One of the mantras of the "diversity" movement in America and the West is that all cultures are equal. The basic idea is that each culture is an adaptation to a particular environment. Therefore no culture is inherently preferable to another. The political significance of this is that all cultures are equally deserving of respect. The goal of education becomes one of inculcating in young people a respect for all the cultures of the world. By learning that our own culture is not superior, we also become less racist and bigoted toward other cultures.
This doctrine of cultural equality--or more precisely cultural relativism--sounds good when we are considering the quaint folkways of other cultures.
Undergraduates at Yale write papers noting "Who is to say that the Western practice of inventing new technologies is superior to the kangaroo-tracking techniques of the Australian aborigines?" Meanwhile the best students at Stanford can be heard opining that "Shakespeare may have had a rich and supple vocabulary, but let's remember that Eskimos have twenty seven words for 'snow.'"
Then comes a report like the one in Canada about the Muslim father who killed his sixteen-year-old daughter because she didn't want to wear a headscarf. Now it should be noted that the Koran does not mandate that Muslims wear the veil or hijab. These head coverings, however, have come to symbolize modesty in the Islamic world. And Muslim immigrants often bring with them their cultural expectations when they come to America.
Apparently the daughter, Aqsa Parvez, could not convince her parents that her head should be uncovered. She would wear Muslim dress out of the house and then change when she was out of her parents' sight. Perhaps this deception was discovered. Apparently the father Muhammad Parvez was enraged. According to police, he beat the girl so badly that she succumbed to injuries and died. Now the father is charged with murder and the older brother is charged with obstructing police.
I'm waiting to hear from the liberal champions of diversity on this one. Will they say, "Sure, we may not approve of beating one's daughter to death over a headscarf but let's remember that in other cultures they see it very differently. Why should we impose our parochial Western morality on others?" In Canada there may be judges crazy enough to let the murderer walk free. In the United States, I suspect we won't hear too much of this. The reason is that the American brand of cultural relativism is basically a fraud. It's a device to undermine and attack Western institutions and practices. Yet cultural relativism is quietly abandoned when it produces results that liberals don't like.
Reader Comments ( Page 25 of 26)
361. 326. brandon,
what you keep saying is the sky is deep blue and i keep saying yes, and God created it. this is our fundamental difference.
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Oh, so you're even MORE illogical than the man claiming that it's a cloudy sky. I get it now.
Brian at 1:11PM on Dec 13th 2007
362. In reference to "born and atheist's" comment above. Maybe you're not aware but Christianity is based on the New Testament. If you cite extreme language from the Old Testament that isn't a good refutation of Christian Values.
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I wasn't aware that christians only believed in half the bible. Interesting.
There goes GENESIS! Guess you believe in evolution now, then...
Brian at 1:20PM on Dec 13th 2007
363. Hey! I actually found a picture of a christian in the process of becoming an agnostic! It's pretty amazing!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v26/Chanib/MiscPix/sheep.jpg
Brian at 1:33PM on Dec 13th 2007
364. bump
brandon at 1:33PM on Dec 13th 2007
365. I've said this before and I will say it again. If some of the bloggers on this site despise Dinesh so much, why do they insist on reading his columns and posting to them?
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If you look you'll find the aol blogs are populated mostly with people who disagree with the blogger.
The aol blogs are a perk I pay for. I have no interest in dnesh's position on anything, but it does interest me who his sycophants are.
He doesn't read the blogs anyway so what's the problem other than your need to censor things? Go over to the young turks and beat the crap out of them.
Clif Kuplen at 2:22PM on Dec 13th 2007
366. Dinesh, Cultural Relativism is what white-loathing liberals use to justify "black culture" today.
And since most crimes are committed by black people, Cultural Relativists are responsible for the soaring crime rates in this country.
Whether be it stabbing and raping women, robbing businesses, and applying double standards when using the word "nigger" in public, we can all expect the cultural relativists to be there to tell us that "this is just a part of black culture" and you wouldn't understand.
Mustafa at 3:06PM on Dec 13th 2007
367. "and your not? please you say i have no ptoof god exist, do you have proof he doesn't? where does the burden of proof fall? the moral laws that govern this universe suggest a creator, the creation itself suggest a creator. you are the one railing against all soumd reason. not i."
