslim woman jailer?" These questions are not without merit. Prisons of power from the community elicits attention. Ahmed remains unfazed by any curiosity, and chooses not to engage in the surrounding politics.
With her usual calm demeanour, the official said, “Yes, our society is male-dominated. I am a woman and I belong to the Muslim community. But my hard work and dedication have brought me this far.”“I love my work. It is a 24/7 job with very little time for my personal life. Yet, I have always been sincere. Whether the task is small or big, I give my best effort and complete it on time.”
Ahmed recalled that just a few days before she began her role as the jailer of Tezpur's Central Jail in March last year, three undertrials escaped from the highly-secured facility. “It was a challenging time when I took on the position of jailer. To prevent the situation from worsening, I maintained a tight vigil and personally patrolled the entire premises several times a day, including at night. I also had to boost the morale of my colleagues because managing a prison requires teamwork. Soon, the environment improved significantly, and the jail became much more disciplined.” The changes implemented by her as an administrator have been recognised on several occasions. The most recent acknowledgment was receiving the KaragarPreronaBota 2024 award in January, presented by the Assam Prison Headquarters in Khanapara, Guwahati. “As a jailer, my role is not only to manage a prison but also to guide inmates toward a better path, so that they can lead respectable lives and contribute to society once they have served their terms. In this effort, we face many difficulties and challenges, and we often have to work twice as hard to fulfill our responsibilities,” the official said. “Over the years, the nature of crimes has evolved. In the past, we dealt with theft, robbery, and murder. Now, crimes have become more virtual, involving honeytrapping and trading scams. Nevertheless, our primary goal remains unchanged: to reform the inmates,” she added. For Ahmed, the jail serves as a centre for reformation and rehabilitation for inmates. It is also like a second home to her as she spends most of her time in the jail. Her official residence is just a two-minute walk from her office. She lives with her two children, studying in seventh and fourth grades. Ahmed's husband works as a government official in the Department of Agriculture and is stationed in Morigaon, approximately 110 kilometres from Tezpur, the headquarters of Sonitpur district. Her daily routine is quite consistent. A typical day begins at dawn when she arrives at the jail in the early morning hours to unlock the doors for the prisoners. She also conducts night rounds before the facility is locked, carrying the keys home with her. “Every evening, I have to do head counts to ensure every inmate is present. I also enquire them about their health and address any other needs,” she explained. Regarding the jail inmates, she mentioned that most are decent individuals who do not cause trouble. However, she laughed as she spoke about two particular men, whomDuring her earlier role as an assistant jailer, Ahmed established a clothing bank for inmates at the jail in 2016. “After the jail was designated as a detention center in 2015, several foreign detainees were brought in. Around 127 foreign detainees, including Myanmarese Rohingyas and suspected Bangladeshi nationals, were housed here. When I saw a Rohingya woman detainee with only one set of clothes and no slippers for her children during the winter, I decided to address this issue. I appealed on social media for warm clothing donations, and we received a positive response from the public,” she recalled. Explaining the jail's mission, Ahmed stated that it is to provide a minimum standard of living and humane treatment for all inmates. “We are creating opportunities for rehabilitation through vocational, spiritual, and educational activities, enabling inmates to reintegrate as responsible citizens after their release.” The jail offers vocational training through its various manufacturing units, which include weaving and tailoring, carpentry, bamboo and cane work, and blacksmithing. “All the items made by the inmates are sold in the market, and the inmates receive daily wages. Skilled male inmates earn Rs 75 per day, while unskilled ones receive Rs 55. Skilled female inmates are paid Rs 100, and unskilled females earn Rs 80. The earnings are deposited into their bank accounts,” said Ahmed. The jail is situated on 30 acres of land, where varieties of ornamental plants and vegetables grow. “Our inmates enjoy growing flowers and vegetables; it serves as a therapeutic activity for them,” said the jailer. There are currently at least 25 students enrolled in adult and formal education classes, with one teacher to assist
