Winter
The two things that bothered me most upon arriving in Sudan have strangely seemed to slide away into the dust. First the oppressive heat; in the past 3 weeks it has cooled down a hell of a lot. In fact it got down to 23 degrees the other night so I had to put another top on. I remember a summer in Edinburgh when it got up to 23 degrees I felt it was hot enough to risk cooking dinner in my bra. How times have changed. So cool as it is, I think the locals take it a step far when they wear balaclavas and wrap their toddlers up in fleecy coats.
The other concern was the expence of the place. I have learnt where the cheap food places are, I'm very comfortable with the bus systems and as my local market owners see me walking and busing around the place they have learnt that I'm not a UN worker and have dropped the price of their goods to suit. Also, working two nights at the newspaper over doubles my income. I really like it. I learn a bit about English, and a lot about what is going on.
I have met some of the old volunteers from SVP (the Sudan volunteer programme) that have moved onto NGOs (non government organisations) like UNICEF (United Nations children's emergency fund) and got interested in the possibility of working with the prevention of FGM (female genital mutilation).
From what I understand, Girls are circumcised when they are babies or when they reach puberty. This is practiced in 28 African countries and in the Middle East. It is not a in the Qur'an but (like the head scarf) has become part of some Muslim practices. It can be anywhere from the removal of the labia, to removal of everything and sewing up hole that remains with only enough of a gap to pee through. So there are many groups that through education programmes are saying this is barbaric, stop it.
I come to this issue from a different perspective. A pagan perspective. I understand the importance of initiation rituals. the marking of a time when a girl becomes a woman. not just for an individual, but for the family and community. this is a time to trade, celebrate, arrange marriages and present their daughter. It is the debutant ball of the African world. this can not be simply taken away.
In initiation practices there must be a form of ordeal. the initiate must prove their worth. That they have a right to belong to the tribe/group/family. In the Jewish bar mitzvah the initiate must recite from the Torah when they are 12 or 13. It sounds like a horribly daunting experience but once done they have proved themselves and adult... and better that having your bits whipped off, well for the lads they don't have any left.
So I think every tribe that practices female circumcision needs to be looked at individually. Why do they do it? what are the benefits. So then it can be worked out what can be adjusted so the lass is not deprived of the possibility of experiencing pleasure, or have her health endangered. Look into options of other rituals (if blood has to be drawn or if pain is important, scarification, or if they must alter the genitalia I could recommend piercing; if they must cut reducing what they take and what they do) , and work with the commuities, negotiate so what the would do. I think if FGM is outlawed it will go underground, into the the back-sheds and out of the view of noisy interfering westerners who think their ways are always right.
So I would like to get involved with this. I don't quite know how, but I'll ask around. One tribe at a time I think things can be changed. And after we rid Africa of the brutal practice of stealing parts of girls genitals without their free choice, robbing them of nerve endings and telling them they are cleaner for it... I'll go to the USA and rid it of the brutal practice of stealing parts of boys genitals without their free choice, robbing them of nerve endings and telling them they are cleaner for it. 
The other concern was the expence of the place. I have learnt where the cheap food places are, I'm very comfortable with the bus systems and as my local market owners see me walking and busing around the place they have learnt that I'm not a UN worker and have dropped the price of their goods to suit. Also, working two nights at the newspaper over doubles my income. I really like it. I learn a bit about English, and a lot about what is going on.
I have met some of the old volunteers from SVP (the Sudan volunteer programme) that have moved onto NGOs (non government organisations) like UNICEF (United Nations children's emergency fund) and got interested in the possibility of working with the prevention of FGM (female genital mutilation).
From what I understand, Girls are circumcised when they are babies or when they reach puberty. This is practiced in 28 African countries and in the Middle East. It is not a in the Qur'an but (like the head scarf) has become part of some Muslim practices. It can be anywhere from the removal of the labia, to removal of everything and sewing up hole that remains with only enough of a gap to pee through. So there are many groups that through education programmes are saying this is barbaric, stop it.
I come to this issue from a different perspective. A pagan perspective. I understand the importance of initiation rituals. the marking of a time when a girl becomes a woman. not just for an individual, but for the family and community. this is a time to trade, celebrate, arrange marriages and present their daughter. It is the debutant ball of the African world. this can not be simply taken away.
