Multiculturalism Baggage

"Unfortunately, the violence was being perpetrated by the family, in general, by the father and the brother. She ended up being killed.
"It's an issue that takes place across many different ethnic communities and cultural communities, but it is a real issue and we need to address violence against women and girls in every community, in every culture in which it exists across Canada.
"This happens every day in communities across the country and you don't hear about it."
Canadian Status of Women Minister Rona Ambrose

Minister Ambrose was speaking to volunteers and staff at MOSAIC, a multicultural and immigrant service organization. The occasion was that of an announcement of support by the federal government and a small grant to the organization in the sum of $200,000 to enable it to launch an investigative project into understanding issues behind ethnic gender violence.

That relatively modest sum will also help the organization in its bid to include consultation with men and boys in multicultural communities.

The particular tragedy of which she spoke was the death of 16-year-old Asqa Parvez. Who chafed at the strictures of her family's insistence that she be more modest in her demeanor and her dress, befitting a good Muslim daughter. She sought outside help at a shelter which failed to take her distress and her fear as seriously as the reality of her situation demanded.

 
MISSISSAUGA NEWS Mississauga teen Aqsa Parvez, seen in this undated photo, was found dead in her home on December 10, 2007

She was returned to her family. Where her father and brother murdered her. An honour killing to erase the shame her attitude and behaviour brought upon the family honour. Her tragedy is one of many. Women in Canada are relatively safe in comparison to the dangers to women in much of the rest of the world. But there are more than enough incidents of women being killed by their intimate partners; boyfriends, husbands.

Those are seen as deplorable and grotesquely dreadful criminal acts perpetrated by psychopaths who just happen to be husbands and boyfriends, people who become temporarily psychologically unhinged, or people who are viciously controlling and violent. The issue of another imported cultural imperative of "honour killings" is one driven by a view of religious and social-historical heritage.

An extradition hearing will resume in the coming month for the mother and uncle of 25-year-old Jassi Sidhu murdered in India for bringing shame to her family through the caste system by marrying a poor rickshaw driver, defying her family's wishes. A year ago Mohammad Shafia, his wife Tooba Yahya and their son Hamed Shafia were all found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of their three daughters and the death of the father's first wife.

"We want to learn from men who have used violence. We want to know from them what are the dynamics, what are some of the things that led them to their acts of violence. You do see some attitude changes. You do see people stepping up. You do see men saying no to violence", said Nimu Kang, director of family programs at MOSAIC.

"Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go."