Setting The Example: Inspiring

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird gave notice that his government - and ours - is on track to pursue a "principled, value-based" foreign policy whose purpose is to encourage developing countries in recognizing the need to promote the full participation of women in every facet of their society.  "I have made it a priority to advocate for the participation of women at all levels of society, especially as old regimes fall and new governments emerge in countries seeking progress,l freedom and dignity."

"I do this because states where women play vital, central roles in government and civil society are generally more prosperous and more pluralistic overall.  If we want fewer extremist governments, we need the active participation of women in all aspects of society"

The plan is to encourage countries like Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen - traditionally backward in their treatment of and expectations of women - to realize the benefits inherent in welcoming women to play active roles in politics.  It's very attractive to think that our senior government executives think so highly of women, their intelligence potential as lawmakers, and the womanly virtues they can bring to the greater society.

On the other hand, this is the mindset that emanates from a sophisticated democratic Western society.  This is not how women are generally perceived in socially backward, religiously-fettered societies where women's traditional role is to be hidden from public view at worst, tolerated in public at best.

And while it may be laudable that the Government of Canada is intent on furthering the interests of women, to build on its initiative to provide health care to women and children in emerging economies, perhaps this new ambition is a trifle misplaced.  Not to put too fine a point on it; these are Muslim societies being addressed and in which most women are traditionally repressed.

Women are not necessarily a potential solution to moderate the more intolerant and extreme behaviours of the men in their midst.  Women are all too often proved to be complicit with the more severe behaviour of their societies.  There are extreme positions that women take, no less than men; take for example, the women of Gaza who willingly sacrifice their children's lives for 'revenge' against the 'occupiers', encouraging youth to become suicide bombers.

Their society celebrates these sacrifices on behalf of a radical ideology, and heaps praise on these extreme activities that violate human rights and decency.  In Iran just recently women were protesting the film Innocence of Muslims - whose production and circulation had nothing whatever to do with Jews - by holding aloft signs equating Judaism with garbage.  One placard read: Our war will culminate with the takeover of Palestine, held by a black-clad woman cradling a baby.

It is a noble thought that wishing it were so could be a transformative social medium; a far distant, wealthy, democratic country influencing poor countries run by dictators to recognize the value in human potential and social advancement residing in their women.  "Amid today's rapid changes, we see a common denominator.  Whether in Tunisia, Cairo or Damascus, people are fighting for dignity.  The dignity to live in freedom.  The dignity to live in peace.  The dignity to provide for one's family."

"In this storm of change, Canada stands like a beacon of light, built around our funamental values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.  We have a clear vision of what it takes to build the conditions in which people live with the dignity others crave."  With all due respect to the oratorical windblast of the minister: Utter Bumph. 

That flight of rhetorical fancy bordering on sanctimony is a mirror-image of George W. Bush's earnest endeavour to sell democracy to Arab states.  It might be instructive for the Minister to read Ayaan Hirsi Ali's book, Infidel.

Canada calling on countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to repeal "regressive and punitive laws" against homosexuality, will fall on incredulous ears.  Amazed that some outer source representing a wealthy country's delusional values and utterly (to them) perverse culture as being recommended for themselves, when their heritage and their religion and their culture demands otherwise.

"Our government wants Canada's voice to be heard, for it to be clear, and for it to be unambiguously free of moral relativism.  We believe what is right is right.  And what's wrong is wrong.  And it is in defence of those beliefs that we act." 

And so we should.  And good luck on that one.