In initiation practices there must be a form of ordeal. the initiate must prove their worth. That they have a right to belong to the tribe/group/family. In the Jewish bar mitzvah the initiate must recite from the Torah when they are 12 or 13. It sounds like a horribly daunting experience but once done they have proved themselves and adult... and better that having your bits whipped off, well for the lads they don't have any left.
So I think every tribe that practices female circumcision needs to be looked at individually. Why do they do it? what are the benefits. So then it can be worked out what can be adjusted so the lass is not deprived of the possibility of experiencing pleasure, or have her health endangered. Look into options of other rituals (if blood has to be drawn or if pain is important, scarification, or if they must alter the genitalia I could recommend piercing; if they must cut reducing what they take and what they do) , and work with the commuities, negotiate so what the would do. I think if FGM is outlawed it will go underground, into the the back-sheds and out of the view of noisy interfering westerners who think their ways are always right.
So I would like to get involved with this. I don't quite know how, but I'll ask around. One tribe at a time I think things can be changed. And after we rid Africa of the brutal practice of stealing parts of girls genitals without their free choice, robbing them of nerve endings and telling them they are cleaner for it... I'll go to the USA and rid it of the brutal practice of stealing parts of boys genitals without their free choice, robbing them of nerve endings and telling them they are cleaner for it.
posted by Rachel | 5:49 pm
15 Comments:
So I think every tribe that practices female circumcision needs to be looked at individually. Why do they do it? what are the benefits. So then it can be worked out what can be adjusted so the lass is not deprived of the possibility of experiencing pleasure, or have her health endangered. Look into options of other rituals (if blood has to be drawn or if pain is important, scarification, or if they must alter the genitalia I could recommend piercing; if they must cut reducing what they take and what they do) , and work with the commuities, negotiate so what the would do. I think if FGM is outlawed it will go underground, into the the back-sheds and out of the view of noisy interfering westerners who think their ways are always right.
I might buy into the idea of this being a reasonable initiation if a) the women had some choice in the matter, and b)it wasn't practiced in exclusively cultures where women are treated more as property than individuals.
I think that coming-of-age rituals are incredibly important (and one of the things which modernity has done an unfortunately good job of marginalizing), but I think it's also a stretch to compare public speaking with genital mutilation.
I agree that simply making the practice illegal from the outside won't work. But it is barbaric, and will hopefully soon join things like exposing crippled babies and foot-binding as horrible practices of a bygone era.
I like the idea of transforming the rituals, but unfortunately the thing about rituals is that since they're all about symbols, the change will have to be organic and come from the practitioners. I think the best path for this is to continue to push for women's rights and education in Islamic countries. As they gain autonomy, I'll bet dollars to donuts that you'll see clitorectomies disappear.
--Tim
Heh, interesting news on this topic today:
"The Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, the oldest and most highly respected institution in Sunni Islam; and the Grand Mufti of Egypt have released an official fatwa declaring the practice of female circumcision (also called female genital mutilation or female genital cutting) un-Islamic. The decision was made at a conference hosted in Egypt and attended by Muslim clergy from around the world."
The USA is not the only place where male circumcision is performed. It began as a Jewish tradition.
Rituals, such as female circumcision, are not isolated to Muslim communities. Many tribes in East Africa (the Ariaal pastoralists are one example) practice this. I've read a number of books about their practices. Upon discovering that women in America are not circumcised, one Ariaal woman was horrified and asked if the women in America delivered babies that were even human. They view not circumcising women as barbaric.
Yes, this does seem barbaric to Westerners because we don't do it. And I agree that we as westerners must be culturally relative and view each society individually. I would never do this to my child, but I understand that there are certain rites of passages that all societies have. Margaret Mead's book "Coming of Age in Samoa" was most enlightening because it showed that certain rites are evident in every society.
It is admirable that you are interested in doing something, but I think it is a stretch to think this is something you want to do anything about. FGM is a method to control women and their sexuality. It would be best to work with groups that have the goal of empowering women.
Golly this is a good topic. Maybe I should bring it up in class... maybe not.
Hiya Tim and Anon
Tim, are you the Tim I know from Colorado/Switzerland/Boston? (If so, ta for the Gmail invite. I'm still deciding on a new account name... this could take a while)
I don't think that this is a resonable initiation at all, that is why I am concidering the possibity of getting involved with the prevention of it.
