Joseph Massad portrays Arab violence as inevitable wherever there is gay and lesbian assertiveness.… Read the rest
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
Sholto Byrnes Interviews Samantha Power 
Mar 7th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Author of A Problem From Hell and one of five senior foreign policy advisers to Obama.… Read the rest
Wired Talks to Philip Zimbardo
Mar 7th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Understanding why somebody did something leads to a totally different way of dealing with evil. … Read the rest
33 Girls Missing From Bradford
Mar 6th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Authorities suspect they have been taken abroad to be forced into marriage.… Read the rest
Bradford’s Missing Girls
Mar 6th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
More than 200 girls disappear from Bradford schools each year.… Read the rest
Malaysia: Woman Jailed for Apostasy
Mar 6th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She worships a two-story high teapot. But she was ‘born Muslim’ so she’s not allowed to leave.… Read the rest
Creeping Back to Inequality
Mar 6th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Harvard has banned men from a gym for six hours a week at the request of Muslim women.… Read the rest
Gay Iranian Teenager Faces Execution
Mar 6th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Mehdi Kazemi, 19, learned his boyfriend had been executed in Iran, requested asylum; UK says No.… Read the rest
Homosexuality is a Capital Crime in Iran
Mar 6th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ahmadinejad said ‘In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals.’ The audience howled.… Read the rest
Tasneem Khalil: Surviving Torture in Bangladesh
Mar 5th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Hundreds, if not thousands of stories of inhuman torture and Kafkaesque detentions in Bangladesh remain untold.… Read the rest
Catholic Bishop Endorses the Protocols
Mar 5th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Bishop Richard Williamson told The Catholic Herald that the document was authentic.… Read the rest
Kenya: Allegations of State-sanctioned Violence
Mar 5th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sources allege that meetings were hosted between the banned Mungiki militia and senior government figures. … Read the rest
Flemming Rose on Vatican-al Azhar Statement
Mar 5th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s the hells angels’ code of ethics: If you don’t respect me I’ll kill you or scare the hell out of anyone you know.… Read the rest
‘Philosophy Bites’ Interviews Anthony Appiah
Mar 5th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
How is it possible to combine ethical universalism with acknowledgement of difference?… Read the rest
Parvin Ardalan Defies Jail Fighting for Equality
Mar 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ardalan has denounced the country’s Islamic revolution for destroying a generation of Iranians.… Read the rest
Ardalan Prevented from Leaving to Collect Prize
Mar 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Parvin Ardalan was on the plane for Sweden to collect Olaf Palme prize when the police stopped her.… Read the rest
Palme Prize to Go Ahead as Planned
Mar 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Organisers say the ceremony will go ahead in honour of Parvin Ardalan, who won for her women’s rights work in Iran.… Read the rest
Iranian Mall Rats Riot Against Modesty Police
Mar 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A woman fought back, and the crowd joined in, chanting ‘We do not want the Islamic regime!’… Read the rest
South Africa: Women Protest Assault
Mar 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Taxi drivers apparently think it’s their job to tell women what to wear, and attack them if they disobey.… Read the rest
Meera Nanda: Rush Hour of the Gods
Mar 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
What motivates educated, well-to-do urban sophisticates to continue to believe in miracles and supernatural beings? … Read the rest
