The fatwa against Salman Rushdie & the 2005 Danish cartoon fracas awakened many people to the potency of blasphemy accusations in the Muslim world. Accusations & charges such as blasphemy " "apostasy " "insulting Islam " or "hurting Muslims religious feelings" pose a far greater danger than censorship of irreverent caricatures of Mohammad: they are increasingly used as key tools by authoritarian governments & extremist forces in the Muslim world to acquire & consolidate power. These charges which draw on disputed interpretations of Islamic law & carry a traditional punishment of death have proved effective in crushing or intimidating not only converts & heterodox groups but also political & religious reformers. In fact one reason for the recent growth of more repressive forms of Islam is their use of accusations of blasphemy apostasy & related charges to intimidate & silence their religious opponents & make any criticism of their own actions & ideas religiously suspect. The effect of such laws thus goes far beyond what might narrowly be called religious matters. This volume provides the first world survey of the range & effects of apostasy & blasphemy accusations in the contemporary Muslim world in international organizations & in the West. The authors argue that we need to understand the context history impact & mechanics of the blasphemy phenomenon in modern Muslim societies & guidance on how to effectively respond. The book covers the persecution of Muslims who convert to another religion or decide that they have become agnostic or atheists as well as heretics: those who are accused of claiming a prophet after Mohammed such as Bahais & Ahmadis. It also documents the political effects in Muslim societies of blasphemy & apostasy laws as well as non-governmental fatwas & vigilante violence. It describes the cases of hundreds of victims including political dissidents religious reformers journalists writers artists movie makers & religious minorities throughout the Muslim world. Finally it addresses the legal evolution toward new blasphemy laws in the West; the increasing use of laws on "toleration" in the West which may become surrogate blasphemy laws; increasing pressure by Muslim governments to make Western countries & international organizations enforce laws to restrict speech; & the increasing use of violence to stifle expression in the West even in the absence of law. Its foreword is by Indonesias late President Abdurrahman Wahid." ...

Thomas Merton's life especially once he had become a writer was to a great extent one of dialogue with people who were distant both geographically & historically. In these probing & perceptive studies Rowan Williams looks closely at the key intellectual & spiritual relationships that emerge in Merton's writings exploring the impact on him of thinkers as diverse as Hannah Arendt Karl Barth William Blake Dietrich Bonhoeffer Olivier Clement Fyodor Dostoevsky Paul Evdokimov Gerard Manley Hopkins Vladimir Lossky John Henry Newman Boris Pasternak & St John of the Cross. ...

The powerful second psychological thriller featuring Javier Falcon the complex detective from ' The Blind Man of Seville'. At seven years old Mario Vega faces a terrible tragedy
- his parents are dead in an apparent suicide pact. But Inspector Javier Falcon has his doubts. In the brutal heat of a Seville summer he dissects the disturbing life of the boy's father Rafael Vega. His investigation draws threats from the Russian mafia whose corruption reaches deep into the city. He questions a creative American couple with a destructive past & uncovers the misery of a famous actor whose only son is in prison for an appalling crime. More suicides follow & one of them is a senior policeman. As a forest fire rages through the hills above the city Falcon must sweat out the truth that connects it all
- & find the final secret in the dark heart of Vega's life.

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Here at last is the book his legions of fans have been waiting for. Kevin Smith the legendary independent film-maker columnist & cultural commentator launches himself on an unsuspecting world with a series of hilarious rants on the absurdity of just about everything. Unlike his unforthcoming screen alter-ego Silent Bob Smith is ready to let rip at maximum volume whether it be on the madness of Hollywood The Unholy Tale of Greasy Reese Witherspoon his bloodcurdling hatred of Britney Spears or the highly-sexed comics industry. Along the way we get a shocking insight into the making of Smiths movies & learn far more than is necessary about his bathroom habits. ...

From the author of Sunday Times bestsellers One Child & Ghost Girl comes a heartbreaking story of a boy trapped in silence & the teacher who rescued him. When special education teacher Torey Hayden first met fifteen-year-old Kevin he was barricaded under a table. Desperately afraid of the world around him he hadnt spoken a word in eight years. He was considered hopeless incurable. But Hayden refused to believe it though she realised it might well take a miracle to break through the walls he had built around himself. With unwavering devotion & gentle patient love she set out to free him -- & slowly uncovered a shocking violent history & a terrible secret that an unfeeling bureaucracy had simply filed away & forgotten. Torey refused to give up on this tragic lost case." For a trapped & frightened boy desperately needed her help -- & she knew in her heart she could not rest easy until she had rescued him from the darkness." ...

A Violent Death: When a hand is found in an alley in Bostons Chinatown it is detective Jane Rizzoli who finds its owner
- a woman
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When the burnt headless body of a young woman is found on the steps of a Baptist Church in Harlem Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper is one of the first on the shocking scene. Alex has seen some gruesome crimes committed in New York but the barbarity of this latest discovery leaves her nauseous. With NYPD cop Mike Chapman Alex begins to investigate but before long another woman is slaughtered & found on the steps of a Catholic church in Little Italy; her throat slashed & her tongue cut out. It becomes clear there is a zealous serial killer on the loose. Now Alex & Mike must keep one step ahead of a religious fanatic bent on silencing the women he believes are bringing shame to his beliefs
- before he kills anyone else.
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Imagine being able to achieve the perfect mental state to make your best possible swing over every shot. Being fearless at critical putts & stepping up with an inner calm that means that you can play great golf every time you stand over the ball. Now Silent Mind Golf the first in a major four-book series from Robin Seiger removes the mystery behind the mental prowess that lies at the heart of peak performance. A lifelong golfer & one of the worlds leading motivational speakers Robin has developed a practical guide to mental conditioning that will enable any golfer whether weekend hacker or full-time professional to get to grips with the dynamics crucial to getting into the zone. Too often golfers concentrate all their efforts on technique in the belief it is only the mechanics of the game they have to master. Instead free of jargon with easy-to-follow exercises & inspiring examples drawn from the lives of golfs greatest players this unique book will be your guide to developing the single most neglected least understood & ultimately decisive dimension of the game: mental strength. ...

Bringing together one of the most unlikely & touching events of World War I this book tells the story of Chritmas Eve 1914 when men on both sides left their trenches laid down their arms & joined a spontaneous celebration with their new friends the enemy. ...

Few sounds are more disconcerting than that of a crying infant unable to go to sleep. The sound is particularly distressing in the middle of the night when the parents know that what the baby needs
- & what they need
- is sleep. Despite the best will in the world & despite well-intentioned advice many new parents experience anxious nights with sleepless children. Nor is the problem limited to infants. Many families endure months or even years of insomnia because of their childrens habitual inability to sleep. The consequences for the parents health well-being enjoyment of their children & in some cases the health of relationships & working lives are considerable. Silent Nights provides a sensible no-nonsense guide to how babies sleep & why they cry. It shows how this knowledge can be applied in practical ways to help the normal healthy baby to establish sleeping patterns that will improve its life & benefit the entire family. The process is not always easy but most families following the programme outlined in this book will find that a good nights sleep is no longer an impossible dream.

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