That there is a God who determines our actions and responds to our plight.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Sacranie Defends Mawdudi
Aug 15th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSays efforts to discredit MCB stem from ‘Islamophobic agenda’. … Read the rest
No Hidden Agenda, BBC Says
Aug 15th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonMCB accuses BBC of creating mistrust of British Muslims in a Panorama special.… Read the rest
BBC Rejects MCB’s Accusations of Bias
Aug 15th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonA BBC spokeswoman said yesterday that it would defend the programme.… Read the rest
Who is William T. Vollman and Why Did the NY Times Invite Him to Write about Nietzsche?
Aug 15th, 2005 | By Brian LeiterA review of a Nietzsche book in The New York Times is rare, and even rarer, it seems, is the decision to enlist a reviewer competent in the material. Although Curtis Cate’s biography of Nietzsche appeared nearly two years ago, just today the Times has run a lengthy review of the book by the writer and novelist William Vollman, who, best I can tell, has no expertise in the subject, and who certainly displays none in the review.
The review – predictably, I suppose, for the Times – concentrates mostly on gossip about Nietzsche’s personal relations, and although there are breathless references to Nietzsche’s “bravery,” his “savagely independent intellect,” and “his incomparable mind,” there is almost no actual discussion of … Read the rest
At Last
Aug 14th, 2005 9:05 pm | By Ophelia BensonWell it’s about time. Hooray for the Observer. It is about damn time.
The Muslim Council of Britain is officially the moderate face of Islam. Its pronouncements condemning the London bombings have been welcomed by the government as a model response for mainstream Muslims. The MCB’s secretary general, Iqbal Sacranie, has recently been knighted and senior figures within the organisation have the ear of ministers. But an Observer investigation can reveal that, far from being moderate, the Muslim Council of Britain has its origins in the extreme orthodox politics in Pakistan.
Oh yes? Tell us more.
… Read the restFar from representing the more progressive or spiritual traditions within Islam, the leadership of the Muslim Council of Britain and some of its
MCB Annoyed With BBC
Aug 14th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAccuses it of ‘serving the interests of the pro-Israeli lobby.’… Read the rest
The Observer on the Muslim Council of Britain
Aug 14th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFar from representing more progressive traditions, MCB leaders have links to Islamist movements.… Read the rest
Different Rules for Different Religions
Aug 14th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNick Cohen says we pay a high price for defining people primarily by their religions.… Read the rest
Website Offers Training in Urban Warfare
Aug 14th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonInstructor implores Allah to grant his mujaheddin victory over Jews, Americans, apostates.… Read the rest
Religious Right’s Weird Science
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonCondoms fulla holes, remote prayer makes stuff happen, Satan makes birth control.… Read the rest
Survey of Religious Beliefs of US Scientists
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNatural scientists less likely to believe in deity – but not much less.… Read the rest
Ziauddin Sardar on Confronting a Violent Mindset
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWe must acknowledge that the terrorists are products of Islamic history.… Read the rest
Three Women Speak Out Against Sharia
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAyaan Hirsi Ali, Homa Arjomand and Irshad Manji spoke at Toronto conference.… Read the rest
Where Women Risk Their Lives to Run for Office
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSince 2001 four women councillors have been killed in Frontier province. … Read the rest
Cheap Labour Necessary to Heathrow
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Without them the airport cannot function.’… Read the rest
Pavan K Varma Reviews The Argumentative Indian
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFreedom to interrogate has congealed into unquestioning acceptance of orthodoxy.… Read the rest
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Killed
Aug 13th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAssassination blamed on Tamil Tigers, threatens cease fire.… Read the rest
Tradition and Honour
Aug 13th, 2005 4:03 am | By Ophelia BensonYou want tradition? Here’s some tradition.
In this quiet northern valley, tucked into the Himalayan foothills, tradition and threats have forced Shad into an electoral profile so low it is almost invisible. She will never leave this high-walled compound to canvass votes, never knock on a single door…And even if Shad wins a seat in Lower Dir, an arch-conservative corner of North West Frontier Province, there is no guarantee the local Pashtun men will allow her to occupy it.
They don’t like the idea, you see. It’s not the tradition.
… Read the restSince 2001 four women councillors have been killed in Frontier province. The latest victim died in June. Zubeida Begum, a veteran women’s rights campaigner, was shot nine times at