All entries by this author

Anguish Over Hu Jia’s Sentence *

Apr 12th, 2008 | Filed by

He was convicted for writing five articles and giving two interviews.… Read the rest



Chinese Rights Activist Sentenced Last Week *

Apr 12th, 2008 | Filed by

Hu Jia campaigned for the environment, religious freedom and the rights of people with HIV and Aids. … Read the rest



Free at last, free at last

Apr 12th, 2008 11:26 am | By

Oh so that’s how you combat violence against women – by volunteering to wear a hijab.

The purpose of Scarves for Solidarity is to help save battered women while spreading awareness about Islam. The Muslim Student Association is working with sponsors who plan to donate $5 to Battered Women’s Shelter for every female who volunteers to wear a head-scarf/hijab on Monday, April 7th 2007.

That helps ‘save’ battered women because…because…because the hijab broadcasts the message that women need to be concealed. No. Because it conveys the message that women are a distraction to men and therefore have to be muffled from head to foot so that men can get on with their work. No. Because it shows that women are … Read the rest



Jesus and Mo Fall Out *

Apr 11th, 2008 | Filed by

Mo called Jesus’s conscience a bullshitter.… Read the rest



Mo Raps *

Apr 11th, 2008 | Filed by

A prophet with attitude.… Read the rest



Stanley Fish on French Theory in America *

Apr 11th, 2008 | Filed by

What was involved was less the rejection of the rationalist tradition than an interrogation of its key components.… Read the rest



Andrew Anthony Interviews Salman Rushdie *

Apr 11th, 2008 | Filed by

There is no getting away from the current relevance of subjects like foreignness, belonging and group loyalty.… Read the rest



Raymond Tallis on the Neuroscience Delusion *

Apr 11th, 2008 | Filed by

Academic literary critics now place the firing of neurons rather than signifiers at the heart of lit crit.… Read the rest



Breaking Open the Temple *

Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by

FLDS lawyers said members were praying in front of the temple as officers dragged them out of the way.… Read the rest



Oh That Kind of Temple *

Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by

The kind that provides a bed where men rape underage girls.… Read the rest



What Kind of Extremism Does Blair Have in Mind? *

Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by

Catholic church’s attitudes to gender equality makes development goals almost impossible. … Read the rest



Underage Girls in Texas Sect Forced Into Sex *

Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by

Several of the teenage girls have children. Many could not spell their last names or state their birth date.… Read the rest



Rabbi Flees to Canada, Israel Seeks Extradition *

Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by

Has been described as the ‘spiritual mentor’ of a group involved in the systematic abuse of children.… Read the rest



Religious reasons

Apr 10th, 2008 11:29 am | By

This is insane. That camp of horrors in Texas –

The sect’s lawyers had sought to limit a search but have agreed temple records can be scrutinised under supervision. A representative of the sect will be appointed to vet documents, computer files and family Bibles for records that should not be used as evidence for legal or religious reasons, the Associated Press reports.

A representative of this pack of male lunatics that imprisons women and children and forces them to act as baby-factories will be appointed to decide what documents and files should not be used as evidence for religious reasons? What ‘religious’ reasons? They have god’s signatures on them? They might include god’s password? ‘Religious’ reasons are the … Read the rest



In action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god

Apr 9th, 2008 5:58 pm | By

Why the human brain evolved. So that it could dream up pastimes like this:

A radical rabbi once linked to a plot to fire a missile at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, is hiding in Canada, Israeli police said Monday, announcing that he is wanted for his alleged role in a series of ghastly abuses of his followers’ children…[H]e has been described as the “spiritual mentor” of a group involved in the systematic abuse of children, allegedly using his status as a rabbi to convince a mother of eight that her children’s shortcomings could be beaten and burned out of them…Two of the eight children, aged 4 and 5, were hospitalized in serious condition two weeks ago after Mr. Chen allegedly

Read the rest


On Samantha Power on Sergio Vieira de Mello *

Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by

Moving from one hellhole to another, he experienced the conflicting claims of power and morality.… Read the rest



Avishai Margalit on Sectarianism *

Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by

The idea of the sacred describes what is indivisible and hence not subject to compromise. … Read the rest



Persecution of Salah Choudhury for ‘Blasphemy’ *

Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by

Journalist faces sedition, treason and blasphemy charges for confronting jihad and religious hatred. … Read the rest



Blair Makes up for Lost Time on the God Front *

Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by

‘He has converted to Roman Catholicism. This requires much thought and reflection.’ Hmm.… Read the rest



All label and no content

Apr 9th, 2008 11:44 am | By

Blair doing God.

Issues of faith have clearly been consuming Mr Blair. Since leaving office, he has converted to Roman Catholicism. This requires much thought and reflection. After confessing serious sins, a convert must make the “Rite of Reception”, including saying that: “I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.”

And saying that requires thought and reflection? Wouldn’t you think it requires something more like the avoidance of thought, the abdication of thought? To say you believe all that the ‘Holy’ Catholic Church proclaims to be revealed by God is to say you believe something very all-encompassing, very broad, very dogmatic, and very evidence-free. What does that have … Read the rest