In the midst of FGM controversy
TWO GAMBIAN IMAMS FACE
PROSECUTION IN NORWAY
Two Gambian Imams and a Somali are to be prosecuted for
allegedly
promoting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Norway. Imam
Ebrima
Saidy, Imam Fabakary Jagana and another Gambian Kebba Secka
the
leader of the Muslim Council in Oslo are to face Norwegian
courts to
answer charges for reportedly aiding and abetting FGM, few
cases
of which have been prosecuted in Europe, according to
'Dagbladet' a
Norwegian newspaper.
The Norwegian Minister of Children and Family revealed
recently
that the two Gambian imams, the Somali and other exponents
of the
practice would be brought before that country's courts in a
trial that
many believe would set precedence in Europe for the
campaign
against FGM a practice, which is said to be 'silently
gaining a
foothold' among the immigrant population there.
Kebba Secka has since announced that he was quitting his
prestigious position as leader of the Muslim Council in
Oslo. He was
also criticised by the deputy mayor of Oslo who demanded
that he
should be 'fired' from his employment as a school teacher.
'It is
totally intolerable to have employees in the school
encouraging
illegal acts and the mutilation of girls,' the deputy mayor
remarked.
The Norwegian government's reaction came shortly after a TV
documentary last Wednesday which showed the widespread
practice of FGM among African immigrants in Norway and
other
European countries. It had highlighted the widespread
practice of
FGM among African immigrants from Somalia and The Gambia.
Much of the documentary followed the experience of Kadra a
20-year-old Somali girl who was hiding from her parents
since they
were apparently determined to take her together with two of
her
sisters to Djibouti where they were to be 'mutilated'.
Kadra who was
said to be carrying a secret camera and a microphone went
to the
two Gambian imams, the Somali and a Muslim school
councilor,
asking for their advice on her situation.
Although she had told them that she did not want to be
exposed to
the practice, the imams had urged her to consider the
importance of
following her parents to Djibouti with a view to undergoing
the FGM
operation. They had reportedly sought to convince her that
the
practice was neither harmful nor dangerous. But Kadra had
insisted
following an argument with one of the imams that the
practice was
prohibited in Norway. However, the imam reportedly
retorted;
'I am sure you will understand that we Muslims must be
careful with
what we say here in Norway. It is not necessary to include
too many
in these matters. I for instance have two wives. That is
also
prohibited in Norway. When my wife visits me from The
Gambia, I
tell the Norwegian government that she is my sister or my
aunt. The
same declaration should go for what you are bringing up'.
Ebrima
Saidy's congregation however, said they would give him
their
support and were shocked that he was called a liar on TV.
Amie Joof a Gambian girl told one Norwegian newspaper that
FGM
is not connected with Islam. 'It is something some tribes
back home
in The Gambia practice. Our Imam does not lie, everybody in
our
congregation disassociates themselves from FGM,' she
protested.
Sheikh Jeng a spokesman for the imams added; 'to prove that
we
neither support nor practise FGM, we want Norwegian health
workers to check on our daughters and wives'.
When the imams and the councillor were interviewed by a TV
crew
on the FGM subject later, they declared that they knew
nothing
about the subjection of girls living in Norway to the
practice. They
had also professed their 'strong' opposition to FGM, vowing
to
discourage girls from partaking in the practice.
According to reports Ebrima Saidy one of the imams had also
participated in a television debate with the Norwegian
Minister for
Children and Family where he tried to deny the allegation
but later
owned up and apologised to Kadra and the Norwegian people
for
'the wrong advice' he had given her. However, the minister
was not
taken in by Imam Saidy's change of heart and declared that
he and
others allegedly involved in propagating the practice were
to be
prosecuted.
If the alleged FGM exponents are found guilty, the penalty
under
Norwegian law is imprisonment, which could run from three
to eight
years. The Norwegian public prosecutor has since announced
that
he has asked the police there to investigate the Muslim
leaders and
others suspected of promoting FGM or assisting in its
'illegal
practice'. Over the last decade, Female Genital Mutilation
has gained
currency in Europe, Australia, Canada and the United
States,
particularly among African and Asian immigrants.
The practice is said to be prohibited in these countries
but the
number of girls and women who have undergone the practice
is
estimated at between 100 and 140 million worldwide.
According to a
WHO report it is estimated that a further 2 million girls
run the risk of
undergoing FGM each year. Here the government has not
passed
any legislation against the practice, which therefore does
not render
it a criminal offence.
In February President Jammeh had stated publicly that the
government would not ban FGM, saying it is part of the
country's
culture. Reports suggest that the figure for girls
subjected to FGM
runs at between 60 to 90 percent. Although FGM is illegal
in Somalia
and Djibouti, the governments of these countries have
stopped
short of enforcing anti-FGM laws, and neither have they
persecuted
anybody for the practice
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
http://profiles.msn.com.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask]
if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
