All entries by this author

Richard Wolin on François Cusset *

Jun 11th, 2008 | Filed by

A paradigm opposed to the idea of a centered and cohesive ‘self’ became the basis for identity politics. … Read the rest



Theory. Literary Theory. French Theory. Theory. *

Jun 11th, 2008 | Filed by

Can’t understand today’s global disorders without literary theory. Literary theory the key to all things.… Read the rest



The Reign of Thuggery *

Jun 11th, 2008 | Filed by

Mbeki has given Mugabe political and diplomatic support in many forums, including the UN.… Read the rest



Abdullahi An-Naim Calls Himself a Muslim Heretic *

Jun 11th, 2008 | Filed by

Human rights are universal and trump religious dictates. That’s the heresy.… Read the rest



Norway: Parents Charged in FGM of 5 Daughters *

Jun 11th, 2008 | Filed by

‘The mother and father are charged because they contributed to five of their six daughters being mutilated.’… Read the rest



Just being around isn’t experience

Jun 10th, 2008 12:49 pm | By

I’ve never understood, or accepted, this idea that Clinton is the feminist candidate, or even that her election would be much of a victory for women or feminism. I’ve always thought it would be radically, drastically compromised by the huge boost she got from whose wife she was. I’ve always thought such an election would be a victory for women or feminism only if the woman in question did it on her own merits, not partly those of her husband.

Indeed, Clinton has never been just a victim of her gender. When it came to the deeper narratives of the campaign, Clinton benefited, as do many women in politics, from her good fortune of having married a successful political

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Prison for ‘Violation of Religious Sensibilities’ *

Jun 10th, 2008 | Filed by

‘Accused acted to blaspheme and desecrate that which the Islamic religious community deems holy.’… Read the rest



Report Marred by Errors in Arithmetic *

Jun 10th, 2008 | Filed by

A frightening decline in the quality of maths in reports of the frightening decline in the quality of maths.… Read the rest



Ben Goldacre on Blogs v Mainstream Media *

Jun 10th, 2008 | Filed by

MM pushed the Dore ‘miracle cure’ for Dyslexia, bloggers dug deeper.… Read the rest



Philadelphia Mississippi Ponders Obama *

Jun 10th, 2008 | Filed by

‘Bloody Neshoba’ is anxious.… Read the rest



Clinton Makes an Odd Feminist Martyr *

Jun 10th, 2008 | Filed by

Clinton benefited from having married a successful political man. What’s feminist about that?… Read the rest



The inter-faith world

Jun 9th, 2008 12:15 pm | By

What exactly does Blair have in mind with this ‘Faith Foundation’ thing?

We want people of one faith to be comfortable with those of another because they know what they truly believe, not what they thought they might believe.

But what if ‘people of one faith’ believe things that in fact make ‘those of another’ uncomfortable? And vice versa? And why on earth does Blair assume (as he apparently does) that that can’t and won’t be the outcome? Why does he assume that once people know what people of another ‘faith’ believe, then they will necessarily be ‘comfortable’ with them? Has he never in his whole life met or heard of someone who believed loathsome sinister vindictive murderous things? … Read the rest



Texas Board of Ed Uses Creationist Code *

Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed by

A creationist system of science is not science at all. It is faith.… Read the rest



Sec-Gen of OIC Urges Action on ‘Islamophobia’ *

Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed by

Mere condemnation not enough, as long as they remain free to continue ‘on the plea of freedom of expression.’… Read the rest



Bullets for Each of You *

Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed by

HRW report on state-sponsored violence since Zimbabwe’s March 29 elections.… Read the rest



HRW: Runoff Vote in Zimbabwe Will Be DOA *

Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed by

Campaign of violence and intimidation against MDC has killed any chance of a free and fair vote.… Read the rest



The Reality Tests *

Jun 9th, 2008 | Filed by

The world is real, but we don’t perceive it as it exists fundamentally.… Read the rest



Unforgiven

Jun 9th, 2008 11:39 am | By

One the one hand what do you expect from a conference of the OIC, but on the other hand, what sinister bullying crap.

Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary-general of the 56-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, warned there seemed to be a growing “campaign of hate and discrimination” against Muslims by a small number of individuals and organizations. In a speech to a conference in Kuala Lumpur on improving ties between Muslims and the West, Ihsanoglu praised Western nations for criticizing acts such as the recent release of an anti-Quran film by a Dutch lawmaker, but said more should have been done. “Mere condemnation or distancing from the acts of the perpetrators of Islamophobia will not resolve the issue, as long

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RSF on Mugabe as Predator of Press Freedom *

Jun 8th, 2008 | Filed by

Mugabe orders the arrest of local and foreign journalists, uses threats to silence them. … Read the rest



RSF Shocked at Murder of Nasteh Dahir Farah *

Jun 8th, 2008 | Filed by

Somalia is Africa’s deadliest country for journalists. Eight were killed there last year.… Read the rest