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First Saudi women ambassador in DC

25-2-2019

Saudi Arabia announced on February 23 the appointment of Princess Rima Bint Bandar Bin Sultan as its Ambassador to Washington for the first time in the Kingdom’s history. Rima grew up in DC where she studied and graduated from a US university. Early in 1984, she traveled with family to the US when her father was appointed as ambassador. Prior to her appointment, she served as the head of women’s affairs at the General Sports Authority since 2016 and chief executive of the Saudi Federation for Community Sports since October, 2017. She was selected as one of the most powerful 200 Arab women by Forbes Middle East magazine in2014 and is a winner of Sheikh Mohamad Bin Maktoum Creative Sport Award in 2017. On the other hand, and on February 22, Saudi diplomats obstructed at Hong Kong Airport two Saudi sisters who were planning to flee to Australia, while noting that this is the second incident reported in one month about Saudi teens and girls attempting to escape. In the details, the sisters’ lawyer said the two courageous young women who renounced Islam were living in chronic worry and fear and always hiding. They arrived in Chinese territory in September when they fled their family during a vacation to Sri Lanka, he added. Meanwhile, on February 13, the EU announced that it added Saudi Arabia to the dirty-money blacklist for posing money laundering and terror financing risks. (Al Diyar, Al Mustaqbal, February 14, 24, 2019)

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ISIS women demand the return to their countries

22-2-2019

The British government issued a decision on February 19 to strip the citizenship of 19-year old Shamima Begum who fled London 4 years ago to join ISIS in Syria. Noting, that Begum who lives in a refugee camp in Syria has asked to return to London before her child was born last week. On the decision, a British Home Office spokesperson said the ministry does not comment on individual cases, but that the decision to revoke citizenship was based on good evidence. For her part, Begum described the British decision as ‘unfair’, revealing that her family will consider all legal avenues to challenge it and claim the nationality of her Dutch husband. On the subject, An Nahar newspaper today cited the Insider as saying that several women from the US, Canada, Britain and France who fled their homes to join ISIS have sought forgiveness asking to return. In the details, Kelly McLaughlin of the Insider said two women, one from US Alabama and another from Alberta, Canada, asked to come home after Shamima asked to return to London. McLaughlin added, that two French women living in al Hawl refugee camp are trying to return to France as well, noting that their country is hesitating to welcome them back. (An Nahar, Al Diyar, February 21, 22, 2019)

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Constitutional Council overturns election of Future MP Jamali of Tripoli

22-2-2019

The Constitutional Council invalidated yesterday the election of Future Movement MP, Dima Jamali, and ordered new parliamentary elections for the Tripoli Sunni seat within 2 months according to the majority voting system. This step follows the appeal filed by unsuccessful candidate Taha Naji (on Faisal Karami’s National Dignity electoral list), while noting that the decision was taken by the majority of 7 votes against 3. The Constitutional Council, to recall, has looked into 17 contested files in Beirut’s First and Second constituencies, Metn, Zahleh and Baalbaq-Hermel, but did not annul any of the elections results. The head of Islamic Charity association, MP Adnan Trabulsi, expressed his surprise by the decision of the Constitutional Council which did not rule in favour of Taha Naji. MP Karami described the decision as invalid, considering Naji had enough ballots to win the seat. For her part, MP Jamali stressed after meeting yesterday with prime minister Saad Hariri, that she respected the Council’s decision, revealing that Hariri asked her to run in the by-election, promising her support. On the subject, the head of Justicia Beirut Consult, lawyer Paul Morcus, rejected accusations against the Constitutional Council alleging political interference. The Council, he noted, after investigations, found that the result was flawed and incorrect, but that there was a razor-thin margin between the two competing lists which does not allow it to announce the winning of any of them. (Al Mustaqbal, An Nahar, Al Diyar, Al Akhbar, February 22, 2019)

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Pope calls for effective measures against sexual abuse in church

