I get the impression that Australians are tired of having to foot the bill for the huge social costs of "celebrating diversity" and multiculti.

It is dangerous to assume that 'culture' is a never-changing, static construct - the change may be incremental, but it does happen.

In response to some of the other posts - I find it bewildering that Muslim women wearing the veil have become such a 'battleground' in the name of tolerance . Jack Straw's approach has been to demonise those Muslims who CHOOSE to wear the veil and yet, here and in the UK, having a Muslim name can easily make you the target of surveillance in aid of the 'war on terror' . Ironically, the focus on the 'veil' is itself a 'veiling' action - a way of distracting attention from the continuous promulgation of xenophobia against those who are 'different'.

If Muslim women stopped wearing the veil, would we then be living in a 'multicultural', tolerant society? NO. Its simplistic to suggest as much. Until many of the citizens of this country can take the initiative to 'think for themselves' and not swallow the poorly-researched spin of politicians, I don't think banning basically an item of clothing, is going to change very much.

I suppose the response would be that shedding the veil is only one step, the next is understanding Australian 'values', something that I, as a 20+ year resident, am unsure of - after all, aren't we the nation that is still to fully reconcile with the original custodians of this land? Where the word 'sorry' is unmentionable?

So, for those who have more recently arrived in Asutralia, the attitude is either 'shape up or ship out', and leave behind your 'culture' . This is in direct contrast to those who migrated here a few generations before, and were able to import their 'culture' wholesale, and then force it upon the Indigenous peoples of this land, an imposition that continues today.

For every example that Leslie provided of a woman being subjugated by culture, there are also many inspiring examples of women embracing and changing their culture as well. I place myself in that camp.

Stop talking 'about' us. Talk to us.

FrankGol,
I agree with you. This topic is hardly passé- because there is still no acceptable solution for this obvious problem. If people stop discussing it altogether no new ideas or views will be generated.

Neocommie
It is too easy to ‘solve’ such a big problem by just saying: “…start TELLING them to shape up or ship out.” This is, so it seems from reading some posts on multi-culturalism, almost every anti-multicultural’s fantasy.

There are a few so called Christian sects or cults in Australia, like Exclusive Brethren, which have dress codes for women and forbid contraception and do in no way treat women equally to men.
While you could (theoretically) tell Middle Eastern people to “shape up or ship out” you cannot deport these other (Christian) religious cults. Where would you deport them to- hell?
In fact, these so-called sects and cults are receiving much financial help from our own government- e.g. tax exemptions, other kinds of support including funding for their own schools. We are footing the bill for this as well!

Cornflower,
I think that this issue is hardly ‘radical’.
If you find holes in the article, which I am sure there are, you could point them out; it would make interesting conversation.

Amrita,
Excellent post. You are right to say that there are inspiring women worth mentioning as well. Perhaps much can be learnt from those women and they might be seen as a good role model by younger girls. I'd love to know what you have done:)

I also think that there are double standards.
The veil is such a big issue with many non-islamic white Australians- it amazes me that some people who are so intolerant of the veil or hijab have their faces and other bodyparts pierced or their hair dyed in pink and purple streaks, walk around in pants so low that half their undies are showing or don’t even think of criticising a nun’s habit or a priest’s tabard (if it’s called that?) but pick on the veil of muslima’s.
Why is 'their' image accepted and not another?

To continue to try to find an answer to the question whether multiculturalism can co-exist with any Western liberal values, is an exercise in cognitive futility. The empirical evidence is, that multiculturalism, especially the variant that does no have any relation to Western values, is completely incompatible with the latter.

See:"Multiculturalism:How a Pet Idea Became a Dinosaur"--http://www.con.observationdeck.org

amrita makes a very telling point when she says, "Stop talking 'about' us. Talk to us."

But amrita, that is the way of Western feminists who talk at women and about women, and never to women.

It might suit the careers of Western feminists to typecast women as foolish, vulnerable and weak and to by so doing seek to destabilise and ‘disempower’, but it certainly does not assist Western women.

For years Western feminists have scorned the veil as evidence of male domination in Islamic culture. That was always wrong but they never stopped to ask or understand the culture.

If I were a Muslim woman I would wear the veil as a symbol of my rejection of the cultural imperialism and decadence represented by Western feminists.

Speaking more broadly, it is a very great pity that Australians generally never made a stand against the cultural imperialism first from Great Britain (the colonial cringe) and presently the cultural imperialism from the United States.

It is appropriate that middle-Eastern and Eastern women form and pursue their own ideas of feminism (and femininity, which to their credit they are determined not to lose). The 'feminism' promoted by Western feminist academics trashed many of the traditions and institutions that were valued by women. Feminists like Greer are like cows in a china shop as far as sensitivity and commonsense are concerned.

I think that Muslim women should be applauded for taking time to contemplate what they hold dear to them, their crucial role in society and the power they have to change things. It is a case of keeping the good and not throwing the baby out with the bath water (although many Western feminists did not get to have the baby either).

I don’t think Muslim women have much to learn from Western feminists and it is unfortunate that Western feminists have become so isolated in their own cultures.

I think this debate has a bit more to it than just a veil. If someone wants to dress from head-to-foot then fine. That's what freedom is.

The main issue is should a girl be forced by the cultural beliefs of her parents and multicultural society to partake in an action in which she doesn't want to. For example, arranged marriage. To refuse would mean alienation, not just from her community, but her family.

Society at large may create avenues for young women to avoid such traditions by establishing safe havens, but society cannot necessarily mend the damage to relationships with family and community.

Of course, as Australians we would all agree that the young girl has the right to refuse to participate in these types of traditions, but we cannot force the families and communities to accept these rejections - or can we?