There can no longer be any pretence that the Human Rights Council can defend human rights.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Aaronovitch Patiently Repeats the Question
Bishop of Durham refused to answer, so what else can he do?
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Carlin Romano Reviews Susan Jacoby
The Age of American Unreason feeds the notion of American anti-intellectualism as a no-brainer truth.
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NSS on the End of Human Rights
HRC was supposed to be a Council whose members genuinely supported the principles of the UDHR.
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April 7: a Day of Remembrance
Remembering Du’a Khalil Aswad and the thousands of other victims of ‘honour’ killings.
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A Girl’s Years of Beatings and Imprisonment
She finally escaped, but then she went back home.
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Iraq: Islamists Defend Right to Murder Women
United Iraqi Alliance MP Qais al-Ameri argued that honour crimes are permitted under sharia.
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Ziauddin Sardar: Forced Marriages Disgrace Islam
The first step to dealing with honour killings is to criminalise forced marriage.
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Taslima Nasrin’s Exit a National Shame
If one aspect of a genuine democracy is to sustain free debate, the episode has dented India’s claims.
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UN HRC Press Release on Defamation [scroll down]
‘Saudi Arabia called for tolerance of all religions’ – sic!
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Cardinal Agrees to Meet Embryo Researchers
Only condition: the scientists must be willing to accept instruction from Churches on basic morality.
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Pope is a Catholic Shock
US newspapers keep discovering that yes, the Pope does believe all that. Yes, still.
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Ben Goldacre on an Anti-abortion Hoax
No, the baby didn’t push his hand out and wave to the crowd.
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Lebanon Bans ‘Persepolis’
Because somebody maybe thinks it perhaps might annoy Hizbollah possibly.
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PBS Messes Up Again
Goldin carefully explained the science behind phthalate safety research; her effort was wasted.
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Liveleak Withdraws ‘Fitna’ After Threats
Ban Ki-moon condemns ‘offensively anti-Islamic film,’ says right of free speech is not at stake.
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Taslima Nasrin Out of India
Said the conditions she lived in were virtual house arrest and that she was denied medical attention.
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The Taliban in the Swat Valley
The Taliban are growing in popularity partly because the state is not functioning.
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The Swat Valley Taliban
‘Those promoting “enlightened moderation” are the agents of darkness,’ says Fazlullah.
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Parvez Sharma’s Film ‘A Jihad for Love’
Sharma doesn’t believe that the Iranian authorities are conducting an antigay witch-hunt.