Pakistani-Canadian Muslim Woman, Raheel Raza, Is One Of Israel’s Fiercest Advocates
New Age Islam News Bureau
10 December 2025
· Pakistani-Canadian Muslim Woman, Raheel Raza, Is One Of Israel’s Fiercest Advocates
· Elham Ramezani: From Climbing Mt Everest To Taking Iranian Women’s Squash Forward
· Instagram Pages Of Two Iranian Female Singers, Niousha Mofidi and Rapper Evi, Taken Offline By Police
· Iranian Child Bride, Goli Kouhkan, Who Killed Abusive Husband Spared Execution
· Female Politicians Facing Rise In Online Violence in Bangladesh Since Aug 5: Samantha Sharmin
· Princess Reema’s Cancer Awareness Initiative In Full Swing
· Miami Elections: Eileen Higgins Becomes City’s First-Ever Female Mayor - Who Is She?
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-women-feminism/pakistani-canadian-muslim-woman-israel/d/137967
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Pakistani-Canadian Muslim Woman, Raheel Raza, Is One Of Israel’s Fiercest Advocates
By Sharon Aschaiek
9 December 2025
TORONTO — Prominently perched on the coffee table in the Toronto condominium of Raheel Raza is “Israel 60,” a 336-page volume chronicling the country’s first six decades of history, culture, politics and aspirations for peace. For some of Raza’s fellow Pakistani Muslim family and friends who visit, seeing the book is shocking — and she makes sure to seize the moment.
“They’re always curious: ‘Why are you supporting Israel?’” says Raza, a Sunni Muslim who is a seasoned activist for peace, human rights and gender equality. “It provides an opportunity to discuss the rampant conspiracy theories distorting what Israel is — a conversation that is desperately needed.”
Sparking productive, fact-based dialogue about Israel and the extremist forces within Islam that demonize the country and Jews is central to Raza’s work with the Council of Muslims Against Antisemitism (CMAA), a non-profit she founded in April of 2021 with her husband, Sohail Raza, and other progressive Muslims. Embracing a vision that “humanity is but one community,” Raza is determined to reclaim her religion from fanatics and combat Islamist antisemitism by building understanding and connection between members of both faiths.
“This is not a Jewish-Muslim conflict. Jews are our brothers and sisters in faith. We have more in common than we have differences. Our roots come from the same tree,” Raza says. “The monster is radical jihadist ideology, and we have to defang this monster, because it is a threat to the whole world.”
To expose the threat of Islamism and spark collective action, Raza writes widely for mainstream media publications and has authored four books on the subject, including “Their Jihad… Not My Jihad! A Muslim Canadian Woman Speaks Out,” and “The ABC’s of Islamism: Everything You Wanted to Know About Radical Islam, But Were Afraid to Ask.”
She also speaks about the hazards of extremism to diverse community groups and university students, and has presented to the United Nations and the governments of Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden.
After moving to Canada with her husband and then two young sons in 1988 to avoid Islamism in Pakistan, Raza has been dismayed to observe the increasing presence in Canada of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Muslim Brotherhood — which have been or are in the process of being designated as terror organizations by Canada and the United States, respectively — and the proliferation of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel.
These concerns have intensified in the wake of the bloody Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught on Israel and the subsequent rise of anti-Israel sentiment globally, which she believes is an orchestrated power play of theocratic imperialism by the anti-West regimes of Iran and Qatar.
Canada, Raza says, has turned into a “battleground for antisemitic violence” that has manifested in physical assaults on Jewish individuals, vandalism of synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses, the marginalization of Jewish kids in public schools, and street marches that have featured the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah. Government data show Jews in Canada are consistently the biggest targets of hate crimes, with B’nai Brith Canada reporting a record-breaking 6,219 such incidents in its 2024 audit of antisemitic incidents. In August, Canada’s former special envoy for preserving Holocaust remembrance and combating antisemitism published a comprehensive report calling Jew-hate a “threat to the principles of equality, inclusion, and democracy that underpin Canadian society.”
