All entries by this author

Which political ideals and which customs?

May 28th, 2012 10:34 am | By

I’m reading Martha Nussbaum’s new book The New Religious Intolerance, and finding it as exasperating as I expected.

For one thing, there’s what (or who) is not in the index. She puts much of the focus on Islam and what she uncritically calls “Islamophobia,” but who is missing from the index? Maryam. Irshad Manji. Kenan Malik. Taslima. Tarek Fatah. Deeyah.

She argues that “European nations tend to conceive of nationhood and national belonging in ethno-religious and cultural-linguistic terms” [p 94] and that that makes it hard for immigrants to be seen as belonging.

As we’ve seen, there is another option, realized in a wide range of nations around the world: to define national belonging in terms of political ideals,

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Atheism and Human Rights Abuses in Africa

May 28th, 2012 | By Leo Igwe
Today around the globe too many atrocities are being committed with impunity in the name of god, allah and other constructs which have, over the ages, been identified or associated with the so-called supreme being. The dream of a secular peaceful world where people of all faiths and none can coexist in harmony continues to elude many across the region. Millions of people – theists and atheists – continue to suffer and are abused due to superstition, religious fundamentalism and supernaturalism. In this piece I will focus on two of such areas. The rights of non-believers. I have heard it proclaimed at the UN that the rights of women are human rights. I have also heard it proclaimed that the… Read the rest


Sara Azmeh Rasmussen

May 27th, 2012 6:19 pm | By

Hey how about this – Melody tweeted a link to a story about two women honored in Norway

 for their outspokenness across cultural lines. Both have immigrant backgrounds, from Algeria and Syria…

Oh! thought I, I might know one of them, and hastily skimmed down the page, and sure enough!

Sara Azmeh Rasmussen, who immigrated to Norway from Syria in 1995, has been carrying on her efforts to promote tolerance, improve the rights of persons regardless of sexual identity and criticize Islam over what she views as its lack of tolerance and repression of women and homosexuals. Rasmussen has been a frequent participant in demonstrations and commentator in the media, not least in newspaper Aftenposten.

I know her. When … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



So you’re saying gay people are only born of other gay people?

May 27th, 2012 5:40 pm | By

Have you seen Stacy Pritchard talking to Anderson Cooper?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUXDKnL4xGE

Of course that was taken out of con – I mean yes, he said that, but of course he would never want that to be done. Of course people are going to take it and make it their own way and what they want to. But – ” more cheerfully – “I agree with what the sermon was, and what it was about.”

Orilly, says Anderson: he said the thing about keeping gays behind electric fences until they die out; how do you know he didn’t mean what he said?

She didn’t; it just seemed like the right thing to say to a fancy pants silver foxy smooth-talking hoity toity … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



The “ignore and it will go away” myth

May 27th, 2012 11:25 am | By

Indigo Jo takes a look at that myth via the report on sexual harassment in London.

The second [striking thing in a discussion on BBC London] was the suggestion (which I recall Simister saying the police had given to her after her assault) that women should “just ignore it”, which prompted me to write an email to the show (which Feltz read out), because the police have said the same thing to people suffering from the anti-social behaviour of local yobs and to people with disabilities who are being harassed by yobs or haters. It’s a fallacy particularly beloved of teachers as well, who will say the same to a child who complains of being teased in the playground

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Life on the streets

May 27th, 2012 10:17 am | By

Surprise shock revelation: there is sexual harassment in London.

The harrassment ranges from wolf-whistling and lewd comments to physical groping and sexual assault.

Campaigners say that reported cases represent “the tip of the iceberg” and that authorities can no longer afford to ignore the issue.

Research released today by the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition shows 41 per cent of women under the age of 34 have been on the receiving end of sexual harassment in the street.

Blacklist! Witch hunt!! Innocent until proven guilty!!! Feminazis!!!!

Plus, you’re ugly!!!!!

The true extent of sexual harassment across Britain is difficult to judge. Campaigners say there is an acute shortage of academic studies looking into women’s experiences. But anecdotal evidence

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Sharia for Timbuktu

May 27th, 2012 9:43 am | By

More bad news – two warring rebel groups in northern Mali have decided to resolve their differences by…turning northern Mali into an Islamist state. Yeah, that’s the way to do it!

Two rebel groups that seized northern Mali two months ago have agreed to merge and turn their territory into an Islamist state, both sides say.

The Tuareg MNLA, a secular rebel group, and the Islamist group Ansar Dine signed the deal in the town of Gao, spokespeople said.

Ansar Dine, which has ties to al-Qaeda, has already begun to impose Sharia, or Islamic law, in towns such as Timbuktu.

Creep creep creep, Islamism expands its stranglehold week by week.

 … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Catcalls, whistles, groping: sexual harassment in London *

May 27th, 2012 | Filed by

Nearly half of young women in London were sexually harassed in public last year, with many forced to endure unwanted male attention on buses and trains, a new study shows.… Read the rest



Publishing the norms

May 27th, 2012 8:53 am | By

For a comic interlude (with uncomic implications and underpinnings, but never mind that for now) – the Vatican goes public with its formerly sekrit and super-technical Roolz for authenticating authentic sightings (or apparitions, as it helpfully calls them) of “the Virgin” Mary.

