UNESCO has called on India, Mexico and Pakistan to take greater steps to protect reporters.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
UNHCR Worker Murdered in Afghanistan 
Dec 4th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She was shot dead on 26 November at a meeting of local elders in a temporary settlement for returnees. … Read the rest
Launch of Campaign against Sharia law in UK
Dec 4th, 2008 | By One Law for AllThe One Law for All campaign against Sharia law in Britain is to be launched at the House of Lords on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008 from 4:00 to 5:00pm.
According to campaign organiser, Maryam Namazie, ‘Even in civil matters, Sharia law is discriminatory, unfair and unjust, particularly against women and children. Moreover, its voluntary nature is a sham; many women will be pressured into going to these courts and abiding by their decisions. These courts are a quick and cheap route to injustice and do nothing to promote minority rights and social cohesion. Public interest, particularly with regard to women and children, requires an end to Sharia and all other faith-based courts and tribunals.’
The campaign has … Read the rest
The sleep of reason begets monsters
Dec 4th, 2008 10:48 am | By Ophelia BensonWe’ve finished the book. Don’t say what book – the book we’ve been writing – Does God Hate Women? It’s finished.
It’s full of nightmares – but the nightmares are only a tiny fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the nightmares there are. Nicholas Kristof has been finding some.
… Read the rest[A]longside the brutal public terrorism that fills the television screens, there is an equally cruel form of terrorism that gets almost no attention and thrives as a result: flinging acid on a woman’s face to leave her hideously deformed. Here in Pakistan, I’ve been investigating such acid attacks, which are commonly used to terrorize and subjugate women and girls in a swath of Asia from Afghanistan through Cambodia
The universality of the UDHR
Dec 3rd, 2008 5:07 pm | By Ophelia BensonAnthony Grayling is doing a series on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It is easy now, as it always has been, to think that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a fine-sounding efflation of rhetoric, or, conversely, to think that it is a piece of Eurocentric Enlightenment imperialism whose highminded pronouncements – for example, about the equality of men and women – do not please all members of all cultures.
Indeed. Highminded pronouncements about rights and equality of anyone are bound to fail to please some members of all cultures because there are always some members of cultures who want to be able to exploit and dominate other people. The UDHR is intended to be an obstacle … Read the rest
Grayling on Freedom Without Borders
Dec 3rd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
There are few major states in the world that are guiltless of subjecting some people to torture or degrading treatment.… Read the rest
How the UDHR Builds a Base of Liberty
Dec 3rd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The intention is to assert, as the default position, a status of inviolability for the human individual.… Read the rest
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Dec 3rd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A C Grayling notes that the UDHR has already made a real difference to our world.… Read the rest
Pilger Looks Down on Obama From Great Height
Dec 3rd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The American elite has grown adept at using the black middle and management class.’… Read the rest
The Racist Flipside of Anti-imperialism
Dec 3rd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sunny Hundal says for John Pilger to call Obama an ‘Uncle Tom’ betrays an ugly contempt for those who refuse his revolutionary romanticism.… Read the rest
The Vatican lives up to itself
Dec 2nd, 2008 5:00 pm | By Ophelia BensonGood old Vatican – it makes sure we won’t relax our guard and start thinking they’re a nice bunch of fellas there. It makes sure to keep reminding us that no, they’re a nasty bigoted punitive set of dogmatists who insist on their obligation to mistreat people for no good reason.
The Vatican has said it opposes a European Union proposal for a United Nations declaration formally condemning discrimination against homosexuals, which it claims would “de-criminalise” same sex unions.
So apparently it thinks same sex unions are and should remain crimes. That’s nice. Of course, if priests fiddle with children, that should be protected and kept secret, but if gay adults want to pair off, oh my no, that must … Read the rest
Ed Husain on Resisting Extremism
Dec 2nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A group dedicated to creating an Islamist dictatorship meets every weekend in Regent’s Park mosque.… Read the rest
Adam Kirsch on Slavoj Zizek
Dec 2nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It might be worthwhile to consider Zizek’s work as if he means it – to ask what his ideas really are, and what sort of effects they are likely to have.… Read the rest
Vatican Thanks Muslims for Restoring God
Dec 2nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Muslims were the ones who demanded space for God in society.’ Thanks ever so.… Read the rest
A C Grayling on ‘Innate’ Religion
Dec 2nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Templeton Foundation funding research into claim that children are hardwired to believe in a ‘supreme being.’… Read the rest
Vatican in Favour of Discrimination
Dec 2nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Vat opposes EU proposal for UN declaration formally condemning discrimination against homosexuals.… Read the rest
Johann Hari Talks to Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Dec 1st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
She has no time for what she sees as the ignorant, woolly Islam-is-peace message of Western liberals.… Read the rest
Johann Hari on Hip-hop Homophobia
Dec 1st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A lot of stars are enraged closet-cases.… Read the rest
Cincinnati Zoo Teams With Creationist Museum
Dec 1st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
PZ Myers urges everyone to contact the zoo; write to their education, marketing and PR departments.… Read the rest
Nicholas Kristof on Acid Attacks on Women
Dec 1st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Acid attacks are commonly used to terrorize and subjugate women and girls in a swath of Asia.… Read the rest
