A Future Without Female Genital Mutilation

Halima, as I read your post, my hair stood. I have no words for you dear at the moment ...I am speechless.

Who will come to the aid of the young girls? It is sad that this happens with no consent from the girls making it have an everlasting scar in their memories.
Now that it happened to you,kindly raise against it, shout loud and clear that the girls dont have to suffer this way.

I will be glad also if we can be having some of your articles in our Womans Hope Magazine just to raise awareness on what is happening. Who knows,things might change for the better.
Lets join hands and say no to genetal mutilation
Consolata

While I am the first to respect the traditions and cultures of other societies, when it crosses the line of physical mutilation of such a debase nature it makes my blood curdle. Has anyone ever asked why this custom started?
My theory is that it was to promote the chastity of women. They could no longer enjoy sexual encounters. And, the fact that it is done by women to women demonstrates to what extent social change in the eradication of domestic abuse within our societies must reach into the very core of how we think, live and interact.

Dear Halima,

I admire your courage in sharing this painful story, and in working to rid the world of FGM. I learned recently this practice takes place in my home country, Colombia, where traditional indigenous tribes also circumcise their girls. It's surprising how cultures so different and cut off from the world could develop similar traditions. Sexism, clearly, at root of it all, since men don't get circumcised, and if they do it's for other reasons. I hope we can someday get to teach these women, who were once girls, of their worth and their value, and that there is no need of FGM for them to be pure, religious and admirable human beings.

I understand, even if I don't agree, why a mother would put her little girl through this. But I think the solution is not to make women aware, but to teach all society that there are other ways.

Best wishes, and lots of love,

Juana

READ A BOOK TITLED HALF THE SKY. IT IS ENLIGHTENING AND EMPOWERING. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH THIS PROBLEM.

Dear Halima,

Unfortunately, just talking, writing or raising the awareness is bringing an effective change in any of our societies.

According to Amnesty International foreign women in SPAIN in cases of domestic abuse have 1/4 of 1% chance of survival. The solution in Spain is to spend billions on politically correct rhetoric, passage of a few laws that the judicial systems spit on, and high profile publicity campaigns. In the past 2 1/2 years I have literally "run the gamit" within their judicial system and believe me it is not a pretty sight.

The social norms which maintain and perpetuate domestic violence and abuse, in all of its forms, are so ingrained in our cultures that until we start looking in, rather than looking out, none of the abuse will ever stopped. In my own story, my Spanish ex-mother in law, was perhaps the most instrumental in teaching and encouraging her sons to be abusive to me. When I told her that her son was threatening to kill me, she just responded "Que sera, que sera!" She was the one who taught her sons to have a violent temper, while their father taught them to be vicious, degenerate and cruel - All very well hidden and concealed "behind closed doors" of course. My ex-mother-in-law is a true drug-addict doped up on every kind of prescription medicine imaginable, with my ex-father-in-law, playing the concerned, "victimized" care-giver in public. I have watched this scene be played by three generations of my ex-husband's family. It is an age-old game that crosses the lines of religion and cultrue. See my articles published on this website and www.global-expats.com.

My ex-father-in-law would always tell me "Dirty laundery is washed within the family." To which I always responded "Well your problem is that you and your family just sweep your dirt under the carpet."

As with all abusors and psychopaths, they will NEVER admit or even think that their behavior is abusive. Another commonality is that they are totally convinced that their victims are responsible, and sometimes even enjoy, the pain inflicted.

I am sure that those women who commit genitial mutilation on young girls feel they are completely justified in their actions. "If it was good enough for me, it is good enough for my daughter." No amount of laws or sanctions will stop this or any other type of abuse or torture. Look at how many girls are being subjected to genetial mutilation in western societies, where it is illegal.

Until members of societies stand up and take responsibility for what is occurring in their and their neighbors own "back-yards," then abuse and all of the problems it creates will not go away. On several occassion in my life I have stood up and denounced corruption and abuses of power. I also have been ostracized (and stabbed in the back for it,) but on each occassion the "wrong" if not "righted," was at least discontinued.

Dear Halima,
Thank you very much for sharing your story. I teach English as a second language, and have had many, many students, mostly from Somalia, who have suffered FGM. As a teacher I could never speak about this either to the girls or their parents. What I did do was talk to my boys and asked them if they would please not do this to their daughters. I was very pleased and a bit surprised at how receptive they were. They did not say "it's our culture, we must do it". They told me they would never do such a thing. One boy told me that living outside of his country had given him a wider vision about FGM, and about marriage and the daughters he would have. He thinks the other boys have had similar experiences.
But your story is very much needed because so many people know nothing about it, and hearing it from you directly is very powerful.