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Weekly feature

Boobs, booze and Muslim feminists
by Ellena Savage
She'd rather be wearing jeans, but is compelled to dress like a Christmas tree for
the Spring Racing Carnival. Her desire to be desired for the depth of her
cleavage is nominated by the designs of men in her society. No wonder some Muslim women feel the hijab subverts patriarchy.
Read more
From the vault
Popular
Mixed blessings on Anglican road to Rome
Andrew McGowan 23-Oct-2009
Liberal Roman Catholics have particular reason to be perturbed at the
influx of ex-Anglicans driven not by ecumenical zeal, but by
dogged adherence to positions on women's ordination or human sexuality which bespeak a broader conservatism.
John Safran the holy fool
Peter Kirkwood 23-Oct-2009
Safran's stunts — such as hoodwinking a Palestinian sperm bank into donating Palestinian sperm to the Israelis, and vice versa — are cringe-making. But they are in the context of a cogent and
pithy argument that has serious intent.
Boobs, booze and Muslim feminists
Ellena Savage 03-Nov-2009
She'd rather be wearing jeans, but is compelled to dress like a Christmas tree for
the Spring Racing Carnival. Her desire to be desired for the depth of her
cleavage is nominated by the designs of men in her society. No wonder some Muslim women feel the hijab subverts patriarchy.
When Hitchens met Brennan
Peter Kirkwood 09-Oct-2009
Christopher Hitchens appeared on Q+A last week with Frank Brennan and others to debate questions of belief. Hitchens was a sharp debater, relentless in pointing out the flaws in fellow panelists' arguments. But Brennan was a worthy opponent.
Breastfeeding is not obscene
Catherine Marshall 19-Oct-2009
Whether grotesquely augmented, stricken with cancer or tumbling
unbidden from the frocks of soccer wives, breasts guarantee rapt
attention.
But never are these appendages more hotly debated than when they are being used according to their very purpose and design.
Christopher Hitchens and ethics without God
Andrew Hamilton 09-Oct-2009
It has been argued that if people do not believe in a God who will condemn them for bad actions, they will feel free to
act outrageously. The claims of Christopher Hitchens give pause to reflect upon whether ethical thinking needs to include God.
Why Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize
Tony Kevin 14-Oct-2009
The Republican Right's claim that Obama has yet to achieve anything is
a smokescreen for their rage, for Obama got this
award precisely because he is 'not Bush'. To speak a credible language of moral inspiration and hope to the world is an achievement in itself.
Stop Sri Lanka, not its refugees
Michael Mullins 19-Oct-2009
The Rudd Government is pursuing the same unprincipled border protection strategy
for which it criticised the Howard Government. It could better assist these refugees by asking the Sri Lankan Government why so many Tamils are fleeing the
country, especially if the war is over.
Sex, schools and students
Fatima Measham 20-Oct-2009
A Queensland father removed his children from a Catholic primary school in protest against the graphic sexual education given to his children. Schools are best placed to cover sexual health because students can be
supported in developing a mature sexual ethic.
Hey hey it's a human rights violation
Michael Mullins 12-Oct-2009
A majority of Australians seem to view the Black Faces segment on Hey Hey as benign, at worst. A Human Rights Charter might amplify the voice of the Koori woman who called a talkback radio station to say the segment had undermined her sense of equality.
Most Commented
Stop Sri Lanka, not its refugees
Michael Mullins 19-Oct-2009
The Rudd Government is pursuing the same unprincipled border protection strategy
for which it criticised the Howard Government. It could better assist these refugees by asking the Sri Lankan Government why so many Tamils are fleeing the
country, especially if the war is over.
Mixed blessings on Anglican road to Rome
Andrew McGowan 23-Oct-2009
Liberal Roman Catholics have particular reason to be perturbed at the
influx of ex-Anglicans driven not by ecumenical zeal, but by
dogged adherence to positions on women's ordination or human sexuality which bespeak a broader conservatism.
Boobs, booze and Muslim feminists
Ellena Savage 03-Nov-2009
She'd rather be wearing jeans, but is compelled to dress like a Christmas tree for
the Spring Racing Carnival. Her desire to be desired for the depth of her
cleavage is nominated by the designs of men in her society. No wonder some Muslim women feel the hijab subverts patriarchy.
Hey hey it's a human rights violation
Michael Mullins 12-Oct-2009
A majority of Australians seem to view the Black Faces segment on Hey Hey as benign, at worst. A Human Rights Charter might amplify the voice of the Koori woman who called a talkback radio station to say the segment had undermined her sense of equality.
Breastfeeding is not obscene
Catherine Marshall 19-Oct-2009
Whether grotesquely augmented, stricken with cancer or tumbling
unbidden from the frocks of soccer wives, breasts guarantee rapt
attention.
