Farmani Naz Finds Support from Many Muslim Scholars and Clerics after Fatwa for Singing a Bhajan ‘Har Har Shambhu’
New
Age Islam News Bureau
11
August 2022
• Malaysia’s
Champion Christian Athlete, Merrywati Manuil, Defends Hijab Wearing
•
100 Girls Participate In First Saudi Scout Camp For Women In Al-Baha
•
UAE’s NAMA Facilitates Access For 16,000 Women-Owned Enterprises In South
Africa
• 6
Years On, Memories of Daesh/ISIS Prison Cell Haunt Ezidi Woman
•
Saudi Industrial Sector Stimulates Women’s Investments
•
"Should I Feed My Kids Or Should I Kill Them?” Pak Woman Complains About
Price Rise
•
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rakhi Sister Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, A Woman from
Pakistan
•
'Freedom, Happiness, Opportunities': Afghan Women Learn To Swim, Drive In
Australia
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/farmani-muslim-clerics-fatwa-shambhu/d/127694
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Farmani Naz Finds Support from Many Muslim Scholars and Clerics after Fatwa for Singing a Bhajan ‘Har Har Shambhu’
Indian
Idol fame Muzaffarnagar-based singer Farmani Naz
-----
Aug
10, 2022
After
being in the eye of a storm for singing a Bhajan, Indian Idol fame
Muzaffarnagar-based singer Farmani Naz has found support from many Muslim
scholars and clerics. Naz recently gave her voice to a Bhajan ‘Har Har
Shambhu’, which had become viral on YouTube and other social media platforms.
This didn’t go down well with a few hardliners who criticised the singer with
Darul Uloom Deoband issuing a fatwa.
However,
many Muslim clerics, scholars, and poets have come out to support Naz. The
scholars said that clerics and institutions like Deoband should refrain from
issuing fatwas unless someone asks for clarification.
Imam
Aishbagh Eidgah and head of Islamic Centre of India Darul Uloom Farangi Mahal,
Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, said, “We live in a country where
Shakeel Badauni pens a bhajan, Naushad composes it, Mohammed Rafi sings it, and
the song gets picturised on Dilip Kumar, all Muslims. Was it wrong? Was it
Un-Islamic? It was unfortunate people are issuing fatwas against an artist for
singing a bhajan. However, if clerics start issuing fatwas like this, then
their value will not remain the same. Clerics should not issue fatwas (advice)
unless they are asked. Quran says we have to work for Deen and Duniya both, but
if clerics start intervening in the Duniya (world) of individuals without being
asked, then respect for clerics would come down. It was up to an individual to
practice a particular art form for livelihood.”
The
singer also clarified that it was wrong to associate everything with religion
and pass judgement on artists.
“Singing
‘Har Har Shambhu’ was not a crime, and I have sung another song on Shri Krishna
on the occasion of Janmashtami and have sung ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’. I am not going
to bow down to the demands of the hardliners,” said Naz.
Talking
on the phone, Shia cleric Maulana Yasoob Abbas, who was participating in a
Moharram procession in Mumbai, said, “I condemn the clerics who have made the
life of Farmani Naz a hell. She is facing a fatwa for no fault of hers. Singing
is her profession, and if she earns her bread and butter from singing then
what’s the harm? Why did they never issue a fatwa against singers like Mohammed
Rafi or Javed Ali, who are singing Bhajans in movies?”
Noted
scholar and Urdu writer Sharib Rudaulvi said, “I pity the girl facing flak from
clerics in a town like Muzaffarnagar. I fail to understand what crime she has
committed. From the era of Emperor Akbar, till now, hundreds of Muslims have
translated Geeta into Urdu and Persian. They have written Bhajans in praise of
Lord Ram and Krishna. Everyone knows about Malik Mohammed Jayasi and his
Krishna Bhajans. Recently noted poet Anwar Jalalpuri translated Geeta into
Urdu. He was posthumously given the Padma Shri for his work. We have been
living in a plural society for years, and now the clerics are trying to change
it.”
