WHEN IN ROME DO AS THE ROMANS

Wrote Saint Augustine in 390 a.d. Now this is not in fact a set of jottings about religion, although it does involve religious practise. What this is about is the failure of Multiculturalism. - It is not often you will read me agreeing with the leader of the Conservative Party. Don't get me wrong I am not advocating Fascist Nationalism, or the “Seperate development model” of the Apartheid era in South Africa. I do believe in the belief in our selves and our own identity and respect for the identity of others.

Last week it was reported that CBS reporter Lara Logan had been assaulted. It was said that after getting separated from her crew and minders, she was seized by security men loyal to Mabourak and was beaten and sexually assaulted by them and their hangers on. Eventually she was freed by Egyptian soldiers and a group of women. Meanwhile in Islamic Pakistan Olga Guerin is the BBC reporter. These two women are not the only high profile western women, who are working for western organisations in the Islamic world.

The Liberal justification is said to be based upon Multiculturalism, they should accept our standards in the same way as we accept theirs. Now this is no longer true. Many European countries are questioning the idea of Multiculturalism. Some are passing anti-Islamic laws, banning the wearing of the Burkha in public places.

Personally I agree, when someone from an Islamic country wishes to visit or live in a country, whose culture is founded in the Judeo / Christian tradition, those people should accept the culture of the host country, practise their religion in private and not seek to impose a foreign culture upon their hosts. It is not good manners, for the guest to demand their host conforms to the guests moral and ethical code.

Having said that, it is also in my opinion, bad manners and unethical for companies and organisations from western countries to send women to work in high profile jobs in Islamic countries. In fact I believe doing this is offensive to the Islamic host country. Furthermore it smacks of the same attitudes as 19^th century European Imperialism - “only when they accept doing things our way will they be civilised.”

I no more believe it is right to insist on acting in a Judeo / Christian way in an Islamic country, than it is for Islamists to protest against cartoons of the Prophet being published in Non-Islamic countries. If people cannot live by the social and moral mores and standards of the country they are visiting then they should not be there. We should all respect, not only each others rights, but we must also respect each others differences and celebrate our own identity.