"What is more important? The right for someone to comfortably practice their faith, or the rights of women?" Whenever I'm faced with a difficult question of ethics, I do what I always do: I ask my 8-year old son.
Without any hesitation he said, "The rights of women. Why?"
I explained to him the dilemma that was faced by a professor at York University the other day, and the response he gave, as well as that of the University. In case you missed it, this man was teaching an on-line sociology course and the students were required to attend a study group, in public, which included members of the opposite sex. One student said that such a meeting was counter to his firmly held religious belief, and asked for an alternative. The teacher refused, saying that allowing such an exemption would make him an "accessory to sexism" and possibly set a precedence for allowing others to avoid interactions based on race, religion or sexual orientation. This decision, though, caused some concern and was brought before higher-ups at the university, who overturned the decision. They said that the teacher must accommodate this form of segregation, and that it would not go against their commitment to gender equity, so long as "nobody told the girls". At this last point my son blurted out, "Well, that's stupid." Even he recognized the tacit admission that something was wrong with this decision.
The problem, as we saw it, was not that the student asked for this accommodation. Not only is it his right to ask, but it is especially appropriate to ask this at a university, where the exploration of difficult questions should be explored. In fact, we both praised his courage in asking. Here he is, practicing his faith which discourages him from mingling with women in public, trying to get along in a society that sees nothing wrong with this co-ed setting. He asked the question, and his professor gave a very sound and logical response. The student, incidentally, went to the study group, but nothing has come to light about what he learned from this experience.
The real problem, based on what we've seen in the media, is that those in a higher position at the university made a bigger deal of it than the student appears to have done. They fell back on the "religious rights" argument, without appearing to have gone deeper into the case. Maybe they did, but it's not apparent from the reports on this, nor from their attempt at hiding their decision "from the girls".
But going back to the question itself, the essence of it is where do we draw the line on the rights of people to practice their faith? Does personal discomfort based on a religious belief grant someone the right to inconvenience others? If so, this opens up a huge can of worms that many of us thought closed.
When I asked my son what he thought should be done, he gave me a very simple, and yet quite profound, response. First of all, he said in his own words, the women should be allowed to be in the group. They should not be impacted at all. Second, the man should have the right to practice his faith, and if that involves avoiding women, that is his right. If it prevents him from taking a course, or pursuing a particular career, that is the result of his choice. Third, the university and the professor should not be unduly inconvenienced trying to accommodate him. Setting up an all-male group may constitute an undue inconvenience, but may not. This should be done by the teacher, based on their knowledge of the situation. Setting up a separate room may be too much of a hassle and impinge on the rights of the women.
Of course, my son also asked me how this was handled in other countries where women are segregated in society. I explained to him just how recently it was that women were allowed to attend university in Canada, and of the many women who were allowed to attend university courses in Muslim countries in the past, but had to stay behind a curtain so that they would not be "mingling" with the men. He thought about that, and then asked "Why doesn't the university allow this man to attend his class behind a curtain?"
That got me to stop and think, and then I realized what a brilliant solution that would be.
Out of the mouths of babes....
