RObert,

You're onto something. Not all 'cultures', or sets of cultural practices, are equal. Surely a society which recognises that women have, or should have, equal rights with men, would be a better place to live in, for everybody, than one which regarded women as not only inferior but some sort of social danger. In that sense, the culture of a society which has a backward opinion about women is not equal to one which accords them equality and respect.

Is a society which recognises the right of a person to marry whomever they like, 'equal' or 'better than' one which demands that a person, particularly a woman, must marry only within the group to which she belongs ?

Is a society which recognises the right of a person to change their mind, discard their religious beliefs for others, or for none in particular, as good as or better than one which insists that changing one's faith should be punishable by death ?

In a genuinely democratic-multicultural society such as Australia continually aspires to be, people - women in particular - have the same rights as men to vote, to own property, to (monogamously) marry whoever, to divorce, to abandon their beliefs or choose others, to have equal access in law to the children after a separation, to stand for office, to go where they like, to drive a car, etc., etc., etc.

Sometimes I think that 'culture' is little more than the ossified rationale for the social relations and division of labour of a society: there's nothing inherently good about any particular 'culture': respect for it stands or falls on the active promotion, within the society embracing it, of the rights of all of its citizens.

If a democratic society does not defend the opportunity for women to exercise these rights, then it betrays its foundations. Individuals migrating to a democratic society, at least one like ours is supposed to be, must understand that this is the framework within they must work.

Joe

Oh of course it's trendy Alice! It has nothing at all to do with the negative aspects of foreign 'cultures' that have migrated to European, Australian and other 'Western' shores.

In my humble and personal experience, the INTOLERANCE not only stated but practiced by some of our own immigrants and their descendents is shocking, often illegal and completely at odds with Australian mores.
Apologists make excuses for such behaviour on 'cultural grounds'. I don't! Everywhere I've travelled it's been a case of "When in Rome ..." How much more so when u come to live in a country and adopt it as your home? If you are not prepared to adjust cultural practices to fit it why should you be accepted? And this is largely the problem ...

I'm good for a hundred bucks towards the "Alice Aslan One Way Travel Fund". Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. I'm sure she will find the levels of tolerance refreshing and acceptable. Oh it does lack the excitement of an annual Gay Mardi Gras but I'm sure there will be the odd public hanging, stoning or amputation to add a little spice ...

Some very good posts here.

I'll reiterate a few points that I entirely agree with. For one, Islam is not a race, it's a religion. It has a set of practices that have nothing to do with race. So claiming it's racism is not only incorrect, it doesn't actually deal with the problem of these Islamic practices that conflict with liberal, democratic thought. It merely pushed the issue to the side.
Secondly, multiculturalism is really a racist movement aimed toward the dominant Western culture. If the host culture is irrelevant and the alien culture takes itself as primary, isn't this racist toward the Western culture?
For me, this whole issue raises questions on why do proponents of multiculturalism want to see the destruction of the host culture. For those from an alien culture it is easy to understand, as they prefer their culture and would only too well like it to be the dominant one. But what of these academic and lefty types who willfully try and destroy their own culture? What drives someone to destroy the culture which has given them an abundance of material prosperity?

There are immigrants and there are immigrants. Some come for a better life, to be part of Australia, and some come to live in Australia but have little attachment to its identity and little respect for its people and culture.

Multiculturalism is a one way street. It says we, the Australian people – or the West - will respect and cuddle you, but you don’t have to respect us. In fact, your culture is as good as ours and maybe better. Yes, we know you left your native lands because of poverty, ignorance, hate, intolerance and persecution but we welcome all of these to our lands because these add diversity to our lives and nothing is better than diversity, not even peace and harmony.

Of all the stupid ideas dreamed up in the last 40 years, the idea of permitting mass immigration of Muslims to the West was the worst, by far. In case you haven’t noticed, Islam’s values are not those of the West. Muslims don’t believe in freedom of speech and religion, equality or separation of religion and state. Yes, they will give lip service to these ideals but a glance at Islamic societies says it all. I don’t believe that Muslims in Australia and Europe are any different from their brethren in Muslim nations. Remember, these people say “praise be upon” after the name of Mohammad and consider him a noble example to follow. Note also that Islam’s own traditions (hadith) tell us Islam’s prophet attacked his neighbors dozens of times – unprovoked – murdering, looting, enslaving men women and children, torturing, expelling people from their homes, letting his men rape captives and even beating his child-wife. A noble example indeed! These things are easy to find. What is not easy is finding a Muslim that wants to talk about these things or the hate and violence in their “perfect, eternal” book, the Quran. I have tried many times, even here at OLO.

Note how many Muslims are cited in the article defending multiculturalism – of course. Yes, Multiculturalism is good for Muslims but not anybody else.

Aristocrat, I don't think that it's just Islam (although religion added an additional problem to the mix). Cultural practices throughout Islamic countries vary heaps.

FGM is practiced in some places not others, the obsession with women being covered (and the corresponding contempt for women who don't cover from head to toe) is not uniform. Having a religion to hide behind helps people avoid the realities of some pretty horrid views and practices but it's not always the cause.

R0bert

>>"The new national multicultural policy is a historical progressive step. But it is incomplete unless Australian society requires politicians and media commentators, who have the power to influence public opinion, not to stigmatise whole communities and spread hostility against them by distorting truth in the name of free speech. And the law should hold such people accountable for any inflammatory speech."

I was remiss in not drawing attention the this little gem, in which Alice displays her commitment to western liberal democratic values by pointing out the dangers of free speech, notwithstanding that it is rather one of the cultural markers that distinguish the West from some other cultures which might come to mind. Well, everywhere in Australia except Victoria, anyway.

Frankly, despite Alice's apparent amnesia on the social problems rife in Europe, I'd be inclined to agree with Merkel, Sarkozy and Cameron that multiculturalism has been a bit of a disappointment.