A moment of infallibility does the trick.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Spate of Executions and Amputations in Iran
Jan 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Judicial authorities amputated the right hands and left feet of five convicted robbers this week.… Read the rest
How to be famous
Jan 12th, 2008 11:45 am | By Ophelia BensonYou’ll remember (won’t you?) that my favorite commenter on the FGM question told us that all this had been thoroughly sorted out by the great and famous Chandra Mohanty. I was moved to find out more.
Chandra Talpade Mohanty (born 1955) is a prominent postcolonial and transnational feminist theorist. She became well-known after the publication of her influential essay, “Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses” in 1986. In this essay, Mohanty articulates a critique of the political project of Western feminism in its discursive construction of the category of the “Third World woman” as a hegemonic entity.
Ah, good. I’m relieved to know that she took care of that. It’s always irked me, the political project of … Read the rest
Slightly long-winded
Jan 11th, 2008 8:11 pm | By Ophelia BensonSorry, that last one is awfully long. But hey, my N&C impulse has been thwarted by necessary detention in jury room and courtroom, and then I’m morbidly interested in perversities of this kind – in ‘feminists’ lecturing other feminists on why they should not talk quite so loudly or harshly about the carving up of girls’ genitalia. So I gave you some detail – it’s there if you want it, if you share my morbid interest, but don’t worry if it bores you. This one won’t count toward your grade.… Read the rest
It didn’t stop there
Jan 11th, 2008 7:57 pm | By Ophelia BensonChapter 2 of the ‘I’m more postcolonialist than you’ follies.
Another respondent:
… Read the restWhy do feminists still have to analyze everything using the concept of ‘oppression?’ Why are -you- using the term as though everything feminist has to be talked about in terms of oppression. There are times when that’s okay, but there are other times when it is not…When feminists label some kinds of behaviour problematic, by naming them oppressive, for instance, they may be putting other women into situations which could be dangerous for them, or which could at least change the course of their lives, and not always favourably, if they decided to act on this new way of perceiving it. What should be respected is the fact
Is Slavoj Žižek Serious?
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Which produces the greatest terror, action or inaction? … Read the rest
Philosopher Goes Into a Pub and Says
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Everybody loves my baby, but my baby don’t love nobody but me.’ From this, it logically follows that ‘I am my baby.’… Read the rest
Kenya Isn’t Supposed To Be Like This
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The electoral contest exposed an ethnic fissure whose depth was no secret to ordinary Kenyans.… Read the rest
How Silly is Mormonism?
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Mormonism is no sillier than other religions, it’s just younger. (Hmm…)… Read the rest
God Says Stand Up Straight
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Even many good, godly people have gotten into a bad habit of slumping and looking down.’ Blasphemers.… Read the rest
Shafilea Ahmed Feared a Forced Marriage
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘My parents are going to send me to Pakistan and I’ll be married to someone and left there.’… Read the rest
Live Murder Inquiry in Shafilea Ahmed Case
Jan 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Coroner believes the concept of arranged marriage was central to the circumstances leading up to her death. … Read the rest
Ethnocentric feminism
Jan 11th, 2008 11:38 am | By Ophelia BensonI had a hard time tearing myself away from the computer Wednesday and Thursday mornings to catch the bus downtown to the courthouse, because there was a lively (not to say acrimonious) discussion on a Women’s Studies list I subscribe to, about Female Genital Mutilation. I may have done something myself to contribute to the acrimony. Okay I did. I got annoyed. Repeatedly. (But one is limited to two messages a day, so there was a limit to the damage I could do.)
It started with the (astonishing, I thought) fact that the practice was called ‘circumcision’ – which staggered me because I thought it was apologists for the practice who called it that and that opponents all called it … Read the rest
Binyavanga Wainaina on Kenya
Jan 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The bloody attacks here do not reflect primordial hatreds. They reflect the manipulation of identity for political gain.… Read the rest
Speigel Talks to Wangari Maathai
Jan 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
At some point we will have reached a level at which violence becomes an end in itself and can no longer be stopped.… Read the rest
Whereabouts
Jan 10th, 2008 7:54 am | By Ophelia BensonJust in case you’re wondering if I’ve run off to Las Vegas or something, I can explain. Posting is light at the moment because I have jury duty. I’ll catch up at the weekend, if not sooner.… Read the rest
Terry Sanderson on Blasphemy Law
Jan 9th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Proposed restrictions on ‘incitement to religious hatred’ and ‘defamation of religion’ show up around the globe.… Read the rest
Amendment to Abolish UK Blasphemy Law
Jan 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Signatories include Philip Pullman, Ricky Gervais, Richard Dawkins, Nick Hytner. … Read the rest
Research on Boredom
Jan 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Level of attention, an aspect of conscious awareness, plays an important role in boredom.… Read the rest
The US Doesn’t Understand Pakistan
Jan 8th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Pakistan’s national identity is based on not being Hindu – a thin reed on which to hang a unified state.… Read the rest