February 20, 2007
I am glad that Red Skirt has chosen the topic of what she is calling multiculturalism. It’s a great debate to have, actually. But I want to start in a different place, by defining what the term has meant historically, and what it has become.
Briefly, multiculturalism refers to an ideology advocating that society should consist of, or at least allow and include, distinct cultural groups with equal status (I’m using the Wikipedia definition here—as good as any). This means that people from different cultures ought to be able to co-exist, without fear or favor, in the same space. Unfortunately, the term has become code on the political right for the “Islamicization” of our country, and that term also has different meanings to different people.
| • Read the Red Skirt entry Alice is responding to. |
I think we need to be very careful here, and distinguish the more established religious teachings of Islam as represented in the Koran (which advocates charity, sobriety, and forgiveness), from the horrible, pernicious interpretations made by the Taliban (which advocates violence and oppression). These are two different ideologies that ought not be conflated. If Red Skirt honestly thinks that liberals believe that rape and honor killing are just an alternative, equally viable, lifestyle choice, then it is she who has fallen into a bizarre conservative rhetorical trap, to say the least.
Having said that, I am thrilled to see Red Skirt in high dudgeon over the cruel deprivation of human rights to women in Asia and the Middle East. Maybe she will consider joining the Feminist Majority Foundation, or the Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid, or V-Day, all progressive liberal organizations established to advance the cause of women’s rights in countries including (but not limited to) Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. Their collective mission, by the way, stands in stark contrast to the suggestion by some conservatives, like Dinesh D’Souza, that those most responsible for the oppression are not the oppressors, but those bad liberals who have engendered a permissive society that our enemies find abhorrent. By this logic, our best course of action is to turn the clock back on social progress in this country, not to fight for it in other places.
Red Skirt agrees with Christopher Hitchens that it would be in our national interest to “make common cause with other countries under siege, as well as keeping faith in Iraq and Afghanistan as best we can (italics added).” While it seems a little late for the latter, I could not agree more about the need for the US to make common cause with other countries under siege. I think that’s called diplomacy, and the Bush administration has done precious little. To be sure, we need to do more. But I do not know how we begin to do this unless we have some tolerance and respect for the predominant cultures in those countries.
My perspective on multiculturalism (and its corollaries, tolerance and respect) will, inevitably, be at odds with Red Skirt’s. I grew up in a Jewish family in the heart of Southern Baptist country. I went to high school and college with many deeply religious evangelical Christians who sincerely felt that it was their obligation to bring Jesus Christ into my life — in other words, to become a Christian. It must have been deeply disappointing to them when I did not greet them as liberators; in fact, I found their assumptions about non-Christians offensive. Not surprisingly, I’ve come to believe that a healthy dose of multiculturalism for all of us cannot be anything but good for the soul and good for our country.
In sum, Red Skirt has created a straw man argument, consisting of misrepresentations of multiculturalism and progressive thought as it relates thereto. I hope she will recognize this, and that her next charitable donations will be to the feminist organizations I’ve noted above.
Comments
bornin1955 (anonymous) says...
I'm with you on this, Blue Skirt. Read my post on Red Skirt's page.
February 21, 2007 at 11:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Quica (anonymous) says...
Terrific response from Lieberman to Red Skirt's shameless misrepresentation of multiculturalism--and great advice to Red Skirt about donating her dispensible income to organizations that advance the cause of women's rights.
February 21, 2007 at 11:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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