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are
men backing women’s lib in iran? men in scarves
“They (Iranian government officials) use a standard
cliche to try to humiliate men, as if being a woman
were something bad, and thousands of Iranians respond
by posting these pictures, showing there is absolutely
nothing wrong with women or veiling," said Dabashi,
who is a supporter of the arrested protester, Tavakoli.
—
“ Proud to wear my late mother's rusari, the very
rusari that was forced on my wife in Iran, the very
rusari for which my sisters are humiliated if they choose
to wear it in Europe, and the very rusari that the backward
banality that now rules Iran thinks will humiliate Majid
Tavakoli if it is put on him -- He is dearer and nobler
to us today than he ever was.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#men_in_scarves_151209
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no
civil partnerships in the uk if you’re straight!
“A straight couple in London, Tom Freeman and
Katherine Doyle, have been had their request for a civil
partnership turned down by Islington registry office.
They were handed a letter of refusal that informed them:
"Part one of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 states
that a civil partnership is a relationship between two
people of the same sex and therefore we would not be
able to take notice of your proposed civil partnership."
“Speaking outside the registry office after their
failed bid, the couple told Pink News:
“Today we have been refused access to a legal
institution because of our sexuality. We are saddened
and disappointed. In a democratic state, all institutions
should be open to all people. We are going to take legal
advice and take it to the European court of human rights
if necessary." ”
Note that this would not happen if
the UK adopted the PACS declaration available in France.
[PACS: pacte civil de solidarité - civil
agreement of solidarity (mutual support). A PACS can be
made between unmarried, same-sex or opposite-sex couples.]
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#civil_partnership_251109
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another
socialist ‘new’ labour move to outlaw cooperation
In the ‘New’ Labour onrush
to isolate and alienate people in order to extend their
fascist central control state, they are now moving to
stop people cooperating and living together.
Getting people to distrust one another
and to spy on neighbours is much enhanced by removing
any form of private cooperation.
Naturally, as usual with any mafia,
‘New’ Labour tries to sell it as more ‘protection’
while, no doubt, trying to extract more tax.
“Plans to limit homes being rented to more than
six unrelated people to prevent 'studentification' have
been attacked by landlords and the students' union.
“Government proposals to use planning laws to
restrict houses of multiple occupation, the official
label for properties rented to groups of unrelated people,
have been branded a 'knee-jerk reaction' and 'nimby's
charter'. ”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#anti_communal_legislation_110809
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interesting kerfuffle emerging as iran blocks facebook in election lead-up
"The social networking site Facebook has been
blocked by the government in advance of this country's presidential
elections next month. The site was used by several candidates running
against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad." [Quoted from allheadlinenews.com]
“Blockings and filtering of websites are not
linked to the government but to the judiciary and a
special committee there in charge of fighting moral
abuse in internet," an internet provider in Tehran
said.
“President Ahmadinejad himself denied calling
for a ban on Facebook for period before the country's
presidential elections.
“ "I should make an inquiry and ask about
this," he said in a Monday press conference when
asked about the issue.
“ "I believe in maximum freedom of expression,"
he added.
“As Iran gears up for the June 12 elections,
Facebook has become increasingly popular among Iranian
voters who discuss their views and engage in heated
presidential debates on the social website.
“At least 25 million of Iran's population of
78 million is estimated to have Internet access. [Quoted
from presstv.ir]
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#iran_net_censorship_300509
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uk’s
newlabour tightening the net this time on travellers
“The travel plans and personal details of every holidaymaker,
business traveller and day-tripper who leaves Britain are to be tracked
by the Government, the Daily Telegraph can disclose.”
—
“Anyone departing the UK by land, sea or air will have their trip
recorded and stored on a database for a decade.
“Passengers leaving every international sea port, station or
airport will have to supply detailed personal information as well as
their travel plans. So-called "booze crusiers" who cross the
Channel for a couple of hours to stock up on wine, beer and cigarettes
will be subject to the rules.
“In addition, weekend sailors and sea fishermen will be caught
by the system if they plan to travel to another country - or face the
possibility of criminal prosecution.
“The owners of light aircraft will also be brought under the
system, known as e-borders, which will eventually track 250 million
journeys annually.
“Even swimmers attempting to cross the Channel and their support
teams will be subject to the rules which will require the provision
of travellers' personal information such as passport and credit card
details, home and email addresses and exact travel plans.
“The full extent of the impact of the government's "e-borders"
scheme emerged amid warnings that passengers face increased congestion
as air, rail and ferry companies introduce some of the changes over
the Easter holidays.”
