Europe’s Angry Muslims is mostly a good read but there are parts where the author falls into precisely the kind of rhetoric that caused all the problems with Europe’s Muslim immigrants to begin with:
Migration, cousin marriage, seclusion of women, the return of remains … these practices occur not in isolation but as part of a way of life, a culture.
It is really annoying when vicious, nasty abuse of women is referred to as “culture.” This is a way of granting legitimacy to an inexcusable practice which, in reality, knows no cultural boundaries. In Russia, for instance, “seclusion of women” (aka treating women as cattle) existed for centuries. In certain social classes (like merchants, for instance), it remained in place until the revolution of 1917.
Let’s stop excusing horrifying mistreatment of women by covering it up with the empty label of “culture.” It’s 2015, for Pete’s sake. Isn’t it time to say that this is not OK? Enough already with going weak in the knees whenever barbarity is defended as cute little cultural differences. Especially when they are not really that different from anything.
Clarissa's Blog 
Tragically, abusing women is a cultural practice in many cultures. This is in keeping with your previously stated opinion that not all cultures are equally valid or equally moral. Some cultures are more evil than others.
LikeLike
This author didn’t even use words like “tragic, abuse, evil.” He doesn’t seem aware that these practices are anything but cute.
LikeLike
To me, this kind of abuse is ‘cultural’ only in the sense that they are manifestations of deeply held values regarding hierarchical relations, the ownership of individuals by their families and profound xenophobia.
What I always say is that immigrants tend to bring their values with them (cases of immigrants rejecting many values of their birth societies as in your case are rarer).
If a country facilitates the immigration of large numbers of people who view their children as property and all outsiders as threatening and view their daughters’ sexuality as a family good to be sold for material advantage then don’t be surprised when they maintain the practices that embody these values.
LikeLike
I’ve just given a small quote here but this author goes on and on for pages without intimating that this is not OK at any point. I don’t know what needs to happen for anybody to stand up for civilization and women’s rights even just in this tiny, symbolic way.
LikeLike
The problem with this quote is the way it lumps the revolting, dehumanizing practice of secluding women with things like “cousin marriage” and “migration.” Honestly, I find this excerpt appalling.
LikeLike
I have no idea why your comments are being detained in moderation today. I apologize!
And I agree completely with the comment. This is a very insidious way of normalizing a horrible practice. Stick it on the list of normal, good things and grant it the appearance of normalcy.
LikeLike
Migration is normal, cousin marriage is not a good idea as a cultural norm, especially generation after generation.
It’s also a signal of xenophobia, if you can’t trust outsiders you even arrange marriages within the family.
LikeLike
I’m not ecstatic about cousin marriage either but it deserves a very different category from women’s segregation. It bothers me when writers slip into “I dislike bad weather and serial killers” rhetoric.
LikeLike
You know what bothers me? People who chew gum with their mouth open, it really makes me furious. That and genocide, I have to say that genocide really bugs me too.
LikeLike
(observe how Clarissa’s blog openly chews my square bracket comments with its mouth open, hopefully giving cliff arroyo something else to loathe)
🙂
LikeLike
[nom nom nom cliff arroyo is probably an unhappy vegemite now] 🙂
LikeLike