Baggini urges us to talk about what is of value in religion, then derides liberal theology as woolly-minded.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Paul Kurtz on Torture and American Democracy 
Apr 17th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
US democracy is based on laws and committed to the defense of human rights. Let’s keep it that way.… Read the rest
Iran Set to Execute Darabi
Apr 17th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Iran’s penal code holds a 9-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy to be legally responsible if involved in crime.… Read the rest
Amnesty International Fears Imminent Execution
Apr 17th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Delara Darabi was sentenced to death for murder for a crime she committed when she was 17. … Read the rest
Negotiations Over Durban II
Apr 17th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
US will not accept any text citing ‘incitement to religious hatred’ as a pretext for restricting free speech.… Read the rest
Hitchens on Paine, Obama, Warren, Washington
Apr 17th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The name of Paine, our unacknowledged Founding Father, can only be used in a kind of code.… Read the rest
The hegemonic modern human rights discourse
Apr 16th, 2009 6:23 pm | By Ophelia BensonHarvard has an ‘Islamic chaplain’. Lucky Harvard.
Harvard Islamic chaplain Taha Abdul-Basser ’96 has recently come under fire for controversial statements in which he allegedly endorsed death as a punishment for Islamic apostates. In a private e-mail to a student last week, Abdul-Basser wrote that there was “great wisdom (hikma) associated with the established and preserved position (capital punishment [for apostates]) and so, even if it makes some uncomfortable in the face of the hegemonic modern human rights discourse, one should not dismiss it out of hand.”
Oooooookay, isn’t that interesting. One shouldn’t dismiss out of hand the idea that apostates from Islam should be executed, even if it makes some uncomfortable in the face of the hegemonic modern … Read the rest
Tom Flynn on ‘Spirituality’ Run Amok
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Avowedly ‘spiritual’ people think avowedly non-spiritual people are made of cast iron.… Read the rest
Jonathan Derbyshire Interviews John Gray
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Why should one think that, because knowledge has grown, human beings will be less prone to cowardice and cruelty?’… Read the rest
Harvard Islamic Chaplain Pro Death for Apostasy
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Even if it makes some uncomfortable in the face of the hegemonic modern human rights discourse, one should not dismiss it out of hand.’… Read the rest
Faisal Gazi on Kenan Malik’s Fatwa to Jihad
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The grievance culture of radical Islam is winning the battle against Enlightenment values.… Read the rest
Parents Charged With Starving Children
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Parents sought to raise children ‘in strict obedience to Islam’ by starving, beating, taking out of school.… Read the rest
Gestures and Symbols
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The queen, for the first time in her public career, put her hand on someone. A bit of the world turned upside down.… Read the rest
Zuma Sues the Guardian
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is demanding an apology and damages and has appointed a London law firm to act on his behalf.… Read the rest
Sewing Machine Hoax Hits Saudi Arabia
Apr 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Less ‘austerity’ in education might help.… Read the rest
Alors, ça suffit maintenant
Apr 15th, 2009 5:16 pm | By Ophelia BensonOne or two more items, by way of mopping up. (And just in case there is any doubt on the matter, as apparently there was for at least one commenter: no I don’t think the importance of the subject is in proportion to the time I’ve spent on it; no the fact that I’ve done several posts on it doesn’t mean that I think words are more important than, say, marrying a child of 8 to a man 52 years her senior. I’m just interested; and there is a lot of disagreement and a lot of testimony. I’m interested in language – this is not a big surprise, surely; one of the first things I did with B&W was to … Read the rest
Megachurch Sics Cops on Critical Blogger
Apr 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A blogger critical of a minister wants to know why his Web site was investigated by a police detective.… Read the rest
Saudi Arabia Plans to ‘Regulate’ Child Brides
Apr 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Marriage of man age 60 to girl age 8 caused a fuss. Saudi practices ‘austere’ form of Islam.… Read the rest
Fuss Over ‘Faith’ Schools
Apr 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Heritage, faith groups, core part, identities, limit expression, community cohesion, quack quack.… Read the rest
Critics Accuse Mixa of Rewriting History
Apr 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Freethinker associations were disbanded by the Nazis and avowed atheists were persecuted.… Read the rest
