140112 MK.docx

140112 MK.docx

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140112MK

140112MK

Religiononcampus

Schooling,sexandsegregation

Jan10th2014,21:

24 byB.C.

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ASImentionedina recentposting,theologyislosinggroundinhighereducationacrosswesternEurope.Butincertainspecificways,religionandreligiousculturehavebecomeaveryhotcampustopic,atBritishuniversitiesinparticular.We'renottalkinghereaboutreligionasasubjectforacademicstudy,butaboutfaithassomethingstudentseitherdoordon'tprofessintheirsparetime.Andincontrastwiththepavingstonesorpetrolbombswieldedbyangrystudentsingenerationspast,thesedayslawyers'lettersorcalculatedpressleaksaretheweaponsofchoice. 

PartofthebackgroundisthatamajorityofBritain'srisinggeneration seemsnotmerelyindifferenttoreligion,butatleastmildlyhostile.（ApolllastyearamongBritonsagedbetween18and24foundthat41%sawreligionasasourceofharmintheworld,whileonly14%hadtheoppositeview.Some82%saidreligiousleadershad"notalot"or"no"influenceontheirlives.）Yetthoseyoungpeoplewhostillpractisereligiontendtodosoinratherzealousandculturallyconservativeways.ThatappliestocampusexpressionsofevangelicalChristianityand,aboveall,toIslam.

TherewasabrouhahaatBristolUniversityaboutayearagoafterane-mailwasleakedfromthepresidentofthestudents'ChristianUnionwhichsaidwomenwouldnotbeallowedtoteachontheirownatsomeofthesociety'sevents,butitwouldbealrightiftheywereaccompaniedbytheirhusbands.RichardDawkins,thewell-knownatheistcampaigner,said"suchnonsense"hadnoplaceinhighereducation.AnembarrassedUnion explained thatithadbeentryingtoaccommodate"divergentandstronglyheldconvictions"withinitsranks,anddulysentacountervailingstatementtotheeffectthatwomencouldspeakonalloccasions.

Lastmonth,theLondonSchoolofEconomicsapologisedtoapairofstudentswhosaidtheyweretreatedsomewhatharshlywhentheyturnedupataneventfornewcomerstothecollegewearingT-shirtsthatdepictedbothJesusandtheprophetMuhammed.Thestudents,representingtheuniversity's Atheist,SecularistandHumanist society,saidtheywereobligedtocovertheshirtsbysecuritystaffwhothreatenedtoexpelthemfromtheevent;thestaffwereclearlyactinginresponsetocomplaintsfromMuslimstudents.Buthavingconsideredthematter,LSEagreedthatithad"gotthejudgmentwrong"initseffortstobalancetherightofallstudents.Thisclimbdownwasprecededbysomelegalskirmishing.Lawyersactingforthestudentshaddemandedajudicialreviewofthedecision,forcingtheuniversitytoconsultitsownlegalexperts. 

Butthenoisiestrecentrowoverreligiononcampusexplodedinmid-DecemberwhenitemergedthatUniversitiesUK（UUK）, anumbrellaagencyrepresentingBritishuniversities,apparentlyacceptedtheidea,incertaincircumstances,ofsegregatingaudiencesbysexindeferencetothewishesofconservativeMuslimspeakers.DavidCameron,Britain'sprimeminister,ledachorusofcondemnationfromacrossthepoliticalspectrum:

"UniversitiesshouldnotallowthisandIamveryclearaboutthat."UUKdulywithdrewitsadvice,whichformedpartofaseriesof"casestudies"describingtheappropriateresponsetovariousexternalspeakerswhowantedtoappearoncampus.Ifyouconsult theagency'sguidelinesnow,youwillfindthatthe"segregation"casestudyismysteriouslymissing.

Butstudentswhoabhortheideaofsegregationdon'tfeelthatUUKhasbackeddownsufficiently.Inparticular,theyaresuspiciousofitsstatementthatitis"working...toclarifytheposition"inanareawherethe"lawisunclear".OnJanuary6th,DeightonPierceGlynn, aLondonlawfirm,senta long,toughletter toUUKonbehalfofRadhaBhatt, aCambridgeundergraduatewhohaddemonstratedagainstitsstance.ItwarnedthatasapublicagencyitsdecisionswouldbesubjecttojudicialchallengeunlesstheyconformedtoBritishequalitylegislationandtheEuropeanConventiononHumanRights.

Segregatingmeetingsbygender,thelawfirmargued, violatesarticles10and14oftheConventionwhichaffirmtherighttoreceiveandimpartinformationwithoutdiscrimination;asforarticle9,whichaffirmsreligiousliberty,itclearlylaysdownthatthisfreedomcouldbelimitedifthatwerenecessarytoprotecttherightsofothers."Ourclientisconcernedthatuniversitiesmaybemovingawayfromthehard-wonprincipleofequalityforwomenandtowardstheideaofprotectingreligions—withnoinformeddebateaboutthesubject,"thefirmexplainedtome.（Onlyagenerationago,mostCambridgecollegesweremale-only.Thesedaystherearethreefemale-onlycolleges,butnonewhicharerestrictedtomen.）

Insomeways,campuspoliticsinBritainaremerelyarathertepidversionofwhatgoesonatAmericancolleges,wherebattlesoverwhatcanbesaidoncampus,aboutmatterslikefaith,sexandsexualorientation,havebeenragingharderandformuchlonger.What'smissingfromtheBritishsceneisthepuristlibertarianvoicewhichprotectstherightofindividualsandsub-groupstoairallmannerofcontroversialviews,frommilitantatheismtoreligiousconservatism,solongastheydonotharmothers（assegregationmightwelldo）orincitepeopletoviolence.ThatissomethingBritaincouldlearnfrom.  

