The Taliban has ordered government officials to wear a beard and adhere to dress codes, as provided by their hardline interpretation of Islam. On Monday, March 28, representatives of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice visited government offices, enforcing the new order.
On March 29, a stadium in Iran barred women from getting in during a game. Security guards of the Imam Reza Stadium in Mashhad, Iran, denied women who paid for their tickets access to the stadium.
Muslims are banned from setting up temporary shops during a biennial Hindu festival. Organizers of the Kote Marikamba Jatra, a celebration held every two years in Shivamogga, Karnataka, have blocked Muslim vendors from setting up stalls.
Kote Marikamba Jatra is a fair festival held every other year in February or March. The center of the festivities is the Marikamba Temple, a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Marikamba Devi.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases are increasing in Somaliland, a de facto African state that struggles for international recognition. Pandemic lockdowns fuel the increase in FGM cases. Government officials, health workers, and advocates say FGM cases are soaring since the lockdown made girls accessible to “cutters.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has recalled the ambassador to the United Kingdom over a controversial video of a ceremony hosted by the embassy. Mohsen Baharvand, Tehran’s ambassador to London, hosted the 43rd anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, allowing unveiled women in attendance.
A 17-year old Amritdhari Sikh girl was allegedly asked to take off her turban while attending class in Mount Carmel College in Palace Vasanth Nagar. The incident is part of the ongoing controversy involving students’ religious garments.
Bajrang Dal group members were booked for allegedly harassing couples in public places on Monday, February 14. The extremist ring-wing group picked on boys and girls spending Valentine's Day in Paliwal Park.
A controversial samba performance has caused an outcry in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A video posted on Twitter on January 11 showed a group of samba dancers performing on the street during the Jazan Winter Festival.
On Monday, January 17th, six students were denied entry into their classroom for wearing the hijab. The incident happened at the Government Women's PU college in Udupi, Karnataka, India. A Twitter post showing the six girls outside their classroom is going viral.
On January 13, a couple involving an adult male and an adult female, after being charged with adultery in the Aceh province of Indonesia, were punished with public lashings.
The man, who refused to confess to the accusation, received 15 lashes, while the woman, who did confess, received an overwhelming 100. The amount of lashes was so excruciating that she needed a break at one point before continuing on.
