Author: Staff Writer

Source: BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11305033

France's Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would ban wearing the Islamic full veil in public.

The proposed measure was already backed by the lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, in July.

The ban will come into force in six months' time if it is not overturned by constitutional judges.

Author: Han Sang-hee

Source: The Buddhist Channel/The Korea Times

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=45,9487,0,0,1,0

Walk into any Buddhist temple in Korea, and you will readily find female monks, or ``bhikkhunis,’’ walking or praying in the temple grounds, just like any other male monk. Sometimes it’s even harder to notice at a glance if they are female or male; which indicates that in Korea, there are almost no...

Author: Tahir Nadeem Khan

Source: Sify News/ANI

http://sify.com/news/female-priests-look-after-jammu-s-lord-krishna-temple-news-national-kjbuOcibefh.html

A temple devoted to Lord Krishna, which is also called 'Baion ka Mandir' here is looked after by a group of female priests, who offer daily prayers and perform rituals.

The priestesses say they want to spread the message of...

Author: Thanassis Cambanis

Source: The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/world/26islamic.html?ref=religion_and_belief

For more than two decades, Abdelhamid Shaari has been lobbying a succession of governments in Milan for permission to build a mosque for his congregants — any mosque at all, in any location.

For now, he leads Friday Prayer in a stadium normally used for rock concerts. When sites...

Author: Mark Lowen

Source: BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11065911

The home of Florinda Zeka in central Kosovo is an idyllic spot, surrounded by undulating hills.

The silence of the countryside is broken only by the family chickens wandering idly through the garden.

But for the last few months, life for this 17-year-old has been anything but peaceful.

She was forced to leave school when she donned the hijab - or...

Author: Sarah Tully

Source: The Kansas City Star/Orange County Register

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/08/23/2169500/muslim-employee-rejects-disneys.html

A Muslim employee is refusing to wear a hat and bonnet that Disney provided in place of a head scarf, which she wants to leave on at work for religious reasons. 

Imane Boudlal, a restaurant hostess at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, last week in a press...

Author: Staff Writer

Source: BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11020700

An Australian judge has ruled that a Muslim woman must remove her full veil while giving evidence before a jury in a fraud case.

The judge in Perth said she did not consider it appropriate that the witness appear with her face covered.

Author: Gillian Flaccus

Source: The Houston Chronicle

Wire Service: AP

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/7159135.html

A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.

Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort's Grand Californian Hotel after filing a...

Author: Shaimaa Khalil

Source: BBC News

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/fast_track/8901976.stm

If you see a veiled Muslim woman sitting on a beach watching her husband and children splashing in the waves, don't assume it's her religion that keeps her from joining in the fun.

Muslim women can often be seen swimming while veiled - though they may not want to on beaches where most women are wearing bikinis.

The problem...

Author: Emily Esfahani Smith

Source: The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704682604575369472168848914.html

Muslim feminists call it the "penalty box." It's the area of a mosque where women, segregated from the men, pray. In Islam, prayer is required five times a day and Muslims often pray in congregation at mosques. During these prayers, women usually are partitioned off in a separate room...

Author: Emily Esfahani Smith

Source: The Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704682604575369472168848914.html

Muslim feminists call it the "penalty box." It's the area of a mosque where women, segregated from the men, pray. In Islam, prayer is required five times a day and Muslims often pray in congregation at mosques. During these prayers, women usually are partitioned off in a separate room...

Author: Nathan Jeffay

Source: The Jewish Chronicle

http://www.thejc.com/node/36322

Israeli rabbis are set to ban the burka for a small group of radical Jewish women who have taken to wearing it.

Two years ago, it emerged that around 100 women in the city of Beit Shemesh had begun to cover their faces with a veil and wear numerous layers of clothing to obscure their body shape. When many rabbis criticised the trend, the women took no notice because they...

Author: Nathan Jeffay

Source: The Jewish Chronicle

http://www.thejc.com/node/36322

Israeli rabbis are set to ban the burka for a small group of radical Jewish women who have taken to wearing it.

Two years ago, it emerged that around 100 women in the city of Beit Shemesh had begun to cover their faces with a veil and wear numerous layers of clothing to obscure their body shape. When many rabbis criticised the trend, the women took no notice because they...