September 16th marked the 2nd anniversary of the Women, Life, Freedom protests, which began after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died under police custody after she was arrested for “improperly” wearing the hijab.
After Tajikistan banned the use of hijab last June, with the country’s president calling it an “alien garment,” the Muslim-majority, Central Asian nation is set to tighten its rules on Islam, with the ex-Soviet republic forbidding Tajik women from wearing “black clothes” and Tajik men from sporting long or bushy beards.
As France prepares to kick off and welcome the world to the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics Summer Games of 2024, which will take place from July 26th to August 11th, French secularism (also called laïcité in French) is in the spotlight once more after a human rights organization published a report condemning the French government's decision to bar its athletes from wearing the hijab while competing in the Olympics.
As many countries in Central and Western Asia, such as Iran and Afghanistan, have made it mandatory to wear hijab and other forms of Islamic headscarves, Tajikistan, where 96% of its population identifies as Muslim, took the opposite direction and passed a law banning the use of hijab, calling it an “alien garment” as the ex-Soviet country seeks to build a secular national identity.
Research made by an Israeli think tank revealed that textbooks from Saudi Arabia showed significant moderation of anti-Israel and antisemitic material, while references to Palestine were removed from most maps and lessons where they previously appeared, pointing to the possibility of the ultraconservative Muslim kingdom laying the groundwork for normalizing ties with the Jewish state.
Many people worldwide celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th with flowers, chocolates, and sweet messages. However, many Hindu nationalists across India were not happy with the event and wanted Indians to stop celebrating it.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni recently became controversial after an old video of her rebuking Islam and arguing that it has no place in Europe resurfaced on social media.
Since the rise of Israel’s most right-wing government in its history, which included ultra-Orthodox and far-right parties in its alliance, many activists and ordinary Israelis are worrying about the rise of sex segregation in many areas of public life.
Growing Segregation by Sex in Israel Raises Fears for Women’s Rights https://t.co/A11e7lZdWW
Brazilian soccer player Neymar sparked controversy in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Muslim world for the cross pendant he wore while arriving in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, following the signing of a lucrative, two-year contract with the Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club.
Wearing shorts, especially during the hot summer, is something many people worldwide take for granted. But in North Korea, wearing shorts with a length above the knee may get you in trouble for violating “socialist etiquette” by sporting what authorities describe as “capitalist fashion.” However, the rule applies only to women, and North Korean men can wear shorts as they please.
