‘Abortion’ Search Term Blocked on Website *

Apr 5th, 2008 | Filed by

Under Bush policy, USAID denies funding to NGOs that promote abortion. … Read the rest



Vatican Hoping to Build Church in Saudi *

Apr 4th, 2008 | Filed by

Authorities cite a tradition of the Prophet M that only Islam can be practised in the Arabian Peninsula. … Read the rest



Part 2 of Rise of the Lifestyle Nutritionists *

Apr 4th, 2008 | Filed by

Maybe later in the year there will be a series on big pharma. Tell the BBC yes please.… Read the rest



Austin Dacey Reviews Charles Taylor *

Apr 4th, 2008 | Filed by

There are plenty of naturalistic explanations for the transcendent urge. … Read the rest



Farish Noor on ‘Heftier Penalties’ in Malaysia *

Apr 4th, 2008 | Filed by

Let the cameras of the international media film Malaysians being whipped by the morality police.… Read the rest



Khadim Hussain on the Tribal Areas [scroll down] *

Apr 4th, 2008 | Filed by

The Sharia Nizam-i-Adl Regulation 2008 would make the courts subservient to the clerics. … Read the rest



Sharia Noose Tightens in Malaysia *

Apr 3rd, 2008 | Filed by

Religious police patrol parks looking for couples holding hands and ensure Muslims observe Ramadan. … Read the rest



Saudi Cleric Says Two Writers Should be Killed *

Apr 3rd, 2008 | Filed by

The two questioned the view that adherents of other religions should be considered unbelievers. … Read the rest



Anglican Church in Wales: No Women Bishops *

Apr 3rd, 2008 | Filed by

‘If women are good enough to be priests they are good enough to be bishops,’ says Giles Fraser.… Read the rest



Blair to Talk About His ‘Faith Foundation’ *

Apr 3rd, 2008 | Filed by

Murphy-O’Connor adds that ‘the role of faith in our society cannot be ignored.’… Read the rest



Grayling on Murphy-O’Connor *

Apr 3rd, 2008 | Filed by

‘Judaeo-Christian’ ethics were taken over from Stoicism and Cicero.… Read the rest



‘Faith’ Schools Kick Up Fuss *

Apr 3rd, 2008 | Filed by

‘There is an anti-faith-schools agenda at the moment’ says head of Finchley Catholic High School.… Read the rest



Postcard from Kuala Lumpur

Apr 3rd, 2008 9:20 am | By

Thinking of moving to Malaysia?

Malaysia runs parallel sharia and civil legal systems, with sharia courts dealing only with Muslims and mainly in family disputes or in matters such as khalwat or apostasy. It employs religious police to ensure Muslim compliance with Koranic laws. They sometimes patrol parks looking for young unwed couples holding hands, raid nightclubs to catch Muslims drinking alcohol and ensure Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan.

Ah does it. But…how do the religious police know who is Muslim? When they go into a park to try to find some evil couples holding hands, how do they know which couples contain Muslims and which don’t? Does everybody in Malaysia wear a large sign or label … Read the rest



NCSE on California Creationism Case *

Apr 2nd, 2008 | Filed by

The University has a legitimate interest in evaluating the adequacy of high school courses to prepare students for study.… Read the rest



Summary Judgment in California Creationist Case *

Apr 2nd, 2008 | Filed by

Michael Behe scores an own goal.… Read the rest



No Evidence for Benefit of Drinking Lots of Water *

Apr 2nd, 2008 | Filed by

There are lots of claims, but they all seem to be made up. … Read the rest



Ali Eteraz on Difficulties With Sharia *

Apr 2nd, 2008 | Filed by

Sharia is not codified. It can be anything based on the whim of the arbitrator. For law to be law, it needs standardization.… Read the rest



Imam Calls Jews ‘Brothers of Apes and Pigs’ *

Apr 2nd, 2008 | Filed by

‘If you take a sample on Friday, you’re bound to hear incitement against the Jews in the imam’s sermon.’… Read the rest



Distorted Outlook on the Archbishop’s Speech

Apr 2nd, 2008 | By Allen Esterson

On 12 February 2008 the BBC World Service “Outlook”
news magazine programme devoted some fifteen minutes to a report on the reactions in Britain to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s speech the previous week in which he had advocated incorporating certain aspects of less contentious Sharia law (relating to civil matters such as marriage and divorce) into the British legal system. Notoriously, quite what he was advocating was by no means clear – Dr Rowan Williams himself later acknowledged elements of “unclarity” in his speech, and of “clumsily deployed” words.

Now there is no doubt that much of the response to the Archbishop’s speech was based on a knee-jerk reaction to the more unpleasant aspects of Sharia law advocated by extreme … Read the rest



Letters for April, 2008

Apr 2nd, 2008 | By

Letters for April, 2008.… Read the rest