All entries by this author

Not “a safe space” for women

Jan 26th, 2012 12:11 pm | By

How dare women be in Tahrir Square? Especially filthy foreign women?

According to Heather, an Arab-American living in the Egyptian capital, she and her Swedish and Spanish roommates took to Tahrir as thousands were converging there to mark one-year since the ousting of former President Hosni Mubarak.

“They started fighting over who was going to do what,” Heather told Bikyamasr.com in an exclusive interview. She came forward after seeing the report on a foreign woman who was stripped naked and assaulted only hours after her own incident.

“My roommates and I fell to the ground when they attacked us. The people pulled our pants off even as we yelled and tried to fight,” she continued.

…

She said that

… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: ,


Audio of LSE SU debate on Islamophobia *

Jan 26th, 2012 | Filed by

“It’s deeply insulting to ridicule a faith.”… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Women stripped and assaulted in Tahrir Square *

Jan 26th, 2012 | Filed by

They get grabbed, knocked down, stripped, beaten up, finger-raped – then told not to say anything because “it would hurt the image of the revolution.”… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Garzón on trial for investigating crimes against humanity

Jan 26th, 2012 10:41 am | By

The trial of Baltasar Garzón is very sinister.

Observers from the world’s main human rights groups are in Madrid to monitor the second trial of the Spanish magistrate Baltasar Garzón, who is accused of abusing his position by opening an investigation into the deaths of 114,000 people during the Franco dictatorship.

…

Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the International Commission of Jurists (IJC) have all sent observers amid concerns that Garzón is being targeted because of his innovative use of international human rights laws.

…

Reed Brody, of HRW, warned that judges in less developed countries were also watching nervously to see whether the developed world was happy to accept that limits be put on human

… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: ,


Human rights groups monitor trial of Baltasar Garzón *

Jan 26th, 2012 | Filed by

AI, HRW, and IJC have all sent observers amid concerns that Garzón is being targeted because of his innovative use of international human rights laws.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Oh no you don’t

Jan 26th, 2012 8:25 am | By

The LSE Atheists, Secularists and Humanists Facebook page has a new logo.

There’s more, but I’m not sure they want me quoting them; I’ve asked and I’m waiting to hear back. The logo however is publicly visible.… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: , ,


You in the plaid shirt: more rage please

Jan 25th, 2012 3:19 pm | By


And in case we haven’t seen enough screaming bullies yet, let us change the scene to Jaipur.

 

It’s Rage Boy again. There’s nothing like religion for spawning Rage Boys.

Salman Rushdie’s virtual participation at the Jaipur Literature Festival was canceled at the last minute Tuesday,  after Muslim groups attending the festival threatened violence if his image was shown.

Mr. Rushdie was scheduled to address thousands of Lit Fest attendees by video conference Tuesday afternoon, after cancelling an in-person appearance.

‘‘There are a large number of people adverse to this link in and around this  property and they have threatened violence,’’ said Thakur Ram Pratap Singh of Diggi, the owner of Diggi Palace, the festival venue. ‘‘This decision is necessary

… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: , ,


Threats stop even video appearance by Rushdie *

Jan 25th, 2012 | Filed by

Muslim groups attending the festival threatened violence if Rushdie appeared via video.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Shouty shout shout

Jan 25th, 2012 3:02 pm | By

And here is a much more extended version of The Visit of the Agitated Gentlemen With Elevated Voices.

They’re fascism, alive and kicking and right in your face. I’m dumb with admiration for Irshad and her colleague (the two of them were on the stage talking when the Elevated Voices started screaming hoarsely and puffing themselves out like angry cats) who stayed calm in the face of that. I’m dumb with admiration for the woman standing protectively in front of them along with others, looking matter of fact and immovable.

I hate the Agitated Gentlemen. I hate them all. They should join a gorilla troupe and try to become alpha males there. That would keep them busy and out of … Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: ,


The art of persuasion

Jan 25th, 2012 2:46 pm | By

Even Irshad Manji, who loves Allah herself, deserves to have her neck broken according to some suave fellows from an outfit called Sharia4Belgium who mobbed her book launch in Amsterdam.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSFxZ62E7sQ

… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags:


Popehat on shut-uppery at LSE *

Jan 25th, 2012 | Filed by

The LSE Student Union’s statement on the matter is a master class in the mindset of censorious bureaucrats.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


A protection racket

Jan 25th, 2012 11:21 am | By

The LSE student paper reports on the cartoons and free speech and “Islamophobia” and shut-uppery affair. It has details.