Immediately following the massacre in Israel, the CMAA made a public statement strongly condemning Hamas’s “murderous attack,” and later took out a full-page ad in a major Canadian newspaper rejecting the “distortion and weaponization of our faith by Islamist extremists, and for their promotion of antisemitism, violence and terrorism.”
In a January 2024 article for Newsweek that she co-wrote with other Muslim women’s rights activists, Raza denounced the international community’s slow and scant response to the systemic sexual violence of October 7 because the female victims were “less worthy of attention and support due to their nationality and religion.” She has also advocated for defunding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which has been found to be compromised by Hamas and other terror groups.
Raza blames rising anti-Jewish hostilities largely on weak or wrong-headed responses by government leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent decision to recognize a Palestinian state.
“The recognition of an entity that is run by a known terrorist organization at this time is not conducive to peace,” says Raza, who instead endorses the Abraham Accords as the best pathway to harmonious coexistence, an outcome she says depends on the release of the hostages, the surrender of Hamas, recognition of Israel and “ensuring Gaza’s educational curricula are not full of hate targeting Israel and the Jewish people’s very existence.”
From ‘Exodus’ to Israel
Raza says her personal awakening to antisemitism was partly influenced by her father, an army doctor who encouraged her to think independently. In her youth, she read Anne Frank’s “Diary of a Young Girl” and “Exodus” by Leon Uris, and says their accounts of historical Jewish persecution undermined the antisemitic narratives that were pervasive in Pakistan.
In 2008, Raza and her husband felt compelled to see Israel for themselves, despite warnings from their peers about its inherent dangers for Muslims. That first visit was revelatory, she says, debunking their misconceptions of the country and sparking a deep and lifelong appreciation for its cultural diversity, rich history, drive for innovation and joy for life. She has since traveled to the country 13 times.
“I instantly fell in love with Israel,” Raza says. “When I tell people I’m from Pakistan, they’re curious. They want to know more. This is what I love — the curiosity, the openness. How wonderful would it be if we could all be like that.”
Raza’s activism eventually attracted the attention of the late Israeli politician Shimon Peres, who invited her to participate in Facing Tomorrow, the annual international conference on global challenges that he hosted in Jerusalem while serving as Israel’s president. Raza was so inspired by the experience that in 2012, she drew on the event’s name when she co-established Muslims Facing Tomorrow, a non-profit organization that works to advance human rights and free speech among Muslims. Raza is also part of the CLARITy Coalition, a global group of Muslim and ex-Muslim activists working for peace, democracy and secular governance.
Raza’s advocacy has made her the target of harsh criticisms from some Muslim peers. She has also had a suspicious package from an unknown sender delivered to her home, faced a lawsuit by a Muslim charity she called out for funding terrorism, and had a fatwa issued against her by a Saudi Arabian cleric.
But she says she is heartened by the growing number of Muslims in her community who support her work to reform Islam by amplifying its moderate voices and celebrating its fundamental values of compassion, equality and peace.
These efforts have included organizing panel discussions, solidarity rallies, and, in April of 2023, a joint commemoration for Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day and Eid al-Fitr — which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — that attracted 250 people. Raza’s CMAA collaborated with Israel’s Foreign Ministry to organize an awareness-raising trip to Israel for Canadians of diverse faith backgrounds that returned to Canada on December 3.
“I am an eternal optimist… I’m trying to bring humanity back to some sense,” says Raza, whose activism also focuses on gender-based violence, forced marriage and honor killings in Islam. Her extensive human rights work has been recognized with the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Medal of Courage and the Senate of Canada 150th Anniversary Medal, among several others.
This past May, Raza and other CMAA members visited the Nova Exhibition in Toronto to observe the recreation of Hamas terrorists’ devastating brutality that cut short the lives of hundreds of festivalgoers on October 7.
During a subsequent panel discussion, Raza issued the assembled crowd a stark challenge: “The radicals have won the battle, but we can’t let them win the war.”
