Cultural Differences vs. Moral issues
Who decides morality?
An increasing number of people in the world these days access information about other people, countries, and cultures via smart phones, tablets, and other computers. Even the printed word is used and accessed by some in books and newspapers. Of course, we humans have been traveling for a long time and often have settled into the culture into which we moved. One might retain some rituals and some customs from one’s heritage, but the overall goal or pressure was to assimilate into the culture in which was living. When visiting other cultures one was expected to respect that particular culture although many, especially those from the United States, were notorious for brazenly flaunting their own culture and language when traveling and visiting in other countries. Even when traveling, however, it was often possible to travel without leaving the bubble of the modern hotels, which frequently housed other like-minded travelers. One could view another culture from a distance much as we, in the United States, had been used to seeing the wonderful photographs of those in native settings and costumes in other countries. In other words, we could still observe from a distance without seeming to be a part of. From a distance it was pretty easy to ignore or judge “those others.” Often, we expected to leave our impression and stamp on the other culture but not to have the reverse be true.
Increasingly we live in more culturally diverse cultures whether in the United States, Australia, England, or even Vietnam. We also have a daily or even hourly connection with people living in various locations via the Internet.
One of the results of this enlarged sense of family has been the increasing difficulty in holding on to the self-righteous beliefs that our way is the only right, moral, or ethical way to behave. Although the voice of those who remained convinced that they and only they possess “the truth” remains very loud in many places, including the United States. Increasingly in the United States, as well as in other countries, we are confronted with other versions of the truth. In recent years, we have witnessed, for example, the acceptance and legalization of same sex (and other members of the LGBT community) unions/marriages. Despite the strong voices of the moral police such as Mr. Patrick Buchanan and many others appearing on “conservative” news programs/channels, GLBT folks are being accepted into the wider culture, women are active in politics and insisting on equal rights and pay. Other than donating sperm on occasion, it has been made clear that men are wanted as partners but are not needed as the protectors or the bearer of the moral rules. “Times, they are a changing.”
In this culture, despite the many changes, we strongly hold on to the “truth” that the over sexual exploitation of children and even other adults is not acceptable. (Apparently, the use of sexual suggestion or innuendo to sell everything from cars athletic gear is acceptable.)
There is worldwide disagreement about the legal or moral age of consent to engage in sexual activity. Generally it varies from age 12 to age 18. In some states in the United States, the difference in ages is sometimes taken into consideration in defining what constitutes abuse.
The forcible use of another person without any consideration of their equal rights as a human being is considered rape in most cultures. This is not the case when the cultural norm is for arranged marriages, which is assumed to include a sexual relationship.
Certainly, here in the United States, despite certain hazing rituals at colleges or in gangs, one would be hard pressed to find someone who would defend the forcible sexual rape of another and certainly not someone as young as 11 or even 14. Here in the United States most individuals are aware that it is a crime for a medical professional, a clergy person, or a teacher to not report child abuse.
It is with this background that we have sent the men and women who comprise our military into the countries such as Afghanistan where practices such as bacha bazi are common. Equally common seems to be the forcible rape of children (male and female), age 14 or younger. The practice of Bacha Bazi as defined by Wikipedia seems to be consistent with other sources I consulted. It is:
Bacha bāzī (Persian: بچه بازی, literally "playing with boys"; from بچه bacha, "child", and بازیbāzī, "game") is a slang term in Afghanistan for a wide variety of activities that involvepedophilia. The perpetrator is commonly called Bacha Baz (meaning "pedophile" inPersian). It may include to some extent child pornography, sexual slavery and child prostitution in which prepubescent and adolescent boys are sold to wealthy or powerful men for entertainment and sexual activities. [1] Bacha bazi has existed throughout history,[2] and is currently reported in various parts of Afghanistan. [3][4][5][6][7] Force and coercion are a common component of this abuse, and security officials state they are unable to end it because many of the men involved in bacha bazi-related activities are powerful and well-armed warlords including former Northern Alliance commanders. [8][9][10]
In this country sexual rape of children as young as 11 is a crime and considered immoral. Yet, those serving with or in the United States military are told that if such violent sexual behavior is observed while serving in Afghanistan then one is to ignore it. They are told that this is a matter for the domestic Afghan criminal law and/or a cultural practice which is none of the business of others. Many serving in Afghanistan have pointed out examples such as the following:
A pair of Green Berets physically assaulted an Afghan police official in 2011 after he imprisoned and raped a local boy. But a senior U.S. Army officer in charge of the men wasn’t happy about what he saw as “vigilante” justice.
