In the Swat Valley region of Pakistan a 14-year-old girl by the name of Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck. The Taliban in this region vowed to finish her off, proudly and arrogantly claiming responsibility for this atrocious action. A second innocent girl was also wounded in the shooting.
Why?
Apparently, at the ripe age of only 11, Malala began writing a blog describing life under the Taliban. In 2009 she began speaking publicly about the need for girls’ education. The Taliban vehemently opposes education for girls! About her shooting, a Taliban spokesman said, “This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter.” What was the so-called obscenity? …That Malala was promoting education for girls.
Indeed, many students moved out of the valley after the local Taliban issued an edict banning girls from school. And thus, Malala was shot while riding a bus on her way home from school, a school that was run by her father, Ziauddin.
This action by the Taliban throws into stark contrast our own casual Western idea of cultural and religious relativism where we proudly assert that all cultures and religions—including their belief systems, traditions, teachings, and practices—are to be equally regarded and respected as valid. To embrace such a premise is to say that this latest action by the Taliban must be acceptable, valid and correct, given the Taliban’s beliefs and traditions. After all, they are simply being consistent with their own relative cultural and religious beliefs and convictions.
Take note, it is not simply a religious question or issue. Stalin was anti-religion, and he was guilty of murdering millions of his own people before, during, and after the Second World War on the basis of his particular beliefs, values, and convictions. Thus, we must also accept his actions as valid and acceptable, if we are going to be true to our general Western assertion of cultural relativism—that says we must accept and respect all cultures and people-groups, including their governing authorities and organizing principles and values, as valid and equal to all and every other culture.
No! This is unacceptable! NOT all social, cultural, or religious authorities are good. And neither are all traditions, practices, teachings and beliefs right. The Taliban believe that they are in the right and feel justified in their action, shooting a 14 year old girl for defying their values, beliefs and teachings. They are proud of this action. They are self-righteous in their attitude regarding this action. And they are horribly and terribly wrong!
Is this not also what our own so-called “culture wars” are all about, here in the States: The question of what is right, what is wrong, and who is to say? We want to be cultural relativists. But in fact, in the end, when push comes to shove, we all call upon a greater authority, some greater power or some greater truth, that becomes our organizing principle for justifying or condemning or condoning our actions.
This is why it does not work to simply say, all cultures and belief systems are equally valid—why we neither can accept cultural relativism nor casually accept religious pluralism as if all religions were in fact equal. There are indeed significant differences between religions respecting their essential teachings, practices, and traditions. Thus, all cultures and belief systems must be measured by their deeds and consequences and results—including ours. No culture is perfect and no belief system is without error. In actuality we all reject and accept various aspects of different cultures and their belief systems, based on such principles as what is true, good, just, and loving for example.
We must have discerning minds and hearts. Within a multi-cultural, multi-religious, pluralistic and relativistic world such as ours, we just have to admit that there are some beliefs, belief-systems—ideals and values and their accompanying traditions and practices—that are just wrong. And we must be courageous enough to say so. And that means exposing our own beliefs and convictions which in turn may be challenged. Much has to do with how we handle our disagreements.
Thus, real open and respectful conversation needs to take place about truth and authority, beliefs and convictions, what’s good or bad and right or wrong between and among cultures and religions. Many strange beliefs and practices must be tolerated and accepted by a pluralistic and multifaceted culture. However, there are some that can neither be accepted nor tolerated. This latest action by the Taliban is one which we must not deem acceptable or tolerable, no matter how righteously justified they may feel that they are, according to their own particular set of beliefs and values.
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