- “Describing the ban on Afghan women working for foreign organisations as ‘perplexing,’ the [Organization of Islamic Cooperation] called on [the Taliban government] ‘to revisit this decision for the sake of social inclusion of women and the undisrupted continuation of the much-needed international humanitarian safety net in Afghanistan.'” For more content and context on the recent developments in Afghanistan, consult our Editor-in-Chief, Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Resource Roundup: Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Islamic Law.”
- Some pundits have observed that Iran‘s law enforcement is relying on Moharebeh law (the crime of enmity against God) in sentencing some protesters to death, in wake of the protests following the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini while in custody.
- “Iran‘s judiciary has sentenced three more anti-government protesters to death on charges of “waging war on God”, its Mizan news agency reported on Monday, defying growing international criticism over its fierce crackdown on demonstrators.”
- Commenting on various measures the Iranian government is contemplating regarding its mandatory ḥijāb law, one Iranian lawmaker speculated: “[I]t is possible that women who do not observe hijab would be informed via SMS, asking them to respect the law. After notifying them, we enter the warning stage… and last, the bank account of the person who unveiled may be blocked.”
- “Amid controversies over Muslims celebrating Christmas, exchanging gifts and greetings the head of the Muslim World League in an interview clarified Islam’s stance on the same[,]” commenting that there is no such prohibition.
- “Clerics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan] issued a fatwa against terrorists and terror activities, deeming the taking up of arms against the state’s police and military ‘haraam’ (forbidden) in the Shariat (Islamic law).” “Only head of Islamic state can declare jihad, no one else, [said] clerics.”
- Commenting on the recent controversy following the dismissal of a professor at Hamline University for showing a visual depiction of the Prophet, Omid Safi (Duke University) said: “The fact of the matter is that these kinds of images have been an important part of the Islamic tradition.”