But never are these appendages more hotly debated than when they are being used according to their very purpose and design.
Christopher Hitchens and ethics without God
Andrew Hamilton 09-Oct-2009
It has been argued that if people do not believe in a God who will condemn them for bad actions, they will feel free to
act outrageously. The claims of Christopher Hitchens give pause to reflect upon whether ethical thinking needs to include God.
Refugee hysteria breeding Pacific Solution 2.0
Kerry Murphy 15-Oct-2009
A hysterical response to the arrival of boats in Australia could undo
the progress we have made away from unjust policy. Most asylum seekers
have already experienced serious trauma. To return to a temporary visa
regime will separate families for years and cause anxiety.
Why Obama deserved the Nobel Peace Prize
Tony Kevin 14-Oct-2009
The Republican Right's claim that Obama has yet to achieve anything is
a smokescreen for their rage, for Obama got this
award precisely because he is 'not Bush'. To speak a credible language of moral inspiration and hope to the world is an achievement in itself.
When Hitchens met Brennan
Peter Kirkwood 09-Oct-2009
Christopher Hitchens appeared on Q+A last week with Frank Brennan and others to debate questions of belief. Hitchens was a sharp debater, relentless in pointing out the flaws in fellow panelists' arguments. But Brennan was a worthy opponent.
Catholic dogs and the new sectarianism
Tim Kroenert 08-Oct-2009
Marrying Out recalls the vicious sectarian divide between Catholics and Protestants in Australia during much of the 20th century. Blame is allocated to neither Protestants nor Catholics, but to the human propensity for distrust and hatred.
Retrospective
Bud Tingwell and I
Andrew Hamilton 20-May-2009
I only met Bud Tingwell once. Like so many others, I went away the
better for the brief encounter. But the meeting also led me to ask
questions about what matters, and how we should nurture it in
Australian society.
East Timor's digger friend
Paul Cleary 09-Mar-2009
When East Timor was struggling to get a fair deal in negotiations over Timor Sea oil, Kenneally rallied his mates to fight. Appearing on national television, he told Prime Minister Howard: 'I'd rather you did not come to my ANZAC Day parade.'
Obama's challenge to the Church
Andrew Hamilton 26-Feb-2009
The standard by which the most vocal Catholic Bishops judged Obama was his position on abortion, same sex marriages, and on the use of embryos for
research.
Obama has done the churches a favour by stealing their clothing.
Who cares about students
Fatima Measham 10-Feb-2009
Many of the things that impact upon a teacher's efficacy are beyond their control - the quality of a child's homelife, the politicisation of the curriculum. One thing they can control is much they care, though this may bring new teachers little comfort in the months ahead.
Humanity endures in bushfire tragedy
Andrew Hamilton 09-Feb-2009
During the financial turmoil this summer, images of fire have abounded.
The economy is 'going into meltdown'. Shareholdings 'turn to
ashes'. This weekend's bushfires make us ask instinctively what really matters.
My friend Justice Kirby
Frank Brennan 03-Feb-2009
Prior to convening his own farewell ceremony yesterday, Kirby published his last dissenting judgment, stating Aborigines
should have their day in court over the Intervention. Though respecting tradition, Kirby has long thrived on conflict and change.
Glamour returns to post-war Australia
Madeleine Hamilton 09-Jan-2009
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first showing of Christian Dior's New Look fashion designs in Sydney. After years of wartime material restraints the New Look offered Australian women a fresh way of expressing their individuality and sensuality through fashion. (March 2008)
Life as a game show
Tim Kroenert 18-Dec-2008
Having grown up an orphan in a Mumbai slum, Jamal is an unlikely candidate for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A sense of the divine pervades the film, but while Jamal seems destined for good fortune, his brother Salim diverges towards corruption.
Zimbabwe's disappeared
Oskar Wermter 17-Dec-2008
Jestina Mukoko was a television presenter, but left to become director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, which has documented many atrocities and crimes of Mugabe's regime. Last week she was abducted by a group of armed agents.
The nun and the burqa
Bronwyn Lay 02-Dec-2008
When Germaine Greer savaged Michelle Obama's dress, I sighed. The 'beauty' market is a challenge to feminism. In France, two extremes of fashion ideology — burqas and plastic-surgery 'mannequins' — line up to buy bread.
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Today's lead
POLITICS
Politics without morality damages Australia
Andrew Hamilton
Shaun Carney from The Age remarks that governments can be expected to treat refugee policy as 'just politics'. We have seen the consequences for the economy of tolerating 'business as usual'. It would be a pity to prostitute government in the same way.
8 comment(s) about this article.
Recent leads
Another 'certain maritime incident'
Tony Kevin
Peter
Costello draws a long bow in presuming smugglers provided the boat that sank off the Cocos Islands this week. As with the sinking of the SIEV X, it is unfortunate that it takes a tragedy to remind us that at the heart of this issue are desperate human beings.