Rudaulvi
further noted that he also recites Gayatri Mantra, and it’s placed on the walls
of his drawing room. “I also have its translation in Urdu in my drawing room.
This doesn’t change the way I believe in my religion. There has been a
tradition of reading and reciting religious scriptures of different religions
in our Islam. We have been progressive enough to read and translate various
religious books. At the same time, we have some clerics who believe singing of
‘Har Har Shambhu’ is an un-Islamic act.”
Noted
poet Zubair Ansari reminded the clerics and hardliners about bhajans like ‘Man
Tadpat Hari Darshan ko aaj’, penned by Shakeel Badauni, composed by Naushad,
sung by Mohd Rafi and pictured on Yusuf Khan aka Dilip Kumar. “I also enjoy
singing bhajans, and there is no fault in that. But I don’t sing bhajan during
religious congregations. Unilateral fatwa in the case of Farmani Naz is
uncalled for.”
Naz
said she was thankful to everyone who came out in support of her. “I am from a
Muslim-dominated village, and village head Parvez Siddiqui is also supporting
me. Today BKU president Rakesh Tikait met me at my residence, and on August 13,
Sanjeev Balyan, Union minister of state (MoS), is scheduled to visit me. There
are a few who oppose my singing bhajans, but now I feel I have a lot of support
too,” Naz added.
Naz
contended that some people are trolling her, but artists don’t have any
religion. “I will also sing Qawwali with the same zeal as I sing bhajans,” the
singer added.
Source:
Hindustan Times
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Malaysia’s
Champion Christian Athlete, Merrywati Manuil, Defends Hijab Wearing
Merrywati
Manuil during 2022 World Pencak Silat Championship in Malaysia. (Photo:
Facebook)
-----
August
10, 2022
A
gold-medallist Christian athlete in Malaysia has won praise from netizens for
defending her decision to wear Tudung, a traditional hijab-like headscarf of
Malay Muslim women.
Merrywati
Manuil, 21, a Christian from Keningau in Sabah state, clinched a gold medal
during the 2022 World Pencak Silat Championship held on July 26-31 at Melaka of
Malaysia. Silat is a collective term for a class of indigenous martial arts in
Southeast Asia.
Following
her victory, she faced questions about her choice of wearing tudung during
competition though she is a Christian and belongs to the ethnic Murut
community.
In
a Facebook post on Aug. 7, Manuil said that she wears tudung as a form of her
respect for Malay culture and heritage.
“Many
are wondering why I wear hijab even though I'm a Christian,” she wrote. Martial
art is the heritage of the Malays. As a non-Malay person, I really respect,
admire and love silat. Although it is not mandatory to wear hijab, I prefer to
wear it during competition.”
“Hijab
is not only mandatory to cover up for Malay women but for me to look more
polite, neat and civilized during the competition. Absolutely NO coercion from
either side.”
Manuil
said that she has been studying and practicing Malay heritage, so she felt
compelled to “do what I learn.”
“May
the questions regarding wearing this headscarf be answered,” she concluded.
The
post with her photos went viral on Facebook, gaining more than 12,000 likes,
1,700 comments and over 6,100 shares.
Hundreds
of netizens praised her for promoting culture and harmony, Says.com reported
translating comments from users.
"That's
good, respecting the customs of a culture. Good luck competing, sister,"
said a Facebook user.
"Thank
you for appreciating and showing respect. We should all exemplify this
attitude, our country will live in peace and harmony," said another user.
"Thank
you Merrywati for the honor that you give. Our culture in the Nusantara is all
similar. You also look sweet in a tudung. Congratulations," another
commented.
More
than 500 participants from 40 countries including Indonesia, Thailand, the
Philippines, Canada, Vietnam, and Malaysia.
