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[qamar]

i have been away.

If so far, the jamaat has failed to deal with these serious issue, the only way forward is a letter to the jamaat with signatures or an online petition.

[Muhammad Mahdi]

will we really ever get enuf sigs for a petition? if you think so, we can start one on change.org and post it here

[abuali]

i suppose there is only one way to find out.

[qamar]

will we really ever get enuf sigs for a petition? if you think so, we can start one on change.org and post it here

thanks for the link. am making one now.

abuali - which email can i use for the petition?

[qamar]

ok, done.

please everyone take a look and let me know if i should change anything.

http://www.change.org/petitions/media-r ... -as-bargah

[qamar]

Bump*

admins/mods can we send out this link to all?

[qamar]

please comment and let me know if anything needs to be changed

hasin thanks for signing can you please send the link to all?

[Muhammad Mahdi]

Sa.

Thanks for taking the initiative to make the petition.
If you can make a few changes to the wording with something like this would be good IMO

Currently the media room can access the ladies imambargha and their cameras with the potential to rotate and zoom into any lady sitting without hijab.

This footage can be recorded and potentially distributed!

Since a rotating camera is not necessary, we the undersigned petiton for the removal of the rotating camera or creating a secondary media room for ladies only which can access the lady cameras.

The complete details can be found here
http://ask.or.tz/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=3093

[qamar]

thanks for your input.

will make the changes

[Insaan]

can anybody help me with my questions:-

1) has there already been an incident in which the ladies were being viewed at the mediaroom by the gents

2) has anyone of you asked a media room member on the purpose of having the specific camera as opposed to fixed camera

3) who is eligible to be a member of the media room? is there any requirement or is it anyone

4) if there hasn't been any such incident for the past 6 years, what is the possibility of it happening now i.e 6 years after the installation of the rotating camera

[qamar]

1. yes. mohamed saw a screen in which ladies could be seen. several anonymous posters (like yourself) have posted saying they have seen it happen.

2. yes see the relevant summaries kindly posted by abuali of 2 (or is it 3) meetings.

3. refer to the above summaries. there r no written down procedures or policies n as far as i know pretty much anyone can become a member without any background check.

4. how can u be so sure there has not been any such incident? r u always in the media room? if u r not always in the media room, on what basis can you assert it hasnt happened when the technology allows it to easily be done?

[qamar]

the petition wordings have been changed.

please lets share and sign

http://www.change.org/petitions/media-r ... -as-bargah

abuali - pls send out email and add the link to the top of this discussion

lets also share on other places like social media and email our family and friends

[Fatimah Zahra Karim]

I am very much against the fact that men can view the ladies imambarghah and have heard firsthand accounts of this happening. I am also, however, against this petition for the following reasons:

1. The rotating and zooming features are necessary because just like in the gents, ladies have programs in the Imambarghah where the camera needs to rotate from the mimbar to a podium on the side, or to a reciter of munajaat/qasida, or to participants in a stage program. Also, you must all have noticed that there are different levels of steps on the mimbar and the zakira doesn't always sit on the top step. Even if all zakiras sat on the same step, we'd still have to take their different heights into account. It is therefore impractical to get rid of a rotating and/or zooming camera.

2. Building a whole new media room appears (to me, at least) to be a waste of a lot of cash. Yes, the cameras and the projectors are all in place already, but there is other equipment needed to broadcast the feed.

So, what do we do about this? Do we just let the potential for abuse to remain as it is right now? No, that wasn't what I had in mind. I suggest (and I think this is the second time I do so on this very thread, but correct me if I'm wrong) that the video feed from the ladies side be protected by a password that only the ladies side representative(s) would have. It is a simple, cost-effective solution that fixes everything without much of a fuss.

[qamar]

i think your idea is just great as far as being cost effective and hassle-free

however it doesn't solve the issue of the risk involved in having the physical access of the camera housed in a room which is accessible by men

we all know that passwords are not fool-proof

it is extremely easy to steal a password if one has physical access to the computer that is used to enter the password

so a system that has only a password as security will be as good as relying entirely on the personalities of those who have access to not abuse the system

i personally feel that we can do without rotating cameras..we've done without them before and we can do without them now. yes people in the other hall may not have view of qasida recitors who are not standing on mimbar but so what.

as far as mulianis and steps the camera can be fixed with certain zooming ability say from the first step of the mimbar to the last

as far as building a new media room - i believe someone who is in the field posted here how it would not be expensive

infact i would support it even if it was expensive, as the risk of abuse can be more expensive.

[hannah]

Hi everyone
I've joined asked becoz a friend directed me to this thread and the petition.
I m glad members are actively trying to make a positive contribution to society here.
The choice should be simple either remove the rotating camera and stay in the same room or make another room for use by ladies.