Fouad al-Farhan had used his website to criticise alleged corruption and call for democratic reforms. … Read the rest
Creeping Islamization in Turkey 
Apr 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Most people are more religious these days. They don’t want to eat pork, and they don’t let others produce it either.’… Read the rest
Obscene Desserts on Limits, and Religious Limits
Apr 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Humans don’t know everything, but does that mean religion can help? No.… Read the rest
Jesus and Mo Have a Good Moment
Apr 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Good night boys.… Read the rest
Charles Darwin Starts a Blog
Apr 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Well there I was minding my own business in the Cafe of the Natural History Museum…’… Read the rest
Army Major Threatens Atheist Soldier
Apr 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘People like you are going against what the founding fathers, who were Christians, wanted for America!’… Read the rest
Oh comrades come rally
Apr 27th, 2008 11:48 am | By Ophelia BensonI know it’s old news that Seumas Milne is a buffoon – but all the same…
… Read the restThese are good times to be in the “moderate Muslim” business. If you press the right buttons on integration and “radicalisation” and hold your tongue on western foreign policy, there are rich pickings to be had…Latest in the ring is the “counter-extremism thinktank”, the Quilliam Foundation…The foundation – named after a 19th century British Muslim – is the creature of Husain and a couple of other one-time members of the radical, non-violent Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir. All three are straight out of the cold war defectors’ mould described in Saturday’s Guardian by the playwright David Edgar, trading heavily on their former associations and travelling
Maajid Nawaz Replies to Ziauddin Sardar
Apr 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sardar’s attack on the Quilliam Foundation was ill-informed in a number of ways.… Read the rest
Sue Blackmore on Papal Social Calls
Apr 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sorry, we’ll be out that day.… Read the rest
Seumas Milne is Slightly Confused
Apr 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He seems to think misogynist homophobic theocrats are right-on and their opponents are wicked.… Read the rest
A Mild Critique of Leon Wieseltier
Apr 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Wieseltier has a meandering, conceptually confused, pointless essay in The New Republic…’… Read the rest
Hitchens on Ratzinger
Apr 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Reporters who can get off their knees might ask the pope if he is conducting his own foreign policy and, if so, in consultation with whom?… Read the rest
Court Rules Doctors Can Transfuse Infants
Apr 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses and refused to give their consent. … Read the rest
British Muslims for Secular Democracy
Apr 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Alibhai-Brown: ‘this excessive culture of obedience is stunting the development of Islamic communities.’… Read the rest
Egyptian Woman Calls for Strike via Facebook
Apr 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It was a great success. Israa Abdel Fattah was arrested. New Facebook group ‘Release Israa’ has 3000 members.… Read the rest
Zawahiri Accuses Iran of 9/11 Lie
Apr 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Al-Qaeda did too so carry out the attacks! Iran’s just jealous of Osama! It’s so unfair!… Read the rest
Scruples
Apr 25th, 2008 11:10 am | By Ophelia BensonMore on that Moyers-Nussbaum interview. As always when Nussbaum talks about religion, there are squashy places. The interview is like a pear with a lot of bruised spots.
… Read the rest[W]hat I love are [Roger Williams’s] metaphors for the way that freedom is taken away. I mean, there are two metaphors. One is the imprisonment of the soul. And the other, even deeper, is the rape of the soul. And he keeps saying it’s soul rape when people try to get people to believe something that they don’t really believe. So the only way we can avoid doing that kind of violence to conscience is to give it lots of space to unfold itself. Not just [not] persecuting people, but really
Why Ex-extremists Rather Than Never-extremists?
Apr 24th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s troubling that former extremists are seen as the only people who know how to deal with extremism.… Read the rest
Mormon Fashion Statements
Apr 24th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The dresses are meant to show modesty and conformity.… Read the rest
Saudi: Male Guardianship Policies Harm Women
Apr 24th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The Saudi government sacrifices basic human rights to maintain male control over women.’… Read the rest