Source:thefederal.com
https://thefederal.com/category/the-eighth-column/assams-oldest-jail-a-muslim-woman-jailer-and-the-road-to-reformation-174412
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India Should Not Support Afghan Cricket Team At The Cost Of Afghan Women, Says Exiled Sportswoman Marzieh Hamidi
March 02, 2025
SUHASINI HAIDAR
SuhasiniHaidarSUHASINI HAIDAR
Olympics athlete Marzieh Hamidi fled from Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban regime took over | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
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Even as the Afghan cricket team wins accolades for its performance in the ICC Champion’s Cup Trophy in Pakistan, 22-year-old Olympics athlete Marzieh Hamidi faces death threats for calling for a boycott against the team. Ms. Hamidi, who fled from Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban regime took over, says the ICC must enforce its rule against recognising cricketing countries that don’t have both men’s and women’s teams. In addition, she says that teams promoted by the Taliban should be boycotted, as South African teams once were, given that the Taliban regime practices “gender apartheid”, banning women and girls from education, sports, and all outdoor activities.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of the Herat Security Dialogue held in Madrid, where she gave a speech about her campaign called ‘Let Us Exist’, Ms. Hamidi, a taekwondo champion who was Afghanistan’s flag-bearer at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, now lives with police protection in France.
“When I spoke out against the Afghan cricket team, their fans first attacked me on social media,” she said, describing how within days she received more than 5,000 phone calls and messages with death threats and rape threats after she was ‘doxxed’ (had all her personal information leaked over the Internet) in September 2024. “All I said was that the Taliban is not recognised, and that the team must not be allowed to normalise them by competing in international sport,” Ms. Hamidi said.
In Pakistan, where his team won a thrilling match against England on February 26, Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said he supported the women’s team’s right to play, but the situation was beyond their control.
“We are sportspersons. We control what we can do inside the ground, and we can’t worry about what’s happening out of the ground,” Mr. Shahidi told The Hindu. “Everyone likes to see everyone play. When it comes to politics and those things which we cannot control, we are only cricket players, we can control things on the ground,” he added.
Although both the English and Australian teams have played matches with Mr. Shahidi’s team at the ICC tournament in Pakistan, their boards have called on the ICC to review its recognition of the team. In 2024, Cricket Australia cancelled a T20 series against Afghanistan citing a “deteriorating human rights situation for women and girls”. In January this year, after 160 British MPs signed a petition calling for their team to boycott the game on February 26, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the ICC “should clearly deliver on their own rules and make sure that they (the Afghanistan Cricket Board) are supporting women’s cricket as the England Cricket Board does”.
Several boards have also suggested that the ICC consider recognising the 2020 Afghan women’s team, who are now refugees and reunited in Melbourne for a match on January 30 this year.
ICC President Jay Shah, however, overruled the objections. In statements to Reuters and the BBC, Mr. Shah said that the ICC was “reviewing certain communications concerning Afghanistan women’s cricket and exploring how they can be supported within ICC’s legal and constitutional framework”, and would continue to engage the Afghanistan Cricket Board on the issue.
The decision was a disappointment, said Ms. Hamidi, who is now training for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, but is uncertain about the future, given the threats over her boycott calls. She said India has a particular responsibility to ensure justice for women in sports in Afghanistan, given the role played by India in training the Afghan team from its start in 2001; BCCI’s support in the Afghanistan Cricket Board gaining recognition; and in providing a home ground in Dehradun when the fighting between Taliban and Afghan national forces made it difficult to play in their country.
“It was wonderful that India helped build the team of its neighbour, of Afghanistan. But supporting it today comes at a cost — they [the Afghan cricketers] are normalising a group of terrorists. It isn’t just gender apartheid that is a problem in Afghanistan; the treatment of all Afghans by the Taliban is a problem,” she told The Hindu.
