Homa
Arjomand
416-737-9500
November 23,
2011
One more
victory for the rights of women against religious patriarchal
societies
On Wednesday
November 23, 2011 the British Columbia Supreme Court, Chief Justice Bauman
ruled in favour of the section of the Criminal Code outlawing polygamous
unions. Judge Bauman is heading in the right direction but we need to aim for
an amendment of the criminal code with respect to polygamy. In order to prevent
further victimization of women and compromising women’s rights for the sake of
religious rights, we need to guarantee the rights of not only minors age 12-18
but also of all women who are somehow engaged in polygamist relationships.
What we the
defenders of equality between men and women expect the government to do in
their next step is to amend Act 293 more towards empowering women. Right now
the assumption of this Act is that women and men have gained gender equality in
these closed communities. The assumption is that women willingly enter into
these relationships. But the reality shows otherwise. The truth is because of
the policy of multiculturalism in Canada, sects and cults as well as organized
religious groups were given room to grow. This means that under this policy
they were given rights to keep and promote their ancient traditions, not only
in homes and religious institutions such as churches and mosques but also such
training has become part of the school curriculum. Children at these
communities are told that one way to become close to their God,
is to give birth to as many children as possible. Children are taught to follow
their God’s wishes and one of those wishes is to stay in polygamous
relationship so they can stay pure.
Attendance in
schools for children in those closed communities is not mandatory. Parents are
given rights to withdraw their children from school. In many instances, home
schooling in these communities is a normal practice and the result of education
on such children is left to the willingness of their parents. It should not be
a surprise if we witness that most of the young girls are taken out of school
for the purpose of home schooling. As result these children are disconnected
from the tiniest link to the broader society. It should not come to our
surprise either if we see members of these communities, despite being in Canada
for over a century, never gain opportunities to integrate and test the fruit of
equality between men and women, as we are told by a wave of women involved in
polygamy that fled from Bountiful (BC). But according to criminal the Act of
293, men and women are equally at fault if either enters a polygamist
relationship. What this Act does not recognize, is the impact of
multiculturalism on the lives of the members of these communities. Such
multicultural policies have encouraged a few so called “leaders” to become
sexual predators and the women themselves to become sexual slaves. The lives of
these women revolves around such constraints that any movement they make is
considered a sin and they must follow rules to become pure so they can become
close to their God. They continue to live the life of their so called home
country that does not exist anymore. In their home land, life has evolved but
they are frozen in that period of time. And day by day their tie to that
ancient tradition grows stronger.
The question is how could the laws of Canada treat the prosecution of
the oppressors and the victim as the same? How could the crime of a child
molester and rapist be equivalent to a victim of these crimes? It is
reminiscence of the Islamic law in Afghan and Iran where women who are raped,
are put in jail. For more information, read the story of an Afghan woman
who is being kept in prison with her child because she was rapped Afghan woman forced to choose between
marrying her rapist, or 12 years in jail for adultery
Let’s face it, as long as the policy of multiculturalism remains in
Canada, there will be no gender equality across the nation. To prosecute women
and men equally for being in a polygamist relationship is clouding the issue of
gender equality.
Yes, we as promoters of the movement for equality between men and women
are very pleased that the British Columbia Supreme Court, Chief Justice Bauman
ruled in favour of the section of the Criminal Code outlawing polygamous
unions. But we demand harsh punishment for all men and all those who assist and
arrange polygamist marriages. But not women who we strongly believe are
the victim of rape and become sexual slaves. Such women in these
communities have no ability to make a decision in this matter.