Malaysia
is a Muslim-majority multi-ethnic and multi-religious country with more than 32
million citizens. About 60 percent of Malaysians are Muslims, 20 percent
Buddhists and about 10 percent are Christians, according to 2018 government
estimates.
Source:
UCA News
https://www.ucanews.com/news/malaysias-champion-christian-athlete-defends-hijab-wearing/98345
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100
girls participate in first Saudi scout camp for women in Al-Baha
August
10, 2022
RIYADH
— The activities of the first Saudi women’s scout camp in the Kingdom,
organized by the Ministry of Education, are progressing well in Al-Baha.
Nearly100
girl student scouts and scouting leaders, representing nine educational
administrations from different regions and governorates of Saudi Arabia, are
participating in the scouting activities. The scouting camp is aimed at
promoting national values, instilling volunteerism and altruism, as well as
developing life skills among girl students of public education, Al-Arabiya.net
reported.
Dr.
Ayman Al-Faridi, advisor to deputy minister of education for educational
programs and assistant director general of scouts’ activity administration at
the ministry, said that this camp is the nucleus of the women’s scout camps
that will be hosted in all regions of Saudi Arabia. “The activities of the camp
will be moved next week to the Asir region, and then to Al-Ahsa with the
objective of developing scouting activities, promoting national values,
instilling volunteerism and life skills among girl students of public education
institutions,” she said.
Though
scouting was officially founded in Saudi Arabia in 1961, the scouting
activities are mostly limited among the Saudi school boy students and
expatriate students. The Saudi Arabian Boy Scouts Association is the national
scouting organization in the Kingdom.
The
association, which became a member of the World Organization of the Scouts
Movement in 1963, has more than 20,000 members. The association aims to promote
the Scout ideals of courage, self-reliance and brotherhood apart from the Scout
motto of “Be prepared.”
It
is noteworthy that the Ministry of Education unveiled in June 2021 its plans to
officially introduce scouting activities in all the three phases of girls’
schools in the Kingdom. Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Saad Aal Fehaid had
issued a circular to all the education administrations in the regions and
governorates asking them to provide the Scouts Activity Administration at the
ministry with a report on the previous initiatives in the field of scouting
activities for girls, if any. The report should also include a list of the
women officials delegated the responsibility of supervising the activities of
girl guides at the Education Administration; it was pointed out in the
circular.
Source: Saudi Gazette
https://saudigazette.com.sa/article/623822
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UAE’s
NAMA facilitates access for 16,000 women-owned enterprises in South Africa
August
11, 2022
Dubai:
More than 16,000 women-owned enterprises have benefitted from the Flagship Programme
Initiative (FPI) implemented by NAMA Women Advancement (NAMA) in partnership
with UN Women since 2018.
This
was revealed during the recent field visit by NAMA officials to South Africa,
where they held meetings and consultations with Mahash Saeed Al Hameli, UAE
Ambassador to South Africa; Fatima Yousuf Al Suwaidi, first secretary at the
UAE Embassy in South Africa, stakeholders, national partners, and beneficiaries
of the programme. NAMA also identified areas for improvement and new
opportunities to expand its footprints in empowering women entrepreneurs
worldwide.
FPI
is designed to build and maximise the capacity of women-owned businesses to
benefit from public and private sector procurement contracts, especially in
non-traditional sectors. By leveraging the commitment of the government and
corporate sectors, the programme aims to foster the creation of an SME support
ecosystem and facilitate access to new procurement markets and finance, while
also addressing the demand and supply constraints of buyers and entrepreneurs.
Strengthening
capacities of women
Reem
BinKaram, director of NAMA, outlined the transformational potential of creating
an enabling ecosystem for women entrepreneurs by leveraging gender-responsive
procurement as a force for strengthening the capacities of women business
owners to access finance and enterprise development.
She
said: “We are committed to promoting gender equality and empowering female
entrepreneurs and business owners, by creating market opportunities for
women-led businesses worldwide. Providing them with equal opportunities enables
women entrepreneurs to grow and thrive as leaders, innovators, and high-impact
changemakers.”
