I'm starting a new thread about something I read about in an article in the Observer - the Euston Manifesto.

This manifesto is put together by a bunch of lefties in the UK. It states a number of principles that some may strongly agree or disagree with, but also decries anti-democratic and reactionary regimes that oppress their own peoples and movements that aspire to do so. "We draw a firm line between ourselves and those left-liberal voices today quick to offer an apologetic explanation for such political forces."

It also comments: We reject the double standards with which much self-proclaimed progressive opinion now operates, finding lesser (though all too real) violations of human rights which are closer to home, or are the responsibility of certain disfavoured governments, more deplorable than other violations that are flagrantly worse. We reject, also, the cultural relativist view according to which these basic human rights are not appropriate for certain nations or peoples."

The manifesto also takes an opinion on Israel and the US that challenges some left wing people.

This comment on cultural relativism (the view that people within certain ethnic groups or social groups have different rights and responsibilities) is one of the big issues of the decade. It impacts particularly within religions, where religious or ethnic leaders like to maintain their own standards of morality, and promote those standards as a way of demonising others who dont follow those standards. Effectively they can deny their followers the legal and social rights that other members of society have.

I believe that western governments are coming to the view that all their citizens are equally entitled to protection under the law. This means that civil divorces will take precedent over religious divorces, and minorities will have to go outside their leadership, or change aspects of their their culture, to achieve social equality for their followers.

In other words, the greatest challenge for multicultural societies will be to uphold both western human rights standards and the dignity of minoritiy groups.

freda