ebwop: I do agree with you that in order to not default to option B (sink into anarchy, corruption, and extremism) Britain needs to identify and uphold a minimal standard of basic human rights. Sharia law is as much a cultural artifact of patriarchal middle Eastern tribal societies as it is a religious code. It has no place in a functioning nation state. In that regard, I'm a strong believer in "When in Rome". If you come to the West, you must expect (and accept) you will be held to the minimal standard of basic human rights.
Although that standard is based on or evokes the Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, etc. from the holy books, it does not apply only to holy people, or to secular people. It applies to everyone. "Thou shalt not kill" is not negotiable in secular civilian society. Killing female relatives because they attract attention is still murder 1.
A few other points of basic human rights are somewhat contested. Some societies maintain the right to force girls into marriage beds at their first menses. You can argue that these girls are sometimes indifferent to the change in their status from child to wife. That their life quality may improve as they now attain the status of full adult respect in the tribal group.
A lot of evidence seems to suggest that this early loss of adolescent autonomy may produce adult women who have under-developed faculties for emotional judgment and personal self-actualization. This is incompatible with life in a modern society, wherein adult individuals are expected to develop moral, ethical, and social critical thinking skills through increased autonomy and responsibility in adolescence. This in turn prepares them to be responsible heads of household and citizens in a representative government.
Not to mention it keeps many women from reaching their full academic, financial, and personal potential. Finally there are health, social, emotional and sexual development issues with being married at a very young age. Pregnancy complication rates and birth weights are troublesome the younger the mother. Girls pushed into sexual relationships very early sometimes do not get a chance to develop a strong sexual self-identity and learn to understand what they need and what is harmful. They may become emotionally deprived because they are in a relationship based on their role as chattel, not as a partner in a voluntary, mutually trusting and intimate relationship.
We already recognize this as a secular humanist society and have laws to protect young adults until they have gained enough insight and judgment, and self knowledge, to make choices that they can live with. (Not that they always make the best choices) It is not about prudish puritanical nonsense. It is about ensuring every child has had time to develop abstract reasoning and risk-consequence assessment skills before having to decide the life of another human being.
Crunkatog on ESO
Bart331 balance suggestion: aztec: remove civ
Voltiguer: Ender, Sioux in 1.04 will be a top civ, no matter how many layers of Sioux goggles you put on
schildpad on Elephants: ...their mansabdar unit sucks so hard it looks like a black hole
Crunkatog on Steam.