Not to shut ourselves off from ideas we find threatening.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Catholic cardinal says leaks damage church’s image 
Feb 14th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s a question of dignity.… Read the rest
Jason Rosenhouse on the trouble with theistic evolution
Feb 14th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Too often the defender of reconciliation acts as though a logically possible scenario that includes both God and evolution is all that’s needed.… Read the rest
Lawyers for Liberty are pissed
Feb 13th, 2012 5:53 pm | By Ophelia BensonAt Malaysia’s Home Minister, for one.
… Read the restLawyers for Liberty is simply astonished and outraged at Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein and PDRM’s continuing attempt to spin further lies and deceit over the illegal and unconstitutional detention and deportation of Hamza Kashgari by now alleging or insinuating that he is a “criminal” or “terrorist” wanted by his home country.
The truth is Hamza had sent a few tweets on the Prophet Muhammad which he has since deleted and apologized. It must be noted a similar poem on the prophet was published on his blog a year ago but did not receive any negative reaction from anybody. More importantly, he belongs to a group of emerging young pro-democracy activists which among others
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Mukund Padmanabhan on the republic of hurt sentiments
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“We have allowed hurt sentiment in this country to become a cover for aggressive moral vigilantism, an excuse to perpetrate violence in the name of emotional victimhood.”… Read the rest
Roberto Malini: Poetry Before the Law
Feb 13th, 2012 4:59 pm | By Ophelia BensonRoberto Malini, co-president of EveryOne Group, an NGO supporting Roma people and refugees, left a poem he wrote for Hamza Kashgari in a comment. I want it to be more visible than that, so here it is again.
Poetry Before the Law
on the deportation of the poet Hamza Kashgari back to Saudi Arabia
Spare the poet, O Law,
for his soul expands
beyond the sources of reason,
as far as truth.
Spare the poet, O Death,
for his heart is the brother of a quasar
that ignites the Universe.
Spare the poet, O Faith,
for his song rises like the Sun
and reawakens the eternal in stone.
Roberto Malini (English translation by Glenys Robinson)… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Sayeeda Warsi will tell the pope of need for religion
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And how evil “militant secularism” is. Telegraph wets itself with joy.… Read the rest
India: Former RSS activist held for train bombing
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Many members of the group were long-serving RSS activists who became disillusioned with the Hindu right-wing’s refusal to replicate the 2002 communal killings in Gujarat nationwide.… Read the rest
Interpol as theocracies’ little helper
Feb 13th, 2012 11:18 am | By Ophelia BensonInterpol has said it had nothing to do with the extradition of Hamza Kashgari, but Dennis McShane MP apparently didn’t get the memo – or got the memo and didn’t believe it.
The charge of apostasy was maintained, his home was attacked and, again, sensibly enough, Kashgari decided it was time to leave Saudi Arabia. The response of the Saudis was to approach Interpol and ask them to issue an international search and arrest warrant.
Interpol is meant to be tackle serious crime, not act as the little helper for régimes that want to kill journalists.
Maryam too finds the memo not entirely convincing:
… Read the restIf it says so – though I am skeptical especially since its has done
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
The real agenda behind Kashgari’s arrest
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Fostering a climate of fear and oppression is the best guarantee of compliance and Islam is a traditional rallying cry for the masses.… Read the rest
Denis MacShane MP rebukes Interpol
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Interpol is meant to tackle serious crime, not act as the little helper for régimes that want to kill journalists.… Read the rest
Known for his reformist views
Feb 13th, 2012 10:50 am | By Ophelia BensonPEN International on Kashgari.
… Read the restPEN demands his immediate and unconditional release, in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also calls upon the Saudi authorities to provide him with immediate and effective protection.
According to PEN’s information, Kashgari, a 23-year-old writer from Jeddah, tweeted a series of messages addressed to the Prophet Mohammed on the anniversary of the Prophet’s birth on 4 February 2012, some of which conveyed questions about his faith. Twitter registered more than 30,000 responses to his tweets, many of which accused him of blasphemy and called for his death. On 5 February 2012 Nasser al-Omar, an influential cleric, called for Kashgari to be tried in a Sharia court
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
The gap between rhetoric and reality in the Karnataka BJP
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The hypocrisy in Karnataka is almost Victorian in its intense public sanctimony and its private flouting of those norms.… Read the rest
BJP ministers found watching porn during meeting
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
They claimed to have been watching the clip as part of their homework on an upcoming debate on rave parties in the assembly. Riiight.
BBC apologizes for broadcasting promotional material
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Malaysian PM’s office had paid FBC to promote BN and Malaysia’s oil palm industry on news shows that it was producing for the BBC.… Read the rest
Those who are wanted by their countries of origin
Feb 13th, 2012 9:27 am | By Ophelia BensonMalaysia today is defending its extradition of Hamza Kashgari back to Saudi Arabia where he could easily be executed for saying he has questions about Mohammed.
… Read the restInternational rights groups have slammed the deportation but Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Malaysia was not a safe haven for fugitives.
Jiddah-based newspaper columnist Hamza Kashgari, 23, was detained Thursday at the Malaysian airport while in transit to New Zealand. He was deported Sunday despite fears from rights groups that he may face the death penalty if charged with blasphemy over remarks he tweeted that many considered offensive.
“I will not allow Malaysia to be seen as a safe country for terrorists and those who are wanted by their countries of origin, and also
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Malaysia defends extradition of Hamza Kashgari
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Allegations that Kashgari could be tortured and killed if he were sent back home are “ridiculous” because Saudi Arabia is a respectable country, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.
PEN International fears for the safety of Hamza Kashgari
Feb 13th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
PEN demands his immediate and unconditional release, in accordance with Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights… Read the rest
Moderation and tolerance
Feb 12th, 2012 6:18 pm | By Ophelia BensonSomeone called Daisy Khan* had a really fatuous piece at Comment is Free on Thursday about “Islamophobia” in the US.
She started by making the issue entirely one of terrorist violence. There isn’t much, she said. Therefore, no issue.
But terrorist violence is not the only issue. It’s much more complicated than that. There is also the issue of women’s rights, and the issue of gay rights, and the matter of apostasy, and then there’s blasphemy. You’d never know any of that mattered from reading Daisy Khan.
Our allies in the interfaith and civil rights communities are working to counteract the fabricated opposition to Islam that is gaining strength in America today.
To counteract opposition to Islam? Really? We’re not … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