“They put their team’s life at risk by doing what they did, by risking catastrophic loss of rapport” with local Afghan officials, Col. Steve Johnson, who was an Army Special Forces battalion commander, told The Daily Beast. Johnson said Sgt. First Class Charles Martland and Capt. Dan Quinn, who picked up and threw the police official after discovering he had chained the boy to a bed and pressed him into sexual slavery, had jeopardized the U.S. mission of helping the fledgling Afghan government get on its feet. The dailybeast.com 9/24/15
Not surprisingly many United States military and support personnel serving in Afghanistan were convinced that they were in the country to fight those who were mistreating other Afghan citizens. They, understandably, got the idea that they were there to insure that abuse and mistreatment did not take place. Imagine their surprise when individuals such as Sargent Charles Martland were being discharged for attempting to stop or even report sexual abuse. In the case of Sargent Marland, he is alleged to have witnessed a United States-backed Afghan commander “keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave.” Fortunately the case of Sargent Martland had gained the support of some U. S. legislators.
Mr. Howard Altman in a St. Petersburg Tribune article entitled “Buchanan backs him for reporting rape of Afghan boy” (October 1, 2015, p 2) quotes a New York Times article which “quoted several soldiers who said they were instructed to observe the different cultural standards of Afghans and report any problems to the Afghan authorities.”
It would seem that, an easier example would be the wearing of headgear by women from certain cultures. Surely all can see that this is a cultural difference and not an issue of morality. Yet, even that clearly cultural practice is prohibited in some communities. In other communities whatever choice women from countries where the wearing of various headgear is the accepted cultural norm are supported.
On the one hand it is clear that once we decide to takes sides and militarily support that side in another country, we have put one cultural group (those serving with the United States or its “allies’) in to the midst of cultural setting in which various groups may already be outdoing each other in asserting their right to impose their rule and rules on the other group. We may have our own idea of what is morally acceptable but at the same time we may be “forced” by those who invited us into their country or supported our invasion, to keep our moral noses out of their business.
Given the obviously political complexity of these situations perhaps those in authority needs to look at the broad range of issues before we “embed” ourselves in the affairs of another country. We, of course, have the option of working through the slow, often seemingly impotent body of the United Nations. Yet, as has been clear to those who previously placed themselves into the role of reformers of a culture, we humans do not accept change with the “grace” and “gratitude” which missionaries and others formerly expected.
How do we delineate the difference between cultural and moral differences? Who gets to decide if some behavior is immoral? If we are looking at the issues of abuse of children, must be continue to grapple with the issue of when life becomes a life?
It would seem at the very least that we must:
· Quit punishing those in the military or serving with the military in such countries as Afghanistan who report what are clear cases of the use of violence to coerce children into behavior which is solely for the pleasure or benefit of an adult and has nothing to do with the needs or care of the child.
· Struggle with bodies such as the United Nations to articulate the difference between cultural differences and universally agreed upon moral differences.
· Before entering a country, make clear what behavior we can tolerate or support and that we cannot support or tolerate.
· Give military personnel and those serving with the military the option of not serving in a country in which the core values of the personnel are radically opposed.
· As always, quit pointing fingers and trying to change another country/culture instead of getting honest with ourselves about the mistreatment of significant segments of our United States society, i e., the mentally ill, those dealing with the dis ease of addiction, those behaving in a way which is distasteful to some but not immoral, and those labeled as criminals.
· Begin to explore the history of such practices as Bacha Bazi to identify how the practice is intertwined with other practices and beliefs in the culture. We cannot change what we cannot understand. Obviously, just outlawing a behavior does not stop it. Are all the practices associated with Bacha Bazi immoral or only some of them?
· Insuring that our goal is change and not punishment.
· Exploring our own political motives and justifications for embedding ourselves in the culture of another country.