Source: timesofisrael.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/eternal-optimist-pakistani-canadian-muslim-woman-is-one-of-israels-fiercest-advocates/
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Elham Ramezani: From Climbing Mt Everest To Taking Iranian Women’s Squash Forward
Dec 10, 2025
CHENNAI: At the Squash World Cup here on Tuesday, Iran’s No. 1 women’s player Fereshteh Eghtedari, ranked 228, pushed world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe of Japan to the brink, even leading 2-1 at one stage. Through every point, Iran women’s team coach Elham Ramezani urged her on with constant applause in Persian. And when Fereshteh walked off in tears after the tough loss, Elham held her close and consoled her.
Elham, a former player who now juggles coaching and refereeing, believes that Fereshteh’s commanding performance against Satomi and her medal-winning feats signal the growth of women’s squash in Iran. Recently, Fereshteh made history at the Jo’burg Open, becoming the first-ever Iranian woman to win a PSA Tour title. The inclusion of squash in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics only adds momentum to this rise.
“I think two-three years ago, things were very different. But in these three years, the game has received more attention. It’s maybe because of the Olympics and we’ve also been getting wonderful results. For example, Fereshteh participated in five or six PSA events and won one gold and two bronze medals. It shows we’ve very good capabilities. I think you’ll hear a lot more in the future from Iranian women’s squash,” said Elham.
The Iranian team travels with two coaches – one for the men and one for the women. In Iran, women are not allowed to train under a male coach, but Elham is fine with it.
“We are okay with it, but to understand and learn other aspects of the game like speed and mental confidence, it’s so important to have male coaches. We believe there is no difference between women and men. And we’re trying to practise together. I can coach men when we’ve a competition. But when we’re training at our club or as a national team, it’s not possible for me to train male athletes,” Elham said.
Elham is also no stranger to pushing the limits herself; she is only the second Iranian woman to summit Mount Everest. She went on the climb with her compatriot Afsaneh Hesamifard, who reached the peak a day earlier than her.
Elham feels squash played a role in achieving that monumental feat. “Everybody told me I could not do it, because it’s so dangerous. But I believed in myself… it was my dream. And in 2022, I did it. Playing squash helped me in a way, yes. When you are hiking, there is no opponent. Your opponent is yourself, your ability, your mind. Because of playing squash for many years, it absolutely helped me push myself physically and reach the peak. When we returned home after that feat, there was no celebration, no welcome, nothing,” she said.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/elham-ramezani-from-climbing-mt-everest-to-taking-iranian-womens-squash-forward/articleshow/125876162.cms
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Instagram Pages Of Two Iranian Female Singers, Niousha Mofidi and Rapper Evi, Taken Offline By Police
10 Dec 2025
Authorities in Iran have blocked the Instagram pages of two female singers as part of an intensifying crackdown on women’s public performances and online presence.
Iran’s cyber police, known as FATA (Iran’s internet crime enforcement agency), blocked the account of Niousha Mofidi, a young woman who performed solo at a concert by Iranian pop singer Hamid Hami.
All posts on her Instagram account, which had nearly 12,000 followers, were deleted. Security officials said the page was closed for “producing criminal content.”
A video shared on social media showed Mofidi singing along from the audience while Hami told others, “Let her sing,” then remained silent so her voice could be heard alone. Mofidi had previously posted videos of her singing on Instagram.
The Instagram account of Iranian rapper Evi, which had nearly 26,000 followers, was also taken offline on Monday. She had previously said security agencies contacted her, demanding she delete her page within 24 hours—a demand she refused.
“I will stand with my people for the rest of my life and will not accept anything that contradicts living freely, even if it is presented in the name of religious law,” she said in a post.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women in Iran have been banned from singing in the presence of men, based on religious interpretations. The policy ended the official careers of female singers active before the revolution and pushed their work to the margins.
In recent months, repression against singers and music activists—particularly those opposing the mandatory hijab—has intensified.
