West Virginia Legislature introduced a controversial bill on February 10th, 2021, to remove essential teachings from public schools.
House Bill 2157 proposes eliminating any teachings of sexuality and forbids displays meant to promote understanding among all students related to such instructions in public schools. Although it doesn’t specify any particular group or sexuality in written form, it is widely known as an attempt to ban any mention of the LGBTQ+ community.
On January 31st, the Statistical Center of Iran reported that approximately 9,058 girls between ages 10 and 14 were married in 2020.
Officials who enact marriage laws based on the Islamic constitution often cite the eighth-century Muslim scholar Imam Sadiq, who stated that a 'happy father' does not permit his daughter to menstruate in his house. Today, the basis of Iran’s matrimonial laws is formed from this specific interpretation of Islam.
Over 9,000 10–14 year-old girls married in 3 months
Roy was an American citizen of Bangladeshi provenance and a critic of religious extremism. He was publicly assaulted by machete-wielding assassins who butchered him to death as he and his wife were leaving a Dhaka book fair in February 2015. His wife, Rafida Ahmed, suffered head injuries and lost a finger.
On Sunday, February 14th, a Hamas-run Islamic court ruled that unmarried women in the Gaza Strip now require permission from a male ‘guardian’ to travel, which is usually an older male relative. A married woman would require approval from her husband. Permission to travel without guardianship would have to be authorized by a court.
Among white evangelicals, over 25 percent still believe in “QAnon” conspiracy theories. This may suggest some people experience difficulty abandoning one conspiracy theory when they believe whole-heartedly in another.
Police recently arrested five people for making death threats against the French teenager who said Islam is a ‘shit’ religion in a viral video.
Mila, the teenage girl (her last name is kept private), previously defended her intense atheist beliefs on French television after she offended Islam. During one outburst, she said the Quran is ‘full of hate.’
Nothing says "my religion isn't shit" like threatening teenage girls for saying otherwise.
After many years of trying to obtain a “no religion, no caste” certificate, Sneha Parthibaraja was finally certified on February 5th.Sneha, a 35-year-old lawyer from Vellore, became India’s first citizen to have a ‘no caste, no religion’ certificate.
Human rights activists commend Indonesia’s decision to mandate public schools to allow students autonomy when choosing their attire. The schools’ practice of forcing women to wear religious clothing is now banned as of February 3rd.
Loujain al-Hathloul, the Saudi activist who gained international attention as she publicly opposed the ban on women drivers in the country, was placed in custody by the Saudi government in May 2018 due to her activism.
