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If a father from a West African country living in the UK inscribes tribal scars on his son's face, is this criminal mutilation or a perfectly justifiable cultural practice? If a Muslim woman in Germany is not permitted to wear a head-scarf, is she being subjected to cultural imperialism?

As South Asians living in America, we interpret and negotiate cultural divides on a daily basis. We are aware of the difference in perception and world view between ourselves and our neighbors. This issue of Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is therefore a must-read: familiar, enlightening and sometimes shocking --- all at once. It is titled The End Of Tolerance: Engaging Cultural Differences, and contains several essays about situations where culture collides with the rights of the individual as perceived and defined by the liberal West.

Essays in this issue also deal with, for instance, the introduction of multiculturalism in American schools, an honor killing in a Palestinian immigrant family, the conflict between traditional marriage practices and more gender-equitable marriage norms promoted by the new government of South Africa, and the problems Muslims have faced in various European countries in their attempts to build mosques and follow cultural practices such as the call to prayer. "About Women, About Culture" by Martha Minow explores why public and scholarly discourse on cultural conflict focuses so often on women. Usha Menon, in "Does Feminism have Universal Relevance?", describes a community of upper-caste Orissa women in India. Her essay reveals that far from feeling oppressed, burdened and perceiving men as the enemy, these women feel powerful and fulfilled. They identify with the Devi or goddess as her representatives in the household, and although they may face difficulties initially as young wives in large joint-family households, they gain, through age and experience, both power and respect. In conversations with the author of the article, these women reveal in no uncertain terms that they do not think of themselves as oppressed. The author argues that this is why feminists have not been able to include Hindu women of a certain class in their movements. She argues that feminism, at least as defined in Western terms, may not have universal relevance.

The most eye-opening essay in my opinion is Richard Schweder's "What About Female Genital Mutilation?" which discusses this practice of certain communities in Africa. We, living in the West, have become familiar with FGM as one of the more barbaric practices that subjugate women, compromise their reproductive health and decrease their sexual enjoyment. Yet in this essay several women are quoted as saying that FGM is a joyful rite-of-passage that does not decrease sexual enjoyment or pose a health risk (in general), and that the "smoothing" of the female genitalia is considered attractive and "clean" by these women, just as shaving legs is in this country. A Harvard medical anthropologist and epidemiologist is quoted as concluding (after a survey of the medical literature) that the claims of the anti-FGM movement are highly exaggerated.

Why is all this relevant? As an organization working for Asian families in the U.S., we must remind ourselves that there is no one model of feminism or for that matter, abuse. We exist because we see the need to bring suffering Asian families back to harmony on their own cultural terms, in their own language, without however compromising what we recognize as the basic rights of every human being. It is often a delicate balance, and this issue of Daedalus is an important reminder to us that in the territory where human rights and culture meet, there are few certainties and many shades of gray.

Saheli is an all-volunteer non-profit support and advocacy organization for Asian families in Austin, Texas. Saheli's mission is to help victims and survivors of domestic violence to heal, and empower them to make choices for a life free of abuse. We spread awareness of various forms of oppression against women and children through community outreach and education. We form a bridge between the Asian community and local services to cross the culture gap. Saheli's vision is to work toward preventing abuse in family relationships, to break the cycle of violence and pursue a cycle of peace. For more information about Saheli, visit www.main.org/saheli
To contact us call (512) 703-8745
or send e-mail to: saheli@usa.net

Opinions expressed in this column are those of the authors alone.

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