Written October 1, 2015
Who decides morality?
An increasing number of people in the world these days access information about other people, countries, and cultures via smart phones, tablets, and other computers. Even the printed word is used and accessed by some in books and newspapers. Of course, we humans have been traveling for a long time and often have settled into the culture into which we moved. One might retain some rituals and some customs from one’s heritage, but the overall goal or pressure was to assimilate into the culture in which was living. When visiting other cultures one was expected to respect that particular culture although many, especially those from the United States, were notorious for brazenly flaunting their own culture and language when traveling and visiting in other countries. Even when traveling, however, it was often possible to travel without leaving the bubble of the modern hotels, which frequently housed other like-minded travelers. One could view another culture from a distance much as we, in the United States, had been used to seeing the wonderful photographs of those in native settings and costumes in other countries. In other words, we could still observe from a distance without seeming to be a part of. From a distance it was pretty easy to ignore or judge “those others.” Often, we expected to leave our impression and stamp on the other culture but not to have the reverse be true.
Increasingly we live in more culturally diverse cultures whether in the United States, Australia, England, or even Vietnam. We also have a daily or even hourly connection with people living in various locations via the Internet.
One of the results of this enlarged sense of family has been the increasing difficulty in holding on to the self-righteous beliefs that our way is the only right, moral, or ethical way to behave. Although the voice of those who remained convinced that they and only they possess “the truth” remains very loud in many places, including the United States. Increasingly in the United States, as well as in other countries, we are confronted with other versions of the truth. In recent years, we have witnessed, for example, the acceptance and legalization of same sex (and other members of the LGBT community) unions/marriages. Despite the strong voices of the moral police such as Mr. Patrick Buchanan and many others appearing on “conservative” news programs/channels, GLBT folks are being accepted into the wider culture, women are active in politics and insisting on equal rights and pay. Other than donating sperm on occasion, it has been made clear that men are wanted as partners but are not needed as the protectors or the bearer of the moral rules. “Times, they are a changing.”
In this culture, despite the many changes, we strongly hold on to the “truth” that the over sexual exploitation of children and even other adults is not acceptable. (Apparently, the use of sexual suggestion or innuendo to sell everything from cars athletic gear is acceptable.)
There is worldwide disagreement about the legal or moral age of consent to engage in sexual activity. Generally it varies from age 12 to age 18. In some states in the United States, the difference in ages is sometimes taken into consideration in defining what constitutes abuse.
The forcible use of another person without any consideration of their equal rights as a human being is considered rape in most cultures. This is not the case when the cultural norm is for arranged marriages, which is assumed to include a sexual relationship.
Certainly, here in the United States, despite certain hazing rituals at colleges or in gangs, one would be hard pressed to find someone who would defend the forcible sexual rape of another and certainly not someone as young as 11 or even 14. Here in the United States most individuals are aware that it is a crime for a medical professional, a clergy person, or a teacher to not report child abuse.
It is with this background that we have sent the men and women who comprise our military into the countries such as Afghanistan where practices such as bacha bazi are common. Equally common seems to be the forcible rape of children (male and female), age 14 or younger. The practice of Bacha Bazi as defined by Wikipedia seems to be consistent with other sources I consulted. It is:
Bacha bāzī (Persian: بچه بازی, literally "playing with boys"; from بچه bacha, "child", and بازیbāzī, "game") is a slang term in Afghanistan for a wide variety of activities that involvepedophilia. The perpetrator is commonly called Bacha Baz (meaning "pedophile" inPersian). It may include to some extent child pornography, sexual slavery and child prostitution in which prepubescent and adolescent boys are sold to wealthy or powerful men for entertainment and sexual activities. [1] Bacha bazi has existed throughout history,[2] and is currently reported in various parts of Afghanistan. [3][4][5][6][7] Force and coercion are a common component of this abuse, and security officials state they are unable to end it because many of the men involved in bacha bazi-related activities are powerful and well-armed warlords including former Northern Alliance commanders. [8][9][10]
In this country sexual rape of children as young as 11 is a crime and considered immoral. Yet, those serving with or in the United States military are told that if such violent sexual behavior is observed while serving in Afghanistan then one is to ignore it. They are told that this is a matter for the domestic Afghan criminal law and/or a cultural practice which is none of the business of others. Many serving in Afghanistan have pointed out examples such as the following:
A pair of Green Berets physically assaulted an Afghan police official in 2011 after he imprisoned and raped a local boy. But a senior U.S. Army officer in charge of the men wasn’t happy about what he saw as “vigilante” justice.
