Heila al-Qusayyer, the middle class mother now described as al-Qaeda's 'First Lady' was running a cell of 60 alleged militants. She is believed to have been the Arabian peninsula's principal fund-raiser for al-Qaeda.
Qusayyer holds a degree in geography and was married to a former executive from Aramco, the all-powerful state oil company, who gave up all his worldly possessions to become a radical preacher.
Counter-terror officials have previously assumed that young men and boys are the principal agents of radical Islam.
Saudi security chiefs have since set up a specialist all-female unit at King Saud University, the country's oldest, to study the appeal of Islamist militancy to women and how best to tackle it.
2010-06-28
Posted in Women In the News
Palestinian women are speeding into the record books by competing on
an all-female car racing team — the Speed Sisters.
Along the way,
they're crashing through another gender barrier in this conservative
Muslim society.
The eight women have entered a popular race called "Speed Test." Souped-up cars race around a track, weaving their way around obstacles and spinning circles around others. The all-female team is a first for the event.
"I love sports that are tough and dangerous, because I am a dangerous woman," said Nour Dawood, 20, after a race this week outside the West Bank city of Ramallah.
She wore a yellow-and-black racing suit, sunglasses and a helmet as she leaned against her car, her curly hair pushed back into a ponytail. Around her, drivers revved their engines.
2010-06-28
Posted in Women In the News
Susan notes: I’m thinking of becoming a Mosuo woman....
2010-06-25
Posted in Women In the News
Saudi women plan to turn a controversial fatwa (religious ruling) to their advantage and launch a campaign to achieve their long-standing demand to drive in this conservative kingdom.
If the demand is not met, the women threaten to follow through the fatwa which allows them to breastfeed their drivers and turn them into their sons.
The campaign will be launched under the slogan: "We either be allowed to drive or breastfeed foreigners," a journalist told Gulf News.
Amal Zahid said that their decision follows a fatwa issued by a renowned scholar which said that Saudi women can breastfeed their foreign drivers for them to become their sons.
"As every Saudi family needs a driver, our campaign will focus on women's right to drive," she said.
The controversial fatwa, which was regarded as both funny and weird, issued recently by Shaikh Abdul Mohsin Bin Nasser Al Obaikan, member of Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and adviser to the king, has sparked a debate in society.
The renowned scholar said Saudi women can breastfeed their foreign drivers for them to be become their sons and brothers to their daughters.
Under this relationship, foreign drivers can mix freely with all members of the family without breaking the Islamic rule which does not allow mixing of genders.
Breast milk kinship is considered to be as good as a blood relationship in Islam.
"A woman can breastfeed a mature man so that he becomes her son. In this way, he can mix with her and her daughters without violating the teachings of Islam," the scholar said.
Click here for the full story:
By Abdul Rahman Shaheen
Gulf News
Picture Credit:
Gulf News
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More About Saudi Arabia on AWR
2010-06-21
Posted in Women In the News
NISAA FM , the first independent and commercial radio station in the Middle East catering to women and run by a highly professional team of women, started broadcasting live on 20 June 2010 on FM at 96.0 to audiences in the Palestinian West Bank, as well as globally from www.radionisaa.net.
Through its radio broadcasts in Arabic and its Arabic and English web sites, NISAA FM informs, inspires and entertains women of all ages and social contexts across the Palestinian Territories and beyond. Blending news, interviews and stories with entertainment and music, NISAA FM offers a diversified program range aimed to connect, enrich and empower its audiences.
“We are adding a new dimension to the radio environment in Palestine”, said Maysoun Odeh Gangat, director of NISAA FM. “NISAA FM motivates women through success stories and interaction, while at the same time creating employment, particularly for women. We also plan to introduce training on broadcasting techniques and journalism to enhance women’s professional participation in the field of information and communication.”
“We believe there is a high demand for a communication platform that will focus on women while involving both men and women in discussions about their experiences and ambitions,” added Yann Borgstedt, founder of the Smiling Children Foundation, NISAA FM’s principal partner.
“Our goal is to make NISAA FM the best radio in its genre, fully independent and financially sustainable, within three years. We are convinced of its relevance and of its potential for further growth and are proud to accompany this pioneer project in its first steps.”
The first two programs that went live on NISAA FM were the Breakfast and Drive Shows hosted by Nisreen Awwad and Halla Bazzar. Nisreen and Halla engage their audiences in interactive discussions by presenting inspirational stories, interviewing exceptional studio guests and presenting information and favorite Arabic and International songs.
Related Links:
NISAA FM
2010-06-21
Posted in Women In the News
