nidalrahman

  "Authority is based on power, and power is often used to mask fear." These words of Noam Chomsky can rightly be attributed to what really happened in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the early years of past decade. History portrays MENA as a region always under serious tussle. Before independence, nations were subjected to the Ottoman Empire and colonialism, and later to despotic rulers. Though the Arab Spring is often recognized as a spontaneous chain of events, it was not immediate. It was the culmination of years of violence, suppression, denial, and hate that finally bursted out beyond predictions. Starting from Tunisia, the movement spread to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, and more. Massive numbers of men, women, youth, and students protested and became martyrs for their rights, dignity, and democracy in the squares, day and night. Tunisia The events launched in Tunisia when a young man, Mohammed Bouazizi, set fire himself as a dissent against the regime....

Inroduction According to the census report of 2011, Muslim women comprise 6.9% of India's population. However, only 4.9% of Muslim women have formal employment. Close to 48% of them are illiterate, as per the Census (highest in any religious group). According to experts, lack of education and patriarchy have been two key factors for Muslim women's poor workforce participation and the same is for their social backwardness. The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, 2018 observed that every third Muslim in India is multi-dimensionally poor, implying that 33.33% of Muslims live with lack of education, poor health and nutrition, unsafe housing, unsanitary water, and living conditions, in addition to having a low income. These coupled with discrimination amplify the inequalities and social challenges Muslim women face. But beyond these educational and socio-cultural factors, some of which are common to several other Indian minorities, there are several issues at play which haven...