Cultural Relativism and Human Rights

Cultural relativism is defined as ‘understanding another culture in its own terms sympathetically enough so that the culture appears a coherent and meaningful design for living.’ Note the use of the word “sympathetic”.
Cultural relativism encourages us to understand another culture with an open mind free of any prejudices. It makes us realise that there are more than one ways of living because culture is basically a way of life. It prevents us from jumping to conclusions on what is right and what is wrong.
Sometime ago, I listened to a programme on Radio France where they were discussing women’s rights in the North African countries with predominantly Muslim populations (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria). Eventually, the issue of polygamy came up. The speakers immediately voiced their outrage over this practice. But one of them (a woman) explained that women in these countries are only happy to welcome the second or the third wife because it helps to ease the burden of household chores and farm work.
So the point I’m trying to make here is that what might seem wrong to me, might work well for someone else.
But can cultural relativism justify horrible “cultural” practices like female circumcision, honour killings, stoning an adulterer to death, etc.? Think of the British teacher who was arrested in Sudan for allowing her students to name the class teddy-bear ‘Mohammed’. Unlike others and without doubt because she was a foreigner, she was lucky to have received a full pardon. I firmly believe that anything that violates human rights should be condemned.
I do not recall the exact details of the case but a Spanish judge acquitted a man for beating his wife because (the judge said) it was quite a common thing to do among his kind of people (his culture). This is nothing but patronising behaviour; if one of us does it, it’s condemnable but if one of them does it, it’s ok, because it’s their culture!
Protection of human rights should be our main concern, rather than avoiding hurting somebody’s cultural (or religious) sensibilities.