"Women’s rights and culture" on Honor Killings and violence against women

[Captain_Nemo]

Women’s rights and culture
February 19, 2009
by Violet Socks, Editor

"Earlier this week I wrote about the horrific murder of Aasiya Hassan, whose husband beheaded her in what may have been an honor killing. For many commenters on the web, it is apparently impossible to condemn this nightmare without hastening to add that American culture has plenty of its own home-grown brand of misogyny, and it’s therefore “intolerant” to notice the particular lethalness of the honor-shame paradigm in some non-Western cultures. You know the argument: America is full of sexism and the commodification of women and our own gendered violence, so we have no business even talking about women’s rights.

If you’re a habitué of the progressive blogosphere, this line of thought is probably so familiar that you take it in without blinking.."

http://thenewagenda.net/2009/02/19/womens-rights-and-culture/

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. THe article is correct. To point out the backwardness of certain cultures and Islam/Sharia when it

comes to basic human rights for women is a opening oneself up for censure. I don't care. Its speaking truth to power in many ways

[alarimer]

2. Some things are just wrong.

I hate cultural relativism. Violence against women is wrong no matter who does it. I really can't stand those on the left who say we cannot criticize something because of cultural differences. That is nonsense.

[Marrah_G]

3. It infuriates me when I see progressives excuse abuse because of "culture"

It happens every single time the topic of womens right's in certain countries comes up.

Somehow it's not so bad because

A) it is their culture (another way of saying "they like it")

B) there are religious zealots in this country who hate women

c) It's not our business what they do to "their" women.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

4. Absolutely.

N.T.