It turns out ignorance is not a plus after all, even for conservatives.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Islington Arrests Linked to Jewel of Medina
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Fire was at property of publisher Martin Rynja, whose company Gibson Square agreed to publish novel.… Read the rest
Fire Put Out; Three Men Arrested
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘It is thought that the men were suspected of attempting to set fire to a publishers in Islington.’… Read the rest
‘Faith’ Infiltrating All Aspects of Life
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
You can’t escape ‘faith’ even at work.… Read the rest
Violence at Bosnia’s Gay Festival
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Dozens of men attacked participants; many chanted ‘Kill the Gays!’ and ‘Allahu Akbar!’… Read the rest
Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code Retained
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Controversial Section makes homosexuality a punishable offence in India.… Read the rest
Sarajevo: Gay Pride Parade Attacked
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Muslim media in Bosnia has opposed the festival; death threats were made against the organizers.… Read the rest
South Africa: Joy as Manto Leaves Post
Sep 27th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘It’s nine years too late. There were tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths due to her.’… Read the rest
News Story Based Entirely on Random Variation
Sep 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sampling error quietly undermines almost every piece of survey data ever covered in any newspaper.… Read the rest
Don’t Let the Facts Spoil a Good Story
Sep 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The newspapers grossly and crassly misrepresented everything we are doing.’… Read the rest
Forced Marriage Helpline Inundated With Calls
Sep 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Karma Nirvana’s Honour Network advises people who fear forced marriage or ‘honour’-based violence.… Read the rest
Normblog Profile: Karl Marx
Sep 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
For recreation in the evenings I have been reading Appian’s Civil Wars of Rome in the original Greek.… Read the rest
Centre for Islamic Pluralism on Domestic Abuse
Sep 26th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Imams are also accused of refusing to speak out against domestic abuse in their sermons.… Read the rest
The tip of the iceberg
Sep 26th, 2008 11:50 am | By Ophelia BensonLots of girls calling for help.
Hundreds of children fearing for their lives have called a new national helpline set up to assist victims of forced marriages since its launch four months ago…Many are seeking ways to escape parents and family members who are trying to force them into unwanted marriages. Others have said they fear becoming victims of so-called “honour killings”, because of social and sexual behaviour that their community disapproves of.
A small but nevertheless significant point – if a ‘community’ disapproves of various forms of innocuous social and sexual behaviour enough to motivate killing the people who engage in it, then that ‘community’ is not ‘their community,’ and it’s misleading to call it that. It sounds … Read the rest
Michael Dickinson Cleared by Istanbul Court
Sep 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Artist was cleared after a judge decided the controversial collage of Tayyip Erdogan was art and not insulting.… Read the rest
Jan Egeland Wonders
Sep 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Five million people have died in Congo since 1998; the population of Norway. Would we notice if Norway vanished?… Read the rest
Jesus and Mo Explain About Cults
Sep 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cult members follow a leader who claims divine authority. Quite a different thing!… Read the rest
Critic to Undergo ‘Religious Rehabilitation’
Sep 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Malaysia Today editor was detained for writing ‘malicious and seditious’ articles that ‘maligned Islam.’… Read the rest
Islamist Death Squads Executing Gays
Sep 25th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ali al-Sistani issued a fatwa urging the killing of lesbians and gays in the ‘most severe way possible.’… Read the rest
Now we are six
Sep 24th, 2008 3:13 pm | By Ophelia BensonHey it’s late September – yet again I’ve forgotten to say Happy Birthday B&W until weeks after the date. Well happy birthday B&W – it’s six years old. More than that, since I’m late. Staggering, isn’t it? Still here after all this time.… Read the rest
