Culture

Indian Beauty Ad Pulled from TV Due to Showing Lesbian Couple

On Saturday, October 23, the commercial ad for Fem Creme Bleach, a popular whitening product in India, was removed from social media platforms. The takedown came after Narottam Mishra, the Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh, India, threatened to take legal actions because the ad showed objectionable content. The advertisement depicted a same-sex couple celebrating Karwa Chauth, a festival for Hindu women.

Spanish Archbishop Apologizes for Sexy Music Video Filmed in Cathedral

On the afternoon of October 8, Friday, the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Toledo in Spain released an apology for the “improper use of a sacred place.” The statement released by the archdiocese on behalf of Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves responds to a music video shot in the 13th century Toledo Cathedral.

The Official Wizard of New Zealand Axed From Payroll

Ian Brackenbury Channell, the only known wizard-in-residence employed by a state since 1998, will be officially terminated from Christchurch's payroll this December 2021. In an interview with a local news outlet, Lynn McClelland, the Council Assistant Chief Executive, said that "the council has met with The Wizard and sent him a letter thanking him for his services to Christchurch over the past decades."

Germany's Largest Mosque Allowed To Broadcast the Call to Prayer

Germany's largest mosque, the Cologne Central Mosque, has been permitted by Cologne to broadcast the call to prayer every Friday afternoon. The permission to broadcast the Muslim call to prayer, or adhan as it’s called in Arabic, came as part of the agreement to ease restrictions between the Muslim community and the city of Cologne.

New TV Censorship In Iran: No Women Eating Pizza

On September 27, 2021, Amir Hossein Shamshadi, the head of Public Relations of the state-controlled media company, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), disclosed perplexing information through his personal Instagram. The statement refers to a recent "audit" performed by the IRIB, which resulted in a new broadcast directive. This audit prohibits the depiction of men pouring tea for women.

Displays of Women Vandalized in Israel; Hardline Jewish Groups Suspected

Peggy Parnass's picture displayed across the walls of Jerusalem at the gateway to the city hall has been defaced again. Parnass's pictures were plastered around the city of Jerusalem, along with the photographs of other Holocaust survivors for the Lonka Project. The Lonka Project's exhibition started last April 2021; since then, her image has been vandalized five times since June.

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