A prestigious London school is under fire after its headteacher, dubbed by the media as “Britain’s strictest teacher,” introduced a blanket ban on prayer on its premises. This has sparked debate on the place of religious rituals in schools, especially as the United Kingdom faces a more multicultural, multireligious future.
Just weeks after two Iranian women were given harsh sentences for refusing to follow Iran’s strict and mandatory hijab law, another protester was put to death for allegedly killing a policeman during a protest near Tehran in 2022 amidst the massive demonstrations against the regime after the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of Iran’s morality police.
Mohammad Ghobadlou: Iran executes protester with mental health condition https://t.co/moz2uazENP
A Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue in New York City has become the center of controversy after an underground tunnel was discovered by city officials and Chabad leaders, reviving old antisemitic tropes and even causing a commotion between city authorities and worshippers who supported the tunnel’s construction.
A secret tunnel in a NYC synagogue leads to a brawl between police and worshippers https://t.co/v3Kg7654vc
The Islamic Republic started the year 2024 with more repression against Iranian women after a woman was sentenced to 74 lashes for refusing to follow the regime’s strict Islamic dress code, while another was handed a two-year prison sentence for refusing to wear the hijab.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stoked controversy over his claims that God once spoke through him, leading to sharp ridicule and criticism by Iranians on social media.
An imam in California broke down into tears during a Friday sermon last month, asking what have they done wrong and why they did not become martyrs for Allah just like those in Gaza, adding that Allah chooses Palestinians and that the Children of Israel have a long history of cowardice, wickedness, and murder.
A wave of social media accounts in Saudi Arabia have been recently promoting and calling for the return of ancient Arabian, pre-Islamic deities as part of the kingdom’s national and cultural heritage, sparking outrage among religious Saudis and other Muslims as the ultraconservative kingdom pushes to modernize and replace its religious identity with a more nationalistic one.
Another Iranian man is facing the death penalty after being arrested and imprisoned for 11 weeks over his online activities. It comes after an elderly fishmonger was arrested in December for singing and dancing in public and posting it on social media.
32-year-old Hassan Khalkhal Zard, a motor courier originally from the northeastern city of Galikesh, in Golestan province, but working in Iran’s capital, Tehran, was arrested last October 1st by intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Jewish communities worldwide celebrated Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, from December 7 to 15. Several Jewish leaders and organizations set up menorahs to commemorate the event.
Menorahs across the US vandalized as Jews celebrate Hanukkah amid antisemitism spike https://t.co/NBOgxs2fF1 . Click to read
Teachers at a school in a town near Paris went on strike amid fears for their lives after one of their colleagues sparked outrage over a 17th-century painting that she showed to Muslim students during class.
Teachers strike amid safety fears as 'Muslim children and parents angry over nude painting at French school' @LBChttps://t.co/4Kl2bqQT19
