And another thing, as long as we’re talking about things I don’t like (we are talking about that aren’t we?) – I don’t like this business of the BBC always calling Taslima Nasreen ‘controversial.’ It’s a sly way of disavowing her, of hinting that she’s not quite the thing. It’s like calling evolution ‘controversial’ – it is, of course, but it has no business being; it’s ‘controversial’ only with people who think the universe should be and therefore must be the way they want it to be as opposed to the way it is. Similarly with Nasreen: she’s ‘controversial’ only with people who like to pick fights, especially with women, especially with women who think women should have one or … Read the rest
All entries by this author
Human Rights Watch on Saudi Case 
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Judge banned the victim’s lawyer, who is Saudi Arabia’s best-known human rights lawyer. … Read the rest
Taslima Nasreen Leaves Calcutta After Riots
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
At least 43 people were hurt. Critics say she called for the Koran to be changed to give women greater rights.… Read the rest
Riots in Calcutta Over Taslima Nasreen
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
All-India Minority Forum said Nasreen had ‘seriously hurt Muslim sentiments.’ And?… Read the rest
Democratic Candidates Rebuke Saudi, Bush
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Victim’s husband urges international media to put pressure on Saudi government to reverse decision.… Read the rest
Saudi Rape Victim Tells Her Story
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Saudi Ministry of Justice is defending a sentence of 200 lashes for the victim of a gang rape.… Read the rest
Australia: 5 Liberals Hand Out Fake Pamphlets
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Leaflets purported to be from an Islamic group thanking Labor for its sympathy for the Bali bombers. … Read the rest
Fake Pamphlet was a ‘Prank’
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It was just a bit of skylarking over a few beers.… Read the rest
Controversy Over Mearsheimer and Walt Book
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The main effect of the lobby, Tony Judt says, has been self-censorship.… Read the rest
Todd Gitlin on What They Think of Us
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
To what degree is anti-Americanism attributable to the ruinous preoccupations of Bush? … Read the rest
Nigel Warburton Recommends The Grasshopper
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Bernard Suits combines witty parody of Platonic dialogues with serious philosophy about the nature of games.… Read the rest
Stephen Law on Alain de Botton
Nov 22nd, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Suggests that academic analytic philosophy is a waste of time, then is surprised at response.… Read the rest
Stop that woman before she gets away!
Nov 22nd, 2007 11:44 am | By Ophelia BensonAnother installment of ‘When you have nothing better to do, persecute a woman.’
… Read the restIn an interview in December, the rape victim described to Human Rights Watch her treatment in court:
“At the first session, [the judges] said to me, ‘what kind of relationship did you have with this individual? Why did you leave the house? Do you know these men?’ They asked me to describe the situation. They used to yell at me. They were insulting. The judge refused to allow my husband in the room with me. One judge told me I was a liar because I didn’t remember the dates well. They kept saying, ‘Why did you leave the house? Why didn’t you tell your husband [where you
Normblog on Catch-23 for Atheists
Nov 21st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If you’re an atheist you won’t convince a religious person, and if you’re religious you won’t want to.… Read the rest
Xian Group Demands Blasphemy Prosecution
Nov 21st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
BBC’s JSO was ‘offensive, spiteful, systematic mockery and wilful denigration of Christian belief.’… Read the rest
Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Admin
Nov 21st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Unitary executive theory’ makes the president more accountable; secrecy subverts that.… Read the rest
All the President’s Powers
Nov 21st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If we recalled the lessons of the nation’s founding, we’d stop falling for imperially-minded presidents. … Read the rest
Rebecca Goldstein on Mark Lilla
Nov 21st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Some of us have been taking the European Enlightenment a little bit for granted. … Read the rest
Fadela Amara: a Feminist With Some Power
Nov 20th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The head of Ni Putes ni Soumises is Sarkozy’s junior minister of urban policy.… Read the rest
Spain’s Law of Historic Memory Condemns Franco
Nov 20th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A preamble condemns the rule of a man who ruthlessly disposed of tens of thousands of opponents. … Read the rest
