The violent protests in the Middle East and in countries like India over the awful “Innocence of Muslims” film have shown one thing – there’s a huge divide between the West and the East in terms of culture and freedom of expression. More specifically, there’s a huge difference between the US and the rest of the world. In the US, people ignore or peacefully protest anything offensive and the government doesn’t ban stuff or arrest people for expressing themselves no matter how insulting, derogatory, hateful or offensive. And no matter which religion they piss off.
A lot of people like Shashi Tharoor claim that this is “just an example of different cultures’. While it’s legal to be offensive in the US, it’s not legal elsewhere. He gives the example of how women can take their tops off on some beaches in the world and draw no comment whereas the same act in other places would lead to dire consequences. Here is the video. Note that it’s incorrectly labelled as “US double standards”. Tharoor says no such thing.
I think we have to realize that some cultures are better than others. Not merely different, but better. A country where women can take their tops off and not face consequences is better in that regard than a country where they cannot. Why? Because it’s one less thing to keep track of. It’s one less thing that can break the peace. It’s one less restriction with no ill effects. You get the same peace and serenity with fewer restrictions! Isn’t that better and not merely “different”?
People like Tharoor hide behind cultural relativism and say “Well, that’s not how it’s done here”, somehow implying that the two cultures are on an equal footing. Like apples and oranges. By framing it in these terms, they abdicate all responsibility of trying to change the situation and improve it. After all, if you admit that your culture is worse then you have to do something. If you say it’s “different”, then you can just sit on the status quo and even feel good about some acquired sense of identity.
It’s political correctness and nothing more that makes us shy from telling the truth. Certain habits are indeed cultural. Some people in the far east eat with chopsticks. That’s just a different way of doing things. Neither better nor worse. No ethical implications. But freedom of speech is not ethically neutral. Freedom itself is not neutral. When the Arab countries mistreat women, it’s not “just their culture”. It’s wrong. Rights and freedoms are universal to all humans because in the end we are born alone and we die in our own arms. No one comes with us when we die. It’s something we experience uniquely by ourselves no matter how many people are around us.
In the end, nothing is more important than the freedoms of the individual. “Society” is a myth. An artificial construct that we need to get rid of.
Some may interpret this as saying that I hate India and love “developed” countries like the US. Nothing of the sort. I love India – which is why I spend energy and effort wanting it to become better. If I disliked India I wouldn’t bother coming back and trying to change people’s mindsets. We’re still a young country – 60 years isn’t much. Considering that we’re doing ok. But we need something to work towards and the first step is to admit that there are other cultures better than ours. Only then can we improve.
First things first – loved yr direct and to the point style of writing. Coming bk for more!
Though i agree with the majority of your opinion, to me – taking top off as a protest – is still an extreme step to take. It may go unnoticed/ untracked in some countries, but that does not certify it to be right. Right or Wrong – cannot be judged- but how many ppl take note of / object it.
Even if nobody notices – wrong is wrong.
Undressing as a way of protest- is an extreme stand . A step taken more with the intention of attracting MASS ATTENTION . It also shows lack of trust in other methods of communication.
When extreme steps are taken – there is a fear of the CAUSE of protest getting diluted. The method of protest gets highlighted more than the purpose of protest.
In reply to Viyoma
Oh I wasn’t referring to taking the top off as a protest – more for like sunbathing, or whatever purpose :)
In reply to Viyoma
When you say taking top off as a protest is wrong do you mean a woman taking her top off is wrong, or that there are other/better ways of protesting, or both? What exactly are you referring to when you say “Even if nobody notices – wrong is wrong.”? Just curious :)
You have hit the nail on the head Bhagwad. People are too scared to admit that something else is better for the very reason you have pointed out – unwillingness to take action. Also loved your analysis of why some cultures are better, have not read / heard it put down in such simple and easy-to-understand terms before!
In reply to Manasee
Thanks Manase :). It’s time we called a spade a spade. There is this feeling in India that outsiders have no right to criticize us. I disagree entirely. Sometimes outsiders will have a far better perspective of what is wrong with us.
On the example of topless beaches, there are some cultures in Africa and South Asia where women can walk around topless, there’s no need for topless beaches or areas. Women, no matter how old they are able to walk around freely with their breasts hanging and it’s viewed as something that’s natural, so would you say that those cultures are better (at least in that regard)? I do, because it tells me that breasts aren’t sexualized in those places like it is in many other parts of the world.
