Multiculturalism and women's rights

So the Star wants to have "a conversation about multiculturalism" and whether or not it's working. They're starting with women's rights.

The lead-in story is about a man who killed his wife, and then claimed he'd done so for his "honour" and his religion. So the entire discussion is framed by the idea that multiculturalism is a shelter for those who want to abuse or oppress women. In other words, "ethnic" women are oppressed by their culture and society in comparison to the women of white, western, mainstream Canadian society.

The problem with this contruction is that it leads directly to the idea of the ignorant, backwards savages, just waiting for Western society to ride in on a white horse and civilize them. It's the same narrative that claims we invaded Afghanistan in order to "free" Afghan women.

The thing of it is, white Western "civilization" is not really all that kind to women. Oh sure, we have technical equality. But how many women are Members of Parliament? Heads of major corporations? In decision-making positions generally? We don't stone women for adultery, but how many women are beaten, abused, or murdered by the men in their lives? We don't legislate burkas, but are we really free to wear clothes that make us comfortable and to look the way we want? What's more oppressive, a hijab or breast implants? How are our cultural imperatives really superior to those of other cultures?

We want to immigrants to assimilate into Canadian society, we say. But when we prevent girls from playing sports because we don't like their headwear, or give a woman a hard time for wanting to swim in something insufficiently sexy, are we really liberating anyone?

No woman should have to suffer for being a women. And religion or culture is no defense. But that's just as true of "Canadian" culture as it is of any other.

Perhaps, instead of judging newcomers to Canada for not being "Canadian" enough as regards women's rights, we should examine the beam in our own eye. We are not such paragons, we white westerners, that we can tell anyone that our way of living is the only appropriate one.