More than 160 artists, civil activists, and organizations, including 19 based inside Iran in April condemned the government’s increasing crackdown on female singers, describing it as part of a systematic effort to suppress women and reinforce a gender-discriminatory system.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202512103744
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Iranian Child Bride, Goli Kouhkan, Who Killed Abusive Husband Spared Execution
10 Dec 2025
A 25-year-old Iranian woman and child marriage survivor who had been sentenced to death for killing her abusive husband has been spared execution after the victim’s family agreed to forgive her, the judiciary's news agency reported.
Goli Kouhkan hails from Iran's Baluch minority in the country's southeast, where poverty and traditional social practices present special challenges for women's rights in the Islamic theocracy.
Mizan News Agency, the outlet affiliated with Iran’s judiciary, published a video on Tuesday showing the late husband's relatives formally recording their forgiveness in the presence of judicial officials and signing the necessary documents.
In the video, a local judiciary official says all the legal formalities for carrying out the execution had been completed, but mediation efforts led to a settlement and the victim’s family ultimately chose to pardon her.
The victim’s father also appears in the footage, saying they decided to forgive her after repeated requests from mediators and discussions with his wife.
“The family of the murder victim, with extensive cooperation from the provincial prosecutor’s office and the Dispute Resolution Council, and with both financial and moral support from philanthropists, has taken a magnanimous step and relinquished its legal and religious right,” the official said.
He did not clarify how much money — if any — was ultimately paid to the husband’s family. However, according to UN experts, the family had previously agreed to forgo the execution only if she paid 100 billion rials (about $80,000) in blood money, “an amount considerably higher than the recommended rate and far beyond her reach, especially as an undocumented woman who has been rejected by her family.”
Last week, UN human rights experts urged Iran to halt her execution, saying Iranian courts "failed to consider the sustained pattern of abuse or assess specific circumstances surrounding her actions."
Kouhkan was forced into marriage at the age of 12 to her cousin and endured years of physical and psychological abuse while working as a farm laborer, they said.
According to the experts, which include Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran Mai Sato, Kouhkan gave birth at home at 13 without medical care. Attempts to escape the marriage failed because of her lack of legal identification documents and societal pressure.
In May 2018, her husband beat both her and their five-year-old son. After a relative was called to help, a confrontation ensued that resulted in her husband’s death, according to the experts.
The experts said at least 241 women were executed between 2010 and 2024, including 114 sentenced to death for homicide, many of whom had allegedly killed a husband or intimate partner after years of domestic violence or child marriage.
In Iran, the legal marriage age for girls is 13, and even younger with a guardian’s and judge’s approval. Rights groups say girls and women have little protection from domestic violence, and women face major obstacles when trying to divorce.
Source: iranintl.com
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202512098275
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Female Politicians Facing Rise In Online Violence in Bangladesh Since Aug 5: Samantha Sharmin
Dec 9, 2025
Samantha Sharmin, senior joint convener of National Citizen Party (NCP), on Tuesday said she fears contesting the upcoming national election amid a rise in online violence targeting female politicians since August 5 last year.
She made the remark at a discussion at Dhaka University's RC Majumdar Auditorium, organised by the NCP-affiliated student wing Jatiya Chhatra Shakti to honour Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain.
Samantha said that beyond cyberbullying, the spread of fake videos, misinformation and disinformation has created an even more critical situation for women engaged in politics.
She said that the interim government has failed to identify or take action against any individuals or social media accounts involved in harassing women online.
"In this situation, I am apprehensive about how I will contest the upcoming general election," Samantha said.
The NCP leader added that the current political culture routinely humiliates women. "If you cannot change the politics of dominance, muscle power, arms, and the manipulation of money, do not call women into politics," she said.
"Do not invite women to share the power structure until these changes are made. Instead, step back from the deceit and ruthlessness inherent in the pursuit of power. Engage in responsible politics -- the kind women already practice," she added.
On women's participation in politics, Samantha said, "Only when political parties reflect the 52 percent female population will meaningful reform for the women of this country begin."
NCP joint convener Nusrat Tabassum, senior joint member secretary Nahida Sarwar Nibha, and joint convener Monira Sharmin also spoke at the event.
