1300 people were seized and made to drink poison; some died, others spent days racked with pain.… Read the rest
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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Journalists Caught Between Govt and Taliban 
Aug 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Journalists in Afghanistan face increasing threats and attacks from government officials and the Taleban.… Read the rest
Alan Sokal, Science and Politics
Aug 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sokal views science and religion as fundamentally epistemologically incompatible.… Read the rest
The Difference Between Faith and Science
Aug 16th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Jerry Coyne reads Darrell Falk of BioLogos, Mooney and Kirshenbaum, and Russell Blackford.… Read the rest
Bryan Appleyard Reviews The Evolution of God
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Takes a few kicks at ‘the absurd rhetoric of militant atheism’ while he’s at it.… Read the rest
Taslima Nasreen Will Not Apologize…
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘for whatever I have written about the fundamentalists. I am willing to risk my life for that and continue my legitimate fight till the day I die.’… Read the rest
Indian Muslim Groups Protest Nasreen Visa
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Claim Nasreen committed blasphemy through her writings and hurt feelings of Muslims across the world. … Read the rest
Afghanistan: Taliban Reaches Out to Voters
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Promising to chop off their fingers if they vote.… Read the rest
Afghanistan Passes Patriarchal Shia Law
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Law permits men to starve wives who refuse sex, requires women to get permission from their husbands to work.… Read the rest
How Dare You Protest Sexual Segregation?
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Especially at a wedding! You can’t have women mixing with men at weddings. Duh.… Read the rest
NZ Child Killed in ‘Curse Lifting Ceremony’
Aug 15th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
People picked at the demons they saw in her eyes; water was forced into her mouth to flush out demons. … Read the rest
Youngest Adults Are the Least Creationist.
Aug 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Even religious youth are less Creationist than older age cohorts.… Read the rest
Confronting Tehran’s Vicious Misogyny
Aug 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Tarek Fatah notes not even the Saudis have used rape as a tool of subjugation as the ayatollahs have.… Read the rest
Ottawa Should Do More About Maziar Bahari
Aug 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Canadian journalist is one of many charged with inciting a ‘velvet revolution.’… Read the rest
Free Maziar Bahari
Aug 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Canadian/Iranian filmmaker and Newsweek correspondent detained in Iran since June 21.… Read the rest
India: 3 People Killed for ‘Witchcraft’
Aug 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Family members Karmi, 58 and Rahesh, 24 tried to save Munda, 65, but villagers killed them all.… Read the rest
Akbar Ganji: Open Letter to Ban Ki-moon
Aug 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
An appeal to heed the widespread protests of the Iranian people.… Read the rest
Kenan Malik Asks: Are All Muslims the Same?
Aug 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Malik explores how perceptions of Islam have been shaped by the media.… Read the rest
Palestinian Women’s Attitudes to Wife Beating
Aug 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Justified if a wife insults her husband (59%), disobeys husband (49%), goes out without telling husband (25%).… Read the rest
Jason Rosenhouse on Scapegoating
Aug 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Christianity and theism tend to be opposed to freedom of thought.… Read the rest
