Friday Links — February 12, 2010

• In Iran, Deputy Culture Minister for Cinematic Affairs Javad Shamaqdari’s remarks on the hijab anger clerics.

• Muslim women in India look upon the Western Burqa Ban phenomenon with confusion.

• The Dawn asks us to remember the harsh restrictions upon Afghan women during the Taliban’s reign as Karzai prepares to make peace with the Taliban. The Star chimes in, too.

• More news about the conviction of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui.

• Egypt’s Divorce Radio gets more coverage.

• Sixteen Muslim women from Kurla, India, have stepped out of their broken homes and marriages to tell new stories to the world.

• There is still no information about Somayeh Rashidi or other women’s rights activists who have been detained in Iran since December.

• A Bahrain women’s rights group has stepped up pressure to make the citizenship issue among the top priorities in the application of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

• The U.K.’s Jack Straw opposes banning burqas.

• MR Zine has an interview with Ziba Mir-Hosseini about Islamic feminism.

• Arab News reports that divorce is on the rise in the Kingdom.

• The Washington Post reports that Pakistan’s Supreme Court may be pushing for more civil rights for the country’s transgendered community.

• Today’s Zaman reports on how Turkey’s fledgling women’s soccer teams are faring.

• CNN profiles Iran’s first female skier to participate in the Winter Olympics.

• An Afghan Sikh woman fights for her the rights of her Muslim countrywomen.

• On female genital cutting in Austria.

• A Pakistani girl was brutally murdered in Kuwait, and authorities believe her death to be one of many. May Allah give her peace and justice.

• The Hürriyet Daily News profiles Turkey’s annual Women Entrepreneur Competition.

• Ruqaya Izzidien writes for The Guardian about how it’s time Muslim women started going after men the way they go after women…dating-wise, that is.

• A Norwegian-Pakistani 26-year-old woman was kidnapped last week from Høvik (Bærum) on her way to work in Oslo. May Allah keep her safe.

• Saudi women’s rights advocates are outraged after a 12-year-old girl was sold by her father into marriage with an 80-year-old man.

• In Iraq, a widows’ organization harnessing is women’s economic contributions.

• A French minister thinks that foreigners who come to live in France should sign a contract recognizing that the wearing of the full Islamic veil is banned.

• In Pakistan, female representatives of political parties continue to press for more rights, while male representatives vehemently defend systems of oppression that are bedded in patriarchy.

• elan profiles Edina Lekovic.

• Maha Akeel writes that there is more to Saudi Arabian women than the niqab.

• WorldFocus highlights Turkish women fighting against honor killings.

• How sectarianism is breaking hearts in Iraq.

• Common Ground News Service profiles North African singer Hindi Zahra.

• Arab News reports that some Saudi Arabian young women are taking advantage of a loophole against the abaya–the lab coat.

• Asharq Alawsat profiles Befrin Hussein Khalifa, the youngest female parliamentarian member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. More here.
  

• Afghanistan’s police force is having a hard time trying to recruit women.

• Yemen’s recent cold snap causes problems for displaced women and children.

• The Jordan Times reports that Princess Basma discusses the country’s progress on reproductive health.

• Uganda discusses banning polygamy.

• Computer training for Saudi Arabian women is expected to rise to 50% in the next few years.

• Yemen may be able to legislate a ban on female genital cutting “within the next four years.”

• Pakistan’s biggest victims of terrorism are women.

• MuslimMatters discusses women’s prayer spaces as “penalty boxes.”

• The Gulf Times reports that a new project by the Qatari government aims to empower women in remote areas.

• Arab Times highlights Kuwait’s “Iron Lady”, Sara Akbar.

• Mona Eltahawy discusses female genital cutting for The Huffington Post.

• Oregon lawmakers lifted a ban on teachers wearing religious clothing.

• Pakistan’s Naseem Hameed became the first Pakistani woman to receive a gold medal in the 100-meter sprint in 11th South Asian Games being held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She was given a hero’s welcome when she returned to Pakistan.

• Somali refugees turn to prostitution in order to survive in Yemen.

• As new women are being recruited for al-Qaeda, past recruits regret their decision to join the group.

As always, if we’ve missed any news stories about Muslim women, feel free to post them in the comments!