Unfortunately however, it’s not just Arab cultures that believe violence towards women is okay, that’s pretty much in many places in the world. Including the West, I bet dollars to donuts that if a detailed report came out studying violence against women comparing it to Western and Middle Easter nations, the results will be the same. So violence against anyone is wrong, period. I guess my issue is, whenever violence something like violence happens in countries in the Middle East, of course it can be attributed to their culture, but for some reason in the Western world, there’s a reluctance to contribute violence against women to Western culture. I don’t understand why that’s case. But anyways, good post.
In reply to RenKiss
I think you’d lose your bet :). Issues like female infanticide and child abuse are extremely prevalent in India. I’m 100% sure that “developed” dont’ have a large percentage of girl children killed or even aborted just because they’re girls.
Also, while there certainly is violence against women in the US, the attitude towards it is one of condemnation. Folks who indulge in it are not proud of it and they won’t get support from their households or their friends in general.
And that has a dampening and a trickle down effect.
In reply to bhagwad
Also, while there certainly is violence against women in the US, the attitude towards it is one of condemnation. Folks who indulge in it are not proud of it and they won’t get support from their households or their friends in general.
And that has a dampening and a trickle down effect.
Eh…..I guess working in social services has me a pessimist. While the United States has recognized violence against women as a societal problem there are still insidious elements that encourage it.
Though I guess that would make the United States better in India is that at least we recognize that it’s a problem. But from an outsider’s perspective, IMHO would seem India is still reluctant to admit female infanticide and other forms of violence towards women is a problem.
In a sense, it almost looks like we are going through the 5 stages of grief w.r.t culture. Of course we KNOW that some cultures are indeed better. But to face it we have to go through denial, anger, bargaining, depression and then acceptance?
I feel most of the Indians are in the denial/anger phase or anger/bargaining phase. One day, hopefully, we will move on to acceptance and that is when the healing will begin.
In reply to Clueless
That’s very perceptive! It does indeed resemble the five stages of grief.
This was one very well-put, rational article. Really admire your concise thought process.
Also liked the comment by ‘Clueless’ which compares the stages Indian culture is going through with the 5 stages of grief. Here’s hoping the acceptance stage is reached soon so that action is taken and many griefs turn to success! :)
The “Society is a Myth” post that you have linked to on this post was a real eye-opener as well.
Excellent way of putting it – “this is how we do things here” is a nice cover for a lot of bullshit. I don’t agree with the guy in the video though – he seems to be saying that like the Kate’s topless pics were banned (or there were attempts to ban it), so too there is a rationale for the Anti-Muslim video to be banned. But I think the opposite – neither should be banned! Honestly I don’t see what the big deal is with Kate’s topless pics, did no one know before that she has breasts O.o??
In reply to BBD-Lite
Well…pictures taken in public of a person are fair game. If their privacy was invaded – like say they snuck into her home, then I think there is indeed a case for them to be taken down.
So henceforth, going topless will be the basis to decide a culture to be better than others… rofl…….. This rather gives the impression of a porn-obsessed precocious adolescent. lol.. And I just noticed elsewhere you wrote about the idea of making sex in public legal. But you didn’t have the guts to put an explicit picture to go with it and instead you used a suggestive one, being scared of upsetting the people who frequent your page. And you say even sex in public shouldn’t bother anyone. Are you sure you can handle what you talk of ? Or is this all just voyeuristic imagination ? I hope I’m wrong here, but are you game enough to put up an explicit picture here and not care about upsetting people ?
In reply to YPS
Umm…if I have a good reason to put up an explicit picture, I will. I like people to visit my blog, and why should I upload something that may put people off for no reason at all?
If I have a reason, of course I’ll put up an explicit picture. However, I am not obligated to do so just because you want me to prove a point.
“Rights and freedoms are universal to all humans because in the end we are born alone and we die in our own arms.”
I don’t understand this. Rights and freedoms are constructed by society and codified in texts: the Koran, the Bible, the Bill of Rights, the Canadian Charter of Rights of Freedoms, etc.
Rights are constructed and granted. They are not discovered.
In reply to Christopher
I believe we can determine the ideal conditions for humans to thrive scientifically by examining human psychology and evaluating the human condition scientifically.
By doing this we realize that some conditions are better than others. Equality for women is always better than non equality for example.