I think that the Bar Mitzvah (and Bat Mitzvah) was a good comparison. it shows that you can have a right of passage that is meaningful, communal, supportive and symbolic: it is also an ordeal that doesn't physically maim the innitate and deprive her of any possible furture pleasure while subjecting her to health risks.
Unfortunitally it is not realistic to expect the practitioners of FGM to instantly switch to public speaking instead, that will never happen. So this transforming-the-rituals idea, (that may not work either, but it's all I've got at this early point and I think anything is worth a go) is going to take a hell of a lot of understanding and education from both sides of the fence. Instead of taking away a practice perhaps replacing it with something less brutal but just as meaningful might just work better for the commuities.
I'm so glad to hear that a fatwa has been issued againist FGM. Egyptian government has been trying to stop the practice for ages, now they have religious backing. Thank you for that link. An Egyptian tour guide said that it was important to circumcise girls to prevent them from being too horny.
I of course think FGM is barbaric. I think NOBODY should remove parts ANYBODY elses genitalia EVER.
But we, in the west, accept parents making the decision to remove parts of their sons anatomy without question. Circumcision is practiced for religious and medical reasons, but also by some because they think it looks better, or because they belive it to be cleaner.
This leaves a bitter taste of hypocrisy with me.
I have already learnt a lot from talking with people in the field and with locals and other volunteers (taxi drivers seem to be strangly open about this taboo topic). I intend to watch, listen and learn. and when I have finished my volunteering here in Sudan possibly-maybe look into work in FGM prevention in another (greener) country under the guidance of an oranisation that has experience, understanding and empathy.
I also look forward to when we can put all forms of genital mutilation into the history books. If there is a way I can help with getting it there, I'll give it a go.
This is a great topic for discussion, but honey, don't forget, you are in the Sudan. There is much turmoil in the region. Please do not bring up something that could cause you trouble.
Hiya Anon...
who are you? you sound very concerned,
Is there any point in just discussing a topic and reaching conclusions that you feel strongly about and then doing absolutly nothing? This is more than a discussion topic to me, this is an actuality. This is why I'm concidering, sometime in the future, after my teaching time here (April) linking up with an oranisation that deals with this issue.
I haven't forgotten that I'm in the Sudan, and am possibly more aware of the dangers of living here than someone not living here. I also caught word that there was at bit of turmoil...
Yesterday morning heavy gunfire broke out in southern Sudan (4 days by train from me) my newspaper got reports of over 100 dead and over 200 injured, last week there was another village attacked in Dafur (3 days by train from me) hundreds slaughtered or displaced.
Khartoum is peaceful. Some of my students come from the south, and from the west, they live with the possiblity that they may not have a home to go back to. I am aware of this, I feel useless, impotent and hopeless with these situations.
I have no intention of going into any war zones (even though there is a desperate need for English teachers in Darfur, English is the language of power, of the UN, and of the AU, if tribes can not communicate in English they risk not being heard by the right people at the right time... sorry, I tangent). I promise you, I put myself first at all times.
With FGM, I feel it is something I could help prevent. I am interested in womens rights, I have worked in education and prevention of HIV/AIDS, have an excellent understanding of rituals and why we need them. And I like to think i have pretty good verbal communication and people skills.
I'm not going to stop any wars. But if I can be part of a movement to change what communities feel is important for their girls (especially their value, status and health) and if that movement works with the communities and first gains understanding of their needs, traditions and beliefs, I would like to be a part of that. Here I am not powerless, I could be useful, I could help, I could make a difference... even if that differnce if getting one woman to think that maybe just because she was circumcised maybe it is not best for her daughter.
Maybe I will never talk to local women about this, maybe I'll get a job sitting up in an air conditioned office of a NGO researching information for a huge salary. Maybe I won't get involved in FGM at all. Maybe I'll decide to become a Red Sea dive master. So dont panic. I'll let you know as I float my way through life going in no particular direction.
Thank you for your concern though.
Rachel.
Tim, are you the Tim I know from Colorado/Switzerland/Boston? (If so, ta for the Gmail invite. I'm still deciding on a new account name... this could take a while)
Indeed I am. And no rush on the gmail thing, I just thought it was something that might help you...
Again regarding FGM, anon said:
The USA is not the only place where male circumcision is performed. It began as a Jewish tradition.
