Why should theocrats abroad listen when theocrats in US appear to be running the place?… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Without God, People Will Worship Jamie 
Dec 18th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Scruffy Irish pop stars and smart chefs are the new moral arbitors.’… Read the rest
Trust in God or Jamie
Dec 18th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
God heads a creaking pantheon of authority figures, from political magi to celebrity hairdressers.… Read the rest
Nigerian Women Riot Over Bike-taxi Ban
Dec 18th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Fight back.… Read the rest
Taliban Murder Teacher for Teaching Girls
Dec 18th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘He had received many warning letters from the Taliban to stop teaching, but he continued.’… Read the rest
School Ignores Equality Commission Ruling
Dec 17th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Islamic College Amsterdam will continue to require woman teachers to cover heads.… Read the rest
Menaces to Free Speech
Dec 17th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The gods of the state also continue to exact their sacrifices.… Read the rest
Good, Rational Orientalism May Have Last Laugh
Dec 17th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
When post-modernist fashions, with fuzzy terminologies and neo-colonial potentialities, have gone. … Read the rest
Turkey Complains of Pressure From EU
Dec 17th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘You can’t put one of the world’s best living novelists on trial and say this is just growing pains.’… Read the rest
Updates
Dec 16th, 2005 7:34 pm | By Ophelia BensonA couple of brief update items. Azam Kamguian emailed me to tell me what an informant in Norway told her – that there apparently is no reason to think that Samira Munir was murdered. Which is a relief. No less sad for her, of course, but the fewer murders of this kind there are, the better. So that is, in a limited way, good news.
And I was inaccurate in what I said about Michael Bérubé and Meera Nanda and B&W. I thought he’d first read Meera here, but no, he read her 1997 article in Dissent – and, as he put it, realized he was going to have to worry about it sooner or later. Seeing her work on … Read the rest
Give it a Hanky and a Slap
Dec 16th, 2005 4:08 pm | By Ophelia BensonA spectre is haunting the place. No doubt you’ve already read or heard about the Fulham cops.
… Read the rest…the author Lynette Burrows went on a BBC Five Live show to talk about the government’s new “civil partnerships” and expressed her opinion – politely, no intemperate words – that the adoption of children by homosexuals was “a risk”. The following day, Fulham police contacted her to discuss the “homophobic incident”. A Scotland Yard spokesperson told the Telegraph’s Sally Pook that it’s “standard policy” for “community safety units” to investigate “homophobic, racist and domestic incidents”…”It is all about reassuring the community,” said the very p.c. Plod to the Telegraph. “All parties have been spoken to by the police. No allegation of crime
HRW Page on ‘Ministers of Murder’
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Human Rights Watch reports.… Read the rest
Human Rights Watch on ‘Ministers of Murder’
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ahmadinejad has packed his government with officials responsible for serious human rights abuses.… Read the rest
Xian Right All Upset About Xmas Without X
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
White House pets saying ‘happy holidays’ is just too much.… Read the rest
Pamuk Trial Halted on First Day
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Trials concerning freedom of thought should never happen in the first place and should not be prolonged.… Read the rest
Philip Roth Does Not Smile
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Identity labels have nothing to do with how anyone actually experiences life.’… Read the rest
Iraqi Secularists Unite to Resist Islamism
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Face uphill battle.… Read the rest
Museum Employees Fined for Blasphemy
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Organizers of ‘Beware: Religion!’ exhibition were found guilty of arousing religious hatred.… Read the rest
All About Reassuring the Community
Dec 16th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Writer expressed doubt about gay adoptions on BBC chatshow, was investigated by cops.… Read the rest
Women Forbidden to Use Public Transport
Dec 15th, 2005 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Women in northern Nigeria forbidden to ride on motorbike taxis; religious marshals enforce the law.… Read the rest
