Some participants irritated by late changes to draft statement without consent of all members.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Theologians Tell Clerics to Respect Women 
Jul 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Women are not holding their breath.… Read the rest
Lovely, Lovely Conference
Jul 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Critics said the Saudis were the last people who should host a meeting on religious dialogue. But – uh.… Read the rest
Saudis Threw Such a Lovely Conference
Jul 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Mind you, Saudi Arabia bans all non-Islamic religious practices, but it’s terrifically tolerant.… Read the rest
Saudi ‘Interfaith Forum’ Seen as Joke by Some
Jul 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Women, for instance, since no women were present.… Read the rest
Three decades of incitement against women
Jul 19th, 2008 3:24 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights did a study on sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment of women in Egypt is on the increase and observing Islamic dress code is no deterrent, according to a survey published this week…ECWR head Nihad Abu El-Qoumsan said that even veiled women who were victims of harassment blamed themselves. Western women who took part in the study demonstrated a strong belief in their entitlement to personal safety and freedom of movement, she says, but this was totally absent among Egyptian respondents. No-one spoke about freedom of choice, freedom of movement or the right to legal protection. No-one showed any awareness that the harasser was a criminal, regardless of what clothes the victim was wearing.
So…’Western’ … Read the rest
Church Cancels Gun-giveaway for Teenagers
Jul 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle, but shot itself in foot instead.… Read the rest
Church Has Faith in People’s Ability to Avoid HIV
Jul 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier said he had long been opposed to the use of condoms to prevent HIV. … Read the rest
Two Thirds of Egyptian Men Harass Women
Jul 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Egyptian and foreign women frequently complain of persistent sexual harassment on Egyptian streets.… Read the rest
46% of Egyptian Women Harassed Daily
Jul 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
83% of Egyptian women and 98% of foreign women said they had been harassed at some point.… Read the rest
Sexual Harassment of Women in Egypt
Jul 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No one spoke about freedom of choice, freedom of movement or the right to legal protection. … Read the rest
A correspondence
Jul 18th, 2008 5:57 pm | By Ophelia BensonI got a surprise email from a stranger yesterday. It read, in its entirety, so:
How appropriate that a smug, shitty, rightwing publication like “Butterflies and Wheels” shares the name of a sentence in a book that is key to the plot of an idiotic movie like “Shattered”. Both the ‘zine and the movie are worthless.
No greeting or signature or anything stuffy like that, just that rather random observation. It made me laugh a good deal, I must say. I also forwarded it to Jeremy, knowing it would cause him to grin sharkishly with delight. He’s always wanted abusive mail about B&W. In fact it’s really very sad: he thought there would be abusive email, he thought it would … Read the rest
Mo Practices Transubstantiation
Jul 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Jesus asks for Celine Dion. … Read the rest
Without the Data, There’s Only Someone Saying
Jul 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Journalists don’t always understand what it means for there to be evidence for an assertion.… Read the rest
Midwives Train as Surgeons in Mozambique
Jul 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Is on track to achieve UN Millennium Development goal to reduce maternal death rate by 75% by 2015… Read the rest
UK Govt to Fund Board of Islamic Theologians
Jul 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sheikh Mogra said ‘This board has to be something owned by us, driven by us but supported by government.’… Read the rest
Mandela Turns 90
Jul 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Calls for the rich to do more for the poor.… Read the rest
Man Knifes Sister for Being ‘Bad Muslim Girl’
Jul 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Told sheriff’s investigators he attacked his sister because she had disgraced their family.… Read the rest
‘Islam is a Religion of Moderation and Tolerance’
Jul 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘A new page for humanity in which – God willing – concord will replace conflict.’ God unwilling, not.… Read the rest
God Donates Gold Teeth, One Per Customer
Jul 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Pray for a sign, go home, find gold tooth in mouth. A miracle!… Read the rest
