Remember Buffy creator Joss Whedon's take-no-prisoners response to the public stoning, captured on cellphone, of Dua Khalil Aswad? Posted at the venerable fan site Whedonesque, it was both an exploration of misogyny -- the continuum Whedon sees between an Iraqi village and our very own Hollywood -- and a call to action. "Because it's no longer enough to be a decent person. It's no longer enough to shake our heads and make concerned grimaces at the news. True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. I've always had a bent towards apocalyptic fiction, and I'm beginning to understand why. I look and I see the earth in flames. Her face," he wrote, referring to the video images of the girl's murder, "was nothing but red."
As it turns out, a handful of activists have decided to do more than make concerned grimaces at blog posts. They've announced their intention to publish an arts anthology titled "Nothing but Red," with proceeds to benefit Equality Now, an international human rights organization that Whedon supports. They'll be accepting submissions beginning Aug. 1; the release is scheduled for April 7, 2008, the anniversary of Khalil's death. More information here.
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