When asked how she focuses on her training, Ms. Hamidi said she has learnt to roll with the punches. Born to an Afghan refugee family living in Iran in 2002, she moved between Iran and Afghanistan throughout her childhood. In 2020, she moved back to Kabul and pursued her Taekwondo skills, representing her country at international championships until the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021. “It was a choice between silence and exile,” she says of her decision to flee to France.
Source:thehindu.com
https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/india-should-not-support-afghan-cricket-team-at-the-cost-of-afghan-women-normalising-taliban-says-exiled-sportswoman/article69281782.ece
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Cricket Diplomacy: Can ICC Stand Up For Afghan Women?
C Uday Bhaskar
Mar 03, 2025
Tragic tale: The spotlight on the Afghan men's cricket team at the Champions Trophy draws attention to the fact that with the Taliban banning sports for girls, its women cricketers have fled the country. Reuters
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When the Afghan cricket team defeated England at the ICC Champions Trophy match in Lahore on February 26 by eight runs in a nail-biting finish that went to the last over, cricket lovers the world over applauded this plucky team for their resilience and determination. Since they were admitted to the international cricketing fold in 2017, Afghanistan, with its war-ravaged history of the last five decades, has transmuted this game into a symbol of national identity, hope and unity.
This winning streak came to a disappointing end on February 28 when Afghanistan played Australia, the top dogs in the ICC, and put up a fighting score of 273, but the match was abandoned due to rain. The Aussies had already raced to 109 for the loss of one wicket in under 13 overs and the outcome was predictable.
But Afghanistan is now a high-calibre cricketing nation and even the Taliban, with its oppressive rule, is aware of the team's popularity.
However, this spotlight on the Afghan cricket team at the ICC and their prowess also draws attention to a tragic tale — that of the Afghan women's cricket team. Their plight is a microcosm of the larger oppression and erasure that the Taliban, currently in power in Kabul since August 2021, has inflicted on the women of Afghanistan.
With the Taliban restricting education for girls, banning all kinds of sports for women and forbidding them from appearing in public spaces, the Afghan women cricketers had to flee the country to escape persecution. In a dramatic journey in late 2021, enabled by three intrepid Australian women — Mel Jones, Emma Staples and Catherine Ordway — a total of 120 people were smuggled out of Afghanistan to Australia via Pakistan and Dubai.
An Afghan women's cricket team in exile has been formed in Melbourne and they are seeking both recognition and support from the ICC management, but this has proved elusive. As per the rules, to qualify for full membership of the ICC, a cricketing nation has to field both a men's and a women's team to receive funding and enjoy Test status.
Since the Taliban seized power in 2021, this condition regarding a women's team has not been met, but the ICC has chosen to accord the ACB (Afghanistan Cricket Board) full membership with funding and has allowed it to participate in the current championship.
The ICC is aware of the plight of the Afghan women's team in exile and Chairman Jay Shah has noted: "We are committed to supporting cricket development through the Afghanistan Cricket Board while recognising the challenges facing Afghan women's cricket, including the concerns of players living in exile." He added: "Our focus is on constructive dialogue and viable solutions that safeguard the best interests of all Afghan cricketers."
The status of women in Afghanistan since the Taliban assumed power in 2021 has been steadily deteriorating. A UN official who prepared the country report described this period as "three years' worth of countless decrees, directives and statements targeting women and girls, stripping them of their fundamental rights and eviscerating their autonomy".
This erosion of dignity and loss of self-esteem has precipitated a mental health crisis among young Afghan girls and women and the incidence of suicides has been increasing. Concurrently, early child-bearing and infant mortality has increased by almost 50 per cent since mid-2021.
Traditionally, Afghan women have enjoyed a high degree of access to education and work opportunities as also gender dignity within the framework of a conservative Muslim society. However, the imposition of a visibly misogynistic Taliban ideology has made half the population almost invisible, for they cannot be seen in public spaces. The erasure of identity and self-esteem is frightening.