Jatiya Chhatra Shakti central president Zahid Ahsan and general secretary Abu Baker Mojumder were also present.
Source: thedailystar.net
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/female-politicians-facing-rise-online-violence-aug-5-samantha-sharmin-4054681
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Princess Reema’s cancer awareness initiative in full swing
December 09, 2025
RIYADH: Princess Reema bint Bandar’s cancer awareness initiative was in full swing this week, with government and private entities taking part in the “Lavender Ribbon” campaign.
The princess, who is the Kingdom’s ambassador to the US, has through her 10KSA organization encouraged the public to share social media posts describing their healthy lifestyles to reduce the risk of cancer.
She also took part in a walk with students from King Khalid University in Abha. And gave a speech explaining how the initiative was founded 10 years ago to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Princess Reema spoke about how the 10KSA initiative has grown over the years to include raising awareness of other types of cancer.
She thanked the participating entities from the public and private sectors. And expressed her appreciation for those who have shared their stories of struggle, healing and recovery.
Princess Reema also visited the headquarters of Riyadh Air, where company representatives highlighted the work they were doing to promote the early detection of cancer.
Minister of Health Fahd AlJalajel took part in a ceremony for 10KSA, and wrote in a post on X: “We continue, within the healthcare system, our efforts to provide support for this promising initiative.”
Sports Boulevard posted an aerial image on X of people forming a lavender ribbon and stated: “Let’s be part of raising awareness and stand together for health.”
Supporters of the campaign include the Saudi Camel Federation, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Saudi Esports Federation, Saudi Hockey Federation, Ministry of Investment, Environmental Fund, and Minister of Sport Prince Abdulaziz Al-Faisal.
Source: arabnews.com
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2625604/saudi-arabia
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Miami elections: Eileen Higgins becomes city’s first-ever female mayor - who is she?
Dec 10, 2025
Miami voters have elected Democrat Eileen Higgins as the city’s first female mayor and the first Democrat to hold the office in nearly three decades.
In Tuesday’s runoff, Higgins, a former county commissioner, defeated Republican Emilio González, a former city manager backed by former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
“Together, we turned the page on years of chaos and corruption and opened the door to a new era for our city, one defined by ethical, accountable leadership that delivers real results for the people," Higgins said in a statement after the voivtory, promising to lead a government “that finally earns the public’s trust,” as cited by NYT.
Although Miami’s elections are officially nonpartisan, both major parties played an active role in the campaign. US President Donald Trump endorsed González, while the Democratic National Committee backed Higgins. In the days leading up to the vote, several prominent national Democrats traveled to Miami to campaign alongside her, an unusual show of support for a low-turnout, off-year local election.
Higgins secured victory the victory after topping the first round of voting on November 4, where she received 35 per cent of the vote compared to González’s 19 per cent.
Who is Eileen Higgins?
Higgins will make history as Miami’s first female mayor and its first non-Hispanic mayor since the 1990s, breaking a three-decade dominance of Cuban American Republicans in city politics.
Higgins, a trained mechanical engineer and former Peace Corps director in Belize, previously represented what she described as a Republican-leaning district on the county commission.
She also holds a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.
On the campaign trail, she pledged to focus on addressing residents’ everyday concerns if elected, as cited by Politico.
Higgins had served as a well-known county commissioner for eight years, representing a district that included Miami’s downtown. In the November 4 election, she also secured the top spot across all five of the city’s commission districts.
She received a social media endorsement from former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is a former mayor and was a 2020 presidential candidate.
She also led in all five of the city’s commission districts and will succeed outgoing Mayor Francis Suarez, who had briefly sought the Republican presidential nomination, as cited by the NYT.
Miami, home to roughly half a million residents, is Florida’s second-largest city after Jacksonville. While the city, like the state, has trended Republican in recent election cycles, Higgins’ Democratic victory stands out as particularly notable.
Source: indiatimes.com
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/miami-elections-eileen-higgins-becomes-citys-first-ever-female-mayor-who-is-she/articleshow/125881328.cms
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