CyclinginTexas

Anuphillbattle

Jan13th2014,17:

05 byB.D.|SANANTONIO

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TEXAS,whereexpansivehighwaysteemwithtrucksandtank-likeHummers,hardlyseemslikeagoodplaceforbicycles.Citiessprawlforhundredsofmiles,andbikelanesarerare.Intrepidcyclistsarerarerstill.

SomeTexascitieswanttochangethis.SanAntonio planstotriplebike-ableandwalk-ablestreets by2020.Dallas,longthoughtthe worstcityforbicycles inAmerica,hasunveiledambitiousplans foranewnetworkofmorethan1,100milesofbikelanesoverthenexttenyears.Since2011fourTexan cities have begun bike-sharingschemes,mostrecentlyinAustinjustbeforeChristmas.Advocatestoutthebenefitstohealthandtheenvironment,andhopebicycleswillrelievecongestioninthebusiestpartsoftown.

Noteveryoneispleased.True,thenumberofcyclistshasgreatlyincreasedinmostTexascities,inlinewithnationaltrends.From1990to2012bikecommutesinAustin grewby68%,accordingtotheLeagueofAmericanBicyclists.Houston,DallasandFortWorthhavealsoseennotable,albeitmoremodest,gains.Butbicyclesstillmakeuponlyasliverofthestate'surbancommutesat2%（Portland,America’smostbike-lovingcity,boastsmorethan6%）.Thatnumberplummetsfurtherstillinruralpartsofthestate.Suburbanitesgrumblethattheywillbesubsidisingalifestylechoicefordowntownhipsters,asthenewbikelanesandbike-sharingschemeswillbelargelyfundedbylocaltaxesandbonds.Manyarescepticalthatbicycleswillhelpeasetraffic;indeed,nixingacarlaneforbicyclesmightmakethingsworse（justlookatwhat reducingcarlanes ontheGeorgeWashingtonBridgedidforthedriversofNewJersey）.

Morefancifulobjectionshavebeenraisedtoscuttleplansfortwo-wheeledtransportinitiatives.AcontingentofactivistslinkedtotheTeaPartydecryplanstoencouragewalkingandcyclingas surreptitiousmeans ofunderminingAmericansovereigntybytheUnitedNations.Suchcriticsseethebikelanesasaproductof Agenda21—aninternationalstatementof sustainabilityprinciplesadopted20yearsagoattheRioConference.ApparentlytheUN'sencroachmentonAmerica'slibertiesstartswithgettingAmericansoutoftheircars.Agenda21hasbeen rousinglycondemned byRepublicansnationally,andrelatedfearspouredcoldwateronbicycleplansinconservativesuburbantownsaroundDallas.ThoughtheprinciplesofAgenda21are"turgid,vapid,self-satisfiedandofcoursenon-binding",theyhavebecomeaneasywaytogalvanisethemoreparanoidwingoftheRepublicanparty.AbillintroducedinthestateHousetoadvocatebike-ablestreetsinthe2013legislativesessionwas quicklylinkedtoAgenda21 andlanguishedincommittee.

Abiggerchallengeforcyclistsisarathermorepracticalone.AdowntownHoustonemployeemusttravelanaverage 21miles togettowork;bicyclistsinAmericatypicallycommutejust 3.5miles.Stretchesofdaysinsummerwiththetemperatureabove90degreesFahrenheit（32degreesCelsius）arenotuncommoninTexas.AnysupposednefariousUNplottotakeoverTexaswouldhavetocontendwithsuchthingsasthestate'sterrainandweatherfirst.

FedsInvestigateChristie’sSandyAds

Questionssurroundinghisuseofhurricane-relieffunds

By DanHirschhorn Jan.13,20140

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Follow @TIMEPolitics

Alreadybuffetedbyagrowing trafficscandal,NewJerseyGovernorChrisChristieisnowreportedly facingnewscrutiny forusingrelieffundstotouthisresponsetoSuperstormSandyattheheightofhisre-electioncampaign.

FederalauthoritiesareinvestigatingwhetherChristie’sadministrationimproperlyspentthemoneyintendedforstormreliefontourismadsfeaturinghimandhisfamilywhilehewasrunningforre-electionlastyear,CNN reports.NewJerseyDemocraticRepresentativeFrankPallone,whofirstsoughtaprobelastyear,toldCNNthatfederalauditorswerelookingathowthestatespent$25millioninrelieffunds.

Christie’sofficesaidtherewasnothingunusualabouttheadsorhowtheywerepaidfor.

“TheStrongerThanTheStormcampaignwasjustonepartofthefirstactionplanapprovedbytheObamaadminist