A small Muslim sub-sect known as the Dawoodi Bohra continues to believe that the removal of the clitoris is the will of God. (Then why did god put it there in the first place?)
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Students coerced into signing anti-abortion petition
Catholic school says it wasn’t coercion at all.
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The horror of girls married as children
Girls under 15 are five times more likely to die in childbirth than women in their 20s. Girls under 18 are also at much higher risk of pregnancy-related injuries, such as fistula.
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James Randi on the hounding of Sanal Edamaruku
The threat to arrest a rationalist who has been exposing “miracles” in his own country for more than 30 years is a serious attack on freedom of expression, designed to harass and silence him.
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Who is bullying whom?
A Wiltshire MP has said he will not be bullied into cutting ties with a charity that sponsored an event where a “cure” for homosexuality was discussed.
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BBC will interview people at an abortion clinic
Opponents of the right to abortion are angry, saying this amounts to “free advertising” for abortion.
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Mali: armed groups in North are raping women
Increasing numbers of Malian women are being raped by Tuareg rebels and armed groups that have swept across the north of Mali since the beginning of year.
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Egyptian court upholds sentence for “insulting Islam”
The case brought against actor Adel Imam by an Islamist lawyer accused the actor of mocking the authorities in his films and plays, and offending Islam and its symbols.
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Letter to a daughter
Dear daughter – You should know that you are hated.
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Mona Eltahawy on misogyny in the Middle East
When it comes to the status of women in the Middle East, it’s not better than you think. It’s much, much worse.
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D’Arcy refuses to apologize to bishops
He repeated his apology for saying “fucked up” in the morning, but said the apology demanded by the Catholic Communications Office “would not be forthcoming”.
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Irish bishops demand apology for “insult”
Irish bishops. Of the Catholic church. Demand. An apology. Tell that to Philomena Lee.
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Germany: Salafists distribute 25 million copies of the Koran
The German translation they are distributing has edited out many of the verses which call on Muslims to make war on infidels.
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Child marriages blight Bangladesh
Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with 20% of girls becoming wives before their 15th birthday.
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Cousin marriage boom in Bradford
“It yields considerable social benefits – particularly in ethnic groups, where it is traditional for women to live with their in-laws.”
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Why do French intellectuals “know nothing about science”?
The autism issue seems to be symptomatic of France’s difficult relationship with evidence-based science.
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The forbidden words from Taslima Nasreen’s autobiography
We are free to read them. Not everyone is.
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16 Amish charged with hate crimes
Because the charges involve kidnapping, the first 12 defendants could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Bridget Brennan.
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Jailed for defying Russia’s anti-gay censorship law
His crime? Holding up a sign saying a close family friend, who happens to be lesbian, deserves the same rights as he and his wife.
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Review of Sadakat Kadri on sharia
It’s all very well to mention Bruce Bawer and the Daily Mail and Sun, but concern emanates from authoritative sources which Kadri completely ignores.
