A rape awareness leaflet cannot protect British women, only a return to Christian values can do that

The publication of a booklet explaining to asylum seekers that they should not rape women and girls caused widespread controversy last month. The nine-page Home Office document, printed in simple English, sets out British law and cultural expectations around how women are treated in the UK.

In addition to explaining the need for consent in sexual relationships, the instruction leaflet also informs migrants that, in Britain, women are able to earn their own money and make their own decisions. In other words, in this country, women and men have equal worth. 

The reaction has been divided largely along established political lines. Those on the right claim that the existence of the booklet proves that men from some cultures have such abhorrent views about women that they should not be allowed into, let alone to settle in, our country.

We should not look back with rose tinted glasses: sexual abuse has always existed in Britain, even within the Church

It is not difficult to find evidence of horrific sex crimes committed by men from some of the countries that make up large proportions of small boat arrivals. Even court transcripts bear witness to the role of cultural attitudes in these crimes.

At the trial last year of Sadeq Nikzad, a 29-year-old Afghan asylum seeker convicted of raping a 15-year-old girl in Falkirk, Nikzad’s lawyer argued that her client had not been educated about the significant “cultural” differences between the UK and Afghanistan, where child marriage (ie rape) is prevalent.

Even the left-leaning Guardian newspaper has published numerous stories in the last few weeks detailing the horrific situation facing women in Afghanistan where, under Taliban rule, there is no longer a minimum age for marriage, no concept of marital rape and girls have no choice over who or when they marry.

In other words, rape is legal in Afghanistan. In addition to being refused the rights to work and education, Afghan women are not allowed to see male doctors and cannot train to be doctors themselves. Women in Afghanistan are treated considerably worse than animals in Britain. 

Christian culture

We know, as Christians, how much culture and upbringing determine our attitudes and behaviours as adults. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” People who are born and raised in countries where women are routinely killed in honour killings, or where female genital mutilation is rife, are obviously far more likely to believe that it is acceptable to abuse women.

That is not a judgement on any particular individual but, rather, a sober acknowledgement of the influence of cultural norms on human attitudes. A pamphlet may be useful for explaining British tax regulations or the Highway Code to new arrivals. But rape and sexual abuse are not primarily about law but belief, and beliefs are deep seated and not easily changed.

Therefore, some on the right argue that allowing men from certain countries to live or claim asylum in our country puts British women and girls at unacceptable risk. Many on the left reject this conclusion, pointing out that plenty of British men commit sexual offences against women and girls. But this is missing the point. British society, and the British government, are responsible for deterring and punishing British citizens who commit these offences.

The existence of these crimes reflects our own failures - as parents, teachers, church leaders, law enforcement officers and politicians. In abandoning a Christian understanding of marriage, we have left more women and girls vulnerable to abuse. But we should not look back with rose tinted glasses: sexual abuse has always existed in Britain, from domestic abuse to child prostitution to institutional abuse even within the Church. 

It is our responsibility to address these home-grown scandals. But it is not the responsibility of British society or the British government to correct or mitigate the behaviour of those from different nations; instead the government should put an end to preventable crimes by keeping those who are likely to cause trouble from entering our country. 

The Good Samaritan

Some Christians reject this position, citing the parable of the Good Samaritan as evidence that we should welcome all refugees. In my view, this is a bizarre interpretation of the story that Jesus told. In the account in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples, teaching that we should respond selflessly to those who need our help when we encounter them in our daily lives. He was not making a public policy announcement, or commanding presidents and prime ministers to indiscriminately open a nation’s borders - including to those who may mean us harm - or force ordinary people to suffer the consequences, both financial and social, of housing tens of thousands of uninvited strangers.

I feel desperately sorry for those living in Afghanistan, Sudan and many other parts of the world. We should try to improve living conditions in the developing world as far as possible where we can. But we have to accept that ultimately, the cultural practices of other countries are not our responsibility. The safety of women and girls in Britain, however, is. If the government knows that men from certain countries hold dangerous attitudes towards women, then the right thing to do is to prevent  them from coming here in the first place. 

See here for an alternative perspective from Bekah Legg