----- Original Message ----- From: "Fye Samateh" <[log in to unmask]> To: "Monica Ceesay" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 3:21 PM Subject: Re: Re: Female Circumcision Hello Monica, You must have got the best answer from this islamic scholar of yours,FGM has nothing to do with islam,christianity, judaism or any African culture,This has been a brutal babaric practices some(1000)years ago on our women,and only way to discribe it is- PAGANISM-It has to stop. RESPECT Fye Samateh In Oslo. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Monica Ceesay" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2001 12:14 PM Subject: Re: Female Circumcision > 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>>--------------------------------------- > ------------------------------------- > > <DIV></DIV>> > > <DIV></DIV>>To unsubscribe/subscribe or view > archives of postings, go to > > the Gambia-L > > <DIV></DIV>>Web interface at: > > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > <DIV></DIV>>You may also send subscription > requests to > > [log in to unmask] > > <DIV></DIV>>if you have problems accessing the web > interface and > > remember to write your full name and e-mail address. > > <DIV></DIV>>--------------------------------------- > ------------------------------------- > > <DIV></DIV><br clear=all><hr>Get your FREE download > of MSN Explorer at <a > > > href="http://explorer.msn.com">http://explorer.msn.com</ > a><br></p></html> > > > > ------------------------------------------------------ > ---------------------- > > > > 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. > > ------------------------------------------------------ > ---------------------- > > > > > ................................................................ > GRATIS E-POST TILL ALLA KVINNOR! > [log in to unmask] > http://www.kvinna.nu > ................................................................ > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 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. > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------