Awa, I commend your comments on this very difficult matter.
Talk is really important, but action where it matters - matters more.

There can be few things worse than human slavery.  As a white man I know
slavery is repugnant, more degrading to the master than the slave, but my
ancestors had to be persuaded for over a hundred years that it was wrong,
they believed that keeping slaves was a legitimate part of their culture, a
respectable trade.

Despite the passage of time, laws and liberation, human slavery still
exists, in carpet factories in India and on many of the cocoa plantations in
Africa, as well as domestic slaves in embassies in America and the UK, we
all know it is wrong but it still continues. and we buy chocolate and Indian
rugs, at the cheapest prices for years and despite the scandal of World Bank
employees keeping domestic slaves, it still goes on!!

The practise of circumcision cannot to stopped quickly anymore than slavery
has been - but like slavery, female circumcision is wrong and misguided, a
brutal assault on an innocent individual by people who believe this is a
legitimate part of their culture, there will come a time when future
generations will realise it is wrong and most will stop it and wonder like
me how their ancestors could have done such a thing.

Talking to the people and educating them will accelerate that
gradual change, but only if people actually go and talk in the villages and
discuss it with their families, place where the web does not reach.

BUT, bringing it to the attention of the web audience may result in 10 or
100
people doing just that, people who would not have done so without the debate
and that makes the debate legitimate and necessary.
Whatever the issue, there are always talkers and far too few doers.

Francis
Gambia Tourist Support UK

----- Original Message -----
From: awa joeque <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 09, 2000 7:52 PM
Subject: Re: Jennifer Edison - Female Circumcision


> Jennifer
>
> I hope that you do not take this personnally, but your responses to the
> above subject looks like you're either not a Gambian or if you are, you've
> been away from that country for long.  As much as I'm against female
> circumcision - I do not think that you should be going on and on about
> cutting off this and cutting off that.  Jennifer I'm sure that there are
> many, many sisters in this forum that are affected by this practice (this
> also include our mothers and grandmothers)- so please give us a break and
> know that this subject has been dealt with on this very forum before.
>
> Jennifer, I think that I'm in a better position to give you the most
graphic
> detail of this operation - you know why - because I am a VICTIM.  And let
me
> tell you that writing or debating this on the NET won't change a thing
> because technology is not within the reach of these folks.  Go to the
> villages and Towns where this is practise and educate the folks out there
> rather than sitting in your comfy room with all mod cons telling us what
to
> do on the NET.
>
>
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