The Taliban has ordered government officials to wear a beard and adhere to dress codes, as provided by their hardline interpretation of Islam. On Monday, March 28, representatives of the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice visited government offices, enforcing the new order.
A Catholic priest in Arizona resigned effective February 1 after discovering that the baptisms he had administered were invalid. In his letter addressed to his community, Rev. Andres Arango said he is saddened to learn that he has performed invalid baptisms. According to Arango, he had used an incorrect “formula” when administering baptisms.
If you think life couldn't be any more difficult in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, think again. On December 26, 2021, the Taliban government announced that women can no longer travel farther than 45 miles (72km) without the companionship of a male relative.
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.
Witnesses described chilling events in a statement released by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (PDD) of Jamaica on Wednesday, November 3. The unnamed witnesses recalled the event in the Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Church that left three people dead, including a human sacrifice victim.
Esther Callejas, a 24-year old mother of two from Arizona, fatally shot her two children in the morning of September 27, 2021. Phoenix police Sgt. Ann Justus said in a statement that Callejas shot her children because she wanted them “to go to heaven.”
Less than a month after Jesse Duplantis lied about giving out generators during Hurricane Ida, the notorious pastor is in hot water again. In one of the episodes of a 4-day Victorython, Duplantis claimed that Jesus had not returned yet, because people were not donating enough. “Jesus hasn’t come because people are not giving the way God told them to give,” he said.
A wide range of religious organizations in the UK was subject to an inquiry investigation regarding child abuse. The inquiry revealed “shocking failures” and “blatant hypocrisies” in how these religions handle abuse allegations. Children are subjected to abuse of power and victim-blaming by religious leaders and, as a result, are often not reported.
Authorities arrested six family members in Peoria, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona, for allegedly trying to kidnap a 20-year-old female relative because she has a non-Muslim boyfriend — and she is approximately 5-months pregnant. The victim later told police how she feared dying at the hands of her relatives because they believe she brought dishonor to them.
On Aug. 1, A 9-year old girl that belongs to the Dalit community, India’s lowest caste, was murdered after being gang-raped. Her body was forcibly cremated by the same men who committed the gruesome crime. The crime occurred in a Delhi Cantonment in southwest Delhi.
