KUALA LUMPUR // There is an abundance of effort spent on educating the West about Islam, but not as much, it seems, on dispelling misconceptions about the religion among Muslims themselves. A women's initiative in Malaysia hopes to change that.
The ambitious "shura council", to be announced today in Kuala Lumpur at the second conference of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE), aims to reinterpret the traditionally patriarchal take on the Quran, Sunnah and Shariah law, for Muslim communities all over the world.
"Shura is a tradition within Islam," said Daisy Khan, head of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, referring to the Arabic word for "consensus". "And our aim is to be a guiding light, representing not just scholars, but activists and historians and anthropologists and other grassroots. And we don't want to stick to scholarly work, but to distil it into language everyone can understand, and transform it into action."
Ms Khan said that although the programme was ambitious, it was rooted in tradition.
"Sure, WISE is bold," she said. "But we consider our initiative to be authentic to the Islamic tradition. We are not in any way contradicting Islamic teachings here."
The conference, Muslim Women: Building Institutions, Creating Change, has brought together 15 female Muslim academics and activists to serve on the council - people who know first-hand about the challenges women face in their communities. Attended by more than 200 female scholars, community leaders and activists, the conference also envisiages the establishment of a fund for grass-roots initiatives supporting Muslim women, and a web portal where Muslim women worldwide may go for help and advice on social and religious issues.
As an example of how the new council could help, Ms Khan mentioned the case of a Pakistani-American woman who needed to be reassured that Islam did not require forced marriages, and that she had a right to choose her own spouse.
"She is now 35," Ms Khan said. "She ran away from her Pakistani family at age 18 because they wanted to force-marry her to a relative in Pakistan."
The woman was born and raised in the US, a country, Ms Khan said, in which education about Islam is lacking.
"She found me somehow, and when I told her nothing in Islam allows forceable marriage, she was shocked," Ms Khan said. "She said she had always been told otherwise, and that was the excuse everyone used to try to force-marry her off."
Under the framework for the council, women would be able to submit queries through the web portal. The council would offer religious reasoning to help them assert their rights under Islam. The council also would mobilise intervention, if necessary, using non-governmental organisations, counselling centres and shelters.
"It's a safe ether space for women to meet and discuss," Ms Khan said.
Ambreen Qureshi, charged with setting up the portal, recounted an ongoing project that she expects will be replicated many times.
"We collaborated with activists in Egypt, and the target was a barber," she said. "He used to perform illegal female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision.
"Through a grant from WISE, we paid him to stop. Then we helped him refurbish his barber shop, and now he makes more money than before."
The entire effort cost about $2,000 (Dh7,300), she said, and it is now replicated throughout other barber shops in Egypt.
Ms Qureshi is now seeking local collaborators in Afghanistan and Pakistan to combat domestic violence.
Though the council does not plan to issue fatwas in the near future, it is developing its own curriculum of Islamic studies and recruiting women to be its future muftis: "a jurist for the 21st century who understands contemporary challenges and international law within an Islamic context," Ms Khan said.
In time, she said, there would be shura members in every country who understood local law and customs and could address specific issues affecting women in their communities. The members would act as the arms, eyes and ears of the council, disseminating information to the locals and sending back information to the council about conditions and challenges in the community, as well as implementing plans of action.
WISE is funded by the UN Population Fund and MDG3, a fund managed by the Dutch Foreign Ministry to improve the condition of women. Ms Khan estimated the annual budget at around $1.5 million.
A WISE poll repeated periodically since the first conference in 2006 has consistently shown a majority of Muslim female activists concerned about the interpretation of Islam.
That notion again prevailed in the latest poll, taken over the weekend, which showed 74 per cent of the attendees citing "harmful religious interpretations" as the biggest challenge facing Muslim women.
But they were also overwhelmingly optimistic about the future, with 85 per cent saying they were hopeful or very hopeful that positive change would happen for Muslim women, 72 per cent saying change was already happening or would unfold in the next five to 10 years, and 86 per cent saying they saw themselves as important or very important to bringing change.
Those attending the conference were enthusiastic about the prospects for success.
"I was very surprised to see all these Muslim women," said Marfua Tabhta-Khodgaeva, 65, a writer from Uzbekistan and author of Between the Slogans of Communism and Laws of Islam. "My country is very secular, and here I met so many Muslim women who are practising."
She said one of the main challenges facing women in her country was the infiltration of "random" imams from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other places.
