Sneak Peek: Conversations on Homosexuality in Pakistan, Cultural Relativism, & U.S. Freedom

Jan 23, 2023

We have three new conversations from Eastern Europe coming out this week. Here is a sneak peek for Substack subscribers:

Tuesday

Homosexuality is illegal in Pakistan, though the law against it is rarely enforced. In this discussion with two men from Pakistan, we hear a perspective about homosexuality firmly positioned in religion.

The men are considering the claim, “Homosexuality should be illegal in Pakistan.” They both agree with the claim, expressing the necessity of the government to follow Islamic law. One expresses shame that Islamic law isn’t enforced, saying, “Our name is the ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan’… [the government] must follow the rule of Islam.” Neither man advocates for violence or imprisonment of homosexuals. Instead, they say homosexuals should migrate to another country.

This conversation was recorded in Pécs, Hungary.

WATCH: “Homosexuality should be illegal in Pakistan”

Wednesday

This discussion, which takes place in Transylvania, is about cultural relativism. Peter presents the claim, “We should not judge other cultures,” and at the start, all five participants gather on the “agree” line. This unanimity was short-lived. When Peter asks the group about withholding judgment on cultures that refuse to educate girls, one participant moves to “disagree,” another to “slightly disagree,” and a third to “neutral.”

Peter raised the stakes by asking about the Holocaust. Should the actions of Nazi Germany not be judged? The two participants still agreeing with the claim defend their position by suggesting a distinction between a “culture” and the actions of a small group of men.

The participants also consider if their views on the claim would change over time. There’s some agreement that if all cultures progress to a point of acceptability, “if things would change,” they would say that cultures should not be judged.

WATCH: “We should not judge other cultures”

Thursday

In the ancient city of Pécs, Peter presents the claim, “I would rather be ruled by America than Russia.” The participants have different views on the claim, ranging from “strongly agree” to “slightly disagree,” and have different national perspectives. One participant, a Jordanian-Palestinian, notes that much of the world is already ruled by the U.S. through social media. A woman from Kazakhstan is unhappy that Russia suppresses the Kazakh language—yet she remains on neutral, noting some benefits of Russian rule. A gentleman from the Philippines strongly agrees with the claim, but only if U.S. rule would not replicate the situation in Afghanistan.

The two Hungarians who slightly disagree with the claim are not convinced that U.S. rule would result in greater freedom. One is concerned about speech suppression in the U.S., saying the country doesn’t seem “full of freedom.” They both say an economic argument might change their minds.

WATCH: “I would rather be ruled by America than Russia”