The Free Society Institute stands with Charlie Hebdo and all defenders of free speech and civil liberty in condemning the murder of two police officers, three cartoonists, and eight journalists in Paris on January 7. As offended as those of the Muslim faith might find blasphemy to be, that offence pales into insignificance compared to… Continue reading Statement on Charlie Hebdo attack – Free Society Institute
Author: Jacques Rousseau
IHEU report on social media and discrimination against the non-religious
The IHEU is today releasing a report on discrimination against non-religious people, with examples drawn from all over the world. It makes for interesting reading, because in addition to all the cases that get widespread media attention, the problem of discrimination against the non-religious is perhaps a larger one than many people realise. The report… Continue reading IHEU report on social media and discrimination against the non-religious
The German circumcision ruling
In June this year, a court in the German city of Cologne heard a case involving a four-year-old child from a Muslim family who was admitted to hospital with bleeding following a circumcision. The doctor who performed the circumcision did so at the request of the boy’s parents, and was acquitted of the charge of… Continue reading The German circumcision ruling
Staring into the abyss of special privileges
Take a vast chasm, a tightrope, pea-soup mists and swirling, vicious gusts of wind – then a person steps onto that rope, destination unseen. Such are the ingredients for the kind of ‘recipe for disaster’ if a country embarks on creating charter upon charter of special privileges for one or more interest groups – no… Continue reading Staring into the abyss of special privileges
Comment to the Press Freedom Commission on regulating the print media
The Press Freedom Commission “released a call for the SA public to voice its opinion about press freedom and the regulation of print media”. What follows is a submission made by the FSI Chairman (not a consensus statement by the FSI generally). To whom it may concern, SUBMISSION WITH REGARD TO PRESS FREEDOM AND… Continue reading Comment to the Press Freedom Commission on regulating the print media
Religion at South African universities
It appears that not only South African schools are willing to ignore the National Policy on Religion and Education (pdf). As previously observed, certain schools routinely violate the requirement that religious instruction needs to focus on religion in general – allowing for freedom of belief by not requiring that students are exposed to only one religion,… Continue reading Religion at South African universities
UFOs meet ‘numerical science’ in a festival of nonsense
The Cape Times today reports that: SA’s first UFO event to be held South Africa will experience its first conference on unidentified flying obects (UFOs) in November. “Millions of people in SA have had their own personal experience with ETs and UFOs – but most have in the past been too nervous to raise the… Continue reading UFOs meet ‘numerical science’ in a festival of nonsense
Stop Secrecy Week
Anyone in Cape Town and surrounding areas is encouraged to attend any of these events – but particularly the march on Saturday, in protest of the POI Bill. Students Against Secrecy, a coalition of student organizations have put together a week of action to raise awareness about and activism against the Protection of Information Bill.… Continue reading Stop Secrecy Week
Atheists and the politics of productive engagement
Prominent spokespersons for divisive views can make their arguments in more or less divisive ways. And while we shouldn’t confuse whatever offence is caused by antagonistic expressions of a viewpoint with the legitimacy of that viewpoint, we also shouldn’t ignore the fact that persuasion becomes more difficult when your audience is pissed off. Read more at Synapses.
Sam Harris, ‘new atheism’ and alleged Islamophobia
André Gide remarked that “everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again”. So it is with the recent article by Mandy de Waal, who took Sam Harris (and the ‘new atheists’ in general) to task for ‘hate speech’, ‘bigotry’ and encouraging so-called Islamophobia. It’s… Continue reading Sam Harris, ‘new atheism’ and alleged Islamophobia