Iran is shaken by a scandal involving a Jewish journalist who had an interview with then-presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi. According to an article published by Iran International, Catherine Shakdam, a French-Jewish writer and commentator, "infiltrated" Iran.
On Thursday, March 17, in Gujarat, India, the state government announced that Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu holy scripture, will be integrated into the curriculum for grade 6 to grade 12 students. The announcement was made during a legislative assembly for budgetary allocations for the education department.
Jewish activists dress up as Muslims to circumvent the prayer ban in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Sunni Islam's third holiest site. Swapping their Jewish clothes for a thobe, also called a dishdasha or jalabiya, these activists defy the delicate agreement between Israel and Jordan.
The same site where the mosque sits is considered the holiest site in Judaism.
On Thursday, March 17, jubilant passengers landed in RAF Brize Norton, the United Kingdom, after years of detention in Iran. British-Iranian nationals Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were finally reunited with their families. Both were released on March 16, 2022.
On March 15, the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly adopted a resolution establishing March 15 as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia. The resolution was sponsored by 55 predominantly Muslim member states and passed consensus with all 193 states in support.
On Saturday, March 12, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men, including Yemeni, Syrian, and Saudi nationals. According to SPA (Saudi Press Agency), a state-run media, the men were found guilty on the charges of terrorism and holding “deviant beliefs.”
On Friday, March 4, a controversial bill was proposed in Haryana's state assembly, triggering opposition members' outcry. Haryana, a state in northern India, has a state legislative assembly dominated by the conservative Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
France has announced a plan to ban two Palestinian advocacy groups based in the country. Gerald Darmanin, France’s Minister of the Interior, on February 24 tweeted that he would disband Collectif Palestine Vaincra (Palestine Will Win) and Comité Palestine Action (Palestine Action Committee).
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has recalled the ambassador to the United Kingdom over a controversial video of a ceremony hosted by the embassy. Mohsen Baharvand, Tehran’s ambassador to London, hosted the 43rd anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, allowing unveiled women in attendance.
New Zealand's parliament passed a bill that will ban conversion therapy on Tuesday, February 15. Introduced in August 2021, the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill passed its third reading with a massive offset of 112 to 8.
When enacted, the bill will "prohibit conversion practices that seek to change or suppress a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression."
