The militant group in charge of the country is aggressively enforcing a decree requiring coverings from head to toe and crushing rare public protests against the order.
Tag Archives: Shariah (Islamic Law)
How Do Saudis Celebrate Christmas? Quietly, but Less So.
“Am I in Saudi Arabia?” Once officially banned, Christmas is coming out of hiding in the kingdom, as its ultra-constrictive religious rules are eased.
Inside the Fall of Kabul: An On-the-Ground Account
Against all predictions, the Taliban took the Afghan capital in a matter of hours. This is the story of why and what came after, by a reporter and photographer who witnessed it all.
Transgender Woman Flees Malaysia After Wearing Hijab
The Islamic authorities want to imprison her for wearing female clothing at a religious event and threatened to put her in a rehabilitation camp where she could “return to the right path.”
Musicians Flee Afghanistan, Fearing Taliban Rule
Dozens of artists and teachers from a prominent music school that promoted girls’ education left the country, but more remain behind. “The mission is not complete,” its founder said.
Threats and Fear Cause Afghan Women’s Protections to Vanish Overnight
As the Taliban advanced, safe houses for women closed, and the staff sheltered girls at home as relatives released from prison threatened to kill them.
What is Shariah Law, And What Does it Mean for Afghan Women?
The Taliban have pledged that women will have rights “within the bounds of Islamic law.” What that means depends on who is interpreting it.
Demonizing Critical Race Theory
These initiatives that Republicans whipped up to rail against are usually not a problem, but rather a wandering outrage in search of a problem.
U.S. Pushes U.N.-Led Peace Conference in Letter to Afghan Leader
In blunt terms, Secretary of State Antony Blinken seeks to jump-start stalled negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.
Is the Vaccine Halal? Indonesians Await the Answer
President Joko Widodo hopes to begin inoculations soon, but the vaccine from the Chinese company Sinovac still needs approval from safety regulators and an influential council of Muslim clerics.
Indonesia Disbands Islamic Defenders Front Over Charges of ‘Terrorism’
The government dissolved the Islamic Defenders Front over charges that its members committed terrorism. Its leader is already under arrest.
Rizieq Shihab, Back in Indonesia, Calls for ‘Moral Revolution’
Rizieq Shihab and his vigilante movement have spent decades calling for harsh Islamic rule. Now he’s back from self-imposed exile and promising a “moral revolution.”
U.A.E. Changes Laws to Attract Foreign Tourists and Investment
The United Arab Emirates is abolishing lenient sentences for so-called honor killings, loosening alcohol restrictions and lessening the sway of Islamic law over foreigners.
A Radical Cleric Ignites an Islamist Resistance in Afghanistan
The cleric’s supporters in Herat are enforcing harsh Shariah law reminiscent of the Taliban’s. Women are alarmed, and the government has been able to do little.
Sudan Will Scrap Alcohol and Apostasy Laws, and End Flogging
The moves are part of efforts to broaden personal freedoms during a delicate democratic transition.
A Daughter Is Beheaded, and Iran Asks if Women Have a Right to Safety
The killing of a 14-year-old girl in Iran has shaken the country and forced an examination of its failure to protect women and children.