Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Gambia <[log in to unmask]>




Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Gambia <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

In your last mail you made a list of lot of issues that needs to be taken care of Male Circumcision .....etc, which I have unfortunately delated. I can add to that list:
What about women who are being abused everyday and are being made to go back to the very same people that are abusing them? What about Aids being now and African problem? The list can go on and on but if you had followed this discussion you would have understood why most of us reacted to it. If we don't take up these issues they end up being taken up by others. FGM has been discussed here. I remember taking part in it myself. After all the information that's available now on this issuue, it's still shocking that people are being adviced to go ahead with it.

But I think that after the initial shock of our leaders being busted like that, most of us in Norway were very angry   with the way the media tackled the whole issue. Both Omar Drammeh and I mentioned about how one-sideed the program was. I think it is very wrong to assum that we are letting other people think for us. I personally don't want any outsider to tell me what do that is why I am doing something about it.


And you think that we don't know that this is very sensitive issue which needs a very careful approach?

Let me tell you a little story here: During my trip to Gambia last year, I was talking to a woman from Manjai Kunda(during a social gathering) and FGM came up. She was telling me that her daughter was circumcised but after seeing videos, pictures and hearing stories about what it can do(through an organisation in the Gambia), she was never going to make her grand daughters go through it. I couldn't say much but just amazed once again the power of knowledge.

So "Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in Gambia <[log in to unmask]>" whoever you are please think twice before you start hurling all sorts of assumptions on people you don't know nothing about. I respect your opinion and whatever way you decide to approach this issue.

Isatou