The Infidel: a case of mistaken identity It ought to have been right up my street, but the politics of David Baddiel’s new film, The Infidel, just didn’t ring true Oh boy, I’m gonna get myself in trouble for this one. So, a few weeks ago I went to a preview screening of new comedy The Infidel, out on general release tomorrow. The concept of the film: a Muslim discovers that he was born a Jew, and religious-based hilarity ensues. As the lights dimmed I was proper excited. Here was the utilisation of comedy as a tool to celebrate what makes … Continue reading The Infidel: Blasphemous and Evil Film!

Tiger Woods is favourite to win the Masters, but his saga forces us to focus on the meaning of our support for celebrity athletes The shift from Tiger Woods‘s past to his future occurred when heapologised for marital transgressions on 19 February 2010. Casting himself as a modern day Icarus, Woods spoke of the ugliness of arrogance, and the shame of forsaking his parents’ teachings. He acknowledged remorse at the pain he inflicted upon friends, family members, professional associates, and fans. His statement concluded with the hope that his supporters might find a way to believe in him once again. The … Continue reading Tiger Woods and the persecution of his penis!

Kyrgyzstan’s second tulip revolution Kurmanbek Bakiyev has failed to learn the lessons of the past and is set to follow the corrupt president he replaced into exile The return of Viktor Yanukovich as the duly elected president of Ukraine in February seemed to mark a reversal of the colour revolutions that started with Georgia’s rose revolution in November 2003 and ended with Kyrgyzstan’s tulip revolution in March 2005. Following a rigged election, Yanukovich was deposed by peaceful demonstrations in Kiev in the country’s orange revolution in December 2004. After the successful tulip revolution in the mountainous central Asia republic of Kyrgyzstan, which … Continue reading Kyrgyzstan revolting?

The web is changing how politics works – but not in the ways you might expect, says Matt Warman. By Matt Warman telegraph.co.uk Comments 21 | Comment on this article The MyDavidCameron spoof site produced spoof images of the Conservative leader Photo: MYDAVIDCAMERON.COM From clips of Gordon Brown picking his nose on the green benches to the Conservative Party‘s long-running series of WebCameron videos, the internet is already shaping the course of British politics. But many are predicting that a general election will move the process into overdrive – that David Cameron will be swept into No 10 on the … Continue reading General Election 2010: never underestimate the power of the internet

The struggle for equality in Egypt The debate about rights has had little resonance because both genders are taught that a woman’s place is in the home Baher Ibrahim guardian.co.uk Debates about women’s rights are not new to Egypt. They have been around since the early 20th century. Now, even in 2010, there is no consensus on what role women should play in society. The issue was brought into the spotlight again when Egypt’s state council – the court authorised to settle disputes concerning the exercise of public power – voted by an overwhelming majority to bar a female judge … Continue reading Both genders are taught that a woman’s place is in the home?

Recent legislation is further criminalising prostitutes but doing nothing about the reasons why they choose this work Cari Mitchell guardian.co.uk Sex worker in Soho, London. New legislation is further criminalising sex work. Photograph: Dan Chung The Policing and Crime Act came into force yesterday. Its anti-prostitution measures were put forward by government feminists who advocate the “Swedish model”. In 1998, Sweden passed legislation making it illegal for men to purchase sexual services. This was part of a package also covering stalking, rape and domestic violence, so few have questioned it. Soon, the criminalisation of prostitution – not the neglect and … Continue reading Sex work should not be a crime?

Lourdes: realistic about religion A film about the Lourdes pilgrimage paints an accurate picture of religion, partly by showing that belief isn’t always earnest Julian Baggini guardian.co.uk Sylvie Testud in the film Lourdes A film about a pilgrimage of the sick to a famous shrine in the French Pyrenees in the hope of a miraculous cure doesn’t sound like a bundle of laughs. True, the idea that the Virgin Mary appeared there 18 times to a young woman called Maria-Bernada Sobirós, more commonly known now as St Bernadette, might strike many as comically absurd. Lourdes, however, does not mock or … Continue reading Lourdes: realistic about religion?

US-Afghan relations sink further as Hamid Karzai accused of drug abuse Former UN diplomat Peter Galbraith questions Afghan premier’s mental stability Jon Boone in Kabul guardian.co.uk Barack Obama with Hamid Karzai last month. Peter Galbraith’s comments come as the White House considers cancelling an invitation to the Afghan president. Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP The war of words between the former deputy head of the UN mission to Afghanistan and the country’s president escalated last night when Peter Galbraith suggested that Hamid Karzai‘s “mental stability” was in question and that he has a substance abuse problem. Galbraith, the US diplomat who worked … Continue reading Hamid Karzai accused of drug abuse

The intolerance syndrome thenews.com.pk Raoof Hasan The symptoms of excessive violence being exhibited as a matter of routine by various segments of our society have been on display for long, but they have only now begun to be translated into a consistent collective character trait. This has rendered the society into becoming unmanageable and unwieldy, with conflicting violent groups that are operating mostly to assert their will on the rest of the society. We have succeeded in painting a picture that is an extremely perverse version of how we should have evolved as a nation. When I was growing up … Continue reading The intolerance syndrome unleashed by Zia

Pakistan, the most dangerous country in the world? By Sumair Abro dawn.com ‘We may stand divided on many issues, but when one or a few of us excel at sports, we stand proud and united. So why not use this God given power to shape our future and influence the world?’ Zeeshan rues poor state of departmental hockey The year was 1994. It was an authentic spring morning in March and I was sitting with a group of friends at La Baguette Cafe. The room as usual was noisy, filled with mists of cigarette smoke; waitresses were pale skinned, dark … Continue reading Is Pakistan, the most dangerous country in the world?