Iran’s Supreme Leader now bars women from cycling in public following a fatwa, or religious decree, issued on September 10th. Fatwas are respected opinions given by Muslim scholars who interpret what is permissible within Islam. In Iran’s case, fatwas can be legally binding. Once news of the cycling fatwa broke, women flooded the ‘Stealthy Freedom’ Facebook page with pictures and videos of them doing exactly what the fatwa banned: riding bikes in public.Country Coded is a video series that explores game-changing or controversial laws around the world.
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