On 20th January, members of ASH Society met with Stanley Ellerby-English, Students’ Union Activities and Development Officer, who explained “the situation, the complaints that had been made and how the action of posting these cartoons was in breach of the Students’ Union policy on inclusion and the society’s constitution.” The society agreed to certain outcomes, though these have not been disclosed yet; however, the Students’ Union will “now be telling the society that they cannot continue these actions under the brand of the SU.”

Chriss Moos, President of the LSE’s Students’ Union ASH Society, responded to the formal complaints that

… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: , ,


If we want to live together peacefully

Jan 25th, 2012 10:40 am | By

Jesus and Mo are watching current events. (Well they would be, wouldn’t they.) (That is one good thing about all this; Streisand effect; lots of new fans of J and M.)

… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: ,


It’s a boy it’s a frog it’s a plane it’s WEIRD

Jan 25th, 2012 10:35 am | By

Oh for god’s sake.

I was looking at something (reluctantly) in the Daily Mail, and noticed another headline, so took a look at that…

Young girl has short hair shock-horror!!!1111!!!!!!!!!!!

I know the Mail specializes in being as stupid as possible, but honestly………….

Angelina Jolie’s little tomboy Shiloh unveils her very short haircut

Angelina Jolie has said daughter Shiloh prefers to ‘dress like a boy’ and ‘thinks she’s one of the brothers.’

And now the five-year-old has a new short back and sides like her older male siblings.

Shiloh dressed in utilitarian black for the fun day out with her mother and two of her brothers, Knox, three, and eight-year-old Pax, which exacerbated the effect.

Exacerbated the effect?? Made a … Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: ,


One stop shopping

Jan 25th, 2012 10:09 am | By

I’ve done a lot of posts about all this shut-uppery at UCL and Queen Mary U and LSE. I thought it might be useful to collect them all in one place.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/when-certain-muslims-voiced-their-offense/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/jesus-and-mo-and-the-barmaid-resolve-to-say-nothing-offensive/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/remove-that-offensive-image-at-once-please/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/never-anything-more-than-an-informal-request/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/developments/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/they-will-take-more-consideration/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/1-shut-up-2-shut-up-3-shut-up/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/if-i-hear-that-anything-is-said-against-the-holy-prophet-muhammad/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/just-a-kind-request/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/behold-theocracy-in-action/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/jesus-and-mo-promote-peace-tolerance-and-respect/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/who-gave-these-kuffar-the-right-to-speak/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/history-has-told-us-that-these-things-cause-offence/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/london-11-february-2012-defend-free-expression/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/more-from-the-goombahs/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/are-you-now-or-have-you-ever-been-an-islamophobe/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/no-longer-a-safe-space/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/too-much-conflation-of-being-offended-and-being-intimidated/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/it-has-come-to-our-attention-that-you-are-wicked/

http://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/2012/01/emergency-everybody-to-get-from-street/… Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: , , , ,


Erdogan calls French bill on Armenian genocide “racist” *

Jan 25th, 2012 | Filed by

The Turkish government argues that judging what happened in eastern Turkey in 1915-16 should be left to historians, and that the new French law will restrict freedom of speech.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


NSS on LSE Student Union v principle of free speech *

Jan 25th, 2012 | Filed by

“These statements by the Student Union are deeply shocking. They appear to be prepared to sacrifice the primary principle of free speech on the altar of claimed offence.”… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Jesus and Mo on how not to offend *

Jan 25th, 2012 | Filed by

We must ensure that everyone’s beliefs are protected. Well not quite everyone’s.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Ministry of Truth on manipulations of LSE Students’ Union *

Jan 25th, 2012 | Filed by

A motion to limit voting rights at general meetings looks like another cynical ploy designed to head off any possibility of LSESU ASH rallying support.

 

 … Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Emergency! Everybody to get from street

Jan 24th, 2012 5:08 pm | By

Great news! The LSE Students’ Union has another statement out. It’s another pip. It’s about an urgent EGM on Thursday – which I take to be an Emergency General Meeting (but perhaps it’s Electric, or Elegant, or Educational, or Elevated*). Emergency, emergency! Why I bet we can guess what that is…

In light of recent events there will be two anti-discrimination motions being discussed and debated at an EGM this week, these are: No to racism – no to Islamophobia! and Stop Anti-Semitism Now.

Guessed right.

Stop racism no to Islamophobia! – in the form of a cartoon image of two guys having a beer on the Facebook page of a student group. That’s racism ‘n’ Islamophobia? No, but … Read the rest

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

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog
Tags: , ,