CUT THEM OFF FOR WHAT?  TO PLEASE WHO?  .......!!

I think that FC is barberic, it is primitive and it is child abuse if you ask me.  This practice should have
been abolished since.  I don't think that the issue here is one of culture, religion or tradition - the issue
is one of SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR GIRLS and their natural self without any castration.

AMIE BOJANG-SISSOHO wrote:

> Mr Conteh,
>
> You you want to wait until you have evidence of the dead child to tell your
> grandmother that FGM is a harmful practice?  I had an article on the FEMALE
> CIRCUMCISSION OR FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION published in the observer
> sometime ago I will try t get the original and post it on the L for some of
> us to try and understasnd that we are not dealing with semantics but the
> cutting of part(s) of the girls body that affectes her later as a woman's.
> Th most ecent case I have withness was in December 2000,  when a 25 year
> young woman got married and only then that it was realised that the effect
> of the act done on her. She was a baby, two weeks old.  This was 25 years
> ago and the circumcisor was then proud that it only took three day and the
> girl was healed.  She assumed she did female circumscission.
>
> By the way, my grandmother was also amongst the group of ealders in Kombo
> South who led other women for the continuity of the practice, but that
> doesn't justify that I should not campaign against it when I became more
> aware of its consequencies.  She said the same for food taboo and girls
> education but those things are no longer taboos as they were ten years ago.
>
> Sorry to bother you with things you may have already known.
>
> Amie.
>
> >From: Lamine Conteh <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Female Circumcision
> >Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 18:06:39 -0500
> >
> >Comrades:
> >
> >Now that Mr. Hernlund has co authored a book on
> >female circumcision, I wonder how much he will
> >earmark in educating us about any potential
> >danger on this sensitive issue.
> >
> >Being a child of the rural areas, I am skeptical
> >of  the net effect of Mr. Hernlund's narratives.
> >I am proud to say that no one has died of
> >complications as a result of female circumcision
> >in my native Kombo East District, despite western
> >illusions.  My grandmother who was one of the
> >elders of this tradition had always told me to
> >not even discuss this topic because it is a
> >woman's issue.
> >
> >I am concern that some women have taken this as
> >a crusade for women's rights.  With all due
> >respect, we can convince our elders if we
> >approach female circumcision from a moderate
> >point of view.  The word "FGM" if interpreted in
> >any Gambian language will upset many Gambian
> >women.  I think "FGM" should be replaced with
> >just female circumcision. I want to assure The
> >Gambian women that I believe in gender equality.
> >I am, however concern about the division this
> >might cause in our society.  Please let us use
> >our culture to curb female circumcision.
> >
> >In trying to reach your audience one has to be
> >very careful in the choice of words.  Those who
> >are advocating a ban on female circumcision
> >should try and live with the locals and assimilate
> >in the culture before they bombard them with their        western
> >ideologies.
> >
> >I hope the audience is not interpreting my             annunciation has a
> >proponent of female circumcision.           In fact, I am oppose to it, but
> >I would rather             engage The Gambian women from a lay person's
> >point of view than subject them to western illusions.          Our African
> >culture should stay intact, but we also
> >must change as the world changes around us.                      An elder
> >in
> >the rural areas or in the cities
> >of The Gambia will understand us clearly if we
> >approach them in our rich Gambian culture.                       We must
> >clearly know that western ideologies                     are not supreme.
> >
> >With the passage of time the West has tried numerous
> >times to set the clock for us.  Some people have
> >come with false hope of salvaging us.  It is sad to
> >say that this people are only interested in enriching
> >themselves.
> >
> >Naphiyo,
> >
> >Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
> >
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