Oh boy. First, you are asking me to prove something I don't believe in. Then you once again claim morals are based in religion. I have explained to you before that morals are based on rational thought. As usual, you chose to ignore that comment, as you ignore all comments that crush your reasoning. You'd rather call us stupid. So mature...Finally, creation suggests nothing. Your mind is jumping to conclusions. I conclude nothing until reasonable evidence is provided. Scientific findings make sense. The bible makes no sense. Even christians twist the writings in their favor. Your mind is so narrow that I know I am completely wasting my time reasoning with you. You are not capable of logical thought or reasonable argument.
emma at 4:54PM on Dec 13th 2007
368. Mustafa said "And since most crimes are committed by black people, "
Really? Can you show some proof, you racist swine?
brandon at 8:33PM on Dec 13th 2007
369. Cultural Relativists are responsible for the soaring crime rates in this country.
That sounds like guns don't kill people, people kill people - what are you some kind of bedwetting whiny little girlyboy who can't defend himself? Go take a self defense course you effeminate little coward!
Clif Kuplen at 11:18PM on Dec 13th 2007
370. What we are seeing here is the struggle for a new ethic to replace the old. This two way debate shows the first glimmers of it. It speaks to a new secular and religious ethic. It is an ethic that undermines many of our society’s assumptions. It forces us to make hard choices that run against these assumptions. One of these assumptions is that religion is good and all Abrahamic religious belief as it stands is inherently moral. The new ethic says this is not so. It says that our Abrahamic religions are in many ways not moral at all. The God they worship is and never was moral. Another says that non belief is the solution. Recent history from Nazi Germany to Stalinist Russia has told us this is not so. Another says unhindered capital markets are the best way to exploit and allocate world resources. The new ethic says this is not so. Capital markets must serve humanity in the broadest sense and can not be allowed to exploit people to their detriment or earthly resources to the detriment of the planet. Another says that the market should determine income distribution. The new ethic says this is not so. Income should be reasonably and equitably distributed. Another says war is a pre emptive option. The new ethic says this is not so. War is only an option in self defense when all diplomacy fails. Another says some humans are inherently not equal to other humans. The new ethic says this is not so. All humans have the same rights. It says every human is inherently equal to every other. It says this includes access to equal health care and education. Another says unhindered population growth is a human right. The new ethic says this is not so. It says bringing children into the world is not a right, it is a responsibility. Population growth must be controlled and can not exceed resource availability. I say to both camps; let’s move on from this present academic child’s play and have some serious discussion. As a starter, go to my Web site www.InquiryAbraham.com David Anderson
David Anderson at 10:09AM on Dec 14th 2007
371. Sadly everyone missed the point, that in the father's culture, he is neith crazy, an animal nor abhorant. His behavior is acceptable. DD correctly points out that most people in the West are loathe to point this out. Another mistake is to answer DD's argument while equating superiority with perfection. A superior culture need not be perfect to condemn one that condones killing your daughter.
Gatesngoals at 10:03AM on Dec 14th 2007
372. Hello, so nice discussion, but Christmas Day is coming, how to celebrate this nice day? would you love to try something new ? http://interracialsingleonline.com you will be surprised…
jimly32 at 2:16PM on Dec 14th 2007
373. "Really? Can you show some proof, you racist swine?"
What country do you live in? You needn't to examine any statistics but mere open your eyes.
Turn on the local news tonight and sure enough there will be a black person's mug shot for some crime he/she committed.
Cultural Relativists, who emulate your birdbrained thinking, will likely see this and accuse it as "culture."
BTW here's THE statistics if you still insist on being ignorant:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/race.htm
Ponder this one:
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/orace.png
Mustafa at 6:01PM on Dec 14th 2007
374.
re Interracials comments
get back on the subject
David Anderson at 8:21AM on Dec 15th 2007
375. How would an omnipotent, omnicient and omnipresent creator not know that a foolish human would be talked into partaking of knowledge at the instigation of the vile lucifer? The creator must have been in the lavatory or grabbing a snooze? Or was the creator setting in motion future events that he wanted to take place and play out over a couple of thousand years. Was the grand design all a misunderstanding? Hey you new kids on the block go ahead and hijack the torah, because I'm the new loving god.
JefFlyingV at 2:55PM on Dec 15th 2007