Kentucky Governor is suggesting over $50 million in cuts to education – while preserving $43 million in tax breaks for Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter theme park.… Read the rest
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What did Primrose Hill do to deserve that?
Jan 27th, 2012 11:24 am | By Ophelia BensonPrimrose Hill is lovely.
But for some strange reason, it’s going to have a replica of Rio de Janeiro’s Jesus statue stuck on it to celebrate the end of the Olympics.
Blasphemy.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Giant ugly Jesus statue for Primrose Hill 
Jan 27th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Something to do with the Olympics and Rio de Janeiro, but the people of North London are not delighted.… Read the rest
LSESU passes its first blasphemy law
Jan 27th, 2012 9:48 am | By Ophelia BensonBreaking news – the LSE Student Union vote is in: 339 for, 179 against, 24 undecided.
As one of the ASH people said, they went up against a Union whose sole consistent voting bloc consisted of the far left and Islamic societies. It’s impressive that they got 179 votes against.
I would just add: it’s strange that it’s the “far left” that votes this way, because there is nothing far left about Islamism. It’s as if the far left were voting for fascism…rather as the Stalinist “left” did at the time of the Nazi-Soviet pact.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
New Hampshire Republicans propose bills that prevent…
Jan 26th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
…police from protecting victims of domestic violence. That’s family values.… Read the rest
“New atheists” are privileged racist homophobic imperialists
Jan 26th, 2012 3:00 pm | By Ophelia BensonBe Scofield tweeted me about a new article of his at Tikkun, apparently hoping I would dislike it enough to give it publicity by saying why I dislike it. Ok, sure, why not. I do dislike it. Why do I dislike it? Well because it quite unbashfully calls “the New Atheists” racist.
It also claims that “New Atheists” see everything from a privileged point of view.
… Read the restRacism In the New Atheist Movement
When Greta Christina says that religious people should be actively converted to atheism or Dawkins likens religion to a virus that infects the mind they are effectively saying “we know what’s best for you.” This is the crux of the problem with the New Atheists. They’ve identified
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Not “a safe space” for women
Jan 26th, 2012 12:11 pm | By Ophelia BensonHow dare women be in Tahrir Square? Especially filthy foreign women?
… Read the restAccording 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
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Audio of LSE SU debate on Islamophobia
Jan 26th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“It’s deeply insulting to ridicule a faith.”… Read the rest
Women stripped and assaulted in Tahrir Square
Jan 26th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
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
Garzón on trial for investigating crimes against humanity
Jan 26th, 2012 10:41 am | By Ophelia BensonThe trial of Baltasar Garzón is very sinister.
… Read the restObservers 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
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Human rights groups monitor trial of Baltasar Garzón
Jan 26th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
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
Oh no you don’t
Jan 26th, 2012 8:25 am | By Ophelia BensonThe 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.)
You in the plaid shirt: more rage please
Jan 25th, 2012 3:19 pm | By Ophelia Benson
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.
… Read the restSalman 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
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Threats stop even video appearance by Rushdie
Jan 25th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Muslim groups attending the festival threatened violence if Rushdie appeared via video.… Read the rest
The art of persuasion
Jan 25th, 2012 2:46 pm | By Ophelia BensonEven 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.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Popehat on shut-uppery at LSE
Jan 25th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The LSE Student Union’s statement on the matter is a master class in the mindset of censorious bureaucrats.… Read the rest
A protection racket
Jan 25th, 2012 11:21 am | By Ophelia BensonThe LSE student paper reports on the cartoons and free speech and “Islamophobia” and shut-uppery affair. It has details.
… Read the restOn 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
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
If we want to live together peacefully
Jan 25th, 2012 10:40 am | By Ophelia BensonJesus 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.)
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
It’s a boy it’s a frog it’s a plane it’s WEIRD
Jan 25th, 2012 10:35 am | By Ophelia BensonOh 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.)