The UN Security Council passed an ambitious and lofty Resolution 1325 in October 2000, which demanded that all member states respect and comply with international law related to the rights and protection of women and girls. Afghanistan adopted a NAP (National Action Plan) in 2015 with normative goals to ensure gender equity and protection from sexual violence, but all of this has been jettisoned under the Taliban rule.
Post the enormity of 9/11 in September 2001, the US bombed Afghanistan back to the 'stone age' and sought to prise the Al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden from Taliban protection. The Taliban fled Kabul and a fledgling democracy was ushered into Afghanistan but it did not take roots.
Twenty years later, the US made a hasty and shambolic withdrawal from Kabul in August 2021 (reminiscent of the American withdrawal from Saigon in April 1975) and the Taliban came back to seize power in Kabul.
Clearly, using force to intimidate the Taliban, that is steeped in patriarchy and male dominance, to conform to a more gender-equitable form of governance is not a viable option. Sociological research related to peace, conflict resolution and women's security dwells on 'patriarchal bargaining' as a means to infuse a degree of malleability in an otherwise inflexible, gender-insensitive hierarchy. Academics and activists have been engaged in valuable research in this area and there is a strong case to evolve a political consensus based on these findings to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.
India has always had an empathetic relationship with the Afghan people even as that nation was plunged into war and devastation since the Soviet occupation of 1979. In recent months, Delhi has begun a tentative rapprochement with the Taliban and comfort at the official level will slowly evolve.
The ICC card provides an option to incentivise bargaining with the Taliban and quiet cricket diplomacy should be explored. For a start, the ICC could provide funding that is due to the women's team in exile in Melbourne after due consultation with the ACB and other steps can follow.
The unfortunate girls and women in Afghanistan who remain stoic and resolute despite the Taliban decrees must not be forgotten. Reach out to these sisters in your own manner and let them know that their plight has not been erased from the collective consciousness.
Source: tribuneindia.com
https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/cricket-diplomacy-can-icc-stand-up-for-afghan-women/
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Number of martyrs of Zionist targeting rises to four, including woman
02 Mar 2025
The number of martyrs of the Israeli escalation on the Gaza Strip rose today, Sunday, to four martyrs.
The "Israeli" occupation forces continue to target different areas of the Strip, especially the eastern border areas, hours after the end of the first phase, which led to the death of four citizens, including a woman.
The citizen, WafaaFathiFasifas, was martyred and another was injured as a result of shelling by Israeli drones on Palestinians in the town of Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Yunis city, south of the Gaza Strip.
The young man, Mahmoud Madhat Abu Harb, was also martyred as a result of being shot by an Israeli sniper while he was on the roof of his house behind the Jawwal Company next to the Peace Hall in the center of Rafah city, south of the Gaza Strip.
Ibrahim al-Masry and Muhammad al-Masry were also killed as a result of an Israeli drone strike in the town of Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli occupation army continues its violations of the ceasefire agreement stipulated with the resistance by the mediators on January 19, as martyrs were killed and others were injured.
On January 19, a ceasefire agreement began in the Gaza Strip and a prisoner exchange between Hamas and "Israel", which includes 3 stages, each lasting 42 days, during which negotiations are held to start the second and third, with the mediation of Egypt, Qatar and the support of the United States.
With American support, "Israel" committed genocide in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and January 19, 2025, leaving more than 160,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.
Source:saba.ye
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3445502.htm
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Empowering Women In Today’s Workplaces: What’s Shaping DEI Efforts In The ME Region?
Mar 3, 2025
As workplaces continue to evolve, fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce has become a key priority globally. In the ME region, governments and organisations are actively implementing initiatives to empower women and other underrepresented groups.
For example, the UAE Gender Balance Council recently introduced the ‘Gender Equality Acceleration Pledge’, an initiative designed to increase women's representation in management roles. Its objective is to ensure that by 2028, women hold at least 30% of middle and senior management positions, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5), which calls for the full and effective participation of women in leadership positions globally.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 emphasises women's empowerment as a key driver of national development. The National Transformation Program, one of Vision 2030's executive programs, includes 36 strategic goals supporting the economic empowerment of women and increasing their participation in the labour market.
