I disagree, certain cultural values cannot be accepted nor respected. E.g. marriages with underage children, owning slaves, forced female mutilation (different story if the female wants it herself) and genocide.
Of course you are entitled to your own opinion.
Genocide and slavery are, I would suggest, political phenomena.
Marriage, the concept of 'underage', and female 'mutilation' (as you put it) are, I would suggest, cultural phenomena.
Define 'underage' - 21? 18? 16? 15? 14? What is it?
Do you think the word in Sudanese for the practice we're discussing translates as 'mutilation'? I think not.
Not all the world is a WASP.
Quoting: Nothing Is TrueIt's not true that genocide and slavery are purely political issues. Even the genocide in WWII had roots in cultural values - it's not a coincidence that Hitler wanted to control art, movies and writings. The first step he took was to dispose the intelligensia that spread different cultural values as what he stood for. Culturally there was already a latent hate against the Jews, communists, homosexuals etc. All Hitler did was making it stronger with his propaganda.
The same case with Hutus and Tutsis - latent cultural values that got awakenend to monstrous proportions by propaganda.
Furthermore, how can you clearly seperate politics and culture as different nondependent entities? Even your own argument of Sudan (if it's allowed by law, thus politically) shows that culture and politics are interdependent.
My starting point is human rights of which in my opinion all humans are entitled to. Right for education, right to live without oppresion etc. Forcing underage girls to marry, or forcing women to be mutiliated is against these human rights.
Or don't you believe that every human being is entitled to certain basic human rights?
