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Social media, free speech and Innocence of Muslims
The responsibilities of social media companies over free speech By Sarah Joseph Protests, like this one in Pakistan, have spread over the Muslim world in response to an incendiary video depicting Muhammad that was posted on YouTube. EPA/Rahat Dar The global uproar over the YouTube trailer for Innocence of Muslims may have subsided, but the…
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Are we really staying in Afghanistan to preserve our reputation?
Last week Australia experienced its worst day in terms of combat deaths since the Vietnam war. The tragic deaths of five diggers were mourned by our Prime Minister with words of sorrow, followed by her now rote promise that the deaths would not turn Australia from its present course in Afghanistan. In particular, Australia is “there for…
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A closer look at the Pussy Riot phenomenon
by Sarah Joseph Last week, three members of the collective feminist punk band, Pussy Riot, were found guilty of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred”, and sentenced to two years in a Russian penal colony. As described in an earlier post, the charges arose from an impromptu punk prayer in Russia’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour,…
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Same sex marriage could become a constitutional battleground
by Sarah Joseph On the weekend it was reported that Tasmania intends to legalise same sex marriage despite the Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961 defining “marriage” as being between a man and a woman. Given that apparent discrepancy, does Tasmania have the power under our Constitution to pass a same-sex marriage law? I will briefly answer…
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Pussy Riot: a new chapter in art versus power
Pussy Riot is a collective of young, cool, smart women with attitude who may just be giving Russian President Vladimir a few sleepless nights. Pussy Riot engage in guerrilla punk protests, popping up unexpectedly at iconic sites in Moscow to blast punk songs critical of Putin. They are probably now the most globally recognised expression of the “Russian…
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law 