Rituals, such as female circumcision, are not isolated to Muslim communities. Many tribes in East Africa (the Ariaal pastoralists are one example) practice this. I've read a number of books about their practices. Upon discovering that women in America are not circumcised, one Ariaal woman was horrified and asked if the women in America delivered babies that were even human. They view not circumcising women as barbaric.
Frankly I'm not that concerned that they view not circumcising women as barbaric, nor how widely it's practiced, except that it means barbarism isn't isolated (thought anyone who's been in a London tube station at rush hour could tell you that). I will forthrightly admit that I'm not the least bit a cultural relativist when it comes to such things. I think it is objectively better to not mutilate people who can't approve of what is being done to them. I don't think this is (or at least it shouldn't be) a contraversial position.
With regards to male circumcision, I could quite contentedly support an equivilent proceedure for women as an alternative to clitorectomies. Something that marginally trimmed labial skin would be the roughly pareil, I'd say.
But just as I'm pretty firmly in the anti-female genital mutilation camp, I'd just as firmly be against removing the penises of baby boys.
Rituals that cause profound and irrevokable harm to people without meaningful ability to consent have no place in the modern world.
Hey there Boulder/Basel/Boston babe
you say:
"I could quite contentedly support an equivilent proceedure for women as an alternative to clitorectomies. Something that marginally trimmed labial skin would be the roughly pareil,"
I agree, it wouldn't be the ideal solution but better than continuing as it is. So far I have discovered that it is practiced here not at a coming of age rite, but on girls under 7 years of age. It is outlawed, but still quite common. I still have a lot of learing and understanding to go.
Thanks for your comments, love to you and your beautiful wife.
xR
I applaud your desire to want to help with this specific issue. However, I what to make sure you know what is going on in Sudan right now. Sudan has had a civil war for over 20 years now. It has been a battle of the light skinned Arab Muslims against the dark skinned Christians and Animists. The Darfur conflict began in 2003. The janjaweed are systematically targeting specific tribal groups.
I bring this up because FGM is an issue that can and will be adressed. However, many women in the Sudan and the Darfur region simply want their young girls to survive. Altering belief systems and cultural practices is not at the top of their list.
There are a number of humanitarian relief organisations that are in desperate need of volunteers. I beg you to volunteer. More of the world needs to know what is going on and take an active stand against the oppressive regime that is exterminating entire villages and tribes.
Interesting that an American should bleat about the destruction of villages and tribes in Sudan. 650,000 dead civilians in Iraq? Men, women, children. Write/protest to YOUR murdering government, as I have mine.
I applaud Rachel in this. She's got you all talking! She isn't going to stop any wars but I'm sure she'd have a bloody good go if she thought she might.
I understand that rituals are important but mutilation of any kind has to be wrong and should therefore stop. I'd liken it to slavery. Once entire economies were dependent on this, but it stopped eventually (though, I know not in Sudan and other places where it went underground).
FGM is already underground, having been outlawed by every government I can think of (OK smarties, which encourage it?). So now it's up to education and persuasion.
As for male circumcision being cleaner, those who haven't had the benefit of it make do pretty well with soap and water. Try it.
Go on Rachel, but let me know if you do become dive master on the Red Sea, I'll swap you some lessons for a ride in my felucca!
Nick,
Thanks for your response. I did find it quite a bit judgmental and arrogant. I must admit that Americans have made a name for themselves for being apathetic to the world around them. I don't deny that many are. Still, I am happy to say that the majority of American voters went to the voting polls in November and elected a majority Democratic congress. For all of us campaign volunteers and the candidates, this was a great victory. Bush can do very little with a congress that opposes his policies. The Democratic candidates that ran have promised to work on ending the unjust war in Iraq. I pray they stay true to their promise.
I believe a person can be educated in more than one issue and can be doing work for more than one issue. My work to put a stop to the unjust war America (and Britain, among others) is waging against oil rich countries is important and meaningful to me. But my work, though small it is, for educating others about the plight in the Sudan and in Israel and Palestine is also very important to me. Do not judge me based on the fact that I am an American. I accept my identity and I have every intention on bettering the plight of my country.
I AM an American, but I AM also a humanist. I believe all humans should have the right to life. I do not believe in war. As I have already stated, I applaud Rachel for her sincere desire to work with eradicating FGM. I also wanted to give my suggestion on other things she could work with.
