An Egyptian student struggles to make her voice heard in a corrupt system. Hindus in America are denied the opportunity to enshrine their religious symbols beside those of Christianity. And a comparison is made between the dystopia depicted in Children of Men and Europe's ongoing refugee crisis. It's Fiery Tuesday, our weekly take on political and social issues from around the world. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!

It's a historical fact that the mentally ill have been both more likely to be victims of violent crimes as well as to end up in prison themselves. So how does our modern society deal with the issue of incarcerating those with mental issues? It would appear, based on this article from The Huffington Post, that we still have work to do.

University can be a stressful experience for anyone: working to maintain your grades, adapting to a new way of life, and figuring out want you want to do for a living are all big issues. But what if the system itself was working against you? That's the horrific experience of Mariam Malak, a young Egyptian woman who went from an ace student to a zero after authorities forged her final exams.

Christian lawmakers throughout the United States are generally pretty comfortable sharing their views on God or enshrining religious symbols like the Ten Commandments in public spaces. But what about non-Christian religions? Do they get a fair say? Apparently not, if Arkansas' decision about whether or not to accept a statue of the Hindu god Hanuman are any indication.

Caitlyn Jenner made headlines throughout the country recently when she began her transition to becoming a transwoman several months ago. She drew further attention when she appeared on Ellen DeGeneres' show and seemed to show significant reluctance toward embracing gay marriage. But while many have praised DeGeneres for pushing the issue others, like Terese Jusino, felt both women mirrored one another in their unease, demonstrating how difficult relations between gay women and transwomen often are.

Refugees flee to London, hoping to find a better life in a world torn apart by violence, chaos, and economic desperation. The government treats them callously while the public ignores or even repudiates their plight. Sound like modern Britain? Or the film Children of Men? Gizmodo's Matt Novak talks about how the two compare.


Top image by Délmagyarország/Schmidt Andrea