Turkish pundit: Hide your baby bumps, future moms!

Some men are too stupid to live, let alone express opinions.

A Turkish commentator and religious lawyer has caused a firestorm in Turkey by saying that it’s “disgusting” for pregnant women to be seen in public and in the third trimester they should never be outside unless in their husbands’ cars where no one can see them.

“Declaring your pregnancy with drums is against our understanding of decency. You cannot walk on the streets with such bellies. To get a bit of fresh air, a woman in the seventh or eighth month of her pregnancy can go around a little in her husband’s car in the late afternoon,” Inancer, who is also known to Islamic circles as an expert on Sufi mysticism, said. He went on to add that despite this, pregnant women of all shades are to be seen everywhere in Turkey nowadays, including on television, and added, “This is shameful, shameful! This is not realism, this is vulgarity.”

He followed up later by saying he stood by his remarks because pregnant women in public would dissuade young women from having babies.

Pretty sure if that were true, humans would have died out 200,000 years ago. 

AFD 52: The Right to Rule

Latest Episode:
“AFD Ep 52 – The Right to Rule”
Posted: Tues, 06 August 2013

Who has the right to rule in a society? What is a democracy? How do citizens get to participate in a civil society? In light of events in Egypt, Persephone and Bill discuss political theories of legitimacy, governance, and civil society. Then, they discuss what Boston is doing to prepare for global warming effects. Warning: This episode may be educational.

UN to disarm Congo rebels by force

Watch This Space: United Nations Congo peacekeepers have declared that they will begin disarming rebel groups in one region by force in 48 hours. This is a significant development because UN peacekeeping forces have previously been forced to watch violence without acting and the Congo mandate includes the first experiment authorizing actual armed enforcement actions. If they carry out this threat, it’s a game-changer for the United Nations. 

AFD Ep 51 – Citizens v. Drones

Latest Episode:
“AFD Ep 51 – Citizens v. Drones”
Posted: Mon, 29 July 2013

Persephone and Bill discuss the civil war in Syria, American drone strikes on US civilians, the US jobs market, and President Obama’s new comments on the Keystone XL pipeline.

AFD Ep 50 – Ethics, Efficacy, Insurance

Latest Episode:
“AFD Ep 50 – Ethics, Efficacy, Insurance”
Posted: Tues, 23 July 2013

Bill and guest co-host Sarah discuss Virginia ethics scandals, Alan Grayson’s effectiveness, John Boehner’s ineffectiveness, Indiana’s insurance rates, and Arizona’s expansion of Medicaid.