Indonesia’s Islamic Council Declares Cryptocurrency “Forbidden”

On Thursday, November 11, Indonesia's National Ulema Council (MUI) declared that cryptocurrency is haram or forbidden. Asrorun Niam Sholeh, the MUI's head of religious decrees, explained that cryptocurrencies constitute uncertainties in their use and behave like wagering.

Iranian Criminal Sentenced to Being Forcibly Blinded

Iran’s use of Qisasor the legal principle of retribution has been put into the spotlight again. Earlier this month, a criminal court in Tehran, Iran, sentenced a man to forced blinding. According to the victim, the defendant stabbed him in the eye, causing irreparable damage.

Egyptian Cleric Issues Fatwa on Bodybuilding

Abdullah Rushdy, an Egyptian Muslim preacher, issued a fatwa against bodybuilding and bodybuilding competitions. In an October 11 tweet, Rushdy explained that bodybuilding makes men display their “awrah.” Competitive bodybuilders are “showing intimate parts, which should be covered according to the Sharia,” Rushdy tweeted.

Iranian Clinics Ordered to Report Pregnant Women to Prevent Abortion

A letter from the Justice Ministry of the Mazandaran province in Iran called for an organized reporting of women who tested positive for pregnancy. The goal, according to the letter, is to fend off criminal abortions.

ABC News reported that Mahdiar Saeedian, an Iranian medical journalist, leaked the Justice Ministry's letter through Twitter. Critics are speculating that Iran is using this order to bolster the population despite poor public welfare. Women and women's rights advocates quickly took to social media to show their opposition to Iran's plan.

New Taliban Order: No Shaving, Trimming of Beards

The Taliban ordered all barbers in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, to stop cutting hairs and trimming or shaving off beards. The new mandate was announced Monday, September 27, by the Ministries of Prayer and Guidance and the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Ministry of Vice and Virtue) in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

Taliban Official Announces Executions & Cutting of Hands Will Return

Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, one of the founders of the Taliban, announced that harsh punishments, including executions, will be implemented again. During an interview with the Associated Press (AP) on September 22, Turabi announced that the Taliban would once again carry out executions and amputations of hands. Not in public, of course, because they’ve “changed” as they like to say.

Transwoman Charged For Breaking Sharia Law by Wearing Women's Clothing

Nur Sajat, a 36-year old cosmetics entrepreneur from Malaysia, is wanted after being charged by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department with violating Sharia law. In 2018, Muhammad Sajjad Kamaruz Zaman, popularly knwon as Nur Sajat, wore a baju kurung, a traditional custom worn by women. She left Malaysia in January 2021. A warrant was issued last February 23 after she failed to show for her hearing.

Taliban Replaces Ministry of Women with Ministry of Virtue & Vice

For weeks the employees of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women Affairs were trying to get back to work but were turned away by the Taliban. They were asked to return to their homes.

Afghan Women Fight for Rights with #DoNotTouchMyClothes Campaign

On August 17, 2021, in his first-ever public appearance, the Taliban’s longtime spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced that the Taliban would be more moderate. Mujahid also vowed that the Taliban would forego any revenge against those who resisted their return, and promised that the regime would respect women’s rights.