Clash of cultures

November 30th 2008

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband paid a visit to Islamabad this week where apart from discussing matters related to the government's economic aid plans, Pakistan's part in the 'war on terror' and the role of the 'Friends of Pakistan' group, he spoke at some length on forced marriages. In this context, during this past week as well (Nov 25 to be precise), the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 became law in the UK. The legislation could have significant impact on British citizens of Pakistani origin, and Pakistani citizens as well, if they enter into a marriage with the former. Miliband, writing recently in The Sunday Times, said that government actions regarding pernicious cultural practices could only go so far and that it was time for communities, through their leaders and civil activists as well as ordinary people, to speak out against forced marriages.

Britain set up a Forced Marriages Unit in 2005, and currently 65 per cent of its known cases involve Pakistan. The British public has expressed shock and revulsion at the suicide of women being forced into marriage, and horror at the so-called 'honour killings' of some of those who refused. Some of our cultural practices find little favour in one of those places we choose to migrate to. A section of the British High Commission, which works closely with the Pakistani authorities, is tasked to rescue women who are British citizens but have been brought here for the purpose of forcing them into marriage. Within the last week this team has rescued a 15-year old girl from a village close to Mirpur. Rescues such as this are not uncommon and we will see reports of others in the future.

Forced marriage is distinct from arranged marriage, which is an agreement between willing parties and an accepted �" and to other cultures, acceptable �" cultural tradition. Forced marriage, the trading of women as commodities, should not be culturally acceptable anywhere. Miliband makes it very clear �" "Some will find it hard to believe that forced marriage can still take place. But whatever the reason and whatever the community, 'cultural sensitivity' must never be used as an excuse for moral blindness." Moral blindness is a widespread affliction in the land of the pure, where senators defend honour killing on 'cultural and traditional' grounds. We cannot and should not expect to be able to export our barbarisms, our own moral blindness, to the rest of the world because all it does is give the rest of the world another stick to beat us with.

Source: The International News 30 November 2008