"They come with their own interpretation and say that women should stay home and cook and reproduce and do nothing else," Ms Tabhta-Khodgaeva said. "So I am very happy to see many Muslim women who are comfortable like this with Islam. We will work together."
The council will operate this year under an umbrella campaign called Jihad Against Violence that grapples with everything from female circumcision to domestic violence and terrorism.
"The history of Islam has been interpreted as violent," said Afra Jalabi, 40, a council member who studied anthropology and political science. "But if you look closely, and you reinterpret it, you find it is so fundamentally non-violent that in certain cases it forbade Muslims to fight in self-defence."
The American Society for Muslim Advancement is co-hosting the conference along with the Cordoba Initiative, a forum for inter-faith dialogue, and WISE. The four-day event will end tomorrow.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Saudi Cup race card
1 The Jockey Club Local Handicap (TB) 1,800m (Dirt) $500,000
2 The Riyadh Dirt Sprint (TB) 1,200m (D) $1.500,000
3 The 1351 Turf Sprint 1,351m (Turf) $1,000,000
4 The Saudi Derby (TB) 1600m (D) $800,000
5 The Neom Turf Cup (TB) 2,100m (T) $1,000,000
6 The Obaiya Arabian Classic (PB) 2,000m (D) $1,900,000
7 The Red Sea Turf Handicap (TB) 3,000m (T) $2,500,000
8 The Saudi Cup (TB) 1,800m (D) $20,000,000
Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Read more about the coronavirus
MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
The biog
Family: Parents and four sisters
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing at American University of Sharjah
A self-confessed foodie, she enjoys trying out new cuisines, her current favourite is the poke superfood bowls
Likes reading: autobiographies and fiction
Favourite holiday destination: Italy
Posts information about challenges, events, runs in other emirates on the group's Instagram account @Anagowrunning
Has created a database of Emirati and GCC sportspeople on Instagram @abeermk, highlight: Athletes
Apart from training, also talks to women about nutrition, healthy lifestyle, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure
Leading all-time NBA scorers
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Kobe Bryant 33,643
Michael Jordan 32,292
LeBron James 31,425
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
%3Cp%3EThe%20Department%20of%20Culture%20and%20Tourism%20-%20Abu%20Dhabi%E2%80%99s%20Arabic%20Language%20Centre%20will%20mark%20International%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Day%20at%20the%20Bologna%20Children's%20Book%20Fair%20with%20the%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Translation%20Conference.%20Prolific%20Emirati%20author%20Noora%20Al%20Shammari%2C%20who%20has%20written%20eight%20books%20that%20%20feature%20in%20the%20Ministry%20of%20Education's%20curriculum%2C%20will%20appear%20in%20a%20session%20on%20Wednesday%20to%20discuss%20the%20challenges%20women%20face%20in%20getting%20their%20works%20translated.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Bullet%20Train
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The%20specs
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
THE SPECS
Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Engine: 5-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 680Nm
Price: Dh465,071
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
New process leads to panic among jobseekers
As a UAE-based travel agent who processes tourist visas from the Philippines, Jennifer Pacia Gado is fielding a lot of calls from concerned travellers just now. And they are all asking the same question.
“My clients are mostly Filipinos, and they [all want to know] about good conduct certificates,” says the 34-year-old Filipina, who has lived in the UAE for five years.
Ms Gado contacted the Philippines Embassy to get more information on the certificate so she can share it with her clients. She says many are worried about the process and associated costs – which could be as high as Dh500 to obtain and attest a good conduct certificate from the Philippines for jobseekers already living in the UAE.
“They are worried about this because when they arrive here without the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] clearance, it is a hassle because it takes time,” she says.
“They need to go first to the embassy to apply for the application of the NBI clearance. After that they have go to the police station [in the UAE] for the fingerprints. And then they will apply for the special power of attorney so that someone can finish the process in the Philippines. So it is a long process and more expensive if you are doing it from here.”
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
The 100 Best Novels in Translation
Boyd Tonkin, Galileo Press
Tewellah by Nawal Zoghbi is out now.
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
The Abu Dhabi Awards explained:
What are the awards? They honour anyone who has made a contribution to life in Abu Dhabi.
Are they open to only Emiratis? The awards are open to anyone, regardless of age or nationality, living anywhere in the world.
When do nominations close? The process concludes on December 31.
How do I nominate someone? Through the website.
When is the ceremony? The awards event will take place early next year.
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
