When is it okay to rip off a woman’s clothes in public? To punch her and call her a whore? Apparently, some French people believe this is appropriate if she violates a ban on burqas. Muslim women are reporting an increase in instances of street harassment since the implementation of the burqa ban. Some bus ...
The conservative country of Iran is finally starting to catch up with the rest of us by releasing the “government approved”, first ever, sex education video called Beloved Companion. This video is, of course, a great idea. It covers topics like foreplay, “the use of cologne to attract a partner, the importance of keeping your ...
Fans always want it to be about the love of the game, but for Iranian women following Islamic tradition, their sneakers are laced with deep religious ties. In an Olympic qualifying round held in Jordan, the Iranian soccer team was disqualified because women refused to take off their hijabs. The head of the Iranian soccer ...
A group of three men are being charged with the murder of Katya Koren in Ukraine, after allegedly stoning her to death for apparently violating Islam as a beauty pageant contestant. The men in question believe that Katya was betraying Sharia Law by not dressing modestly and participating in the competition, in which she placed ...
God’s wife was erased from the Bible, a British theologian has discovered. Back in the day before Muslims and Christians, God was called Yahweh and he was worshiped along with his wife, Asherah. At least according to Francesca Stavrakopoulou, a lecturer at the department of Theology and Religion at the University of Exeter. “After years ...
The treatment of women in the Muslim world baffles many people in the West, who wonder: How could a culture which is so advanced in many ways be so backwards concerning women? Amazon.com WidgetsNine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women was an Austalian reporter’s attempts to tackle this political and moral minefield. ...
In a country where women are stoned for immodesty, appearing in a soap opera is practically a political statement. However, for many of these actresses, financial need overshadows their concerns about respect. The Secret of this House is Afghanistan’s first soap opera, created as a more wholesome alternative to those racy Hindi shows from India. ...
The French Senate has voted 246 to 1, in favour of a law making wearing a burqa illegal. The ban includes all full face veils such as the burqa (mesh cloth covers the face) and niqab (a small opening is made for the eyes). The hijab (headscarf), and other styles of traditional Muslim dress that ...
Joumana Haddad may be a poet, but she is better known for her infamous magazine, Jasad. Covering everything to do with the body, topics have ranged from voyeurism and masturbation to polygamy and forced marriage. Needless to say, she is not the most popular woman in the Middle East. Because the material is so taboo, ...
You know you are an adult when you stop doing things just because you can. According to the laws of the United States, the supposedly Reverend Terry Jones is perfectly entitled to burn a copy of the Qur’an. He can even hold “International Burn a Qur’an Day” to commemorate 9/11. The only thing that can ...
So, we’re having this baby. It’s due in a few weeks and we’re trying to get organized with all...
I recently heard about what is claimed to be the rising phenomenon of Japanese men remaining virgins for longer...
Ladders. Patriarchal conspiracy. I’ll explain… This week I climbed a ladder. I was trying to reach a loft space,...
Dear Madame X, My boyfriend needs to look at porn while we have sex. It bothers me because I...
Mrs. Dalloway is yet another feminist classic that I had to grow into. Wrapped up in Woolf’s instantly recognizable...
Last week saw a Big Thing come to our soggy little island. Well, it was a Big Thing for...
Last weekend I was entertaining a guest, you know, the sort I was planning to have lots and lots...
All little girls want to be princesses… right?! It’s bad enough that toy aisles are separated out by what...
