The parody of “Angry Birds” throws a spotlight on dowry demands and harassment.… Read the rest
BBC on growing use of Sharia by UK Muslims 
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
IKWRO is campaigning to bring an end to the practice. “The councils are dominated by men, who are making judgements in favour of men,” said Diana Nammi.… Read the rest
The Guardian is defending sharia again
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s disturbing that ‘leading’ barristers and newspapers can say Sharia is compatible with human rights whilst it amputates, stones to death, imposes veiling, and kills apostates.… Read the rest
Top Muslim Brotherhood woman on women’s rights
Jan 16th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“When a woman marches to defend her rights, this affronts her dignity.”… Read the rest
On her own she will not be able to get her rights
Jan 16th, 2012 9:54 am | By Ophelia BensonThere’s a woman in the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Apparently she’s there to spread the word to women. She does that.
Speaking to the London based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper Saturday, Abul Hassan argued that “When a woman marches to defend her rights, this affronts her dignity.”
She added that “Does she not have a husband, a brother or a son to defend her?”
Because, to the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, “dignity” for a woman means being passive and hidden and dependent on male relatives. That’s interesting, because to me that means degradation, not dignity at all. It means subordination, which implies inferiority. It’s hard to see how that can be “dignity.”
… Read the rest“This march was a sectarian one,
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Who’s an evil little thing then?
Jan 16th, 2012 9:40 am | By Ophelia BensonJessica Ahlquist answered some questions yesterday.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
This will feel a little cold
Jan 15th, 2012 5:37 pm | By Ophelia BensonMeanwhile, in Jerusalem, the move to erase women wanders even deeper into Bizarroland.
The controversial exclusion of women from various settings in Israel because of pressure from ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders reached a new level this week with a major conference on gynecological advances that is permitting only males to address the audience.
Yes you read that right. A major conference on advances in medical management of women’s plumbing excluded women. Well what’s it got to do with them, after all? If they don’t want a man’s arm up them, they shouldn’t have been born with female plumbing. If they don’t want men and only men telling them what’s what about their plumbing, they should…um…well they should sit down and shut … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
I see a T shirt
Jan 15th, 2012 4:49 pm | By Ophelia BensonWe need a “We are all evil little things” T shirt.
And a banner, and a coffee mug, and a letterhead. And a pony.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Peter Palumbo
Jan 15th, 2012 4:33 pm | By Ophelia BensonI saw this on Jessica Ahlquist’s twitter feed a few hours ago:
State representative Palumbo called me an “evil little thing.”
Just now I was about to google for details preparatory to doing a post, but JT Eberhard got there first.
… Read the restPeter G. Palumbo, the Democrat in the RI House from the Cranston district, has no rebukes for the Jesus-loving liars, bullies, or thugs. He has nothing negative to say about the people who felt they were above the Constitution and lied to subvert it. He did, however, have something to say about Jessica. According to Palumbo she is “An evil little thing.” That may have bee said sarcastically, but the line “I think she’s being coerced by evil
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Où sont les neiges
Jan 15th, 2012 3:56 pm | By Ophelia BensonSo it made up its mind and snowed at last. Then it stopped and I went out to walk around and look at it. It was pretty. Melting fast, but pretty. It doesn’t snow much here.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
The crime of Moska
Jan 15th, 2012 12:55 pm | By Ophelia BensonSo that’s how it’s possible to treat rape victims as perps.
Just 21, Gulnaz had been released that week from prison, where she had given birth to her daughter Moska. Gulnaz seemed younger than her years, but she held my gaze almost defiantly as she told her story.
She had been imprisoned in a Kabul women’s jail after her cousin’s husband raped her.
The crime came to light when the unmarried Gulnaz became pregnant.
The police came and arrested both Gulnaz and her attacker. Under Afghan law she too was found guilty of a crime known as “adultery by force”, with her sentence increased on appeal to 12 years.
Oh, I see! Afghan law doesn’t have a crime of … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Jerusalem: gynecology conference bars women speakers
Jan 15th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Women are allowed in the audience, in a section separate from men.… Read the rest
Helen Lewis-Hasteley on the pinkification of toys
Jan 15th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If a girl wants a construction set, how is making her feel abnormal going to encourage her – and her parents – to spend money at your store?… Read the rest
Skepticlawyer on a suit against a blogger
Jan 15th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And on feminism, religion, debates about porn and abortion.… Read the rest
What future for Afghan woman jailed for being raped?
Jan 15th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The police arrested both Gulnaz and her rapist. Under Afghan law she too was found guilty of a crime known as “adultery by force.”… Read the rest
Amartya Sen on identity
Jan 14th, 2012 5:40 pm | By Ophelia BensonFrom Identity and Violence:
My disturbing memories of Hindu-Muslim riots in India in the 1940s…include seeing – with the bewildered eyes of a child – the massive identity shifts that followed divisive politics. A great many persons’ identities as Indians, as subcontinentals, as Asians, or as members of the human race, seemed to give way – quite suddenly – to sectarian identification with Hindu, Muslim, or Sikh communities. The carnage that followed had much to do with elementary herd behavior by which people were made to “discover” their newly detected belligerent identities, without subjecting the process to critical examination. The same people were suddenly different.
So were their identities really “Hindu” or “Muslim” or were they not? If Sen is … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Janet Heimlich on Helen Ukpabio
Jan 14th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
We must examine what role authority figures play in failing to protect children from abuse or, worse, inciting violence against children.… Read the rest
Dainty boxing
Jan 14th, 2012 12:42 pm | By Ophelia BensonA couple of months old, but too stupid and bad to overlook.
Women will be boxing at the Olympics for the first time this year. And…can you guess what follows?
Geniuses in the International Amateur Boxing Association think maybe they should wear skirts.
Skirts.
For boxing.
Really? Really? It’s so important that everyone should have easy access to women’s Little Special Place that they have to wear skirts even for boxing? So that when they fall down everyone can check for visible pubic hair?
What’s next? Rules requiring women to wear high heels, a plunging neckline, lipstick, earrings, long hair?
Adults and Tiaras.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Mary Raftery
Jan 14th, 2012 11:27 am | By Ophelia BensonMs Raftery was best known for her ‘States of Fear’ documentary series, which revealed the extent of physical and sexual abuse suffered by children in Irish industrial schools and residential institutions.
It led to the creation of the Commission of Inquiry into Child Abuse.
In 2002, her ‘Cardinal Secrets’ programme for RTÉ’s Prime Time led to the setting up of the Murphy Commission of Investigation into clerical abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese.
So did survivors of abuse.
… Read the restAndrew Madden, the former altar boy abused by a senior Dublin cleric, said Ms Raftery had understood that the Church’s concealment of child sexual abuse was systemic, but that it could best be exposed by helping survivors to
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
RTÉ on Mary Raftery
Jan 14th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She was best known for her ‘States of Fear’ series, which revealed the extent of physical and sexual abuse of children in Irish industrial schools and residential institutions.… Read the rest
