Quickies

Global Quickies: Fatwa Against Child Marriage, Blasphemy, and Bad Reputations

INDONESIA
Female Islamic clerics in Indonesia have issued an unprecedented fatwa against child marriage.
The fatwa, which is not legally binding but will be influential, was issued after a three-day congress of female clerics in the country.”

SAUDI ARABIA
“A man in Saudi Arabia has reportedly been sentenced to death on charges of apostasy after losing two appeals. […]He was arrested on charges of atheism and blasphemy and held in prison before being convicted by a local court and sentenced to death in February 2015. He reportedly lost an Appeals Court case, and a Supreme Court ruled against him earlier this week.”

SWAZILAND
“The king of Swaziland is attempting to ban divorce and has instructed religious leaders to inform citizens of the decree, according to reports.”

MEXICO
“This is the eighth time in the last 17 months that the Mexican FA has faced disciplinary action from Fifa on account of its fans homophobic slurs.”

INDIA
“’I’m transgender’: India grapples with prejudices left over from British rule. Progress will involve not just drawing on country’s pre-colonial past but challenging it too, say backers of anti-discrimination bill.”

SPAIN
A short film by a 17-year-old student is being used in schools to deal with sexism.

MEXICO
The state of Michoacan withdrew a bill that proposed a reduced sentence for abortion if the woman didn’t have “a bad reputation”. (Google translate at the link)

GERMANY
“The German parliament has supported a draft law banning women working in the civil service, judiciary and military from wearing full-face Islamic veils.”

AUSTRIA
“The President of Austria has called for all women to wear headscarves in solidarity with Muslims to fight “rampant Islamophobia”.”

FRANCE
“The man appointed to replace Marine Le Pen as leader of the far-right Front National party has quit the job after just three days over accusations he denied the existence of gas chambers in the Second World War.”

Featured image: Mexico soccer fans by Frank

Daniela

Born and raised in Mexico City, Daniela has finally decided to abdicate her post as an armchair skeptic and start doing some skeptical activism. She is currently living in Spain after having lived in the US, Brazil and Italy. You can also find her blogging in Spanish at esceptica.org.

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