It is Friday afternoon in Milltown’s Ahlul Bayt Islamic Centre on October 24th and Imam Dr. Ali al-Saleh is speaking before a congregation of 24 Shia men. It is the eve of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic …
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Sex, drugs and street parties in Tehran
It’s 2:30am when the shrieks and car horns fill the air. Completely awake, I lie on the floor waiting for the noise to die down, unsure of whether or not I should get up and look out the window. The …
Surviving London without a phone
Going abroad without a phone teaches you two life lessons. The first life lesson: “how to function abroad without a phone”. Given that this skill isn’t terribly transferrable, I don’t propose to dwell on it for long. The second, nominally …
My beef with vegan critics
Any time you’re vegan and are about to meet lots of non-vegans, prepare for their thoughts and feelings – and what they lack in prior consideration, they’ll make up for in conviction that you Need to Hear This …
An anatomy of the Daily Mail
A recent Daily Mail headline celebrated the “end of human rights”. The social media response was appropriately derisive. Front-page dismissal of the concept of human rights is something of a watershed moment for any publication – but how …
Liveblog: Slut debate at the Phil
This evening in the GMB, the Phil will hold a debate on the motion This House Believes that Women Should Embrace the Word “Slut”.
Can’t make it along? Don’t worry: our Online Editor Naoise Dolan will be liveblogging it from …
Anti-transgender advertisement condemned
Last Sunday, an anti-transgender advertisement got a full-page airing in the Star Tribune, Minnesota’s largest daily newspaper.
The advert was conservative lobby group Minnesota Child Protection League’s response to the Minnesota State High School League’s proposed policy to allow transgender …
“Boobs on the ground”: how to non-apologise for sexism
As a sexist, you have two things going for you: a) an investment in maintaining your systemic advantage over women, and b) a huge anxiety not to have anyone notice said investment.
These motivations are tricky to balance, particularly when …
Ello fever: the new Facebook?
What is it?
A nebulously anti-consumerist version of Facebook, Ello describes itself as an “ad-free social network created by a small group of artists and designers”, emphasises its grassroots origin “as a private social network”, and assures its users that …
South Africa’s first gay-friendly mosque risks being shut down
Five days after opening, South Africa’s first gay-friendly mosque risks being shut down by municipal authorities.
A local councillor told Agence France Presse that the mosque had been ordered to comply with regulations in what the mosque’s founder described as …