Weekly News and Blog Roundup
Stories in this week’s roundup include: the newly announced Jihad against Switzerland; the Secular Coalition for America’s meeting with the Obama administration; and a Danish newspaper’s apology for publishing cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad.
Danish Newspaper Apologises for Muhammad Cartoons
Freedom of the press took a knock last week as the Danish Newspaper Politiken publicly apologised for republishing cartoon depictions of the prophet Muhammad four years ago. The original cartoons, illegal under Sharia law, were published in 2006 and ignited Muslim riots, attacks on Danish embassies worldwide, and dozens of deaths. Politiken representatives have said that this week’s apology was part of a settlement with a Saudi lawyer representing eight Muslim groups in the Middle East and Australia.
The apology was met with disappointment from the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, who said that “Politiken’s pathetic prostrating before a Saudi lawyer takes the first prize in stupidity.” The Danish Union of Journalists described it as “kneeling before opponents of the freedom of press.”
Read the BBC News coverage here.
[Via Atheist Media Blog]
The Secular Coalition for America’s Briefing with the Obama Administration
This week, in the first formal meeting of its kind, members of the Secular Coalition for America met with White House officials to discuss religious exemptions for child abuse, military proselytisation, and faith-based discrimination. An agreement was made to keep the officials’ responses private.
Hemant Mehta, author of the blog Friendly Atheist and who was present at the meeting, expressed cautious optimism towards its outcomes. He writes that “[The officials] are better educated about [the issues concerning us] and they can represent us a little better than before”, but adds that “On the flip side, they’re not the policy makers. They can only take what we say and make recommendations to the relevant personnel.”
Some right wing theists were not happy about the meeting. Bill Donohue for example, expressed disgust towards what he described as the Obama administration’s willingness to meet with “some of the biggest anti-religious zealots in the nation.”
Read more about the meeting here.
[Via Richard Dawkins]
Religion vs. Sex Education
Last week the UK government offered new proposals regarding sex education in schools. The proposers have suffered criticism for having allegedly ‘watered down’ the original policy under pressure from faith schools, some of which wish to be allowed to teach that homosexuality and condom use are sins.
Schools Secretary Ed Balls has denied any watering down, but acknowledges that faith schools can teach sex education “within the context and ethos of the faith”.
Watch the debate on The Big Questions here.
Also read Dr Petra Boynton’s well-informed discussion on sex education in the UK here.
Atheist Group Gives Students Porn in Exchange for Bibles
A student group called Atheist Agenda, who are based at the University of Texas, this week conducted a bible-for-porn exchange, which they promoted as ‘smut-for-smut’. The event predictably outraged many Christians, but also some atheists. For these atheists the group’s actions have done nothing more than reinforce negative stereotypes of the loathing atheist with two horns and a tail.
In a letter addressed to Hemant Mehta of Friendly Atheist, a spokesperson for the group defended their actions, explaining that shock tactics were necessary to draw attention to atheists’ existence. They have certainly done that.
Watch the FOX News report here.
[Via Atheist Media Blog]
Hull Parents Warned Over ‘Fundamentalist’ Faith School
A new, private faith school, described by some as ‘fundamentalist’, is set to open in Hull this year. Its students will follow the Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) curriculum, which teaches that the Bible is literally true. When senior minister Reverend Jarrod Cooper was asked about the school’s teachings on evolution he dodged the question, answering “A lot of people think Christians spend all their time thinking about a seven-day creation; they really don’t.”
The National Secular society is naturally opposed. Their president, Terry Sanderson, points out that “You do not have to look far on the internet to find people who describe themselves as survivors of ACE education because it is an indoctrination style of work.”
Read the Guardian’s news coverage here.
Furious Backlash from Simon Singh Libel Case puts Chiropractors on Ropes
Amidst heavy exposure from the Singh vs. BCA case, chiropractors are being forced to retreat and tend to their ever-growing list of casualties. Fortunately they’re just the people for the job. The General Chiropractic Council has had to recruit six new staff members to deal with the fifteen-fold increase of complaints against its members. According to its figures one in every four UK chiropractors is currently under investigation for misleading advertising.
Read the Guardian’s news coverage here.
President Gaddafi Calls for Jihad Against Switzerland
President Gaddafi of Libya has called for a Jihad against Switzerland after a referendum banning the construction of minarets was announced. Gaddafi called upon his people to prevent any Swiss planes from landing, any Swiss ship from docking and any Swiss goods from being sold, throughout the Islamic world.
Last year Gaddafi urged the UN to disown the ‘infidel state’, where his son and daughter-in-law were once arrested for allegedly beating two servants in a hotel, and to carve it up between France, Germany and Italy. The Guardian reports that he was so enraged at his son’s two day detention that he withdrew £3.2bn from his Swiss bank accounts.
Read and watch the Guardian’s news coverage here.
[Via Friendly Atheist]
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Will | Thursday, 4 March, 2010