Islam

A collection of 159 posts

Education

'Extremist' nurseries to lose funding - Nicky Morgan

The post-Trojan horse shenanigans rumble on. The BHA are riding the secular wave - good on 'em. The BBC reports: Councils are to be given powers to stop funding early-years providers with links to extremism, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has announced. The move, in England, follows a letter-writing campaign

Deconversion

Real Conversion Story #8 - Kaveh Mousavi

Kaveh Mousavi is a blogger over at Freethought Blogs (FTB) who very kindly reviewed my Beyond An Absence of Faith book on his One the Margin of Error blog. He is an atheist living in Iran; I have a lot of respect for such courageous people. Here is his account: I already have written a very l

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Is Islam threatening the world?

I recently wrote a piece, "I am Rationally Islamaphobic", which set out why I think Islam is a problem, and is a worldview to worry about. Well, it seems like areas of the world are self destructing under its dogmatic extremes. We could argue about defining Islamic extremism, but there is something

atheism

Taxpayers' cash should not be used to fund faith schools, say voters

OK, so if you have been following the debacle of the schools in Birmingham, UK, which have involved the schools inspectorate in the UK, you will know that there is a huge worry in the UK that certain schools are becoming worryingly victim to Islamic extremism. I will not explain

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Pakistani woman stoned to death because she married the man she loved

This story is doing the news rounds. Another shocking example of how religion fucks everything up. Modern atheism prefer to argue vociferously about what happened in lift at skeptical conferences: A 25-year-old woman was stoned to death and killed by her family outside a high court in the Pakista

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Sudanese woman who married a non-Muslim sentenced to death

This has been an ongoing saga which is nothing short of depressing. As the Guardian reports: Amnesty International joins condemnation of death penalty for Sudanese doctor found guilty of 'apostasy' for marrying Christian President Omar al-Bashir, an Islamist who seized power in a 1989 coup in

Education

Islamic take-over of UK schools being investigated

The government are continuing to look into the Islamification of certain schools in the Birmingham area as I reported (from the BBC) before. Here, the anti-terrorism unit has got involved. This is close to my teaching and secular heart (from the BBC again):

Blasphemy

Pakistani couple get death sentences for blasphemy

Being a Christian, or any non-Muslim, in Pakistan is hard. Blasphemy laws restrict any kind of free speech and freethought. Here, the BBC reports on yet another case of backwards thinking. It makes me so sad.

Education

Education and religion: Invention or not, tactics in alleged Birmingham school plot are familiar

The Guardian reports, following up from a story which I reposted here: Experienced headteachers say they recognise ploy outlined in document about alleged Islamic plot to 'take over' schools

Education

'Islamic takeover plot' in Birmingham schools investigated

As a teacher, I cannot tell you how much this worries me. I will be striking later this month in opposition to this government push on 'free schools' an academies which is thinly veiled attempt to privatise education and politically liberalise it. I could bore you for hours on the ramifications and

Islam

Liberal newspaper Express Tribune cowed into silence by Pakistani Taliban

Media group opts for self-censorship on terrorism after Taliban admits murder of three employees for critical reports on militants When it was launched four years ago, the Express Tribune set out to become the house newspaper of liberal-minded Pakistanis.

fundamentalism

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'in village massacre'

Boko Haram at it again. Sheesh. Fundamentalism. BBC: Northern Nigeria is under emergency rule, but attacks have intensified Suspected Islamist militants have raided a Nigerian village and murdered dozens, according to witnesses. The gunmen reportedly rounded up a group of men in Izge village and shot them, before going door-to-door

atheism

New counter-apologetics podcast segments available

I, as you may well know, contribute to the Skepticule podcast by recording a counter-apologetics segment for them, Pearced Off. My segment is always followed by an interesting discussion of ideas brought up by the 'panel' of Pauls. Here are the latest offerings: Skepticule 53 - Heaven not

Islam

Maher on liberals and Islam

H/T to the thinker: http://youtu.be/XA64SX_52m8   And Morgan and Maher on guns, gay rights and marijuans: http://youtu.be/izSx3sOHO-M and an interesting piece on FOX news: http://youtu.be/j0aEjKhqu00

extremism

Islam or Islamaphobia?

Watch the above video. (Then watch it again.) And then read the (unedited and uncorrected) description of this footage written by the organizers of this Muslim “peace conference”:

Islam

Hey women, check out where you can get stoned! Book your holidays now...

Check out this map. In this day and age, this is nothing short of a shocker. I simply cannot believe the UN hasn't got any binding laws against it's usage such that it would contravene human rights regulations. Here are some interesting points from the article

Conservatives

Cause for concern: two state schools challenge Government policy on teaching evolution

This is a disgrace. This is what our schools are coming to given the government's insistence that anyone can set up schools (Free Schools). This is just an excuse for ideological indoctrination. Here is an email the British Humanist Association sent me:

extremism

Moustache elicits Taliban death threats

OK, so this is the world's greatest moustache. But this guy put his life on the line for it in the face of religious extremism. Shit, he even put his family second to the mighty facial hair. Here is Salon.com's take on it (H/T Reasonable Doubts):

Education

An Indictment of British (Faith) Free Schools

I am a big advocate of the state education sector in Britain. I hate Michael Gove, the Conservative Education Minister, with a passion. He is trying to deregulate and effectively privatise the education system. I will joining my brothers and sisters on strike on the 17th October. I will be

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I am rationally Islamaphobic

This may be an oxymoron because a phobia is often, though not always, seen as an irrational or disproportionate fear of something, I contest that my fear of Islam is either disproportionate or irrational. I have a fear which is, I argue, perfectly rational; empirical, even.

Education

Concerns raised about gender and religious discrimination at Derby Muslim Free School

The Derby Telegraph has reported that Al-Madinah School, a Muslim Free School that opened in Derby in September 2012, is forcing all female members of staff to wear a hijab (whether Muslim or not), and is requiring girls to sit at the back of classrooms. The Sunday Times is further reporting that re

gender

Nigerian woman wins beauty pageant billed as Islam's answer to Miss World

Oh deary me. Not only are women deemed worthy in their appeal to men, but now they are deemed worthy on account of their most useful trait: their knowledge of the Qu'ran (whilst wearing a headscarf and high heels). Can this world get any more fucked up on account of religion? Obabiyi Aishah Ajibo

communication

Some views on the full face veil

The Guardian has run a few articles lately on face veiling as it has hit the news again in the UK. I have detailed before my frustration with veiling (primarily on communication grounds, but also on the more complex and debatable grounds of being undergirded by sexism). Here are some interesting vie

Christianity

No, THIS is the best religious debate ever....

H/T Reasonably Faithless: http://youtu.be/uX-Aldx-LM0

Bangladesh

"They liked me, but they have to kill me some day"

What do you say to someone who tried to stab you to death? The unlikely opportunity to find out presented itself to Asif Mohiuddin not long ago in a jail in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Taken into custody for a second time for allegedly posting “offensive comments about Islam and Mohammed” on his blog, the