‘In Afghanistan whether it is forced or not forced it is a crime because the Islamic rules say that it is.’… Read the rest
Johann Hari on Watching ‘Islamophobia’ 
Aug 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Watchers argue that Muslims are so sensitive and uncurious that their ideas must be ring-fenced from criticism.… Read the rest
Ontario Doctors Required to Practice Medicine
Aug 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Will be expected to provide birth control and abortions despite ‘conscience.’… Read the rest
Conservative Imprints Get to Ignore the Truth
Aug 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Why is a political propagandist running a publishing imprint? Truth is not what she’s about; campaigns are.… Read the rest
Blog by MSF Worker in Bangladesh
Aug 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Our drivers are aid workers. It’s not ‘2 aid workers and a driver killed’; it’s 3 aid workers killed.… Read the rest
God Reduces Gas/Petrol Prices by 4%!
Aug 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Pray at the Pump meetings began in April; since then price has fallen more than 20 cents. Amen.… Read the rest
On Intellectual Ethics
Aug 17th, 2008 | By Stephen Law, R Joseph Hoffmann, Daphne Patai, Nick CohenThe story
From ‘You Still Can’t Write
About Muhammad’ by Asra Nomani in The Wall Street Journal.
A journalist named Sherry Jones wrote a historical novel about Aisha, who was married to Mohammed when she was 6, though he waited until she was 9 before having sex with her. The novel was due to be published this August; last April Random House sent it to several people for comment, including Denise Spellberg, an associate professor of Islamic history at the University of Texas in Austin. Jones has put Spellberg on the list because she had read Spellberg’s book, Politics, Gender, and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of ‘A’isha Bint Abi Bakr. Spellberg thought the book was terrible; on … Read the rest
Stephen Law Starts a Book Club
Aug 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
First up: The God Delusion. Discussion starts August 30.… Read the rest
UN HRC: Britain’s Libel Laws Stifling Free Speech
Aug 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Report cites a US researcher sued in London by a Saudi businessman over a book not published in the UK.… Read the rest
Conservative Think Tank Faces Libel Suit
Aug 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Policy exchange is facing legal action for accusing British mosques of distributing extremist literature.… Read the rest
Julie Burchill Has ‘Faith,’ Congratulates Self
Aug 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Says atheists are immature, surly, self-satisfied killjoys. We love you too, hon.… Read the rest
Rushdie Attacks Censorship by Fear
Aug 16th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Random House feared a repeat of the murder of Theo van Gogh.’ Really?… Read the rest
Innocent times
Aug 15th, 2008 5:53 pm | By Ophelia BensonSimon Blackburn makes an interesting point (several actually, but this one in particular got my attention) in discussing Alan Sokal’s Beyond the Hoax: Science, Philosophy and Culture.
… Read the restRelativism can certainly go along with complacency, and I think it is fair to say that even philosophers more serious than Rorty were tainted by that…[C]onsider in this connection also “political liberalism,” the heading under which John Rawls could imagine the peoples of the world willingly leaving their ideological and cultural differences at the door and coming into the political arena carrying only that which they hold in common. What they had in common turned out to be a birthright of reason sufficient all by itself to enchant them with a nice
Simon Blackburn Reviews Alan Sokal
Aug 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
When the philosophers explained the right way to live, everyone would fall happily into line. Innocent times.… Read the rest
Something to Say for Dissatisfaction
Aug 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Stephen Cave reviews John Naish, Eric Wilson and Julian Baggini.… Read the rest
The Prince is Mistaken on All Counts
Aug 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
GM crops already allow greater yields with less water, less energy and fewer chemicals.… Read the rest
Sherry Jones on Censoring ‘The Jewel of Medina’
Aug 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Is Random House no longer publishing books about Islam? … Read the rest
Rushdie Not Impressed by Random House
Aug 15th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘This is censorship by fear, and it sets a very bad precedent indeed.’ RH ‘stands by its decision.’… Read the rest
Ignorance as a basis for policy
Aug 14th, 2008 12:31 pm | By Ophelia BensonGood; let’s everybody pile on Charles. He needs to be told his status doesn’t substitute for scientific training.
The heir to the throne may wish to use his privileged position to promote his organic produce while denigrating those of us who wish to use science to help feed the world. But he should at least do so from a position of scientific evidence rather than ideological dogma. He shows a common misunderstanding of how agricultural science works. What’s worse, though, is that his comments risk reinforcing the mistrust felt by much of the public about how their food is produced.
Because of who he is – which is exactly why he should be more cautious about mouthing off instead … Read the rest
HRH Incapable of Keeping His Mouth Shut
Aug 14th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
His attacks on further GM experiments expose the ignorance behind Prince Charles’s remarks. … Read the rest
