Yousuf Qureshi has never met or seen Aasiya Bibi. Yet his heart is so full of hatred that he is willing to give anyone Rs. 500,000 to kill her.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
How Pakistan responded to Taseer’s murder 
Jan 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“But you see these are sensitive matters. He should have watched his words. He shouldn’t have spoken so carelessly.”… Read the rest
Qadri told other cops of plans to kill Taseer
Jan 6th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Many religious leaders, even those from so-called moderate groups, were angered by Mr. Taseer’s support in recent months of Asia Bibi.… Read the rest
A little comic relief
Jan 5th, 2011 11:58 am | By Ophelia BensonMooney in Playboy is funny, you must admit. The tasteful illustration is funny, given Kirshenbaum’s (laudable) concerns about sexism. The title is funny. The post is funny. The comment is funny. It’s all funny, except for the article itself, which is more goofy than funny.
It could be a good piece, if it were re-done, by someone with a different agenda. It could be about the charge of discovery without the baggage of “reconciling religion and science.” It could be about the wonder of nature without the axe-grinding of
… Read the restDoherty is among a growing number of nonreligious researchers who view scientific inquiry itself as a spiritual quest—a trend that has the potential to dramatically upend the idea that science
Iran: Zahra Bahrami sentenced to death
Jan 5th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The original charge was “enmity to God” but now they claim to have found 30 grams of “drugs.”… Read the rest
Pakistan newspapers on the murder of Salman Taseer
Jan 5th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The English-language papers condemn it; the Urdu papers say he was “controversial.”… Read the rest
A philosopher of religion gives it up
Jan 5th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“If you cannot take something seriously, you should not try to devote serious academic attention to it.”… Read the rest
Another religious law punishes women
Jan 5th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Aharon Friedman, an Orthodox Jew, refuses to give his wife a get. Only a husband can “give” a get.… Read the rest
Declan Walsh on the murder of Salman Taseer
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
As he was led away Qadri told photographers he was “proud” to have killed Taseer because he was a “blasphemer”.… Read the rest
Huge pressure 2 cow down
Jan 4th, 2011 12:47 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe murder of Salman Taseer just fills me with rage and disgust. I don’t have anything more intelligent to say about it.
Just a month ago we were reading about him:
… Read the restHundreds of Islamist hardliners took to the streets of Pakistan’s main cities yesterday in support of the country’s prejudicial blasphemy laws and against two leading politicians they have threatened for speaking out against the persecution of a Christian woman. At rallies in Karachi, Lahore and other cities, the crowds of protestors warned the political class against any attempt to amend or repeal the laws. They also chanted slogans denouncing Salmaan Taseer, the governor of Punjab, and Sherry Rehman, a liberal parliamentarian.
Mr Taseer and Ms Rehman were singled
Adil Najam on the murder of Salman Taseer
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Salman Taseer was killed by the intolerance, the hatred, the extremism, the vigilantism, the violence and the jahalat that now defines our society.”… Read the rest
Jesus and Mo do their act
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Tonight we’re going to put dogma before reason and then act upon our conclusions without regard to the consequences. Everybody sing.”… Read the rest
Lahore: protests at killing of Taseer
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Dozens of supporters of the PPP took to streets in Lahore on Tuesday. Dozens.… Read the rest
Murtaza Razvi on the murder of Salman Taseer
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Taseer’s outspoken defence of Aasia Bibi made him a hate figure for extremist and Islamist outfits and parties.… Read the rest
BBC on the murder of Salman Taseer
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Interior Minister Rehman Malik said the guard told police that he killed Taseer because of the governor’s opposition to Pakistan’s blasphemy law.… Read the rest
Salman Taseer murdered by his own security guard
Jan 4th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Governor of Punjab opposed Pakistan’s blasphemy law.… Read the rest
Tell all the truth but tell it slant?
Jan 3rd, 2011 3:57 pm | By Ophelia BensonSo to return to the core of the issue that Ben was talking about – the utility of atheism for atheists, science communication, conflict as a way into discussion rather than an impediment to it, passion as a motivator. I talked to him about it at Facebook, and tried (not for the first time) to take a hard look at why I feel so strongly about the subject.
I said that I have a visceral reaction to advice about framing. I do. Why do I?
First of all, I’ve had it for a long time; maybe as long as I’ve been thinking about anything. I dislike all the manipulative “professions” – advertising, PR, political operative stuff. I dislike trickery and … Read the rest
Blaironfaith
Jan 3rd, 2011 12:22 pm | By Ophelia BensonTony Blair preaches the gospel according to Armstrong.
Common to all great religions is love of neighbors and human equality before God.
That’s a falsehood. I won’t even bother to elaborate, because it’s too obvious. It’s just a pious, smarmy, conventional, wishful falsehood.
Blair admits as much himself in the very next paragraph.
… Read the restUnfortunately, compassion is not the only context in which religion motivates people. It can also promote extremism, even terrorism. This is where faith becomes a badge of identity in opposition to those who do not share it, a kind of spiritual nationalism that regards those who do not agree – even those within a faith who live a different view of it – as unbelievers, infidels,
Rebecca Watson on Christianity and healthy eating
Jan 3rd, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And Conservapedia. See this picture of Chuck Norris? QED.… Read the rest