The “Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations” have been in use since 1978, but until now had been available only in Latin, never officially published and only circulated among bishops and specialists.

Ya specialists, who have had like years and years of specialist training in how to tell the real apparitions from the fake ones.

The Vatican document has now been translated into English and other languages to

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Mali Tuareg and Islamist rebels agree on Islamist state *

May 27th, 2012 | Filed by

The Islamist group Ansar Dine, which has ties to al-Qaeda, has already begun to impose Sharia in towns such as Timbuktu.… Read the rest



Vatican publishes rules for apparitions of Mary *

May 27th, 2012 | Filed by

Because there are totally rules about it.… Read the rest



I’m suddenly a fan of Lady Gaga

May 27th, 2012 8:15 am | By

Lady Gaga has canceled a concert in Indonesia after religious bullies (Islamist chapter) threatened violence against her.

 

Attaboiz – you do that – get together in a big bunch and threaten a woman for performing, and express a wish that she be tortured for eternity. Sucks to be you.

Police in Indonesia had refused to issue a permit for the US pop star after Islamic groups objected to her show, claiming it was too vulgar.

The hardline Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) had threatened to try to stop Lady Gaga getting off the plane.

Islamists 1, secularism 0.

The Islamist FPI had threatened violence if the concert went ahead, calling Lady Gaga a “devil’s messenger” who wears only a “bra and

Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Lady Gaga concert canceled after Islamist protests *

May 27th, 2012 | Filed by

The Islamist FPI had threatened violence if the concert went ahead, calling Lady Gaga a “devil’s messenger”.… Read the rest



“Take Back the Flour” banned from Rothamsted site *

May 27th, 2012 | Filed by

St Albans District Council’s executive leader said it had taken action to stop a demonstration on Rothamsted Research’s land that might “put historic crop trials at risk”.… Read the rest



‘Cause baby look at you now

May 26th, 2012 4:52 pm | By

Justin gets trash-talk too; he gets a Christian guy calling his infant daughter “ugly.”

Isn’t that nice? Isn’t that just how people ought to be to each other?

Fortunately she could pose for a dictionary definition of “adorable,” but the ugliness of saying things like that remains unchanged.

I don’t get this at all. I’m probably sheltered, or clueless, or something, but I don’t. I say very harsh things about the pope, and various atheist-bashers, and theocrats – but even then I don’t taunt them for being ugly or fat or old or bald or short or any other physical thing. I don’t. And I don’t understand the mentality of people who do – apart from psychopaths, that is. I … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Note for anyone thinking of going to Rothamsted tomorrow

May 26th, 2012 3:02 pm | By

Guest post via Bernard Hurley

I have just received the following email from London Skeptics in the Pub. It might be of interest to anyone thinking of going to Rothamsted tomorrow:

====================================================

Dear Bernard Hurley

Just a quick note for folks who are thinking of, or are attending the counter protest against the needless vandalism of publicly funded research being conducted at Rothamsted Park tomorrow in Harpenden.

Mark Henderson has put his chapter on GM in The Geek Manifesto online, if you’d like some further reading: http://geekmanifesto.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/the-geek-manifesto-on-gm-crops/

It looks like it’ll be a nice sunny day for a protest, or failing that, a picnic.

Please remember that this is a PEACEFUL protest, and Rothamsted would prefer no protests – for … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Banned as it contradicted the Quran and Hadith

May 26th, 2012 10:52 am | By

More squalid airless stupidity from Malaysia: banning Irshad Manji’s book and confiscating copies from bookstores.

The Home Ministry has banned  the controversial book by liberal Muslim  activist Irshad Manji as it could cause confusion among Muslims.

In a statement yesterday, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Abu Seman Yusop said  the book Allah, Liberty and Love and its translated version Allah, Kebebasan dan  Cinta was banned as it contradicted the Quran and Hadith.

The fact that a book “could cause confusion” is an imbecilic reason to ban it. The fact that it could cause confusion among a particular brand of theists is even more so. The fact that it contradicts the Quran and Hadith is an appalling reason to ban it. … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Malaysia bans potential confusion *

May 26th, 2012 | Filed by

The Home Ministry has banned  the controversial book by liberal Muslim activist Irshad Manji as it could cause confusion among  Muslims.… Read the rest



Malaysia bans and confiscates Irshad Manji book *

May 26th, 2012 | Filed by

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Abu Seman Yusop condemned the book for being blasphemous to Islam and Prophet Muhammad in  a statement released yesterday.… Read the rest



Alternative therapy for farm animals

May 26th, 2012 9:47 am | By

This is not from the Onion. Repeat, this is not from the Onion.

With an agriculture degree from the Royal Agriculture College, Cirencester, and a qualification in homeopathy, it was only natural that Christine Lees of Homeopathy at Wellie Level should turn her attention to alternative therapy for farm animals.

To…what?

Alternative therapy for farm animals?

Um…why?

Well, because of the delusion that it’s better, I suppose, but why – oh never mind, no doubt it’s all explained if we just read the article.

“I had already done part of a homeopathy course before I went to Cirencester,” she says. “And I liked cows. So I put the two together for my dissertation: The role of homeopathy

Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)