by Heather Hastie | Mar 18, 2015 | Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Religion
I wrote about New Zealander Philip Blackwood here in January when he was still awaiting trial after his arrest on 10 December last year. 10 December is International Human Rights Day, and so I thought it particularly ironic that he was arrested for his particular...
by Heather Hastie | Mar 8, 2015 | Democracy, Human Rights, New Zealand, Religion, Women
The celebration of an International Women’s Day was first proposed at an international socialist women’s conference in August 1910. It was partly inspired by a women’s day celebrated by the Socialist Party of America in New York the previous year....
by Heather Hastie | Mar 7, 2015 | Democracy, Human Rights, Middle East, Religion, Women
Most of you have probably see the video below of Maajid Nawaz trying to get some of his fellow Muslims admit that some of the punishments in Sharia are inhumane. For whatever reason, they simply won’t say that punishments like stoning to death are wrong....
by Heather Hastie | Feb 13, 2015 | Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Religion, Terrorism, USA
On Tuesday 10 February 2015, Sydney Police arrested two Muslim men. They had received information that they planned to carry out a random murder that day. On raiding the men’s home the police found a hunting knife, a DAESH flag and a self-made video describing...
by Heather Hastie | Feb 7, 2015 | Democracy, Freedom of Speech, International Politics, Religion, Terrorism, US Politics, USA
In the United States there is a growing rift between Democrats and Republicans on how to describe the terrorism in the Middle East and northern Nigeria. (As if politics in America needed any more rifts!) The Obama administration will not use the word...
by Heather Hastie | Feb 6, 2015 | Democracy, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, International Politics, Religion
I wrote about the need to repeal New Zealand’s blasphemy law back in January, ending my post with the words, “Not only should we repeal our blasphemy law, New Zealand should become part of a call of all free nations to see them repealed worldwide.” I...
