Dear GL:ers,
I cannot say that I have followed this debate very
carefully. Somebody that has a great knowledge in Islam
told me that FGM is against the Islamic rules. Can
anyone tell me how it is with that? I am sorry if the
answer has been written before, as I told you I have
not followed this issue very good.
Greetings from a Sweden where spring is coming...
from Monica Ceesay.
Quoting momodou olly-mboge <[log in to unmask]>:
> <html><DIV>
> <P>Mr Conteh,</P>
> <P>With respect, i think your position on Female
Genital Mutilation is
> simply wrong. You said that you are proud
that no one have died
> from this practice. How did you come to such a
conclusion? What are
> the facts that back your evidence? It is not enough
to say that your grand
> mother counselled you not to discuss such a sensitive
issue. Those
> who are really qualify to talk on this issue are
those who went through
> this ancient practice. </P>
> <P>One of the contributors on the L who have gone
through such a practice
> and who is relentlessly campaigning for
the abandonment of this
> practice is my sister. She is not spurred by
any western
> ideology. She is simply against such a practice
because FGM do not
> serve any positive purpose. It rather
traumatises our
> women. Some of our sisters engaged in
the struggle
> to eradicate this practice are
culturally more aware than
> many of us. There campaign have been waged in
the tradition of
> respect for elders. My sister have
been engaging our elders
> for many years on the FGM issue. She have no
illusion that it is an
> easy task. Of course it is difficult but by God it is
worth it. I
> wish her and everyone all the best in this noble
task.</P>
> <P>I think also we should go beyond this
continuous chiding of western
> ideology. Culture is a living thing.
It is always
> changing. It has never been static.
For me, good cultural
> practices, good education and health practices are
universal. They no
> boundaries. </P>
> <P>Bravo Ms Herlund.</P>
> <P>Regards,</P>
> <P>Mboge</P>
> <P> </P>
> <P> </P></DIV>
> <DIV></DIV>
> <DIV></DIV>>From: Lamine Conteh
<[log in to unmask]>
> <DIV></DIV>>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-
issues mailing list
> <[log in to unmask]>
> <DIV></DIV>>To: [log in to unmask]
> <DIV></DIV>>Subject: Female Circumcision
> <DIV></DIV>>Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 18:06:39 -0500
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Comrades:
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Now that Mr. Hernlund has co authored
a book on
> <DIV></DIV>>female circumcision, I wonder how much
he will
> <DIV></DIV>>earmark in educating us about any
potential
> <DIV></DIV>>danger on this sensitive issue.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Being a child of the rural areas, I am
skeptical
> <DIV></DIV>>of the net effect of Mr. Hernlund's
narratives.
> <DIV></DIV>>I am proud to say that no one has died
of
> <DIV></DIV>>complications as a result of female
circumcision
> <DIV></DIV>>in my native Kombo East District,
despite western
> <DIV></DIV>>illusions. My grandmother who was one
of the
> <DIV></DIV>>elders of this tradition had always
told me to
> <DIV></DIV>>not even discuss this topic because it
is a
> <DIV></DIV>>woman's issue.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>I am concern that some women have
taken this as
> <DIV></DIV>>a crusade for women's rights. With all
due
> <DIV></DIV>>respect, we can convince our elders if
we
> <DIV></DIV>>approach female circumcision from a
moderate
> <DIV></DIV>>point of view. The word "FGM" if
interpreted in
> <DIV></DIV>>any Gambian language will upset many
Gambian
> <DIV></DIV>>women. I think "FGM" should be
replaced with
> <DIV></DIV>>just female circumcision. I want to
assure The
> <DIV></DIV>>Gambian women that I believe in gender
equality.
> <DIV></DIV>>I am, however concern about the
division this
> <DIV></DIV>>might cause in our society. Please let
us use
> <DIV></DIV>>our culture to curb female
circumcision.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>In trying to reach your audience one
has to be
> <DIV></DIV>>very careful in the choice of words.
Those who
> <DIV></DIV>>are advocating a ban on female
circumcision
> <DIV></DIV>>should try and live with the locals
and assimilate
> <DIV></DIV>>in the culture before they bombard
them with their western
> <DIV></DIV>>ideologies.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>I hope the audience is not
interpreting my annunciation has
> a
> <DIV></DIV>>proponent of female circumcision. In
fact, I am oppose to
> it, but
> <DIV></DIV>>I would rather engage The Gambian
women from a lay person's
> <DIV></DIV>>point of view than subject them to
western illusions. Our
> African
> <DIV></DIV>>culture should stay intact, but we also
> <DIV></DIV>>must change as the world changes
around us. An elder in
> <DIV></DIV>>the rural areas or in the cities
> <DIV></DIV>>of The Gambia will understand us
clearly if we
> <DIV></DIV>>approach them in our rich Gambian
culture. We must
> <DIV></DIV>>clearly know that western ideologies
are not supreme.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>With the passage of time the West has
tried numerous
> <DIV></DIV>>times to set the clock for us. Some
people have
> <DIV></DIV>>come with false hope of salvaging us.
It is sad to
> <DIV></DIV>>say that this people are only
interested in enriching
> <DIV></DIV>>themselves.
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Naphiyo,
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
> <DIV></DIV>>
> <DIV></DIV>>---------------------------------------
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