All right, let me get this straight: when American troops went to Saudi Arabia, they had to avoid all overt practice of Christianity or Judaism. Why? Because that’s their culture, and we have to respect it. And now when Saudis come to Virginia Tech, they’re given gender-segregated classes. Why? Because that’s their culture, and we have to respect it. So their culture trumps ours both in Saudi Arabia and in the United States.
This reminds me of the British colonial official who outlawed suttee in India. “But it’s our culture,” an Indian protested, whereupon the official replied: “Yes, and it’s our culture to jail those who encourage its practice.” But no one today has enough spine to stand up for gender equality or freedom of conscience in the face of Sharia. “Classes for Saudis separated: Gender-specific classes are given at Tech this summer for people from Saudi Arabia,” from The Roanoke Times, with thanks to Ixnay:
BLACKSBURG – About 60 faculty members from a Saudi Arabian university are taking courses on Virginia Tech’s campus this summer. But the program’s setup is a bit different than a typical Tech class.
Men and women from King Abdulaziz University are taking identical faculty development courses at Tech, but meet in gender-specific classes. Tech officials said administrators from the Saudi university separated the sexes to mirror classroom settings at their home institution, which operates separate campuses for men and women.
“This is the way they teach their courses over there, and this is the way they wish their courses to be taught over here,” said Tech spokesman Larry Hincker. The university chose to respect the Saudi culture “rather than impress our culture on them,” he added.