BinKaram
added: “Guided by the vision and strong leadership of Sheikha Jawaher Bint
Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of the Ruler of Sharjah, and Chairperson of NAMA, our
strategic collaboration with UN Women in launching the Flagship Programme
Initiative is aimed at transforming the business landscape and close gender
gaps in South Africa by promoting women’s economic empowerment.
Aleta
Miller, South Africa Multi-Country Representative for UN Women, said “UN
Women’s long standing partnership with NAMA Advancement for Women, & the
South African Government & people, has led to positive, tangible outcomes
for women across South Africa.
Skills
and capacity development
According
to NAMA, women entrepreneurs have benefited from skills and capacity
development programmes, enhancing their participation in procurement processes
and increasing their access to business opportunities, income, and growth.
Leveraging
the technology of Buyfromwomen, an innovative e-commerce platform, the flagship
project has connected Women Owned Enterprises (WOEs) in Energy, Transport,
Agriculture and General Entrepreneurship to improve access to markets.
The
Learning Management System (LMS) assisted women in assessing online self-paced
training during Covid-19. Of the 3,693 women who were profiled, 1,264 enrolled
on the LMS.
Key
government sector departments such as the Department of Energy and Mineral
Resources and the Department of Women, Youth & Persons with Disabilities
have also commenced procurement spending on women-owned businesses in the
sanitary dignity value chain.
Meanwhile,
the Amathole District Municipality reviewed its supply chain policies and set
specific targets for women-owned enterprises, effectively increasing its
procurement spend on women-owned businesses from four to 38 per cent.
Source:
Gulf News
--------
6
years on, memories of Daesh/ISIS prison cell haunt Ezidi woman
10.08.2022
DUHOK,
Iraq
Six
years ago, an Ezidi woman escaped from a Daesh/ISIS prison cell. She still
takes pills to fall asleep.
“Even
though it has been six-and-half years since I escaped from captivity, I am
constantly taking drugs because of my psychological problems. When I use drugs,
I calm down a bit, otherwise, I cannot sleep,” Sara Revo told Anadolu Agency.
Revo,
70, lost her son eight years ago in a Daesh/ISIS terrorist attack on the Sinjar
district of Iraq. Now, she lives with her grandchildren in the Sharya Refugee
Camp in Iraq's Duhok province.
Recalling
the day when Daesh kidnapped nine people from her family, she said: "We
left the house in the morning on that fateful day. We fell into the trap set by
Daesh. I and a few of our relatives were captured."
She
said his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren were also captured and the
terrorists took them to Tal Afar.
“They
were separating the young girls from us. Nobody could speak out because they
were killing them,” she said, adding that his son and other men separated from
them after three days.
"After
one-and-half years, I escaped from captivity and realized that my son and three
others were killed near Tal Afar. I recognized them by their clothes," she
said.
She
said her grandchildren and daughter-in-law also escaped.
"After
my daughter-in-law came out of prison, she left us and went to Europe. These
three children were left without a mother and father." the grieving woman
said.
In
the Aug. 3, 2014 attack on the Sinjar district, where Ezidis live, Daesh/ISIS
kidnapped and killed thousands of people, including women and children, or held
them in prison cells.
Some
300,000 people lived in Sinjar before the attacks, two-thirds of them Ezidi and
the rest Sunni Kurds and Arabs.
Daesh/ISIS
has been active in the Iraqi provinces of Salahuddin, Anbar, Kirkuk, and
Diyala, at a time when the federal government is struggling to contain attacks
by the terrorist group by launching security and military operations in the
country’s northern, western, and eastern regions.
In
2017, Iraq declared victory over Daesh/ISIS by reclaiming all territories the
terrorist group controlled since the summer of 2014, estimated to be about
one-third of the country’s territory. But the PKK terror group remains active
in the region.
