Grand Mufti

(Newser) - They're young, tall-ish, dark and handsome and they've captured the hearts of Malyasian TV viewers mesmerized by their quest to be declared the nation's hottest up-and-coming imam. Contestants on the new reality show Young Imam are judged by one man— the former grand mufti of Malaysia's national mosque—and are...

(Newser) - The top Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia has issued a statement supporting marriage for girls as young as 10, reports CNN. "Those who think she's too young are wrong and they are being unfair to her," he declared. The statement follows the refusal last month by a Saudi...

(Newser) - A legal loophole allowing girls to undergo genital cutting for "health reasons" has been eliminated in Egypt, strengthening an earlier ban. Seen as a rite of passage and a way to lessen sexual desire, the practice had been fairly widespread. But after a heavily sedated girl died during the...