Though there are various reasons behind honor killings, disobedience was found to be the reason behind most.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Dawkins, PZ Myers Appear in ID Documentary
Sep 28th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘At no time was I given the slightest clue that these people were a creationist front,’ Dawkins said.… Read the rest
Joan Bakewell on Prince’s Dangerous Message
Sep 28th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPC has backed out of Royal Film Performance – which would have been ‘Brick Lane.’… Read the rest
Connubial acid-throwing
Sep 28th, 2007 11:45 am | By Ophelia BensonNice.
The ordeal of ill-fated Irshad Bibi, who suffered burns in an acid attack by her husband, seems far from over despite generous offer by an NGO as her very own people blocked her way to accept the help and go for the treatment…[H]er family and relatives stopped her from going to Islamabad for treatment at the expense of the NGO on the plea that “such organisations have the reputation of committing immoral activities and they will use her also for their nefarious designs”…A resident of the area to which the victim belonged defended the family’s stance, saying: “The NGOs are involved in un-Islamic activities and it is a sinful act to get treatment from them”.
Therefore, Irshad Bibi … Read the rest
Ignatieff on intuition
Sep 27th, 2007 5:42 pm | By Ophelia BensonMichael Ignatieff says something in his article on ‘Getting Iraq Wrong’ that ties up with this discussion of belief and intuition we’ve been having.
Having taught political science myself, I have to say the discipline promises more than it can deliver. In practical politics, there is no science of decision-making. The vital judgments a politician makes every day are about people: whom to trust, whom to believe and whom to avoid. The question of loyalty arises daily: Who will betray and who will stay true? Having good judgment in these matters, having a sound sense of reality, requires trusting some very unscientific intuitions about people.
I’ll buy that. That is one place where intuition mostly does work a lot better … Read the rest
Absurd Indictment of Journalist in Niger
Sep 27th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWhat he is alleged to have done are normal activities for a brave and rigorous journalist.… Read the rest
RSF on Bad State of Press Freedom in Burma
Sep 27th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonRSF and the Burma Media Association call for the release of five journalists and a photographer.… Read the rest
‘They Want to Finish With the African People’
Sep 27th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonMozambique archbishop claims some European-made condoms are infected with HIV deliberately.… Read the rest
‘Christophobia’ at Universities
Sep 27th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonShocking bias against the irrational in academic enclaves.… Read the rest
Teacher Fired for Non-literal Bible Mention
Sep 27th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFired after he told his students the story of Adam and Eve should not be literally interpreted.… Read the rest
On Jesus and Buddhism and eschatology
Sep 26th, 2007 5:45 pm | By Ophelia BensonThere are some excellent things in parts of God is not Great*. I thought I would give you a sample.
Pp. 175-6:
… Read the rest…it is only in the reported observations of Jesus that we find any mention of hell and eternal punishment. The god of Moses would brusquely call for other tribes, including his favourite one, to suffer massacre and plague and even extirpation, but when the grave closed over his victims he was essentially finished with them unless he remembered to curse their succeeding progeny. Not until the advent of the Prince of Peace do we hear of the ghastly idea of further punishing and torturing the dead…[T]he son of god is revealed as one who, if his milder
Must be a slow news day
Sep 26th, 2007 2:00 pm | By Ophelia BensonInteresting. I’m told that Why Truth Matters was scheduled to be discussed on Classic FM this evening, on Newsnight. I don’t know though, I tried the Listen Again button but although I got the player and clicked on the sound button, I couldn’t get it to play. In the unlikely event that anyone is interested, there it is. (In the even more unlikely event that anyone would like to transcribe it for me, do feel free!)
Update: dear kind Arnaud did a transcript for me. (Or perhaps he simply made it up; it’s certainly pleasing enough to be a fantasy.) Merci, Arnaud.
John Brunning: Well next stop, Chris, a book on a subject I know is dear to your … Read the rest
Dentist Told Patient to Put On Hijab
Sep 26th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAdmitted he would ask Muslim women to ‘cover up’ ‘in accordance with Islamic law’ before he treated them.… Read the rest
Papal Rags for Sale on Holy Website
Sep 26th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBut buying them is sacrilege.… Read the rest
Episcopal Bishops Reject Church’s Orders
Sep 26th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBishops rejected Anglican demands to roll back the church’s liberal stance on homosexuality.… Read the rest
Girls Attack Saudi Religious Police
Sep 26th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonTwo cops approached the girls to advise them about their clothes; they got pepper sprayed and yelled at.… Read the rest
Danny Postel on Our Real Iranian Friends
Sep 25th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonLike Akbar Ganji, who has just issued an Open Letter to Ban Ki Moon refusing ‘the double blackmail.’… Read the rest
Rape is Cheaper Than Bullets
Sep 25th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSoldiers from all sides are targeting and raping women as part of a military strategy.… Read the rest
The Greatest Silence: Rape in Congo
Sep 25th, 2007 | Filed by Ophelia BensonMany tens of thousands of women and girls have been systematically kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured.… Read the rest