Raymond Ibrahim’s fundamental new book Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians, has been widely reported, covered and praised and does not require an introduction, but it prompts a reflection. The problem of Christian discrimination and persecution by Muslims is in fact two problems. Like unpunished crimes’ victims who suffer twice, for the crime and for Read more
In obstetrics, a fetus is an unborn child who is recognisably human and in whom all the major structures and organ systems are already present. An embryo is an unborn child from an earlier stage of development. An embryo becomes a fetus about eight weeks after fertilisation. The ‘abortion drug’ RU486 kills embryos. RU486 or Read more
In 1985, Mary Anne Warren coined the term gendercide to refer to the ritual eradication of women and girls throughout the world. More recently, the heartbreaking film It’s a Girl documents the effects of this practice on the numbers of girls and women in China and India. It makes for difficult viewing, particularly when confronted with the Read more
At St Mary’s primary school in Lochee, Scotland, I had the same teacher for six years, Mrs W. For me, she was an excellent teacher: she encouraged me to read widely, gave me ample time for creative writing, drilled me in mental arithmetic, and allowed me leadership opportunities, which largely consisted in time out of Read more
New Zealanders commonly drink too much. The proportion who drank more than recommended limits on at least one occasion in the past year ranged from 40 per cent for those aged 55 to 64 to 80 per cent for those aged 18 to 24. While for some this may be infrequent, for too many New Read more
Last September, Il Partito Democratico, the Italian Democratic Party, asked me to talk about politics and the internet at its summer school in Cortona. Political summer schools are usually pleasant — Cortona is a medieval Tuscan hill town with excellent restaurants — and unexciting. Academics and public intellectuals give talks organised loosely around a theme; Read more
Brothers and Sisters of one nation and one country of West Papua, who are now moving between and under trees, in the deep and wide forests of Papua, on the coastal areas, down the valleys and on the swampy areas, who are now fighting for our rights openly or in a clandestine manner, even to Read more
How many times in the last few years have we heard it said that the law is an ass, following trials that have not had popular or expected outcomes, and where lives have been lost by the actions of those released on bail? We know that nothing is perfect and that despite the best efforts Read more
Anzac Day troubles me because when all the processions, words and rituals are done, I don’t know what it means. That’s frightening given its resurgence as a quasi belief system in New Zealand that seems to demand an almost unquestioning reverence. It’s not that I haven’t tried to understand. I’ve ploughed my way through books, Read more
Without so much as mentioning a word, the moment Rolf Harris’ name made it to the press, his reputation was vaporised by speculation and condemnation. As with charges about inappropriate flesh pressing, notably with the underage, anyone’s reputation that comes within a bull’s roar of it finds a career ruined. That is specifically so if The Read more