Once Upon A Time...

Imagine a place where there is harmony. You are surrounded by people who value the same things that you value; stability, security, integrity and mutual respect. Because you have similar values and you essentially want the same things for your future - crime is relatively rare. Of course there are disagreements and situations that need resolution but those resolutions are not difficult to come by because you gave the same vision for your future and the future of your children and the future looks good.

But one day others decided that you were too much alike; you lacked diversity and were too isolated from the cultures around the world. You needed to be more inclusive; embrace the other cultures of the world, bring them into your society and allow them to assimilate into your society so you could coexist.

So, being generous and open minded you decide that it will be a good thing to invite others in and extend your generosity to them so that they are able to enjoy the benefits your society has to offer. You are optimistic that they will learn from you and you will learn from them and together you can build an even better future for everyone.

But there is a problem with that. The other people that you so graciously accepted and welcomed into your society don’t want to assimilate. They aren’t interested in who you are as a community, they don’t care about your beliefs or your values. In fact, they despise your beliefs and your values and deride the way you act, the way you think, and the way you look. They believe women are second class citizens. They believe their culture is superior and believe everyone should accept it.

No one wants to be critical of the others because that would be offensive to them and their way of life, so no one says anything. The natives adapt to the others and make room for their intolerance and judgement; they make excuses for them and cover up their behavior.

Now imagine that same place some year’s later, violent crime has increased up by 300% and rape is up by 1472%. Only one other country, known for its violence against women has a higher incidence of rape than this country. That is and of itself is horrible; but the real tragedy is that those in charge are still making excuses for those others that see fit to commit violent acts against those who so unconditionally accepted them into their community.