22-2-2019

Pope Francis called on Thursday for taking concrete and effective measures to confront the issue of sexual abuse in the Church. Francis was speaking during the opening of the historic Vatican summit in front of 114 Catholic Church leaders and Vatican bishops who have descended on Rome to discuss clerical sexual abuse. Francis said that God’s people are looking onto us and are not expecting the same predictable condemnation, but tangible measures to curb the phenomenon. The Pope called on participants to listen to the cry of the meek who plead for justice against unabated sexual abuse by clerics against minors. During the 4-day meeting, Pope Francis will seek to convince heads of the Catholic Church around the world of their individual and personal responsibilities towards these assaults, hoping to awaken the clerical conscience in a collective educational approach, combined of speeches, sermons and small language working groups. (Al Mustaqbal, February 22, 2019)

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Prostitution ring caught in Tabarja

21-2-2019

The ISF General Directorate announced in a statement yesterday that it had posted on its Facebook page a letter from a citizen reporting M.H for running a prostitution ring and meeting members in a restaurant in Maamelteyn east of Beirut. The statement went on to say, that on January 23, 2019, and as a result of inspection, the Judicial Police Anti-Human Trafficking Unit was able to identify and arrest the suspect. The latter, (Syrian, born in 1976) admitted upon interrogation that he facilitated sex work for a number of girls whom he met online and who live with another suspect, A.H (also Syrian, born in 1985) who drives them to their clients, the statement said. The ISF pointed out that, on January 26, 2019, its units raided the residence of A.H at one of the Tabarja hotels and arrested three Syrian girls involved in prostitution, and they are: A.H (born in 1998), M.R (born in 1987) and K.R (born in 1993). They admitted the charges against them in complicity with 10 other persons of Lebanese and Syrian nationality. (Al Mustaqbal, February 20, 2019)

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Minister Raya Hassan’s statement on civil marriage sparks wide controversy

19-2-2019

The new minister of interior, Raya Hassan, told Euronews that she personally endorses a framework for civil marriage and will seek to start a serious dialogue on the issue with religious authorities with the support of prime minister Saad Hariri until it is recognized. Hassan’s remarks have sparked wide public controversy drawing fierce backlash from those who oppose civil marriage or strong backing from advocates of a civil personal status law. Meanwhile, Christian and Muslim clerics strongly criticized the minister publicly on TV. Dar el Fatwa announced in a statement yesterday its absolute rejection of civil marriage as it contradicts the provisions of Islamic Sharia, noting that the issue falls within its responsibility. Al Akhbar newspaper wrote that Dar el Fatwa’s position crisscrosses that of other religious establishments in the country. In the same vein, Al Diyar daily cited Future Movement circles as saying that PM Hariri has asked minister Hassan to ‘withdraw tactically’ from the issue and refrain from mobilizing further discussion on ‘optional’ marriage as the matter prompts unwanted confrontation with Dar el Fatwa which the council of ministers has no ambition to face. Progressive Socialist Party head, Walid Jumblat, entirely supported Hassan in her call for civil marriage, as did the Lebanese National Bloc Party. Also Free Patriotic Party and the Lebanese Forces MPs expressed their personal support to the issue. Nayla Geagea, activist in the field of human rights and citizenship rights, pointed out that respecting the individualities of religions in Lebanon in terms of personal status, is an exception stipulated by the Constitution and is not a monopoly or a privilege. There are scores of draft bills related to civil marriage that are kept in the drawers of the parliament. (An Nahar, Al Akhbar, Al Mustaqbal, Al Hayat, Al Diyar, February 19, 2019)

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French female composer in a male dominated world

