Ikwro director Diana Nammi said families often tried to deny the existence of honour
attacks and those who carried them out were “very much respected”.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
UK police reveal numbers for “honour” violence 
Dec 3rd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
What’s the big idea?
Dec 3rd, 2011 12:30 pm | By Ophelia BensonJust for the sake of argument, or exploration, let’s take seriously this claim that atheism is a little idea and god is a big one.
Atheism has become a very little idea, an idea that has to be shouted to seem important. And that is a shame, because God was a big idea, and the rejection of the existence of God was also a big idea, once upon a time.
Was god a big idea?
Perhaps I’m not taking it seriously after all, because I can’t honestly see that it was.
Really. I can’t. It seems to me that god was and is a very little idea, and a very boring one (which shows how little it was and … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Paper wasps have facial recognition
Dec 3rd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
This is the first time that scientists have discovered this humanlike ability in an insect.… Read the rest
Kenan Malik on outrage
Dec 3rd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Muslims, Christians, atheists, liberals, conservatives – for every group outrage has become an expression of self-definition.… Read the rest
Saudi academic claims that cars rape women
Dec 3rd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A report in Saudi Arabia has warned that if Saudi women were given the right to drive, it would spell the end of virginity in the country.… Read the rest
Gay Marriage and African Politics
Dec 2nd, 2011 | By Leo IgweI am writing to condemn in no uncertain terms the recent passage by the Senate of the the anti gay marriage bill. The passage of this bill once again demonstrates how disconnected Nigerian politicians and lawmakers are from the realities of the 21st century. It has confirmed that our lawmakers indeed prefer to fiddle while our social, political and economic house, called Nigeria, burns. Otherwise how does one explain the relevance of this bill at a time when Nigeria has become almost a failed state due to terrorist attacks, sectarian violence, corruption, poverty, diseases, abuse of office, tribalism and nepotism, misguided politics and mistaken sense of statecraft?
The passage of this bill has shown clearly how misplaced our priorities are, … Read the rest
The milk of human kindness
Dec 2nd, 2011 2:52 pm | By Ophelia BensonAnd then there’s Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, which told a parishioner - ever so politely, you understand – that her fiancé couldn’t come to the church again, on account of how he’s not a white person. Perfectly understandable. It’s because they (church members who voted on “the issue”) want to promote greater unity among the church body and the community. Obviously you can’t do that if there’s a not-white person at the church when all the other persons there are white. That would promote lesser unity. Everybody would look around uneasily and kind of split apart.
… Read the restMelvin Thompson, former pastor of Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, proposed the ban after Stella Harville brought her fiance, Ticha Chikuni, to services in
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Oh yes, go right ahead
Dec 2nd, 2011 11:32 am | By Ophelia BensonMemri reports a fatwa that says it’s fine for mujahideen to kidnap “the infidels’ women” and rape them, because once they’ve been kidnapped the infidel men don’t own them any more.
… Read the restThe inquiry in response to which Al-Athari issued the fatwa reads as
follows:[1] “Is it permissible for mujahideen in jihad fronts
to kidnap the infidels’ women and hold them as their captives? What is the
ruling regarding a captive in our times? How should they be divided [among the mujahideen]? Is it permissible to imprison [an infidel woman who has been taken captive] in an infidel land, or must she be brought to Dar Al-Islam[the abode of Islam]? How much time must one wait before having sexual
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Fatwa says mujahideen can kidnap and rape “infidel” women
Dec 2nd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s perfectly all right, because once they’re kidnapped, the infidel men don’t own them any more.… Read the rest
Headline: “Fish could protect against Alzheimer’s”
Dec 2nd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Body: “this research did not account for lifestyle factors such as other foods or exercise which could also have had an effect.”… Read the rest
Robert Talisse talks to Robert Audi
Dec 2nd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
In Democratic Authority and the Separation of Church and State, Audi proposes a novel and forceful account of the proper role of religious conviction in democratic politics.… Read the rest
NSS to Court: town council prayers are unlawful
Dec 2nd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The society is acting on behalf of atheist councillor Clive Bone, who had tried to have the prayers stopped.… Read the rest
There goes the neighborhood
Dec 1st, 2011 4:41 pm | By Ophelia BensonI saw Joseph Hoffmann’s post saying how tiny atheism and atheists now are a few days ago, when it was new, and decided to ignore it*, on the grounds that it was little different from its many predecessors and that nobody except one indefatigable fan was paying any attention so why bother. But then I saw that PZ had done a post on it, and then I saw that Eric had, so starving the beast is not an option, therefore I might as well do my share.
What does it say? That atheism is not good enough.
… Read the restI cannot imagine a time in the history of unbelief when atheism has appeared more hamfisted, puling, ignorant or unappealing.
Is this
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Brazen
Dec 1st, 2011 3:16 pm | By Ophelia BensonIt’s funny, in a way – Iran’s infamous PressTV is claiming that its embassy in London has been attacked.
Iran’s embassy in London has been attacked by a group of anti-revolutionary elements in an organized campaign after its closure by the British government.Reports suggest that the residence building of the Iranian ambassador to London has also been targeted.
Uh huh. Sure. Odd that no one else is reporting it though.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Religious believers distrust rapists and atheists
Dec 1st, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Even in more secular Canada, distrust of atheists ran high.… Read the rest
And they lived happily ever after
Dec 1st, 2011 10:59 am | By Ophelia BensonOh how sweet, Hamid Karzai has pardoned a woman who was serving a 12 year prison sentence for…arson? Armed robbery? GBH? No; for being raped. That’s what women who are raped get in Afghanistan (and not only there): they get long prison sentences, and that’s if they’re lucky; the less fortunate ones get stoned to death. Here’s why: it’s because a man was able to get access to the aperture between her legs, and allowing a man to get access to that is of course a horrendous crime. It’s no good calling it “rape”; it’s the woman’s job to make the aperture inaccessible, period; it’s not the man’s job to refrain from shoving his penis into it when he gets … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Islamist named Morocco PM
Dec 1st, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Justice and Development Party is a “moderate” Islamist party, according to the BBC.… Read the rest
Should religion trump laws mandating humane slaughter?
Dec 1st, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe took the position in 2002 that “the practice of
slaughtering animals without prior stunning is unacceptable under any circumstances.”… Read the rest
Jailed Afghan rape victim “freed” to marry rapist
Dec 1st, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Gulnaz’s lawyer told the BBC she hoped the government would allow Gulnaz the freedom to choose whom to marry.… Read the rest
Padraig Reidy on instant outrage
Dec 1st, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The sheer volume of righteousness becomes off-putting.… Read the rest
