Latest news with #Ebrahim
Egypt Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Iran's supreme leader says US-Iran talks unlikely to succeed
CNN — Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he does not expect negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program to 'reach a conclusion' as Washington toughens its conditions for a deal. 'During (former President Ebrahim) Raisi's time there were also indirect negotiations that didn't result in anything, and now we also doubt we will reach a conclusion, and we don't know what will happen,' he was cited as saying on his website. Khamenei called the US demand that Iran not enrich uranium a 'big mistake,' saying that Tehran won't wait for American permission. Addressing American negotiators, he added: 'Try not to talk nonsense.' American officials have sent mixed signals about whether they will allow Iran to enrich uranium domestically under a nuclear agreement. Uranium is a nuclear fuel that can be used to produce a bomb if enriched to high levels. Iran insists it has a right to enrich under the United Nations' Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and says it will not relinquish that right under any circumstances. US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if it doesn't agree to a nuclear deal, but he did not explicitly rule out its right to enrich uranium when reiterating that threat during his Middle East trip last week. But US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the American delegation to the talks and had previously suggested Iran could be permitted to enrich uranium, told ABC over the weekend that Washington 'cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability' under an agreement. 'We've delivered a proposal to the Iranians that we think addresses some of this without disrespecting them,' he said. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi was cited as saying by Iran's Nour News on Monday that nuclear talks with the US 'will not actually get anywhere' if Washington insists that Tehran abandon enrichment. Iran and the US held their fourth round of talks in Oman earlier this month, aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The Iranian foreign ministry described those talks as 'difficult.' Witkoff said the next round of talks may take place in Europe this week. 'We hope that it will lead to some real positivity,' he added. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran has been offered a date for the next round of talks, but that it has yet to accept it. Asked how negotiations were going so far, he jokingly said the two sides are still tussling.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iran's supreme leader says US-Iran talks unlikely to succeed
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he does not expect negotiations with the United States over Tehran's nuclear program to 'reach a conclusion' as Washington toughens its conditions for a deal. 'During (former President Ebrahim) Raisi's time there were also indirect negotiations that didn't result in anything, and now we also doubt we will reach a conclusion, and we don't know what will happen,' he was cited as saying on his website. Khamenei called the US demand that Iran not enrich uranium a 'big mistake,' saying that Tehran won't wait for American permission. Addressing American negotiators, he added: 'Try not to talk nonsense.' American officials have sent mixed signals about whether they will allow Iran to enrich uranium domestically under a nuclear agreement. Uranium is a nuclear fuel that can be used to produce a bomb if enriched to high levels. Iran insists it has a right to enrich under the United Nations' Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and says it will not relinquish that right under any circumstances. US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if it doesn't agree to a nuclear deal, but he did not explicitly rule out its right to enrich uranium when reiterating that threat during his Middle East trip last week. But US special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is leading the American delegation to the talks and had previously suggested Iran could be permitted to enrich uranium, told ABC over the weekend that Washington 'cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability' under an agreement. 'We've delivered a proposal to the Iranians that we think addresses some of this without disrespecting them,' he said. Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht Ravanchi was cited as saying by Iran's Nour News on Monday that nuclear talks with the US 'will not actually get anywhere' if Washington insists that Tehran abandon enrichment. Iran and the US held their fourth round of talks in Oman earlier this month, aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. The Iranian foreign ministry described those talks as 'difficult.' Witkoff said the next round of talks may take place in Europe this week. 'We hope that it will lead to some real positivity,' he added. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Iran has been offered a date for the next round of talks, but that it has yet to accept it. Asked how negotiations were going so far, he jokingly said the two sides are still tussling. CNN's Leila Gharagozlou contributed reporting.
Daily Maverick
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
Blind student bags 14 distinctions, graduating cum laude at UKZN
Azraa Ebrahim, a blind student from University of KwaZulu-Natal, has graduated cum laude after achieving 14 distinctions – showcasing her resilience, dedication and academic excellence. A blind student from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Azraa Ebrahim, has clinched a Bachelor of Social Science degree – majoring in religious studies and industrial psychology, earning 14 distinctions. Born with a condition called congenital bilateral optic nerve atrophy, which means her optic nerves are damaged, Ebrahim told Daily Maverick that she can only see shapes, shadows and colours. Her academic journey at UKZN kicked off in 2020 during Covid-19, and she struggled to navigate the online system. 'We were online, and getting used to the platforms the university was using was difficult because I had to learn how to navigate them so that I don't get behind on my school work. […] Now I prefer in-person lectures as opposed to online,' she said. Ebrahim praised UKZN's disability unit for helping her on her journey to become a cum laude graduate. The unit acted as the middle man between her and her faculty. 'I am grateful, because not every university has a proactive disability unit. Sometimes [people] go to university and end up not doing well because they do not have the support,' Ebrahim said. Academic journey Ebrahim said she had dreamt of becoming a veterinary nurse and had pursued the relevant subjects at school, but she discovered in Grade 11 that her condition would prevent her from studying further in that field. 'When I entered into university, I started with legal studies and industrial psychology, and in my first year I chose religion as an elective because I did it in high school. I chose it because I wanted something that I was comfortable with, and I enjoyed it. This led to studying religion studies and industrial psychology after leaving the law, which was an interest not a passion,' Ebrahim said. She had to start preparing a month before exams to ensure that she grasped all the information in her different modules, something that exhausted her. 