The Taliban has stopped the distribution of contraceptives in two of Afghanistan’s major cities, claiming that their use by women is part of a conspiracy by Western countries to control the Muslim population.
Three religious reformers were put on trial in Bahrain for allegedly questioning the foundations of Islam, further deepening divisions between the country’s Shia majority and its ruling Sunni royal family.
The three accused are members of Tajdeed, a local Shia cultural and religious organization that advocates for open discussion of religion. Its members have questioned Islamic jurisprudence and the opinions of Islamic legal scholars, a taboo in much of the Muslim world, where political and religious authorities often endorse and enforce doctrine.
British news outlet The Guardian released a report on February 6th detailing the systemic abuse many dissidents faced at the hands of Iranian security forces amidst ongoing protests that have rocked the country.
‘They used our hijabs to gag us’: Iran protesters tell of rapes, beatings and torture by police https://t.co/kSRCxwF3Zr
After achieving victory in the Afghanistan war, Jihadists who have spent their lifetime riding horses in the countryside are now expressing complaints about the work-life they currently lead behind a desk. Now all they can do is think about how to pay rent and spend their time using Twitter.
On February 11, a Pakistani man accused of blasphemy was dragged outside a police station by an angry mob in the country’s eastern province of Punjab and lynched, Pakistani authorities said.
Another mob lynching over alleged blasphemy in Pakistan. Unbearable to watch the video of the mob, which even includes children, kicking and beating a dead man. The police ran away to save themselves. Just sickening.
On January 29, an umbrella body of several Hindu organizations held a protest rally against "Love Jihad" and religious conversions in Mumbai.
Many Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders attended the rally, including the Mumbai unit president Ashish Shelar, MP Manoj Kotak, MP Gopal Shetty, and the former MP Kirit Somaiya. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was also seen participating in the rally with several Shiv Sena leaders.
Security researchers at Microsoft revealed on February 3 that a hacking team backed by the Iranian regime allegedly stole and leaked private customer data from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
In light of the recent events involving the burning of the Quran by far-right activist Rasmus Paludan, a senior Malaysian official suggested criminalizing Islamophobia and demanded a “firmer” response from Muslim countries towards such incidents.
On January 30th, an Islamist suicide bombing occurred inside a Peshawar, Pakistan, mosque. As the number of victims rose throughout the day, police and rescue officials had reached a final death toll of 101 within 24 hours. Many of the victims were crushed under the collapsed roof. Over 200 were injured.