“They put their team’s life at risk by doing what they did, by risking catastrophic loss of rapport” with local Afghan officials, Col. Steve Johnson, who was an Army Special Forces battalion commander, told The Daily Beast. Johnson said Sgt. First Class Charles Martland and Capt. Dan Quinn, who picked up and threw the police official after discovering he had chained the boy to a bed and pressed him into sexual slavery, had jeopardized the U.S. mission of helping the fledgling Afghan government get on its feet. The dailybeast.com 9/24/15
Not surprisingly many United States military and support personnel serving in Afghanistan were convinced that they were in the country to fight those who were mistreating other Afghan citizens. They, understandably, got the idea that they were there to insure that abuse and mistreatment did not take place. Imagine their surprise when individuals such as Sargent Charles Martland were being discharged for attempting to stop or even report sexual abuse. In the case of Sargent Marland, he is alleged to have witnessed a United States-backed Afghan commander “keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave.” Fortunately the case of Sargent Martland had gained the support of some U. S. legislators.
Mr. Howard Altman in a St. Petersburg Tribune article entitled “Buchanan backs him for reporting rape of Afghan boy” (October 1, 2015, p 2) quotes a New York Times article which “quoted several soldiers who said they were instructed to observe the different cultural standards of Afghans and report any problems to the Afghan authorities.”
It would seem that, an easier example would be the wearing of headgear by women from certain cultures. Surely all can see that this is a cultural difference and not an issue of morality. Yet, even that clearly cultural practice is prohibited in some communities. In other communities whatever choice women from countries where the wearing of various headgear is the accepted cultural norm are supported.
On the one hand it is clear that once we decide to takes sides and militarily support that side in another country, we have put one cultural group (those serving with the United States or its “allies’) in to the midst of cultural setting in which various groups may already be outdoing each other in asserting their right to impose their rule and rules on the other group. We may have our own idea of what is morally acceptable but at the same time we may be “forced” by those who invited us into their country or supported our invasion, to keep our moral noses out of their business.
Given the obviously political complexity of these situations perhaps those in authority needs to look at the broad range of issues before we “embed” ourselves in the affairs of another country. We, of course, have the option of working through the slow, often seemingly impotent body of the United Nations. Yet, as has been clear to those who previously placed themselves into the role of reformers of a culture, we humans do not accept change with the “grace” and “gratitude” which missionaries and others formerly expected.
How do we delineate the difference between cultural and moral differences? Who gets to decide if some behavior is immoral? If we are looking at the issues of abuse of children, must be continue to grapple with the issue of when life becomes a life?
It would seem at the very least that we must:
· Quit punishing those in the military or serving with the military in such countries as Afghanistan who report what are clear cases of the use of violence to coerce children into behavior which is solely for the pleasure or benefit of an adult and has nothing to do with the needs or care of the child.
· Struggle with bodies such as the United Nations to articulate the difference between cultural differences and universally agreed upon moral differences.
· Before entering a country, make clear what behavior we can tolerate or support and that we cannot support or tolerate.
· Give military personnel and those serving with the military the option of not serving in a country in which the core values of the personnel are radically opposed.
· As always, quit pointing fingers and trying to change another country/culture instead of getting honest with ourselves about the mistreatment of significant segments of our United States society, i e., the mentally ill, those dealing with the dis ease of addiction, those behaving in a way which is distasteful to some but not immoral, and those labeled as criminals.
· Begin to explore the history of such practices as Bacha Bazi to identify how the practice is intertwined with other practices and beliefs in the culture. We cannot change what we cannot understand. Obviously, just outlawing a behavior does not stop it. Are all the practices associated with Bacha Bazi immoral or only some of them?
· Insuring that our goal is change and not punishment.
· Exploring our own political motives and justifications for embedding ourselves in the culture of another country.
Written October 1, 2015
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