All entries by this author

Does Prayer Work? *

Feb 16th, 2006 | Filed by

Not so much.… Read the rest



Not Very Veiled Threats *

Feb 16th, 2006 | Filed by

Repercussions, deeper grave, that sort of thing.… Read the rest



Irving Trial Tests Free Speech *

Feb 16th, 2006 | Filed by

Historian argues Germany and Austria have a moral obligation to fight Holocaust denial.… Read the rest



UN Calls for Closure of Guantanamo *

Feb 16th, 2006 | Filed by

One investigator said detention of inmates for years without charge amounted to arbitrary detention. … Read the rest



Peter Strawson *

Feb 16th, 2006 | Filed by

Jane O’Grady in the Guardian.… Read the rest



Creeping Sharia

Feb 15th, 2006 9:39 pm | By

This is good – every day that I go to the mailbox and don’t find the books that should be here by now and that I’m quite (and by quite I mean violently) keen to have, my mood becomes fouler and more bitter, so that’s very good for doing an intemperate N&C. Lovely.

The Staggers does the predictable. Surprise surprise.

The New Statesman has never been afraid to ruffle feathers. Thus it is fair to ask why we, like others in the media, have refrained from publishing the Danish cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad. The reason is simple: we are prepared to take great risks and to cause offence, but only in the name of good journalism. By good journalism

Read the rest


Child Abuse *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

Evangelist trains 2,300 students to reject most geology, paleontology, evolutionary biology as lies.… Read the rest



Ohio Expected to Rein In Class Linked to ID *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

A reversal in Ohio could signal turn against ID since Kitzmiller decision.… Read the rest



Press Hands a Victory to Creeping Sharia *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

UK and US media have decided it is not their job to help you understand this story.… Read the rest



The Economist Spurns Self-consorship *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

When freedom of speech is under threat of violence, job of governments should be to defend it without reservation. … Read the rest



New Statesman Bravely Self-censors *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

‘There is nothing brave about causing gratuitous offence.’… Read the rest



Peter Strawson *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

Telegraph obit.… Read the rest



Peter Strawson 1919-2006 *

Feb 15th, 2006 | Filed by

Oxford philosopher who made influential contributions to problems of language and metaphysics.… Read the rest



Clarity

Feb 14th, 2006 8:39 pm | By

Sometimes the legal mind can cut through the fatuous pandering sniveling fawning dreck like a buzzsaw. Judge Jones is one memorable example, and David Pannick QC is another. (Hold the jokes. He’ll have heard them all.)

We respect the right of everyone to believe whatever they like: that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, Muhammad was God’s prophet, the Red Sea was parted for the Children of Israel or L. Ron Hubbard identified the path to total happiness. But there are two important limits to religious tolerance. First, I have no right to legal protection against your scepticism, criticism or ridicule. Religion is too powerful a force, and is too often a cause of injustice or evil, for it to

Read the rest


Photoshop

Feb 14th, 2006 5:52 pm | By

First of all there’s the guy in the pig snout. Just fancy – that’s not a cartoon of the prophet, it’s not a cartoon of anyone, it’s not a cartoon at all, and it’s also nothing whatever to do with the prophet, or a different prophet, or any prophet, or Islam, or Muslims, or religion, or satire, or secularism, or free speech, or hate mail, or anything like that. Just fancy – it’s a guy taking part in a pig-squealing contest in France in August last year. My oh my, isn’t that amusing. Apparently what happened is, when the Danish imams were putting together their ‘brochure’ to take to the Middle East to show to the nice officials of … Read the rest



Cartoons Were Published in Egypt October 2005 *

Feb 14th, 2006 | Filed by

Egyptian blogger notes all the items being obscured by cartoon fuss.… Read the rest



EU Submits *

Feb 14th, 2006 | Filed by

Franco Frattini performs shameless grovel.… Read the rest



Added Pig-face Cartoon is a Fake *

Feb 14th, 2006 | Filed by

Photo of man in farm contest faked to look like prophet cartoon, then added to brochure.… Read the rest



Irshad Manji, A C Grayling on Reporting Religion *

Feb 14th, 2006 | Filed by

Talking at normal speed.… Read the rest



A C Grayling on Start the Week *

Feb 14th, 2006 | Filed by

Hear Grayling and David Baddiel compete for title of fastest talker.… Read the rest