Category Archives: OTW Religion

Totally Tolerant, Up to a Point

Posted on January 31, 2009 by Soach Staff

If it were not for his hatred of Islam, Geert Wilders would have remained a provincial Dutch parliamentarian of little note. He is now world-famous, mainly for wanting the Koran to be banned in his country, “like Mein Kampf is … Continue reading →

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Lord of the Memes

Posted on August 14, 2008 by Soach Staff

David Brooks of the NYT has an interesting take on pseudo-intellectualism. Dear Dr. Kierkegaard, All my life I’ve been a successful pseudo-intellectual, sprinkling quotations from Kafka, Epictetus and Derrida into my conversations, impressing dates and making my friends feel mentally … Continue reading →

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A Veil Closes France’s Door to Citizenship

Posted on July 20, 2008 by Soach Staff

When Faiza Silmi applied for French citizenship, she worried that her French was not quite good enough or that her Moroccan upbringing would pose a problem. “I would never have imagined that they would turn me down because of what … Continue reading →

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The Advantage to Islam Of Mosque-State Separation

Posted on March 28, 2008 by Soach Staff

Mosque-state separation and religious freedom appear to have stalled in Muslim-majority countries, leading scholars, theologians, and policymakers to conclude that a theocratic model of governance is inevitable for the Islamic world. They argue that Islam is distinct from religions like … Continue reading →

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How Do You Prove You’re a Jew

Posted on March 24, 2008 by Soach Staff

Judaism, traditionally, is matrilineal: every child of a Jewish mother is automatically considered a Jew. Zvi Zohar, a professor of law and Jewish studies at Bar-Ilan University, told me that in Judaism’s classical view of itself, Jews are best understood … Continue reading →

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