The decision that women could not enter the Haji Ali dargah, a Sufi shrine, just off the coast of Mumbai, India, has caused international outrage. While some claim that this is just enforcing Islamic law (according to some, women should not visit graves), others were worried that other shrines would soon follow suit. On Thursday the state decided that it is up to the clerics to decide whether or not women can enter the shrine.
The leadership of Syria’s main opposition group in exile consists only of men; no women were voted into the decision-making body of 41 members.
The textile industry in Bangladesh mainly employs women, and this has given larger economic power for women, but many female migrant workers face exploitation and harassment away from home.
Models wait backstage before hitting the runway of a show by Firdaws fashion house by Medni Kadyrova, the wife of the Chechen president. Image via RIA Novosti.
A couple arrested in Pakistan admit to have thrown acid in the face of their teenage daughter Anusha, because she was looking at a boy. She died of her injuries. Later the couple said that they felt remorse and did this out of fear of dishonor. May Allah grant her everlasting peace and justice.
Last week, Russian activists freed 12 “slaves” from the basement of a shop in Moscow. Among them were two Kazakh women, one of whom has been kept in captivity for 10 years, and they describe their ordeal.
Cameroon’s new biometric registration for voters, which include requirements that voters have to have their pictures taken, might mean that many Muslim women will not be able to vote, as they would have to remove their veils, something that they and/or their male family members will not consent to do.
After the attack on Malala Yousufzai, parents in northern Pakistan are increasingly concerned about the safety of their (female) children at school. The CNN reports that throwing acid in the faces of women and girls is the latest tactic by the Pakistani Taliban to prevent them from getting an education. While still many Pakistani women remain illiterate, especially compared to their male counterparts, the number of girls enrolled in education is increasing fast and more Pakistani women receive higher education now than ever.
Fauzia Yusuf Haji Adan is Somalia’s first female foreign minister.
For over two decades, many Kashmiri women have been looking for their disappeared male family members and are experiencing an “immense pain” as Indian government officials and institutions remain silent about the fate of their loved ones.
Iranian actresses will be required to adhere to the Iranian dress code when participating in international events.
Women in Mali are calling for increased protection and guaranteed involvement in solving the armed conflict in the north of the country.
Qantara.de features another interview with Afghani presidential candidate Fawzia Koofi.
A local court has ordered the Egyptian teacher that cut the hair from 11-year-old Mona Barbesh, who did not wear hijab, to pay a fine and serve a six months suspended sentence. The father of Mona Barbesh says that he does not understand why his daughter should wear the hijab, if it isn’t something she wants herself.
Krusha e Madhe is a village in southern Kosovo, which is known for its March 1999 massacre. A project started to distract widows from the grief and pain resulting from this tragic event and produce pickled vegetables has turned into a successful business.
Aiya Altameemi’s parents and sister have been given a probation from an US court for giving her a “honor beating.” Nineteen-year-old Aiya Altameemi was beaten up by her family for not “respecting her culture.” As if “honor beatings” are completely in line with, in this case, Iraqi culture….
The parents of six-year-old Bibi Roza, from Pakistan’s Swat valley, say that tribal authorities are forcing them to marry off their daughter in order to resolve a family feud.
On October 19th Sudanese journalist Somaya Hendousa was arrested, or rather abducted, by Sudanese authorities, while she went to the supermarket. Somaya Hendousa is based in Egypt, but was visiting her family in Sudan and as a journalist is at risk of torture. Last week she was found dumped in slums on the east of Khartoum, tortured and her hair shaven. May Allah protect her and give her to strength to continue her work.
On the Edge, a new film by Leila Kilani tells the story of female factory workers in the Moroccan city of Tangier, who turn to crime in order to survive.
A Muslim college in Uttar Pradesh, India, makes wearing the hijab compulsory for female students, and bans them from using cell phones.
The settlement of the once-nomadic Mbororo people in northern Cameroon has resulted that now more children, and especially girls, can pursue an education, which used to be extremely rare in the past.
RFE/RL profiles American Muslim designer Nzinga Knight.
Info Ladies is a project in Bangladesh, where women are being trained to use computers and other related equipment, who then travel by bike to remote areas to provide internet access to those who normally would not be able to go online.
The Guardian features an audio slideshow on the vulnerable position of women and girls in Somalia’s refugee camps.
The finalists in Miss Belgium 2013 beauty contest have caused uproar in Morocco for posing in casual clothes in front of the largest mosque of the kingdom.