"Betrayal and lies???"
Until lately, the issue of female circumcision in The Gambian community at large is taboo; it is sensitive, and many would look the other way anytime it is raised. A recent TV programme in Norway has embarked upon a demystification campaign of this issue, and The Gambian and Somali communities are the main targets. Last week, two young Somali girls came forward to tell their story, and it is found out that 3000 young girls are at risk of being circumcised and that already 29 cases were reported of girls including a 5 year old Gambian being circumcised outside Norway.
One of the Somali girls was equipped with a hidden camera to seek advice from The Gambian and Somali imams as to what she should do because she was at the verge of being ostrocized by her family for refusing to get circumcised. One Gambian imam Ibrahim Saidy adviced her to obey her parents and go ahead and do the circumcision, since there seemed to be no other alternative, and that Allah`s message was to obey ones parents. Another Gambian imam Fakebba Jagana, who represents another Gambian mosque gave the girl a similar advice, but also went further trying to justify his point by giving an example of how he maintains a wife both in The Gambia and here in Norway, when unknowingly he was digging his own grave! The Somali imam also supports the idea, and he even has a daugther to be sent out of the country for the operation (Don`t get shocked that with the limited number of Gambians in Oslo, we still can`t worship together in one house. There is too much of division it is unbelievable, but, then that is a common Gambian phenomenon everywhere). Another Gambian, Kebba Secka, who is the secretary general of The islamic council in Norway, and a key member of the commission for ethics and values set up by the former government (The christian democrats) was also approached, and his was equally the same advice, though he wouldn`t take any responsibilty for it. The whole thing was one big set up; none of these people knew they were on hidden camera. Officially, all four of them are against female circumcision, but the camera had shown a hidden reality in the communities.
Now what we have is a question of integrity. A couple of weeks ago, imam Saidy`s sermon was on "Betrayal and lies", and that the moslem ceases to be one when these are predominant in his/her character. The sad reality is that all three imams and kebba Secka gave different versions officially and unofficially. These are people who are highy respected in our communities here, and to see them being put on the spot and being labelled as liars especilly on national TV is rather unfortunate.
One striking thing though, is that the media is manipulating the whole issue to their own advantage, and it is headline news today in the tabloids and the radio. This is also an opportune time when the outspoken leader of the Progress Party Carl I Hagen gets his kick, and would start launching his usual verbal attacks on immigrants, especially now that his party is doing well in the polls. Anytime there is some issue about immigrants, Carl is out and most often than not blow everything out of proportion to get the sympathy of the electorate. When The Gambia was portrayed in a TV progrmme as a sex tourism paradise where young Gambian males in their 20s marry European ladies over 60, and when Pakistani A and B gangs went on a shooting rampage to eliminate each other, it was never "cool" to be an immigrant here. It was all immigrants this and immigrants that, and yet again here is another bombshell.
Imam Saidy had apologised to the whole nation, and Kebba Secka had tendered his resignation. The Somali mosque distanced itself from the statements made by the "imam", claiming that he was not representing them, and that he was just there by coincidence. This further casts a shadow of doubt on their credibility.
What these imams and Kebba Secka seem not to be aware of was that there was a law enacted back in 1995 which bands circumcission of Norwegian girls both in and outside Norway, and that the offence is punishable by imprisonment. A state lawyer Tor Axel Busch is launching an investigation into this, and many might be brought to book. The justice minister has also made a statement as to reconsidering state subsidies to these mosques involved. If the state subsidies are held back these mosques that are basically dependent on state handouts are all bound to crumble, since most members of their congregations never bother paying their subsriptions.
Norway finances a project against the eradication of the practise in Senegal, and it is said to be very successful, and I understand in Kenya Kenyan women run a sort of a work shop where women gather and do their stuff and talk about issues affecting them, and the only thing absent is the actual"operation". This might be something for our sisters back home in Th Gambia who are in a crusade to eliminate female circumcision.
It seems the interpretation of our culture, tradition, the hadith and sharia are most of the time confusing. While circumcision is seen as a traditional and cultural practice, the picture painted here in this country is highly a religeous one, and the moslem especially the male has a lot of explanation to do as to the distinctions.
It is human to err, and I feel sorry for these people who were completely bamboozled. It aint the least funny!
Good day all,
Omar
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