11 comment(s) about this article.
Why Australia needs the Vatican
John Warhurst
Tim Fischer, Australian Ambassador to the Vatican, has a vital role in a state he calls a hub of power and intelligence. One can't help but wonder if Cardinal George Pell thinks he, rather than Fischer, should be Rudd's man in the Vatican.
8 comment(s) about this article.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Getting the balance right on border protection
Kerry Murphy
When debating key issues such as the balance between sovereignty and the human rights of asylum seekers, we can sometimes forget that we're dealing with people. What's clear for advocates can pose difficulties for politicians.
2 comment(s) about this article.
POLITICS
Bosnian war criminal's strategic repentance
Binoy Kampmark
The only woman convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has returned to Serbia. Her guilty plea formed part of a bargain, another sign that guilt and
punishments are often matters of tactics and basic arithmetic. The victims of that savage war will not be so gracious.
1 comment(s) about this article.
ENVIRONMENT
Time to start worrying about fish
Sarah Burnside
Australia's decision to reduce its intake of the endangered southern bluefin tuna has outraged the industry. The global fishing industry is unsustainable, and fishing is second only to climate change as
the greatest environmental threat to marine ecosystems.
7 comment(s) about this article.
Dark day for solar
Greg Foyster
This Friday, proponents of clean renewable energy will gather to try to rally government support for Solar Systems, Australia's world-leading developer of solar energy technology, which went into receivership in September. They face an uphill battle.
10 comment(s) about this article.
POLITICS
Bishop sex scandal can't keep a good reformer down
Hugh O'Shaughnessy
Fernando Lugo, President of Paraguay, made headlines at Easter when he revealed that, as a bishop, he had fathered a child. He is
good at politics and his skills as a reformer keep him popular in
a poverty-stricken country where marriage often loses out to
co-habitation.
4 comment(s) about this article.
INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS
How the High Court failed native title
Sarah Burnside
Mining states often view native title as bureaucratic
red tape that slows down the industry. But the Native Title Act has never given Aboriginal people a right of veto. The High Court recently set an unfortunate precedent that further hinders the ability of traditional owner groups to negotiate.
4 comment(s) about this article.
RELIGION
Mixed blessings on Anglican road to Rome
Andrew McGowan
Liberal Roman Catholics have particular reason to be perturbed at the
influx of ex-Anglicans driven not by ecumenical zeal, but by
dogged adherence to positions on women's ordination or human sexuality which bespeak a broader conservatism.
21 comment(s) about this article.
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Today's extra
VIDEO
Jim Wallis next to Obama next to God
Peter Kirkwood
Progressive Christian activist Jim Wallis is one of Barack Obama's key advisors on religious and ethical issues. He has been a key proponent of Obama's controversial health care reform legislation, which has raised the ire of some conservative Christians.
1 comment(s) about this article.
RECENT EXTRA
FILMS
Moral test of a strained marriage
Tim Kroenert
A married couple is presented with a choice. If they press the button, it will cause someone they
do not and will never know to die. In exchange, they will
receive $1 million. Initially, The Box seems to live up to the promise of this morally charged premise.
6 comment(s) about this article.
EUREKA STREET/ READER'S FEAST AWARD
The spider-web fisherman
Arnold Zable
Observing this unique means of fishing, I realised an alternative intelligence was
at work, born of the islanders'
relationship to the environment. Ironically, this island is one of a growing number facing inundation by rising waters due to climate change.
POETRY
Hot body
Various
The sun is a hot body. It warmly makes love to me.
EDITORIAL
'Indonesia solution' is immoral
Andrew Hamilton
The reception of asylum seekers is to be judged by the human
reality of those who seek asylum, not by convenience of
those on whom they make a claim.
It is morally unjustifiable for Australia to transfer its responsibilities to Indonesia.
9 comment(s) about this article.
BOOKS
'Communist' Bishop's prophetic vision
John Battle
'Prophets' don't predict the future; they read the complex signs
that spell out how structures and systems generate
poverty. Dom Helder Camara's words still speak to the financial crisis and the need to bring justice for the poor.
3 comment(s) about this article.
FILMS
The pope, the mole and the architect
Tim Kroenert
Three of the most prolific guitarists of the past four decades gather in a warehouse. Three more diverse
musicians you could not hope to find. Most important are the moments that simmer celebrity and artistic pretension down to basic humanity.
1 comment(s) about this article.
ONLINE
It takes more than hope to save the world
Francis Keaney
My 'Hopenhagen citizenship' was easy to obtain, but what would it get me? Was I entitled to vote or
apply for social benefits? Could I move there for the summer?
It didn't take long before the penny dropped. This place was not so much a city-state as a state of mind.
6 comment(s) about this article.
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