Friday Links — July 9, 2010

• The Arab Times interviews Dr. Naif Mohammed Al-Ajmy about the “phenomenon” of divorce in Kuwait.

• Hillary Clinton’s longtime aide Huma Abedin is marrying Representative Anthony Weiner.

• A council in Britain has been slammed for blacking out the windows of a glass-paneled swimming pool in order to protect the modesty of Muslim women.

• The Express Tribune examines recent examples of the Pakistani judicial system’s bias against women.

• The Guardian examines female genital cutting in Kurdish Iraq. More in ILLUME.

• On the Speed Sisters of Palestine.

• Iran may not send its girls’ soccer team to the Youth Olympics in Singapore because of a FIFA dispute over the players’  attire.

• In south Russia, the local government has tripled a dowry paid to the bride’s family.

• Malaysia’s Shariah courts have appointed their first female judges. More from Bernama.

• Europeans support burqa bans while Americans reject them.

• A Muslim women’s organization in Jakarta supports restrictions on web pornography.

• Time magazine examines self-immolation in Afghanistan.

• Bangladesh is on track to meet the majority of the eight Millennium Development Goals, laid out by the United Nations 10 years ago because of improvements they have enacted for women.

• In Spain, Catalonia’s parliament rejected a burqa ban, despite the prevalence of them in the area.

• On the fifth anniversary of 7/7, a Muslim woman reflects on how the bombings made her question her faith.

• Female leaders speak at largest Muslim convention in U.S.

• French parliamentarians began debating a proposed law that would ban women from wearing the burqa.

• Canadian doctors see rise in women requesting hymenoplasty.

• The regional Mufti from the Bulgarian city of Kardzhali has announced he does not support the demand of Muslim women to be covered with headscarves when taking their new passport pictures.

If there’s any news we missed this week about Muslim women, feel free to post links in the comments!