Hi American
I just want to address a few things you mentioned:
I know a bit about what is going on in Sudan, I live in Sudan. I work in Khartoum University and at the Sudan Tribune newspaper.
The civil war between the north and south has been going since before the brits left in 1956.
The Dafur conflict is not a simple as "light skinned Arab Muslims against the dark skinned Christians and Animists." it is muslims fighting muslims and in the photo of a Janjaweed solier you'll find at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6144498.stm you'll notice he's pretty dark.
It is comlicated and intense. there are four main tribal groups each with their own needs and wants. I don't understand it or claim too. but as I said in this comment section earlier: "I have no intention of going into any war zones"
Darfur and FGM are two seperate issues. FGM has long been practiced in 28 counties it is a deep rooted ongoing problem, Darfur is a desperate humanitian crisis in one country. I have no interest in Darfur. It scares the s**t out of me.
you say "I beg you to volunteer"
I am a volunteer.
and when I say I am intrested in working to help the prevention of FGM I was thinking of volunteering for and organisation (what did you think I was going to do). Here in Sudan we have offices for UNICEF, OXFAM and a few other really good NGOs working on the issue.
Not all volunteer work in Africa is field work... there is a lot of research to be done and proposals to be written, little steps for long lasting change.
My friends name is Mick, with an M.
I get the feeling some of your think that working in the prevention of FGM means running into tribal villages under gunfire and ripping cutting intruments out of the hands of warlords in the style of Indianna Jones. It's not.
I kind of get what you're saying comparing male and female circumcision whe it comes to the consent issue, but I think other factors come into play that make moral comparison that much more difficult.
I think that female circumcision does seem to be a very telling reflection of certain societies attitudes towards women ("cover up, shut up") and their sexualities. Not only are the quite literally crippling themost personal and nitmate part of yourself, in doing so gaining they permanent control of their females sexuality. Circumcising boys just doesn't affect their sex-lives or their sexuality. In short I think that female circumcision is the expression of a hatred and utter disrespect for women.
Male circumicision in the west also is done by medical practioners who know what they are doing, and whose methods don't lead to horrific debilitating damage to the genitals or more short-term, blood poisoning.
Male circumcision doesn't EVER involve lopping off a part of a boy's glans so as to reduce any pleasure he might gain from touching it or having it touched.
Male circumcision doesn't involved tying down how penis and foreskin to his scrotum leaving only his urethra free for urination.
Also male circumcision really *is* a hygiene issue - it's the reason that this Mr OCD has considered getting it done! Also new research is showing a further hygienic plus-point - circumcised males are *far* less prone to HIV infection.
I think that my stong objection to female circumcisoin as compared to my acceptance with mild reservations to male circumcision is based on an analysis of whether 1) malice is invovled and 2) whether there is an practicality in these traditions to mitigate the fact that consent is not given by the person being operated on. On those 2 scores, female circumcision flunks and becomes very hard to justify. Joss
Very well put, Joss. I agree with you entirely. Really though? Less likely to get aids?? I wonder why! Odd that one! And I guess I still have pretty big reservations about cutting anything off anyone without their express consent. Circumcision isn't always performed too clinicaly in Africa. (See Nelson Mandell's autobiography 'Long Walk to Freedom' for a description of his experience. Overall though, obviously FGM is more detrimental, being MUTILATION and we need to remember that it is only euphimistically called 'circumcision'.
Keep going Rachel!! Knew you'd not give up! :-)
Heya Joss
I'm still learning a lot here. I met a freshly graduated sudanese doctor at a party the other night. Awesome woman who has not been circumcised and is totally opposed to the practice. We discussed it at length.
One of the students in her year had recieved a "minor" circumcision in which her the external part of her clit had been removed. This educated young doctor has decided to have the rest of her genitalia removed as she feels it would make her more pure.
This is astounding to my western mind.
I guess male circumcision is a seperate issue. I feel it relates as it is unnessasary, and in my personal experience of male pleasure sensation, the foreskin makes a remarkable difference (perhaps I need to do some more field research). Also there is a lack of consent.
Hey Mick
I have also read that circumcised men have a reduced chance of HIV. I don't know the exact reasons but I'm going to assume that fluids are trapped by the foreskin. I shouldn't just make assumptions. I should go and find out why.
have fun in Malawi.
Cheerio
Rachel
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