Islam causes child cruelty

In Britain, a 13-year-old and a 15-year old were forced to flog themselves until they bled as part of a Shia religious ceremony, "zanjeer zani". The adult who was overseeing the ceremony has been found guilty of child cruelty.

Despite that, the "we musn't offend religious beliefs" meme that comes into operation when discussing Islam's backwards, misogynistic, homophobic mindset is still in operation:

"The Crown Prosecution Service wishes to make it clear that this prosecution was not an attack upon the practices or ceremonies of Shia Muslims," said Carol Jackson of the Greater Manchester CPS.

Why not?

It's child cruelty. A court has just found someone guilty of child cruelty for no other reason than his religion required it. Yet the obvious clash between human rights and Islam is "not an attack" on Islam.

It damn well should be. It should be shouted from the rooftops that this religion required the beating of two teenagers until they bled. It should be made damn clear that Islam was responsible.

Some pictures of Muslims practicising zanjeer zani. Not for the squeamish.

It's fun to stay at the...

A musical interlude

Because we don't have enough of it around here.



The Smashing Pumpkins, "Zero".

Richard Dawkins reads his hate mail

I particularly like the stream of profanity and hatred unleashed by "Christian living for God". There's that Christian spirit!

Via Boing Boing

Livin' large

Yeah, you know you've hit a bit of a low point when chaging your socks is counted among the major achievements of the day.

I admit nothing.

Steve, don't eat it!

Had your lunch? Good. Did you like it? Are you prepared to enjoy it again?

Steve, don't eat it!

Well, I'm all set to enjoy some smoked oysters.

The Gospel of Mark Twain

Strange...a God who could make good children as easily a bad, yet preferred to make bad ones; who could have made every one of them happy, yet never made a single happy one; who made them prize their bitter life, yet stingily cut it short; who gave his angels eternal happiness unearned, yet required his other children to earn it; who gave his angels painless lives, yet cursed his other children with biting miseries and maladies of mind and body; who mouths justice, and invented hell--mouths mercy, and invented hell--mouths Golden Rules and foregiveness multiplied by seventy times seven, and invented hell; who mouths morals to other people, and has none himself; who frowns upon crimes, yet commits them all; who created man without invitation, then tries to shuffle the responsibility for man's acts upon man, instead of honorably placing it where it belongs, upon himself; and finally, with altogether divine obtuseness, invites his poor abused slave to worship him!

- Mark Twain, "No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger"

Amen to that.

Death Star over San Francisco

Via Boing Boing

Weasel words

Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars has a post that is spot on about the not-so-hidden bigotry inherent in phrases like "family values":

There are few things that grate on my nerves more than phrases like "family values" or "pro-family." Gore Vidal was fond of saying that those were really just catchphrase that meant "get the fags" and he was right...
To bigots like LaBarbera, real families can't be led by homosexuals. But in the real world, there are millions of families that are led by gays and lesbians. By what possible reasoning - yes, I say that as though this was a reasoned position knowing full well that it's not - could this argument be justified?

Applause. The next time you hear "working families", do me proud and peg a brick at the perpetrator.

Evolution: U R doin it rong

And then... blammo!

Created by OnePlusYou - Online Dating

How long would you last?

Via Bad Astronomy

Breaking news: Obama is NOT the Antichrist

"I've gotten a lot of questions the last few weeks asking if Obama is the antichrist," says novelist Jenkins. "I tell everyone that I don't think the antichrist will come out of politics, especially American politics."

Well, thank goodness for that. It was keeping me up at night.

"I can see by the language he uses why people think he could be the antichrist," adds LaHaye

Yeah, all that blather about hope, tolerance, and faith is downright Satanic.

Via Dispatches from the Culture Wars