The Cartoons Spread – Across Europe *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Seven publications in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain carried some of the drawings.… Read the rest



Campaign: Release our Fathers *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Homa Arjomand campaigns to aid imprisoned strikers and their children in Iran.… Read the rest



Fundamental Values are Being Challenged *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Totalitarian and authoritarian impulses drive reactions to Jyllands-Posten cartoons.… Read the rest



Discussion of Religious Hatred Bill [audio] *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Paul Goggins doesn’t get it.… Read the rest



Childish Tantrums Continue *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Arab ministers urge Denmark to punish newspaper which printed ‘offensive’ cartoons.… Read the rest



Religious Hatred Bill *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty glad that Parliament spoke up for rights and freedoms.… Read the rest



MPs Reject Compromise on Religious Hatred Bill *

Feb 1st, 2006 | Filed by

MPs voted to back a key Lords amendment to the Racial and Religious Hatred Bill.… Read the rest



Defend striking bus workers of Tehran!

Feb 1st, 2006 | By Bahram Soroush

Hundreds of striking bus workers of the state-owned Vahed bus company are still in detention in Tehran today, 30th January, following the vicious attack by thousands of members of the security forces on their strike last Saturday.

The exact number of the detainees is still unknown. Anywhere from 500 to 700 workers may have been arrested – according to union officials speaking on foreign-based radio stations. Further arrests have been reported today, with pressure being put on the detained workers to sign pledges to give up their fight or risk losing their jobs. In a statement issued today, the bus workers’ union has called for a stoppage on 3rd February.

The arrests started on Friday 27th January, the eve of … Read the rest



Recent Activities

Feb 1st, 2006 1:37 am | By

Just in case anyone runs away with the idea that I’m being too kind to religion here – let’s take a quick look at some of its recent cavortings.

There are the nice people who burn down new schools in one of the world’s poorest countries.

Militants in southern Afghanistan are reported to have burned down three schools in their latest move against the government’s education system. Officials blamed the former ruling Taleban for burning down the newly-built schools in Helmand province which serve some 1,000 boys and girls.

There are the fun guys who want to prevent women from running in races.

Some 500 women took part in three races in Lahore, although 2,000 due to run had

Read the rest


Stiffen the Sinews, Summon Up the Blood

Feb 1st, 2006 1:36 am | By

We (a couple of us anyway) agreed in comments yesterday that motivation is an interesting subject. That’s a big part of what has kept me chipping away at this discussion – the subject of what motivates us to do things, good things and bad things, interests me a lot. It’s important, and it’s hard to figure out – it matters and it’s inevitably somewhat obscure. It matters because it (obviously) influences what we do – without it we wouldn’t do anything. (Which is also another reason it’s interesting – it hooks up with why the mind is adaptive, with what role it plays that makes it worth all the calories it burns.) And it’s obscure because we don’t fully understand … Read the rest