“No, sexual violence is not ‘Cultural’”
26th June 10
“The media, aid workers and activists alike have consistently failed to tell the stories of Congolese men who were killed by fighters because they refused to commit rape.”
“Cultural relativism legitimizes the violence and discredits the victims, because when you accept rape as cultural, you make rape inevitable.”
“When we blame all Congolese men for sexual violence, not only do we imply that rape is inherent to the African landscape, we avoid critical questions, particularly regarding the role that we in the West play. Who has been silent during 12 years of mass rape and off-the-charts atrocities? We have.”
Full article via NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/opinion/26iht-edshannon.html
