On Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked the French Parliament to pass legislation banning the burqa - the most concealing form of the traditional Islamic hijab - in public, arguing it subjugates women. Predictably, the proposal touched off a debate between proponents of universality and relativism, with the former arguing a universal value of women's equality and the latter arguing for respecting other cultures' values. President Barack Obama has spoken on both sides of the issue, in support of the hijab in Cairo on June 4th, then calling for Iran to respect "universal norms" of freedom to peacefully dissent in his press conference this past Monday.
Respecting the values of other cultures seems attractive to many Americans, especially progressives. But it is an idea with a checkered history, and has often led to dismissal of others' suffering. "Live and let live" can easily become "Live and let die."
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