Commitment to gender equality in the UAE: How organisations are ensuring it
Many organisations in the UAE have demonstrated a strong commitment to gender balance, aligning their efforts with the UAE Gender Balance Council. Seven global organisations, including ADNOC, Al-Futtaim IKEA, Posterity Institute & CSO Network, Emirates NBD, Tristar Group, International Advisory Group (IAG), Mediclinic Middle East, signed this pledge.
They are strengthening their efforts by implementing policies that enhance gender diversity, provide leadership opportunities, and foster inclusive workplace cultures. Representatives from these organisations previously shared their thoughts on these initiatives with the Emirates News Agency. Here are a few of their statements:
Vinod Jayan, Managing Director, Al-Futtaim IKEA, UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Oman, has highlighted the company’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and achieving 30 percent representation of women in senior roles by 2028. He shared that their organisation has embedded gender equality into its corporate culture, with 31% of its workforce being women and 24% in senior leadership roles.
Hein van Eck, CEO, Mediclinic Middle East, stated that gender equity is critical to success in delivering high-quality healthcare services. He shared how his organisation has emphasised the importance of gender balance in healthcare, with three-quarters of its workforce consisting of women.
YaserAlmazrouei, Executive Director, ADNOC, has stated that the company remains committed to strengthening diversity across all levels of the organisation. Whereas Dr Nabil Alyousuf, CEO, IAG, has recognised the initiative as a demonstration of commitment to meaningful and measurable change.
Talking to ETHRWorld EMEA about how his organisation supports this goal, Dr Vinod Kumar Singh, Joint President HR at UltraTech Cement, also shared the success rate of the ongoing initiatives over the past two years.
He shared that their female workforce in the UAE has increased by 78%, and they genuinely believe that women employees deserve an equitable share of representation across all functions in the organisation.
Furthermore, he highlighted the organisation’s progress in placing and supporting female workmen in key roles like Sales, Purchasing, and Quality Control. Emphasising the importance of feedback mechanism, he revealed how UltraTech Cement organises quarterly meetings to gather insights on the support needed and identify areas for improvement.
He also discussed the organisation’s mechanism for engaging with managers to ensure they are mindful of the challenges women may face in the workplace.
Strengthening DEI initiatives in the KSA, Kuwait, and beyond: What’s leaders’ call?
To gain deeper insights into how organisations are aligning their DEI initiatives with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, particularly in eradicating gender-biased decision-making and empowering underrepresented groups, including women—a mega panel titled “Connected by Differences – Driving DEI in a Tech-Driven Age” was recently organised at the EtHRWorld Future Forward Middle East.
Leaders from top organisations in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE participated in the discussion. The key speakers included Fernando Ortega Feliu, CEO of SAMI Airbus; TamimAlkhalifah, CHRO of Alkhorayef Water & Power Technologies; ReemAlgasim, Head of Human Resources, Saudi Arabia, Signify; Emad Al-Ablani, General Manager, Head of Group Human Resources, National Bank of Kuwait; and Jacob Jacob, Group CHRO, Aster DM Healthcare.
TamimAlkhalifah highlighted that Saudi Arabia has already surpassed its Vision 2030 goal of 30% female workforce participation, reaching 34% ahead of schedule. He shared how the progress varies across industries, with traditionally male-dominated sectors like water, construction, and infrastructure lagging behind.
As an HR professional, Tamim emphasised a three-pronged approach: Attract, Develop, and Retain, to maximise female participation:
Attract: Expanding talent pipelines through partnerships with universities and technical colleges. Currently, his company sponsors 65 young Saudis (50% female) in technical training for fields like health & safety and materials management. The performance of female train…
Source:indiatimes.com
https://hrme.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace/empowering-women-in-todays-workplaces-whats-shaping-dei-efforts-in-the-me-region/118626284
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/assam-muslim-woman-jailer-region/d/134770