She wouldn’t have been murdered for ‘honour.’ IKWRO offers a petition.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Ziauddin Sardar Sees Dogmatism Everywhere 
Mar 18th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Those secular fundamentalists and scientific atheists – they’re such a pain.… Read the rest
Understanding the Fatwa on Taslima Nasreen
Mar 18th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A time honoured tactic to incite the faithful to murder those who dare to criticise Islam.… Read the rest
Irish Religious Orders Promised to Help Pay
Mar 18th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Compensation for abuse in industrial schools, but the sums are not adding up.… Read the rest
Of the earth earthy
Mar 17th, 2007 12:40 pm | By Ophelia BensonI’ve been thinking (on and off) about something slightly puzzling. The people who rebuke militant atheists or Enlightenment fundamentalists or secular dogmatists or deaf scientistic positivists or some other combination of those and similar terms, often murmur something about the importance of religion for art and literature and music. After bumping into one of those murmurs a few days ago, I suddenly noticed a puzzle. It’s this: the one about literature isn’t true. That’s very odd, isn’t it; why isn’t it true?
Of course, there are exceptions; there are some bits of literature that are very goddy; I’m not ignoring Dante and Milton. But – most literature actually isn’t all that goddy – even literature written at times when atheism … Read the rest
Ben Goldacre Looks at a Smartness Pill
Mar 17th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The imaging data feel all sciencey, but conjurers would cite misdirection.… Read the rest
Oxford Students Petition to Oust Don
Mar 17th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Professor of demography helped found MigrationWatch in 2001.… Read the rest
Thugs Slaughter Busload of People in Thailand
Mar 17th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Nine killed; four women, two girls; teachers, students, traders, farmers; all Buddhists except driver.… Read the rest
Academic says Debate on Islam is Stifled in UK
Mar 17th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Lecture on Islamic anti-Semitism was cancelled after complaints from Muslim students.… Read the rest
Three Little Carrots? Ipods? Spoons? Frogs?
Mar 17th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Organisers of children’s performance racked brains to find inoffensive substitute for shocking ‘pigs.’… Read the rest
Peter Tatchell on Their Multiculturalism and Ours
Mar 16th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Misogyny and homophobia tolerated in the name of ‘maintaining harmonious community relations.’ … Read the rest
Culture Blocks Women’s Participation in Politics
Mar 16th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Half the world’s population remains excluded from decision-making along gender lines.… Read the rest
Ignoring the UN Meeting on the Status of Women
Mar 16th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Most of the people there represent NGOs that work for women’s empowerment around the world. … Read the rest
Theorising the International After the Subject
Mar 16th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
How does a post-human condition alter the relationship between self and other, inside and outside?… Read the rest
George Felis Invites Atheists to Come Out
Mar 16th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Invisibility has its benefits, perhaps, but the costs are far greater.… Read the rest
David Thompson on Fallibility and Open Discussion
Mar 15th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
As if the solution to stupidity is to inhibit public discourse.… Read the rest
Three Women’s Rights Defenders Still Locked Up
Mar 15th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Shadi Sadr, Mahbubeh Abbasgholizadeh, and Jila Baniyaghoub are still in ward 209 of Evin Prison.… Read the rest
University of Leeds Denies Censorship Charge
Mar 15th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
University said it cancelled a lecture on ‘Islamic anti-semitism’ on security grounds.… Read the rest
Secularization is Linked to Safety and Prosperity
Mar 15th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Growing up in societies in which survival is uncertain is conducive to a strong emphasis on religion.… Read the rest
Goldhagen on the Humiliation Myth
Mar 15th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Why does humiliation lead to such disproportional will to violence and slaughter?… Read the rest
