In one, a brother killed his sister; in the other, an uncle killed his niece. Both were said to have been in an “objectionable situation.”
Category: Latest News
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
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Nick Cohen reads Joseph Anton
The honourable left-wing response was then and is now to fight back and support Muslims and ex-Muslims around the world who want to resist theocratic politics.
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LSE student atheist society and ex-Muslims
People of a Muslim background face unique difficulties in abandoning their religion, both in predominantly Muslim countries and in Europe.
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Slate: Rebecca Watson on speaking out and rape threats
“It wasn’t until I started talking about feminism to skeptics that I realized I didn’t have a safe space.”
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Head of Italy’s disaster body quits over L’Aquila
Prof Maiani, a physicist, said the Serious Risks Commission could not work “in such difficult conditions.”
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Marcotte on right-wing misogynist feeding frenzies
How dare a woman talk in public?
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“Ugly girl”: growing up female
There is lip service to “you can be anything” but the real message is be hot or go away.
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Italy: earthquake scientists sentenced to 6 years in prison
All have been barred from ever holding public office again, and ordered to pay court costs and damages.
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Cairo: mob gropes reporter
Amnesty International said in a report in June that such attacks appeared designed to intimidate women and prevent them from participating in public life.
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Golden Dawn and “blasphemy” prosecution
Greeks who are proud they live in a secular democracy protecting the freedom of speech discovered that the law against blasphemy has been strengthened.
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OIC drops effort to get global anti-blasphemy law at UN
Blames pesky “Western” and Latin American opposition. (Latin America is in the Western hemisphere yo.)
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Romney as Mormon bishop was a bully to women
He tried to coerce a woman with a life-threatening pregnancy to refuse an abortion. He told her “as your bishop, my concern is with the child.”
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Girl, 14, will be tried as an adult for killing infant
She’s not old enough to consent to sex, but is old enough to be charged with first degree murder.
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Malala is awake
She has stood up. She is making good progress.
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Boy banned from Scouts for refusing pledge to “God”
“Variations of the Scout Promise are available for different faiths, however all variations of the Promise must recognise the ‘Duty to God’ element.”
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Turkey prosecutes Faisal Say for “insulting Islam”
The famous pianist is being prosecuted over tweets he wrote mocking radical Muslims. He is charged with inciting hatred and insulting the values of Muslims.
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It’s a myth that harassment is “free speech”
It is a cultural myth—one particular to the Internet—that the methods of a harasser are fundamentally “legal,” and that the state is helpless to intervene in all cases like this.
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NY appeals court strikes down DOMA
The divisive act, which was passed in 1996, bars federal recognition of such marriages and says other states cannot be forced to recognize them.
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US publishers say Saudi textbooks incite hate
As current and former heads of major publishing houses, we know the value of words. They inform actions and shape the world views of all.
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Gillard’s “misogyny” speech prompts change to dictionary
Australia’s Macquarie dictionary currently defines misogyny as “hatred of women”, but will now add a second definition to include “entrenched prejudice against women.”