On January 13, a couple involving an adult male and an adult female, after being charged with adultery in the Aceh province of Indonesia, were punished with public lashings.
The man, who refused to confess to the accusation, received 15 lashes, while the woman, who did confess, received an overwhelming 100. The amount of lashes was so excruciating that she needed a break at one point before continuing on.
After a stabbing incident in Sefton Park, Australia, a young Muslim woman was left recovering in an intensive care unit. ABC News reported that the 21-year old suffered a "perforated kidney, lacerated liver, and significant internal bleeding."
On January 10, Pope Francis warned against the growing cancel-culture trend, calling it "one-track thinking" that can alter historical accounts. Speaking to diplomats from more than 180 countries, the pontiff effectively endorsed mandated vaccination while condemning vaccine misinformation.
On December, 9; the Roman Catholic Diocese of Noto posted an apology for Bishop Antonio Stagliano's comment saying Santa Clause is not real. The apology came after the parents of the children were outraged at the bishop's statement.
On Monday, December 6, Pope Francis commented on a leaked internal document of the European Commission, calling it "anachronistic." The pope's comments were from an interview aboard the papal plane on his way back to Rome from Greece and Cyprus.
The Harvard Graduate Student Union ratified the changes to a four-year contract, adding caste as a protected category. The new provisions of the contract will pave the way for caste-sensitive policies and projects affecting close to five thousand student-workers in Harvard.
On November 9, Iran’s parliament confirmed receiving a bill that will criminalize owning pets, especially animals deemed “unclean” by Islamic law. The bill on the “protection of public rights against dangerous and harmful animals” was drafted by 75 conservative members of Iran’s parliament. The bill aims to amend the Islamic Penal Code to include the importation, sale, and keeping of various animals.
On Wednesday, November 10, Hindu devotees flocked to the banks of the Yamuna river in New Delhi to observe Chhath Puja. Despite the foaming waters caused by various forms of pollutants dumped into the river, the devotees were unfazed by the danger. People stood knee-deep, reciting prayers; others submerged themselves completely.
The United Colors of Benetton released a poorly timed fashion innovation headwear called the unisex hijab. The headwear was launched during the Milan Fashion Week in September, under the United Colors of Ghali capsule collection, the fashion company’s collaboration project with rapper Ghali Amdouni.
The Council of Europe (COE) pulled out ads for a campaign aimed at countering discrimination against European Muslim women who chose to wear head coverings. The Council of Europe is an inter-governmental human rights group with 47 member states. CoE also took down its Twitter post related to the campaign.