Not
clearly written, but this is a small step toward sanity
“There is one very significant issue that will always make data
mining unworkable when used to search for terrorist suspects in a general
population, and that is what we might call the "baseline problem":
even with the most brilliantly accurate test imaginable, your risk of
false positives increases to unworkably high levels, as the outcome
you are trying predict becomes rarer in the population you are examining.
This stuff is tricky but important. If you pay attention you will understand
it.”
related material
cause, chance and Bayesian
statistics - Bayes theory for conditional and marginal probabilities
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#uk_travel_controls_150309
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big
brother strikes in putin’s paradise
“The Whisperers has been translated into 22 languages,
including all the European languages of the former Soviet Union - except
Russian, it now seems.”
—
“ On 4 December a group of masked men from the investigative committee
of the Russian general prosecutor's office forced their way into the St
Petersburg offices of Memorial. After a search the men confiscated hard
drives containing the entire archive of Memorial in St Petersburg: databases
with biographical information on victims of repression; details about
burial sites in the St Petersburg area; family archives; sound recordings
and transcripts of interviews.
“All the materials I collected with Memorial in St Petersburg
(about one third of the sources used in The Whisperers) were also confiscated.
The raid was part of a broader ideological struggle over the control
of history publications and teaching in Russia that may have influenced
the decision of Atticus to cancel my contract.
“The Kremlin has been actively for the rehabilitation of Stalin.
Its aim is not to deny Stalin's crimes but to emphasise his achievements
as the builder of the country's "glorious Soviet past". It
wants Russians to take pride in their Soviet past and not to be burdened
with a paralysing sense of guilt about the repressions of the Stalin
period.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#russian_censorship_060309
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photographers
to face arrest in uk
“Taking photographs of police officers could be deemed a criminal
offence under anti-terrorism legislation that comes into force next
week. Campaigners against section 76 of the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008,
which becomes law on Monday, said it would leave professional photographers
open to fines and arrest.”
—
“Under section 76, eliciting, publishing or communicating information
on members of the armed forces, intelligence services and police officers
which is "likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing
an act of terrorism" will be an offence carrying a maximum jail
term of 10 years.”
—
“Val Swain, a member of Fitwatch, a collective which photographs
police intelligence teams taking pictures of protesters, said: "I
took a picture of an officer on my camera phone and he walked over and
said, 'you are going to delete that'. We're in a public place, he's
in a public role and he knew that. They've been gearing up for it but
so far they've stopped short of arresting people. Now they will have
the power to do it."
“Jeremy Dear, general secretary of the NUJ, said: "Police
officers [...] believe they have the power to delete images or to take
editorial decisions about what can and can't be photographed. The right
to take photos in a public place is a precious freedom. It is what enables
the press to show the wider world what is going on." ”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#uk_photographers_arrest_120209
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another step toward the transparent society
“THE [UK] government is building a secret database to track and hold
the international travel records of all 60m Britons.
“The intelligence centre will store names, addresses, telephone
numbers, seat reservations, travel itineraries and credit card details
for all 250m passenger movements in and out of the UK each year.
“The computerised pattern of every individual’s travel
history will be stored for up to 10 years, the Home Office admits.
“The government says the new database, to be housed in an industrial
estate in Wythenshawe, near Manchester, is essential in the fight against
crime, illegal immigration and terrorism. However, opposition MPs, privacy
campaigners and some government officials fear it is a significant step
towards a total surveillance society.”
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#transparent_society_uk_090209
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political decision by echr backs spain’s scapegoat attack - xavier
In late 2002, the
Spanish government caused an international environmental disaster,
spreading filthy fuel oil from a damaged oil tanker over the coasts of
at least three countries.
The Spanish authorities attempted to divert attention by
making
a scapegoat of the distressed ship’s master. Captain Mangouras,
highly experienced and 69 years old at the time, was jailed in Spain for
ten months, then kept under house-arrest, and only allowed to go home
to Greece temporarily by posting a ludicrously high bail of 3 million
euro. Captain Mangouras took his appeal against this mad bail to the European
Court for Human Rights.
“ “This finding seems inexplicable,” ITF Seafarers’
section secretary Jon Whitlow told Lloyd’s List.
“ “The arrest of Capt Mangouras was a knee-jerk reaction
by a flailing government.
His continued detention was a politically-motivated attempt to shift
blame in the face of a national disaster.” ”
—
“Capt Mangouras argued that the level of bail set was disproportionate
to the accusations; there are alleged to have been “irregularities”
in his conduct during the incident, which led to the release of 70,000
tonnes of fuel oil into the Atlantic.”
related material
Prestige
oil disaster - latest Spanish government whitewash debunked
the web address for the article above is
https://www.abelard.org/news/civil-liberties01_2009.php#echr_spain_collaboration_100109
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