Help Stop Female Genital Mutilation

[Good Friday]

http://www.petitiononline.com/fgm2003/petition.html

To: U.S. President & U.S. Congress

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is practiced in many forms:

- Sunna circumcision in which the tip of the clitoris and/or its covering (prepuce) are removed.

- Clitoridectomy where the entire clitoris, the prepuce and the adjacent labia are removed.

- Infibulation (a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision) which is a clitoridectomy followed by sewing up of the vulva. A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. A second operation is done later in life to reverse some of the damage. In some cultures, the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger. She may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip.

Because of poverty and lack of medical facilities, the procedure is frequently done under less than hygienic conditions, and often without anesthetic by other than medically trained personnel. Anesthesia is rarely used. Razor blades, knives or scissors are usually the instruments used. In the rural Mossi areas of Burkina Faso, group female circumcisions are scheduled every three years in many villages. Girls aged from 5 to 8 are assembled by their mothers into groups of up to 20. The circumcision "uses a knife-like instrument, the barga, reserved specifically for this purpose; after each operation she simply wipes the knife on a piece of cloth, sometimes rinsing it in water first." In some areas of Africa, FGM is delayed until two months before a woman gives birth. This practice is based on the belief that the baby will die if she/he comes into contact with their mother's clitoris during birth. We are unaware of any medical evidence to support this belief.

Side effects of the operation can include: hemorrhage, shock, painful scars, keloid formation, labial adherences, clitoral cysts, chronic urinary infection, and chronic pelvic infections. Later in life, it can cause kidney stones, sterility, sexual dysfunction, depression, and various gynecological and obstetric problems.

- From the Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance website (http://www.religioustolerance.org/)

- - - - - - - - - -

We, the citizens of the United States of America, in solidarity with our suffering sisters throughout the world, demand effective and immediate action from the President of the United States and the United States Congress to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). FGM is gravely immoral and flies in the face of the liberating spirit of America. As we would protect our American sisters, we must now protect our sisters abroad. This violent subjugation and mutilation, this horrendous act of terrorism against women everywhere must come to an end.

Therefore, we, the people of the United States, demand that the President work with Congress to enact and enforce effective legislation to bring down this global act of misogynistic terrorism. Furthermore, we demand that the State Department bring this matter before the United Nations, making it an issue that the international community cannot ignore. We, the self-governing citizens of America, will settle for nothing less.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

[dUSt]

Why would you want the U.S. to impose it's will on a cultural practice that has probably been going on for centuries? Many cultures do many weird things. Should we make them all live just like we do here in the states? Maybe we should make them have abortions while we're at it, since that's acceptable here. I say we stop the atrocity happening right in our backyard first--once we have our act together, then we can start making other cultures follow our lead.

[hyperdulia again]

dust you do realize this practice is one of removing the labia and clitoris from the bodies of little girls w/out anaesthesia, right?

[Kilroy the Ninja]

It's a fairly disgusting practice that many times leads to the death of the girl from infection. Culturally it's barbaric and unnecessary. I applaud your efforts at getting the word out Nathan!

[dUSt]

I know exactly what the culture in question does. It's barbaric. Abortion is more barbaric.

What will the United States do? Send in the army? My point was that the U.S. has no moral authority to stop female genital mutilation as it's guilty of murdering millions of babies every year.

My question still remains though. How do you propose the U.S. put an end to it? We're not talking about some dictator or bad government. We're talking about cultural practices.

If you want to put an end to it, don't petition the U.S. government. Bring that culture to Christ.

[LTNgurl]

even though have done FGM for a long time....y should we still allow it....God gave it to us for a reason....if we cant stop..maybe , somehow..we should educate them in the consequences, and how others view it. (just trying to help those helpless girls)

Edited October 15, 2003 by LTNgurl

[Paladin D]

I agree that it should be put to an end. But considering what dUSt has said, how would the U.S. stop this?

[Kilroy the Ninja]

Well, that is true dUSt... I myself, am more for supporting the missionaries who are over there attempting to stop this madness, but I still am glad to see someone bringing the situation to the public's attention.

[dUSt]

Should we try to put an end to less-than-hygenic circumcision too?

[Kilroy the Ninja]

Sure why not?

[dUSt]

Okay, I'm in.

[Good Friday]

I cannot believe, dUSt, that you are treating this situation so lightly. Perhaps if it were your wife or mother, you would react differently? Or perhaps not. Personally, I don't think we should put an end to the less-than-hygienic circumcision until FGM is stopped. Actually, I think we should go a step higher and start castrating the pigs until they stop mutilating their women. But that's just me.

I'm not going to have an ideological debate about abortion and the culpability of the United States. Shall we add to that culpability by sitting idly by while women are subjected to a prodedure that will cause them pain their entire lives and possibly kill them? A friend of mine told me that some of the pro-lifers don't care about the woman, only the fetuses, and not even those once they've been born. I told her she was wrong. Was she?

That's the end of me addressing that particular insanity.

-----

Now, someone asked how the United States can put a stop to it. Well, the U.S. can't effectively put a stop to it, but they can reduce the practice. What we need to do is impose economic sanctions on governments that allow or turn a blind eye to the practice. In the following countries, 90% or more women are subjected to FGM: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan. You can't tell me that these countries couldn't do something about this widespread practice. It's not a question of inability, it's a question of unwillingess. Perhaps when they're not receiving any aid and/or when they're unable to trade with significant members of the international community, this issue will become more important to them.

