Location: United Kingdom
In a stunning move, UK lawmakers are pushing to treat photos of Muslim women without hijabs the same as child sexual abuse material, arguing that such images should be criminalized as “non-consensual intimate images” (NCII). A new report from the House of Commons’ Women and Equalities Committee demands the government expand the legal definition of intimate images to include “culturally intimate” material, claiming that sharing hijab-free photos could be “disastrous for the victim.” Committee chair Sarah Owens defended the idea, saying, “Non-consensual intimate image abuse is a deeply personal crime which can have life-changing and life-threatening consequences.” Critics, however, blasted the proposal as absurd, with David Spencer of Policy Exchange warning that it would force police to “wade into so-called 'cultural' issues” at a time when violent crime is already overwhelming law enforcement. If passed, the law could equate exposing a Muslim woman's hair with some of the most serious crimes on the books—raising alarming questions about free speech, cultural accommodation, and the future of British law.
Location: Qatar, Pakistan, Kuwait
In a sweeping and dangerous escalation, Islamic clerics across the Muslim world are openly calling for a global jihad against Israel, framing the war in Gaza as a religious obligation for all Muslims. On Al-Jazeera, Muslim Brotherhood leader Dr. Tareq Al-Suwaidan declared that Muslims are forbidden from making “permanent peace with the enemies of Allah,” insisting that jihad “must continue until Judgment Day.” Meanwhile, the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars issued a fatwa demanding “every capable Muslim” take up arms, urging Arab and Muslim nations to blockade Israel “by land, sea, and air.” In Pakistan, clerics at a national conference led by Grand Mufti Taqi Usmani called jihad against Israel “an obligatory duty” and blasted Muslim governments for failing to act. “What are the armed forces of Muslim countries if they cannot wage jihad?” Usmani asked. The movement ties the conflict not just to politics but to an enduring religious war—one that clerics now demand to spill far beyond the Middle East.
Location: Nigeria
In a major rebuke to religious repression, the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled that blasphemy laws in Nigeria violate international human rights commitments, only to be openly defied by Kano State officials. ECOWAS, the Economic Community of West African States, is a regional bloc of 15 countries aimed at promoting economic integration and human rights, and its court decisions carry significant weight across West Africa. Yet Kano State, a Muslim-majority region known for enforcing harsh Sharia-inspired laws, dismissed the ruling, vowing to keep criminalizing blasphemy. “We will not be deterred by external pressures,” said Kano’s Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Waiya, insisting that the laws “reflect the will” of Kano’s citizens. The case, brought by the Expression Now Human Rights Initiative, challenged the imprisonment of individuals like Mubarak Bala, a Nigerian atheist sentenced to 24 years for social media posts before being freed earlier this year. Despite the ECOWAS court ordering Nigeria to repeal or amend such laws, Kano's defiance underscores a deepening clash between universal human rights and religious authoritarianism within Africa’s largest democracy.
Location: United States
New York State has launched a major crackdown on Hasidic yeshivas that fail to meet minimum secular education standards, stripping public funding from several schools in Brooklyn and threatening to revoke the legal status of more. The move follows a 2022 New York Times investigation that exposed widespread deficiencies in basic literacy, math, and science instruction at dozens of yeshivas, where the curriculum often focuses almost exclusively on intensive Talmudic study. “Children must learn to speak, read, and write in English and gain at least basic knowledge of math, science, and social studies,” a State Education Department spokesperson emphasized, citing the state’s long-standing legal requirement that private schools provide an education "substantially equivalent" to that of public schools. Many yeshivas, however, view the mandate as an attack on religious freedom, with advocacy groups like PEARLS accusing state officials of “targeting” Orthodox Jewish communities and preparing lawsuits to block enforcement. Critics argue that the lack of secular education traps children in insular communities, leaving them economically and socially dependent for life, while defenders insist that religious study fosters critical thinking and spiritual resilience. The clash highlights a growing national debate over the limits of religious schooling in a modern, pluralistic society—and whether deeply traditional communities can, or should, be compelled to meet outside standards.
Location: United Kingdom
After years of controversy, the UK government has banned Zafar Iqbal Khan, head of the notorious Rabia Girls' and Boys' School, from managing any school after repeated failures to meet basic education and equality standards. Khan’s private Islamic school in Luton, which segregated male and female staff and barred girls from studying key subjects like design and technology, failed Ofsted inspections a staggering seven times before it was finally shut down in 2021. “Gender segregation of school staff is totally unacceptable in modern Britain,” said Rebecca Hilsenrath of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Inspectors also found Rabia had hosted radical clerics linked to terrorist groups, further cementing its reputation for “actively undermining British values,” as former Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw put it. Despite accusations that Ofsted had an “agenda against faith schools,” the decision to permanently bar Khan signals a hardening stance against extremism masked as education in the UK.
