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Cover of New Humanist Issue 5 September/October 2004

Volume 119 Issue 5 September/October 2004

Cover Stories

Assault on freedom
Nick Cohen deplores the sinister absurdity of Blunkett’s latest proposal for dealing with religious hatred

Features

Anarchist with attitude: Laurie Taylor interviews Linda Smith
Comedian Linda Smith, who died last year, was the president of the British Humanist Association. In this interview from 2004 she talks to Laurie Taylor about atheism, authority and her passion for pricking pomposity
The elephant bird's tale
In an exclusive extract from his latest book, a Chaucerian pilgrimage to the remote past, Richard Dawkins roams the lost continent of Gondwana
What kind of humanist are you?
Join in our game of Poker Faces to find out. Your answers to the questions below will determine the value of your cards. Your hand will reveal who you are — and what tricks you may have up your sleeve...
One hellhole under God
Christopher Lord explains why American conservatives suddenly care about Sudan
Searching for secular Islam
Ziauddin Sardar proposes new ways to separate religion and politics in the Muslim world
Backlash in disguise
Eliane Glaser wonders why so many level–-headed non–believers are suddenly falling for white dresses, bridesmaids and solemn vows
A woman's right to choose
As a number of backbenchers prepare to table Private Member’s Bills on abortion in the coming term, activists demanding more stringent controls are now targeting women Labour MPs with hate mail. But far from pressing for a tighter law, argues Farah Reza, we should be campaigning for abortion on demand.
Turbulent priests
Lionel Fray Lewis reports from Spain on moves by the newly–elected socialist government to ex-communicate the Church
Nowhere man
Elia Zureik — born Palestine, left Israel, lives Canada — discovers under interrogation at Tel Aviv airport that he has lost his identity

Culture

Where's the action?
Jeremy Stangroom has enough of haçiendas
Awkward Questions
Andrew Tudor asks what makes a good documentary
Utopian rallying call
Stan Cohen salutes Edward Said’'s last book
Diderot's triumph
Haydn Mason consults the original humanist bible
Secular spiritualities
David Boulton meets a rational primate
Gay gobbledegook
Brett Lock doesn'’t recognise Queer Street
Learning to think
Jonathan Derbyshire gets thinking with David Papineau
Writer's block
Sally Feldman on a flawed portrait of Henry James

Columns

Blue Period
The reason it’s so tough being Tory leader, suggests Simon Hoggart, is that you just can’t get the staff these days
Class Action
Marilyn Mason applauds the inclusion of humanism in the new Religious Education
Getting correctness right
“Political correctness has gone mad,” declared the Leader of the Opposition Michael Howard in a recent speech.
Heavenly bodies
Laurie Taylor finds himself at a feast that’s impossible to swallow
Blunkett's folly
This might be one of the last issues of New Humanist you read. Our particular brand of God bashing could soon get us in quite a lot of trouble.
Tales from the city
Jon Binnie wonders whether gays really should be glad to be global
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