The United States could also begin education programs to educate the people of these countries on the wrong and harmful nature of FGM. It's very possible that some of these people believe it's in the best interest of their women to do this. Perhaps educating them could change some minds. If we can save even one woman from FGM, then we've accomplished something. If we sit here and have ideological fights about whether or not abortion is worse, we solve nothing about either abortion or FGM.

This petition is part of the solution I've proposed. If you have a better idea, let's hear it. And perhaps, while you're at it, you could write to your Bishops and your Pope and ask them to state unequivocally that this practice is wrong. I have no doubt that there are Catholics in Kenya who practice FGM, and that needs to stop. Hopefully the Catholic Church will join the battle against FGM, rather than continuing to bellow about abortion as if that's the only problem in the world.

[ironmonk]

It's very horrible that it happens.... but the fact is that the US can't do a thing about it... this is done by tribes in Africa... I seen something about this on one of the learning channels once... the key is education... and if I remember correctly, the Catholic Church is helping those people by educating them...

The US Gov. has a better chance at stopping spam than stopping this... now, if we want to talk about wasted tax dollars, spam... I'll cover this on a new thread.

God Bless, Your Servant in Christ

ironmonk

[Good Friday]

Then don't sign the petition. It's really up to you. Personally, I'm not willing to entrust this issue solely to the Catholic Church. How long have missionaries been in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone? And yet 90% or more of the women in those countries are subjected to these procedures. Obviously, the Catholic Church is not doing well.

[ironmonk]

Then don't sign the petition.  It's really up to you.  Personally, I'm not willing to entrust this issue solely to the Catholic Church.  How long have missionaries been in countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone?  And yet 90% or more of the women in those countries are subjected to these procedures.  Obviously, the Catholic Church is not doing well.

I got a petition for you... how about stop mutilating belly buttons and ear lobes?

Dude, the people of those countries want them...

Food for thought... not trying to debate... just point something out...

First, it's don't force our values on Iraq, now it's go take over the small countries that keep to themselves?

How exactly does the US Gov. impose our laws on 3rd world countries without people getting killed?

God Bless, Your Servant in Christ,

ironmonk

[Freaky Chik]

Actually, I've learnt about these things at school. The women don't want them. As you would know the women are a minority, guys have all the power etc etc etc.... The women are hurting,not just physically but emotionally... and they want a way out... but right now they can do nothing cos to them, they are just chicks, and they've always been taught that chicks cannot do anything. If they even try to stop something like that, then their lives become threatened by the males... they would die if they tried speaking out. So they simply don't. Also, do you wonder why generally it's the males that go to school there (if they can afford it) and not females?

Cos they're female.

Females are worth nothing over there.

[dUSt]

I cannot believe, dUSt, that you are treating this situation so lightly.  Perhaps if it were your wife or mother, you would react differently?

If I was a man in that tribe, then my wife would probably have this done to her. But, since I live in Texas, my wife or mother have nothing to do with this.

Actually, I think we should go a step higher and start castrating the pigs until they stop mutilating their women.  But that's just me.

I don't know how effective you'd be at getting this accomplished.

Personally, I don't think we should put an end to the less-than-hygienic circumcision until FGM is stopped.

Well you just made my point.

You have placed an order of importance based on the severity of the act. Exactly like I did with my original reply when I said we need to end abortion first.

I'm assuming you feel that FGM is more horrendous than abortion?

Now, someone asked how the United States can put a stop to it.  Well, the U.S. can't effectively put a stop to it, but they can reduce the practice.  What we need to do is impose economic sanctions on governments that allow or turn a blind eye to the practice. In the following countries, 90% or more women are subjected to FGM: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Sudan.  You can't tell me that these countries couldn't do something about this widespread practice. It's not a question of inability, it's a question of unwillingess.  Perhaps when they're not receiving any aid and/or when they're unable to trade with significant members of the international community, this issue will become more important to them.

I don't think that depriving the country even further will produce the outcome you'd hope it would. I think the effects of sanctions would do more harm than good.

It's very possible that some of these people believe it's in the best interest of their women to do this.

I would think this is a give-in.

If we sit here and have ideological fights about whether or not abortion is worse, we solve nothing about either abortion or FGM. This petition is part of the solution I've proposed.  If you have a better idea, let's hear it.

Okay. Introduce them to Christ. That would work better.

Hopefully the Catholic Church will join the battle against FGM, rather than continuing to bellow about abortion as if that's the only problem in the world.

Of course it's not the only problem. It's the biggest problem. You yourself stated that we shouldn't worry about putting an end to less-than-hygenic circumcisions until we put an end to FGM. It's okay for you to prioritize the severity of problems, yet, you bash the Church for doing the same thing?

[Don John of Austria]

I have met african women who did want them and were glad they had had it done. So what. I think there a lot of things going on in africa we should be stoping, I'm in, just have to stop slavery of Christians while your at it.

[Good Friday]

My God, you people are treating this issue like it's nothing. Like it's just some cultural thing that they do. In case you missed it from my original post, this is their cultural thing that they're entitled to: Infibulation (a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision) which is a clitoridectomy follow by sewing up of the vulva. A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. A second operation is done later in life to reverse some of the damage. In some cultures, the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger. She may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip.

The "unsanitary" conditions of male circumcision pales in comparison to Female Genital Mutilation. Male circumcision actually has positive health effects for men, whereas FGM has negative health effects for women and can (and often does) result in death.

Don't you care about these women? And, furthermore, what do you think your Lord and Savior would think about this practice?

[jmjtina]

I don't think we should be taking it lightly, although I do feel we should have our priorties straight. If we can't even protect the innocent unborn Amercian lives, and the many women who are victimized by abortion in our country, then how can we ever hope to protect anybody else?

Peace and Love.