Category: Society

At last, some sense on the cartoon furore, over at the Talk Politics blog. So unlike the shrill tub-thumping of Andrew Sullivan.

Tobias Schwarz, over at A Fistful of Euros, draws my attention to a recent story in SPIEGEL; the story of Mukthar Mai. While I knew something of her story, this article brings her tale to life, and adds further detail, some of which gives rise to the hope that out of her terrible experience, some good might come. Go and read it.

Time to return to Andrew Sullivan again… Apparently, I’m not the only one who’s been emailing him to complain that Pim Fortuyn was not killed by Muslims. Undeterred, he’s now saying that Fortuyn was "murdered for standing up to Islamist intolerance and hate. He was killed by a far leftist who supported the Islamists". He quotes, as evidence for this, the entry for Pim Fortuyn in Wikipedia.

 

Oh dear, Andrew, if you’re going to rest your case on a Wikipedia entry, let’s take a look at the Dutch version of Wikipedia, shall we? In particular, the entry for Volkert van der Graaf.

 

His motive for the murder is given there as: "Hij gaf als motief dat hij in Fortuyn een steeds groter wordend gevaar voor de samenleving zag, met name voor kwetsbare groepen, zoals asielzoekers, moslims en mensen met een WAO-uitkering, aldus de verklaring van het Openbaar Ministerie" (he gave as the motive that he saw in Fortuyn an ever-growing danger for society, in particular for vulnerable groups such as asylum-seekers, muslims and people on benefits, according to the statement of the Public Prosecutor). Van der Graaf saw in Fortuyn the rise of another Hitler. That, it seems clear to me, was his reason for the murder, not because "he supported the Islamists". Van der Graaf viewed Muslims in Dutch society simply as an example of a vulnerable group who were being exploited by Fortuyn for political ends.

 

Indeed, the English entry for van der Graaf states much the same thing: "He said he saw Fortuyn as a steadily increasing danger for vulnerable groups in society, namely Muslims. It was thereby a combination of Fortuyn’s stigmatising views, the polarising way that he presented them and the great political power that Fortuyn was threatening to obtain. He saw no other possibility for himself than to end the danger by killing Fortuyn".

 

Frankly, I think Sullivan is tub-thumping and stretching the facts to fit his theory. Tinfoil hat time, Andrew…

In the last week, Andrew Sullivan has mentioned the murder of Pim Fortuyn three times by my reckoning: here, here, and now here. In each case, the context is such that the impression is given that Fortuyn was murdered by Muslim extremists. Except, of course, he wasn’t.

 

Fortuyn was killed by a non-Muslim – a white Dutch animal rights activist and vegan, Volkert van der Graaf.

 

After two uses by Andrew Sullivan of this false and misleading implication, I emailed him to point out his error. But, since he has now perpetuated the misconception a third time, he clearly isn’t bothered about the facts. I’m not impressed. 

In the wake of the Danish cartoons affair, SPIEGEL publishes an interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali today. She’s as uncompromising as ever.

Where there’s a need, someone who’s enterprising will fill it. There was a time when I felt at home in a city. Not any more – I seek the quieter spaces of the country.

Having only recently discovered the blog of Teju Cole, I now find that he has posted his last entry today, and, worse, will remove his pages from the web tomorrow. So, today is your last chance to read the remarkable prose poetry of this Nigerian man.

Nine months ago I reported on a survey finding that seemed to indicate that Americans were switching off their intelligence in large numbers. Alas, it appears as though the brain-eating virus has crossed the pond and is munching its way through good British brains. I despair. Interestingly, it appears as though even this story has evolved in the course of a single day. This morning, it started off by claiming that the over-55’s were "more likely to believe in evolution". Now it says that they are less likely to believe. The evidence is here.

 

I shall watch the Horizon programme, referred to in this story, with some trepidation. Horizon, while still touted by the BBC as its "flagship science programme", has in recent years shown alarming signs of being taken over by programme-makers who wouldn’t know good science if it hit them in the face. There have been some really bad Horizon prgrammes in the past few years, to the extent where I seriously question whether the BBC knows what "flagship" means any more. I’ll report back.

Robert Silverberg (an SF author) reflects on the work of Philip K. Dick (another SF author, and visionary). It’s an excellent article showing how Dick’s dystopias are showing up in our current reality today. He refers to Vivienne, an artificial friend who lives in your mobile phone (and drains your money on a monthly basis). The company behind it, Artificial Life, have a number of such artificial lifeforms aimed at 15-30 year old males and females. Personally, I gave up playing with dolls a very long time ago.

 

(hat tip to Boing Boing for the Silverberg link)

Why am I not surprised that the Bush administration has allied itself alongside Iran in preventing Gay and Lesbian people from having a voice in the UN?

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has been selected as European of the Year for 2006. The only thing that slightly modifies my rapture at this news is the fact that the award comes from the Reader’s Digest. I remember that from the days of my childhood, and it struck me even then as being marshmallow reading. Still, glad to see that Hirsi Ali has been recognised for her activities.

Two Nigerian bloggers comment on the news that the Nigerian government is to ban same-sex marriage.

 

First up is Trae, a young 22-year old Nigerian who spews forth with a depressing stream of homophobia and misogyny on his blog Trae Days.

 

At the other end of the spectrum is Tout Noir’s post in Afro Homo, who vents his frustration at the hypocrisy of certain aspects of Nigerian society.

 

(hat tip to Global Voices Online for the links)

Dr. Charles posts a poignant portrait of one of his patients. I’ve had the privilege of meeting some of Martin’s pupils who share the same chromasomal history. It is indeed bittersweet that their candle of optimistic light is snuffed out all too quickly.  

While some Nigerians show themselves to be humans with their brains turned on, others reveal themselves as sound arguments as to why cockroaches should inherit the earth.

A blog with wonderful writing that takes you into new ways of seeing people and culture.

Rachel, over at her blog, publishes Postcards From Tavistock Square, a meditative piece written by Hassan, a young British Muslim. It’s a wonderful piece of writing. Go and read it.

I would love to be able to watch Richard Dawkins’ new TV series on Channel 4: The God Delusion. Alas, I can’t receive the broadcasts here. So I’ll just have to content myself with snippets. Here’s one – an extract of an exchange (I wouldn’t really call it a conversation) between Dawkins and Ted Haggard, a US evangelical who apparently has regular talks with George Bush. Scary stuff.

The Religious Policeman posts a Saudi version of Enid Blyton’s Noddy over at his blog. Go and read it. And while you’re there, check out his other writings. They are not all as innocent as this. He often makes me smile because otherwise I would weep at the tales he tells.

I didn’t see the TV programme in question, but today’s review in the Guardian makes me wish I had. The programme was Derren Brown: The Heist. Derren Brown has made a name for himself as a mentalist, and in this programme he demonstrated that ‘normal’ people can be persuaded to act in deviant, crinimal or irrational ways. It’s really quite a worrying thought.

I see Sir Iqbal Sacranie is in the same mental cesspit as Cardinal Keith O’Brien. Depressing, but not unexpected. I’m sure they will enjoy each other’s company as they swirl around. It is of their own making, after all*.

 

*With acknowledgements to another example of their ilk, Sir James Anderton.

 

Update: Ophelia, over at ButterfliesAndWheels is even more exasperated at the tosh spouted by these people than I am. She says it so much more satisfyingly though…