Empowerment of women and ability to exercise freedom of conscience are crucial.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Asians in Media on the Brick Lane ‘Protests’
‘It was all taking place in a sweet shop that could barely hold 20 people.’
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Fareena Alam Reviews Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Lots of sarcasm, scare quotes, words like ‘shrill’.
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Theocracy in America
House passes bill to block federal courts from hearing challenges to Pledge ‘God’; buys giant cross.
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Forced Marriage Stays Legal, Women Despair
Head of a South Asian women’s charity said girls are already suffering the consequences.
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Hawking Attacks Reactionary Forces
In Europe and America which are trying to ban research into stem cells from human embryos.
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Stanley Fish on What Academic Freedom Is
Any views presented should be offered as objects of analysis rather than as candidates for allegiance.
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Review of Richard Schoch on Happiness
Is it sensible to seek clues to happiness within the Judeo-Christian tradition at all?
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A History of Misogyny
This prejudice is the oldest of the lot, and runs so deep that it is almost invisible.
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‘Community Leaders’ Vow to Do Anything it Takes
Calling ‘Brick Lane’ ‘a violation of the human rights of the community.’
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Women in Afghanistan are in Big Trouble
Taliban-founded Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice returns.
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Lots of Religion-teasing at Edinburgh Fringe
‘Come and get me, copper,’ one comedian says.
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A Small Victory for Reason Over ‘Faith’
Head of St Luke’s made students carry a statue of the Virgin Mary around the college while singing hymns.
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Fringe Comics Push ‘Hate Law’ to the Limits
Aim to push the limits of freedom of speech since new racial and religious hatred laws were passed.
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Swimming in Body Armor, What Fun
The Islamic swimwear is a full-body suit and a hood over a tight bonnet – for women, that is.
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Janet Browne on the Controversy over Darwin’s Book
Four of Darwin’s friends carried the brunt of the public storm: each a specialist in his scientific field.
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Is There a ‘Pogrom’ Against Gays in Iran?
HRW says no, Doug Ireland says yes.
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Protests, Vigils, Dialogue Mark Anniversary
Vigils were held to mark the first anniversary of Iran’s hanging of two teenagers accused of homosexuality.
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Doug Ireland on the Protests
A lot of material.
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HRW Says Little is Known of What Happened
No major news organization outside Iran has tracked down what really happened.