Whether you’re willing to adopt, donate, or you’re so damn stingy that you’ll struggle to write an email, there are some seriously disturbing causes in need of your backing this week. But don’t worry, you can close the window at any time, so don’t let that put you off reading this week’s roundup.
Leaving the Cult
Leaving the Cult follows three teenage boys after their escape from ‘The Crick’, the area inhabited by their polygamist Mormon families. Although painfully difficult to watch, it is essential viewing, and will leave you with a new outlook towards the Mormon missionaries you meet in the street, and if you’re anything like me, an excruciating desire to adopt them.
Watch Leaving the Cult here. (Unfortunately this video is available only to UK residents.)
Attempted intimidation by a quack
Dr. Stephen Barratt of QuackWatch, an excellent organisation dedicated to exposing bogus medical claims, is being sued by the ‘lab’ Doctor’s Data, whose reports Barratt claimed were manipulated to instil unnecessary fears in patients and direct them towards chelation therapy. The case should increase the transparency of Doctor’s Data’s dishonesty, but will cost Barratt much time and money in the meantime. To financially support Barratt you can make a donation to QuackWatch here.
[Via Pharyngula]
Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning
Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, an Iranian woman convicted of adultery, has been sentenced to death by stoning. Mina Ahadi, an activist based in Germany and who was herself forced to flee a death sentence in Iran, is now leading the opposition campaign. She explains that the only chance to overrule this sentence is to have activists worldwide encourage European governments to put pressure on the Islamic regime in Iran, but time is running out. You can help by forwarding a copy of this email (scroll down) to the UN High Commissioner for the Office of Human Rights. It doesn’t take a second and won’t cost you anything.
Read more here.
Watch CNN’s news coverage here.
[Via Atheist Media Blog]
Muslim parents banning children from music lessons
Hundreds of British Muslims are withdrawing their children from music lessons, despite having no legal right to do so. Apparently the prophet Muhammad was not a music-lover, and forbid learning a musical instrument, but that’s not even the point. Music lessons are a part of the national curriculum and children are therefore obliged to attend them. Some teachers and Ofsted inspectors however, are turning a blind eye to this breach of the law so as not to enflame public unrest. The worst part of course, is that the poor people at One Law for All barely had time to celebrate the success of their recent rally before this news broke.
Read and watch the BBC’s news coverage here.
[Via Atheist Media Blog]
Pope visit protest warning
Lord Patten, the Conservative peer helping organise the Pope’s upcoming visit to the UK, has warned those planning demonstrations that they risk sparking outrage among the wider public. Scary. The UK taxpayers’ estimated financial obligation towards the four-day visit has increased from £8m to between £10m and £12m, disregarding policing costs. The total cost is set to be closer to £20m. I guess that’s how much it costs to hire a good anti-equality preacher these days (also available for weddings and office functions).
Read more here.
Find out more about demonstrations against the Pope’s UK visit here.
[Via Richard Dawkins]
Iranian government bans ‘immoral’ mullets
Hippity-hop to the barber shop, but be careful what you ask for. The Iranian government this week unveiled a list of approved hairstyles, which basically extends only to a short back and sides for men, making Iran the first country to officially recognise that ponytails and mullets are out.
Watch Al-Jazeera’s news coverage here.
[Via Atheist Media Blog]
********************************
Please feel free to leave a comment and I will do my best to reply as quickly as possible. Until next time, take care of yourself, and each other.
If you come across something that you think our readers would enjoy, send a tip my way at will [at] skeptic [dot] org [dot] uk.
Stephen Barrett is in big trouble in the Doctor’s Data v Barrett case.
BIG trouble.
You can follow the case at http:www.boleneport.com. You can sign up there to be on the newsletter Subscriber list.
Currently Barrett has filed a Motion to Dismiss the case, but htere is little chance that will happen. His reason he wants a Dismissal? He claims he is “assisting the government…
Next comes “discovery,” a process where Barrett will have to cough up thousands of documents, then go into a video-taped Deposition where he will be forced to answer questions about his support network – those that help him get his articles on the first page of search engines.
Barrett’s lead attorney seems to have disappeared, and he has been LATE making EVERY filing deadline since the case began.
The fun has just begun.