In
its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a
terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and the EU – has been responsible
for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
Source:
Anadolu Agency
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Saudi
Industrial Sector Stimulates Women’s Investments
10
August, 2022
In
a move that aims to promote the inclusion of women and young businessmen in the
industrial sector, Saudi Arabia has prepared nearly 78 ready-made factories in
Sudair City for Industries and Business (north of Riyadh), to be used by SMEs
and small entrepreneurs.
Eng.
Osama Al-Zamil, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology
Zones (MODON), announced on Tuesday the inauguration of 58 new factories in
support of small and medium enterprises, pioneers and entrepreneurs and to
encourage women’s investments.
The
move is part of the initiatives of the National Industrial Development and
Logistics Program (NIDLP) to boost the contribution of the non-oil sector to
the GDP and enrich the development base of the national economy.
The
new factories cover an area of 700 square meters per unit.
Al-Zamil
added that the project was the product of an effective partnership between the
public and private sectors as part of MODON’s strategy to enable industry and
contribute to increasing local content.
He
added that Sudair City for Industry and Business recently witnessed many
significant projects, including the inauguration of 20 ready-made factories
with an area of 1,500 square meters, bringing the total to 78 ready-made units
of various sizes, and the delivery of a fiber-optic network, in cooperation
with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
Al-Zamil
also revealed the signing of an agreement with the Saline Water Conversion Corporation
to supply the project with 5,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day, to
be linked with the Corporation’s water transmission facilities and networks.
Source:
Aawsat
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"Should
I Feed My Kids Or Should I Kill Them?” Pak Woman Complains About Price Rise
August
11, 2022
Karachi:
Amid increasing inflation, a video of a Pakistani woman has surfaced,
describing the skyrocketing prices of medicines, groceries and electricity in
the country, especially in Karachi city and slamming Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif and PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz.
Pakistan
is grappling with a crippling economic crisis and the deepening political
turmoil is spawning doubts about the government's ability to make tough
decisions. Pakistani citizens are taking their financial promises online and
criticizing the country's Prime Minister for doing nothing for the relief of
the masses.
The
video was shared by Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir.
A
video is going viral in Pakistan where a Karachi woman could be seen slamming
the government after skyrocketing inflation. The woman asks the government
whether she should end her children's lives by not feeding them anymore, The
News International reported.
The
woman, identified as Rabia from Karachi, could be seen crying and complaining
about the financial problems she was facing after the rise in inflation.
She
said that the rulers should tell her how to manage her expenses after rising
the prices of essential commodities.
"What
should I do, paying house rent, hefty electricity bills, purchase milk and medicines
for my kids, feed my children or should I kill them?" she asked in the
video, cited by The News International.
Rabia,
who has two children said that one of her children is having fits while the
medicine prices for his treatment rose during the last four months.
"Can
I avoid purchasing medicines for my child?" she further asked. "The
government has almost killed the poor people. Are you really afraid of being
questioned by Allah Almighty or not?"
Reacting
to her video, Finance Minister Miftah Ismail on Tuesday defended the country's
economic situation. He clarified that the government did not increase the
electricity tariff in June neither it imposed new taxes on medicines.
Meanwhile,
PM Shehbaz Sharif's coalition government, which took over in April 2022, is
grappling with multiple political and economic crises. Its current account
deficit has surged to $17.4 billion or 4.6 per cent the size of the economy
during the last fiscal year on the rising trade deficit.
A
surging current account deficit amid depleting dollar inflows from multilateral
and bilateral lenders, as well as shrinking foreign investment have brought the
foreign exchange reserves and rupee under enormous pressure over the last
several months.
It
has stoked rapid inflation, forced the State Bank to boost borrowing costs to a
multiyear high and eroded investor confidence in the economy.