19-2-2019

In its issue of today, An Nahar newspaper spotlighted 28-year-old French musician, Camille Pepin, a woman composer in a field almost totally male-dominated with a small margin for females. Pepin will reportedly release her first album ‘Chamber Music’ on February 22 and is preparing her first ballet music, at a time when female shares in concert programs around the world is almost negligible. In an interview with AFP, Pepin said sexist remarks never bothered her, yet she is appalled by the prevalence of gender stereotyping in the music world. Pepin stressed in a statement that she is well aware it will take generations to counterbalance decades of desertion. “There were only men and I was the only woman in the classes I attended at the Conservatoire de Paris,” she said, adding, “I survived despite some bitter memories.” She pointed out that things are slowly evolving and young instructors are coming to the conservatoire, hoping one day this question will not arise again. (An Nahar, February 19, 2019)

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No chances for women in Tunisian presidency

18-2-2019

A BBC report published on February 16 on the chances of Tunisian women reaching the presidency in the upcoming December 2019 elections said women were not optimistic in this regard, at least not for this year. BBC recalled that in 2014, three women sought to run for president but only one, in the history of Tunisia, Judge Kulthoum Kenou, succeeded in nominating herself for the position competing with 25 male candidates, but received the least number of votes. According to the BBC report, professor of international economics, Leila Humami, announced her candidacy for this year, while others are also expected to follow. The report explained that, despite Tunisia’s progressive outlook compared to many Arab countries, however, in women’s rights, the North African country still drags behind, and females have no access to decision-making positions. Noting, that out of 26 ministerial portfolios, there are only three women ministers on the head of ‘non-sovereign’ ministries. On the subject, researcher Rahma el Sayd, said Tunisian law does not exclude women from candidature or from winning in presidency elections. The main obstacle, she explained, lies in the relatively conservative society of Tunisia that shuns the notion of females becoming leaders. Rahma went on to say, that the Tunisian electors are not ready to choose a woman for presidency, notwithstanding the presence, but not obvious presence, of a number of high-profile women- even in the leadership of parties. Women’s political participation of women in the country is ceremonial, Rahma said. Similarly, the feminist activist and educator, Yusra Saghir, pointed out that the partisan leadership in Tunisia is patriarchal, which hence impedes women’s access to politics. For the full report in Arabic, kindly visit the link below: https://bbc.in/2Gtm97s. (Al Diyar, February 17, 2019)

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Sexual crimes against women on the rise in South Sudan

18-2-2019

A UN report released on February 15 revealed that sexual violence and rape crimes against women and girls not more than 8 years continue unabated in South Sudan’s northern region. This happens despite the peace agreement signed back in September 2018, the UN report said, noting that the majority of perpetrators are youth militia elements of the pro-Taban Deng, the first deputy president. According to a report by OHCHR and UNMISS, around 175 cases of rape were committed by gangs dressed in security forces uniform between September and December 2018. On the other hand, Doctors Without Borders said this past November it treated 125 women and girls that have been gang raped over a period of 10 days. On the subject, OHCHR Michelle Bachelet warned in a statement that rape and gang rape in the Unity province has continued since the beginning of this year, as assailants likely believe they commit the crimes with impunity and can get away with them. A senior government official in capital of South Sudan, Juba, described the UN report as unrealistic and accused NGOs of manipulating for fundraising. (Al Diyar, February 16, 2019)

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Nadera Fawaz head of media and communication committee of Mediterranean Gymnastics Confederation

18-2-2019

Nadera Munir Fawaz, the president of the Lebanese Gymnastics Federation, was appointed as chairperson of the Media and Communication Committee of the Mediterranean Gymnastics Federation until 2022. Fawaz is best known for her dynamic follow-up of various sports activities and events, besides her special scientific-inclined interest in Gymnastics, according to NNA. Fawwaz accompanied the Lebanon’s national football team during the 29th Asian Cup final tournament hosted by the UAE. Al Diyar, in this respect, hailed women’s leadership role locally and outside, revealing that the general elections of sports federations will be held after 18 months, and hoping it will bring up an unprecedented rise in the number of women running for these elections and seizing senior positions. (Al Diyar, February 18, 2019)

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