'I had about four modules a semester and I would dedicate different times for them during the day. This helped in ensuring that I had everything I needed before the week of the exams. The difficulty was when my exams were in the same week. […] It came with a lot of loss of sleep and a lot of dedication to achieve what I have,' she said. Achievements As part of her journey, Ebrahim not only picked up a number of accolades but also became a motivational speaker for people with disabilities. She made her first public speech in June 2024, when her lecturer invited her to an organisation called Taking Islam to the People. 'I spoke about my experiences with discrimination within the community as I grew up with a disability,' Ebrahim said. She then participated in an Association for the Study of Religion in Southern Africa conference, after encouragement from her lecturers, who had loved one of her assignments. 'I was the only undergraduate student among 40 PhD and master's student participants. 'I was unanimously chosen as the best student presentation, which is quite a shock for me, I was just a little undergraduate among all of the experts,' Ebrahim said. She also co-presented a paper with her lecturers at the university's Academic Monitoring and Support Colloquium 2024, which won Best Paper in their session. Ebrahim said it is still surreal to think that she achieved 14 distinctions. 'It's still a bit surreal for me to believe like all of the stuff has happened. […] It's quite an enchanting feeling. It's really wonderful seeing all of the different expressions from all the people around me being so happy and excited that somebody like me with a disability was able to do all of this,' she said. Where to from here? Ebrahim's end goal is to achieve a PhD, and she is pursuing her honours degree focusing on women-led khutbahs in Islam, rooted in activism and disability inclusion. She hopes to become more involved in researching disability within religion. She said people with disabilities can achieve what they want; it is just a matter of the mindset. 'You have to change your mindset and you have to view your disability, not as a challenge, but use your disability as a weapon against all of the different societal challenges. I'm trying to really make a difference and bring more light and more positivity so that people look at people with disabilities, not with sadness or sympathy, but rather with a sense of admiration,' Ebrahim said. DM
IOL News
07-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
UKZN's Azraa Ebrahim graduates cum laude, overcoming challenges as a blind student
In a remarkable tale of perseverance and excellence, Azraa Ebrahim, a blind student at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), has graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Social Science degree, majoring in Religion Studies and Industrial Psychology, earning 14 distinctions. Her academic journey began during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, an already daunting time for many, which was further complicated by her visual impairment. 'Navigating this path online, coupled with being blind, made familiarising myself with virtual platforms significantly more challenging,' she shared. Ebrahim credits her success to the steadfast support of her parents, lecturers, peers, and UKZN's Disability Support Unit. She transitioned from online to in-person learning with the aid of a white cane and screen-reading technologies. 'Despite my initial challenges, I am immensely grateful for the relationships I've built, the knowledge I've gained and the friends I've made along the way.'
IOL News
06-05-2025
- General
- IOL News
Blind student Azraa Ebrahim graduates cum laude, overcoming challenges
Azraa Ebrahim, a blind student, graduated cum laude with 14 distinctions, overcoming significant challenges. Ebrahim's university journey at UKZN commenced amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and culminated in her attaining a bachelor of social science, majoring in religion studies and industrial psychology, cum laude. Navigating this path online, coupled with being blind, made familiarising herself with virtual platforms significantly more challenging. Supported by her parents, peers, lecturers and the university's Disability Support Unit, Ebrahim successfully transitioned from online to in-person learning by using a white cane and assistive technologies such as screen readers. Her academic excellence shone beyond the classroom. She presented a paper at the ASRSA Conference 2024, winning Best Student Paper and subsequently was invited to publish her paper in the Journal of Islamic Studies. Ebrahim also delivered a sermon at TIP Eid-ul-Adha Eidgah, where she shared her experiences of discrimination growing up with blindness. In collaboration with Dr Cherry Muslim and Mr Chukwudera Nwodo, she presented at the AMS Colloquium 2024, winning Best Paper in her concurrent session. "To ensure I was personally competent, I would begin exam and test preparation a month in advance to account for my slow reading pace. Despite my initial challenges, I am immensely grateful for the relationships I've built, the knowledge I've gained and the friends I've made along the way," said Ebrahim. As an NRF Honours Scholarship grantholder, Ebrahim is currently pursuing an honours degree in religion and social transformation under the supervision of her lecturer and mentor, Dr Cherry Muslim. Her research is rooted in activism and focuses on the liminal space of women-led khutbah (sermons) in Islam. "I aspire to be a scholar of Islam and endeavour to eventually enter academia, in order to pedestalise research on disability from a differently abled positionality," she said. During exam season, Ebrahim often struggled to balance academic and family commitments due to the additional effort required. She carefully planned her time, setting aside space for family events and visiting loved ones. Karate served as a healthy outlet to relieve stress and prevent burnout. She credits her family, especially her parents, for reminding her to rest, eat, and protect her eyes from strain. Ebrahim offered this advice to students, especially those differently abled: "Wear your disability with a badge of pride. Do not look upon it with disgrace, nor attempt to conceal it from societal scrutiny. "Disability is often painted as a societal afterthought, but it is important to remember that while our disabilities are integral to who we are, they do not define us entirely. In a world engulfed by discrimination, stigma and alienation, we must celebrate our uniqueness and challenge socially constructed ways of being." She celebrates her graduation as a moment of triumph, noting that: "Within Muslim communities, it is an uncommon reality for a differently abled Muslim woman to attend university, let alone graduate cum laude. While three years of dedication and determination preceded this moment, I take equal joy in the journey that brought me here." Ebrahim expressed heartfelt gratitude to her parents, family and friends for their unwavering support. "To my grandfather, who passed away in 2022, I let your wisdom and memories guide me always. I am immensely appreciative of my supervisor and mentor, Dr Cherry Muslim, whose immense belief in me warrants more recognition and admiration than I could ever express." THE POST