Source:
ND TV
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Prime
Minister Narendra Modi’s Rakhi Sister Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, A Woman from
Pakistan
Aug
11, 2022
Raksha
Bandhan is celebrated every year in India to celebrate the special and sacred
bond between a brother and a sister, and the love and respect they hold of each
other. On Raksha Bandhan 2022, let us tell you all about Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s rakhi sister Qamar Mohsin Shaikh, a woman from Pakistan.
As
per her, Qamar Mohsin Shaikh has been sending a Rakhi to PM Narendra Modi every
year for the past 27 years on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, praying for his
good health and wishing him all the success in his political career.
Qamar
Mohsin Shaikh, who is a Pakistan-origin woman and currently lives in India
after her marriage, has made headlines after she sent Prime Minister Narendra
Modi a sacred thread – ‘Rakhi’ on Raksha Bandhan this year.
Shaikh
also narrated the tale of how PM Modi became her Rakhi brother decades ago. She
first met Modi nearly 27 years ago in Delhi when the latter asked her
"Kaisi ho behen"?
This
gesture touched Qamar and she decided to tie a Rakhi on him. Since then every
year she has been tying a Rakhi on the Prime Minister’s wrist.
The
Pakistani woman told IANS that she and her husband were the guests of BJP
senior leader and MP, Dilip Sanghani. Sanghani being an MP had a government
house. At that time Narendra Modi was in New Delhi and was staying at Sanghani’s
residence.
She
remembers, "One evening after his work Modi returned home when we were
introduced to each other. Modi in a polite tone inquired, "How are you
sister?" This had touched me a lot, within a few days Raksha Bandhan was
approaching. I knew that on this auspicious day a sister ties a rakhi to her
brother, so I also bought a Rakhi and tied it to the Prime Minister. Since then
this brother and sister bond has grown stronger with every passing year."
Now,
Qamar Mohsin Shaikh has expressed the desire to meet PM Modi and tie him the
rakhi in person for Raksha Bandhan. If this doesn’t play out, she said that she
will be doing a video call with the prime minister.
Source:
DNA India
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'Freedom,
happiness, opportunities': Afghan women learn to swim, drive in Australia
By
Stefica Nicol Bikes
August
11, 2022
SYDNEY,
Aug 11 (Reuters) - At an indoor pool in a western Sydney suburb, about 20
Afghan women who recently reached Australia as refugees listen to former asylum
seeker Maryam Zahid as she offers them swimming classes and talks about the
country's beach culture.
Zahid,
who arrived in Australia from Afghanistan 22 years ago, said her sessions help
the women develop "an identity for themselves" and deal with the
trauma of the war that ravaged their home country.
"That
is something that will impact psychological and emotional aspects of their life
... to have an identity for themselves as a human being first," Zahid told
Reuters at the Ruth Everuss aquatic centre in the suburb of Auburn.
"We
are creating for them, memories. Memories of freedom, happiness,
opportunities."
A
year after the United States-led alliance's chaotic exit from Afghanistan, tens
of thousands of Afghans have been resettled in the United States and Europe.
Australia initially allocated 3,000 humanitarian visas for Afghans after
August, 2001, and earlier this year said it would allow 15,000 more refugees
over the next four years.
Zahid's
'Afghan Women on the Move' programme also helps refugees - many of who fled
after the hardline Islamist Taliban movement swept back to power - learn
driving and find jobs.
She
believes the women may not go back to Afghanistan, where the government has
severely curtailed the rights of women and girls. For instance, girls are
banned from going to high school.
Some
of the women at the centre chose not to speak in front of the camera, out of
concern for the safety of family back home.
Twenty-three-year-old
Sahar Azizi, meanwhile, is taking her second driving lesson as she carefully
navigates Sydney's busy suburban streets.
"I
decided to start my studies and driving ... instead of sitting at home all the
time and thinking about the bad situation in Afghanistan," said Azizi, who
arrived in Australia one year ago with her husband and prematurely-born baby
boy.
"It
was very stressful. So I decided to move on ... do something for me and achieve
my dreams and goals."
Source:
Reuters
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