I don’t know much about the politics of the various sects of Judaism in Israel, but this NPR story about the demands of the ultra-Orthodox was eye-opening. (I’m not going to recount the story; it’s too detailed. I highly recommend reading the article. It’s short and interesting.) The description “Taliban-like” does indeed fit these zealots, not just because their demands are borne of insane religiosity that they wish to impose on everyone else by force, but because the particular demands (e.g. for “modesty” and segregation of women) are so similar to those instituted by radical Muslims. According to the article, these ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel are becoming more radicalized — and more insistent in their demands on everyone else.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, ever-more people are taking the irrational demands of their religion ever-more seriously — and threatening the rest of us with earthly punishments if we fail to submit. Given the way of Islam and Christianity, I’m not surprised to see this trend in Judaism. Still, it’s downright frightening.

(Via iFeminists.net weekly newsletter.)