Draw back the veil

This world view results in seeing wives and children as an extension of male honour. A friend said that in his culture any deviation from authority by the children was viewed as the fault of the mother and her inability to guide them correctly.

While this may not be encouraged in Islam, although there are some quotes from the Koran that could be interpreted as such encouragement, the religion is based on a social system formed from tribes and clans. Its laws are very much about preserving the cohesion and honour of the tribe, at the expense of the individual.

I have witnessed and heard of countless incidents of domestic violence occurring from situations very similar to what was described as happening on the Gold Coast. It is not an exceptional event, although the final result certainly is. At their root, they are always related to a father's sense that his authority has been usurped, causing irreparable damage to his honour. What is unique about this particular incident was that it was forced to become public, a feature of social problems in Islamic societies that is rare. Most are sources of shame and required to be swept under the carpet.

If debates about wearing the veil turn into causes of great offence, the possibility of debating domestic violence, sexual abuse or rape is non-existent.

The Gold Coast death is a clear example that the debate on integrating migrants is an important one. The reluctance to engage with mainstream Australia by some communities, albeit a small minority, is cause for a great deal of distress and can result in wider social problems.

The learning of English espoused by the Prime Minister, while having merit, is just one measure of the different ways migrants choose to reject the country they have adopted.

The raising of a cultural shield, under the guise of maintaining a moral purity, is a more important one.