All entries by this author

Welcome to austerity

Apr 15th, 2009 11:59 am | By

Saudi Arabia has seen the error of its ways. Or perhaps not.

Saudi Arabia says it plans to start regulating the marriage of young girls, amid controversy over a union between a 60-year-old man and a girl of eight. A court in Unaiza upheld the marriage on condition the groom does not have sex with her until she reaches puberty.

Oh good; because the only problem with marrying a child of 8 to a man of 60 is of course that she won’t much want him to fuck her, yet. There is no other problem. No problem with ending her schooling, no problem with her having to live with (and under the rule of) a man more than seven … Read the rest



Kenya: Girl Bled to Death After Infibulation *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

She was seven years old.… Read the rest



Massimo Pigliucci on Faith and Reason *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

Faith is one thing, trust is another, belief is another again.… Read the rest



Things Getting Worse in Pakistan *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

Taliban insurgents are teaming up with local militant groups to make inroads in Punjab.… Read the rest



Michelle Goldberg on Women, Sex and Power *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

Religious traditionalists excoriate feminists and family planners as agents of Western cultural imperialism. … Read the rest



Roxana Saberi Goes on Trial in Iran *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

She was charged with buying alcohol, then lacking a press card; now she’s charged with espionage.… Read the rest



Nightmare in Afghanistan *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

Three Taleban mullahs brought them to the local mosque and passed a fatwa that they must be killed.… Read the rest



Taliban Murders a Couple for Trying to Marry *

Apr 14th, 2009 | Filed by

Two adults attempted to marry; the Taliban kidnapped them and shot them in front of a mosque. … Read the rest



The International Conference on Secularism

Apr 14th, 2009 | By Azar Majedi

On 7th March 2009 an international conference organised by Organisation for Women’s Liberation (OWL) was held successfully in Gothenburg, Sweden. The conference heard speeches from many invited speakers and ended with the showing of the film “Maria’s Grotto” about honour killings in Palestine. Many organisations supported and sponsored the event, including: European Feminist Initiative, Network against Honour Crimes, Women for Peace in Sweden, Centre for Research which is a secular and academic institution.

More than 20 speakers were invited to the conference. Many activists from Ghana, Uganda, Pakistan and Bangladesh had shown interest to attend the conference but could not get entry visa. Also 3 of the speakers from Iraq, Jordan and Syria could not come due to visa difficulties.… Read the rest



Empty signs

Apr 13th, 2009 12:22 pm | By

I wrote to the women’s studies list yesterday to ask for thoughts on sexist epithets, especially pussy and cunt. Here is a sampling from replies.

“Recently, I was standing at the bus stop with a young man who was singing along to rap music. Suddenly, he yelled “Bitch!” and I almost ran for cover. But he was just singing along to the music. Can anyone wonder why young women are treated so badly when the music kids listen to describes them as bitches, evil, and mean?”

“I’m not sure who your informants are but I can absolutely disabuse you of their misinformation. “Cunt” is seen as one of the worst possible expletives that can be used. “Twat” is aged and … Read the rest



Farhat Taj: Life in Swat After the Peace Deal *

Apr 13th, 2009 | Filed by

The Taliban have made the 1.7 million people of Swat hostage, and the people continue to suffer.… Read the rest



UNAMA Sickened by Murder of Achikzai *

Apr 13th, 2009 | Filed by

Sitara Achikzai was serving her people with dedication in Kandahar. … Read the rest



The Murder of Sitara Achikzai *

Apr 13th, 2009 | Filed by

The Taliban says it will pay 200,000 Pakistani rupees to anyone who kills a member of the council. … Read the rest



A Historian Disputes Bishop Mixa *

Apr 13th, 2009 | Filed by

Many saw no contradiction between their belief in a Christian God and their support for the Nazi regime.… Read the rest



Simon Blackburn on Hume and Sceptical Irony *

Apr 13th, 2009 | Filed by

Hume is much too subtle to describe himself as an atheist.… Read the rest



Taliban Gun Down Women’s Rights Activist *

Apr 13th, 2009 | Filed by

Sitara Achikzai had returned from Germany to work in Kandahar as a teacher and provincial legislator.… Read the rest



Samina Yasmeen on the Taliban in Pakistan *

Apr 12th, 2009 | Filed by

Women’s rights are violated frequently and often without much notice from the public. … Read the rest



Joshua Cohen and Thomas Nagel on Rawls *

Apr 12th, 2009 | Filed by

How Rawls’s political philosophy was influenced by his religion.… Read the rest



André Glucksmann on Postmodern Capitalism *

Apr 12th, 2009 | Filed by

Our age is the first to proclaim the power to reduce risk to zero simply by spreading it around. … Read the rest



John Hope Franklin’s Moral and Intellectual Poise *

Apr 12th, 2009 | Filed by

Franklin, a model to generations of scholars, students, and activists, had few peers. … Read the rest