Topic of debate: The civilization mission was a righteous undertakingThe word suttee is derived from the word Sati and means a good woman who is ready to sacrifice herself by dedicating herself to her husband. Although the true origin of the word is not very clear, it is believed that the Greeks, Scythians and Indians used it in some of their cultural activities. The main characteristic of this word is to set oneself on fire due to community pressure, or to be set on fire, especially in the case of widows or slaves, in front of one's husband or master. The burning of widows and slaves was a common practice in Asia and parts of Europe until civilization began to influence such regressive cultures. Although the practice of suttee was not considered a religious ritual, it was common in many Indian communities to practice it as part of their culture. Before the civilizing process began, this practice was defined as appropriate and many communities were willing to sacrifice widows as a way of paying homage to their deceased husbands. One of the ethical concerns related to this practice is the ending of another person's life for reasons that were unavoidable. The death of a husband is not something a woman can control. However, a widow was forced to pay the price of her husband's death through her own death (Therborn 45). This was morally and ethically inappropriate and, despite the support of the local communities, it was unacceptable and, thanks to civility, the truth has finally come out in these communities. The practice was supposedly performed as a way for a woman's dedication to demonstrate her virtuousness. The other ethical concern associated with this practice is the discrimination of women in society. Rat...middle of paper...tice, fairness and equality. The benefits of civilization were therefore justified, and the promoters of social justice were of great importance to the communities living in and around India. The Indian community could have proceeded with its regressive activities if it had not been exposed by civilization. The policies and practices introduced provided Indians with the opportunity to adapt to changes resulting from modernization and this brought cultural and social justice. Works Cited Arnold, David and Peter Robb. Institutions and Ideologies: A South Asian SOAS Reader. London, UK: Routledge, 1993. Print.Therborn, Göran. Between sex and power: the family in the world, 1900-2000. London, UK: Routledge, 2004. Print.Young, Serinity. Encyclopedia of Women and World Religion: AK. New York, NY: Macmillan Reference USA, 1999. Print.