An international forum on women’s rights recently organized a two-day conference in Mississauga to address the status of women in various segments of the South Asian community in Canada.

Disha, or the Association of Punjabi Canadian Women, invited local as well as international guests to address these women’s achievements and some of the continuing hurdles they face in their daily lives.

Kellie Leitch’s recent tweet - quoting from a Candice Malcolm column - that a Syrian refugee recently beat up his wife with a hockey stick provoked an online skirmish. The refugee in the story professed an innocent ignorance of Canadian laws.

The objections to Leitch’s tweet centred on how it generalized the plight of Asian women, particularly Muslim women, many of whom enjoy equal status in their families.

Given the controversy and debate around such issues, the conference was important in bringing into focus how many women still face discrimination at home.

Aruna Papp, who has done tremendous work in the area of domestic violence, highlighted the continuing challenges of women who face violence related to honour-based issues in many communities still beset with a patriarchal mindset.

The segment of the conference entitled From the Kitchen to Nasa also addressed the issue of transgender rights, the concerns of transgender and homosexual Canadians and the continuing prejudice and lack of understanding they face both at home and in wider society.

This was a welcome first step in according social justice to South Asian LGBTQ communities in Canada, and the audience was receptive to the concerns expressed.

The paper I presented was about the rights of Muslim women. Muslim society is by no means the monolith it is often held to be, yet it displays a disturbingly consistent pattern of excessive patriarchal control.

I stated plainly that certain narratives, especially within the orthodox segments of Muslim society, must be challenged by Muslim women themselves, because awareness of their own place in society is central to achieving any kind of progress.

Embedded narratives on polygamy, wife battery and the segregation and seclusion of women prevent a robust challenge emerging in these communities.

For example, the argument that men are natural leaders of the household, and that they have a stronger sexual urge than women, is used to excuse polygamy.

Many traditional Muslim homes embrace such explanations, along with a related religious sanction for beating wives. The religious justification thwarts any challenge to such outrages.

I urged members of the audience to ponder these issues with open and inclusive minds, to eschew any narrow religious basis for antagonism and especially for misogyny.

Muslim women in particular must see these traditional narratives for what they are. They are mere rationalizations, and the time has come to see beyond them.

I appreciate the Toronto Sun's recent editorial on curbing rhetoric and addressing all of the troubling issues of our times in a more positive manner, perhaps with a more nuanced approach. The editorial also rightly denounced violent jihadi terror and its unfortunate backlash on innocent Muslims.

These debates need to take place in an atmosphere of civility and understanding. These are among the most pressing problems of our time and any attempts by either the left or the right to forestall debate do not solve them.

Disha provided a forum for us to handle these issues in a non-threatening atmosphere. More such conferences can spark a civilized and productive national debate on these issues.