Founder of the Green Belt Movement, which has planted over thirty million trees across Kenya.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Fury in Australia at ‘Uncovered meat’ Comments
‘I had only intended to protect women’s honour,’ Sheikh Hilali said. Women not much mollified.
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Danish Court Rejects Motoons Defamation Suit
Not enough reason to believe the cartoons were intended to be insulting or harmful to Muslims.
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Zanzibar Adopts HIV/AIDS Policy
Parliament rejected conservative Muslim demands to close bars and ban skimpy clothing.
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Bradford Council Advises Against Niqab in Schools
Ann Cryer, Trevor Phillips urge Azmi not to take her appeal through courts.
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Religion is not a Learning Aid
If we think universities should be spaces of free debate and enquiry, why not schools too?
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Books Do Furnish a Room
Scott McLemee on coffee-table books that are not merely decorative.
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Mark Lilla and Richard Sennett Open Letter
To the Anti-Defamation League, on the cancellation of a talk by Tony Judt at Polish consulate.
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Hitchens on Tony Judt’s Persecution Complex
We have a right to express an opinion, but not at a meeting of a private group that disagrees.
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In a Sea of Uncertainty, We Grab at Anchors
Like other subtle biases, anchors influence people at an unconscious level.
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Jesus and Mo Have a Guest
He made it at last.
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On the Right to Give Offence
Believers in absolute truth revealed by God are unlikely to allow pestiferous notions of freedom of speech.
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Turkey Struggles to End ‘Honour’ Killings
Issue is complicated by the fact that the murders are associated mainly with the Kurdish minority.
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9/11 Doubter to Leave Post at BYU
Physics instructor belongs to group who believe US orchestrated the 9/11 attacks.
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Kenan Malik on What Muslims Want
Politicians prefer to see them as people who can be politically engaged only by other Muslims.
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Anti-gay Catholic Group Harassing a Priest
Catholic Truth, a right-wing newsletter, trying to out an Edinburgh priest.
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Trevor Phillips: Veil Debate Could Start Riots
‘This is not what anyone intended and it is the last thing Britain needs.’
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Shazia Mirza Off to India to Joke About Veils
The British Council is sending her for bridge-building purposes.
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Might Secularism be a Good Idea?
Is it time for Britain, as a state, to turn secular?
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Sam Harris on Bad Reasons to be Good
The link between religion and morality in our public life is almost never questioned.