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I never mistakingly thought it was about Muslims only. I have known about the practice and who does it for years. But it does tend to happen in predominantly Muslim areas, so people will bring it up.
The main religion in the regions this is common is Islam. But it is mainly practiced in tribal areas with tribal people who do not practice Islam, Christianity or any monotheistic major religion. What passes for religion is shamanistic. The village will have a witch or warlock type. Maybe both. They make claim to having magical power, usually of some very dark nature, and to speak with spirits and demons. Being able to summon these entities and to be able to cast spells and curses. For a fee of course, unless it's personal because someone insulted them somehow. Of course they will remove the spell or curse, again for a fee.
The village(s) support them. Feed them, provide a place to live, pays them for various services, such as "curing" sickness, protection from evil spirits and of course performing certain rituals. Like FGM. These are backwards, superstitious and primitive people, living in squalid conditions in lawless regions run mainly by warlords. Places like Somalia and Nigeria. FGM walks hand in hand with some other cultural aspects, like rape, dismemberment and ethnic cleansing. This is the cultural enrichment these people bring to the table to add to our diversity.
I cannot countenance any defense of immigrants from these regions dragging their "culture" here with them. Coming to this country has strings attached. Nobody gets to come here and live by the laws (or lack thereof) and customs of where they came from. Not when those laws and customs do not conform to standards of conduct that we consider to be prerequisite. Customs such as FGM, along with a slew of others, threaten the order and safety of our society. Not tolerating these customs and standards of living is NOT being "insensitive." Immigration comes with the obligation of assimilation and conformation with our laws. Immigrants can certainly observe customs and religious practices that are part of their culture, so long as these customs and practices stay within the boundaries of our laws.
If their native culture allows the abuse of their children, such as with FGM, they must leave that at the door. It don't fly here. No, it will NOT be tolerated..
Male circumcision is not nearly the same thing, and it actually is a religious practice in the Jewish faith. It should not be outlawed. FGM is not supported by any religion. It is a cultural practice, and a horrific one at that. I have no problem with laws against it.
So? Baby mutilation is baby mutilation. If someone wants to make that choice for himself when he's grown, I'm good with that. What we are talking about is things done to children which they do not understand and to which they cannot legally consent.
Male circumcision is not nearly the same thing, and it actually is a religious practice in the Jewish faith. It should not be outlawed. FGM is not supported by any religion. It is a cultural practice, and a horrific one at that. I have no problem with laws against it.
Male circumcision is so widespread in American society, that in my whole life, I've only seen a handful of men who hadn't had it done. For some years, it was promoted as helpful in avoiding the infection of women with the viruses that may lead to cervical cancer. They said that these viruses were harbored under the intact foreskin and passed on to the women. I have my doubts about this and think it may just have been a justification after the fact, for circumcision.
Nowadays, they commonly administer a vaccine to both boys and girls, for immunity to these viruses. About 99% of American men will never know if sex would have been better, if they weren't circumcised. It could also be argued, that when the uncircumcised organ is standing ready for service, that its parts are fully exposed, the same as with those that have the flap removed.
Male circumcision is so widespread in American society, that in my whole life, I've only seen a handful of men who hadn't had it done. For some years, it was promoted as helpful in avoiding the infection of women with the viruses that may lead to cervical cancer. They said that these viruses were harbored under the intact foreskin and passed on to the women. I have my doubts about this and think it may just have been a justification after the fact, for circumcision.
Nowadays, they commonly administer a vaccine to both boys and girls, for immunity to these viruses. About 99% of American men will never know if sex would have been better, if they weren't circumcised. It could also be argued, that when the uncircumcised organ is standing ready for service, that its parts are fully exposed, the same as with those that have the flap removed.
I've known a few men who were uncut. To a man, they said
a) they were happy about it
b) they were taught how to keep themselves clean. It's not rocket science.
Multiculturalism and "cultural enrichment" at its finest, brought to us by liberals. Liberals have been wagging their soy-stained, ass-smelling fingers in our faces for decades, lecturing us on how all cultures are equal, and how it's an act of extreme bigotry to pass judgement on the cultural practices of non-Western societies in particular. This is just the logical result of that self-loathing, suicidal, pseudo-intellectual philosophy.
When you import primitive people with primitive practices by the hundreds of thousands who refuse to assimilate, and whom liberals tell us should not have to assimilate because our culture is inherently flawed and racist any way, this is what happens. When "cultural diversity" is given priority over human decency, this is what happens....all courtesy of liberals.
Last edited by bastion79; 04-23-2017 at 04:29 PM..
To those who keep bringing up male circumcision - please understand that it is not comparable to FGM.
I'm not a fan of male circumcision, but it's objectively far less extensive than FGM. My husband was circumcised. Yet he has absolutely zero negative effects, and neither do the vast majority of men.
You can't say the same for victims of FGM.
Also, male circumcision can have some health benefits. In sub-Saharan Africa, it's been shown to reduce the transmission of HIV by a certain percentage.
FGM has absolutely zero health benefits, and substantial health consequences.
To compare male circumcision with FGM is akin to comparing drinking coffee with drinking bleach.
No one disagrees that it is less extensive, just that it is still mutilation (cutting) of a child's genitals and it is wrong.
It would appear that some people/cultures/religions think nature's way is unhygienic, unattractive, or an error of some sort to be corrected. Those parts are there for a reason and there they should stay.
The evangelicals who support male circumcision make no sense to me. "God made us perfect the way he wanted us" -- Except for one part that must be removed upon birth.
Like I said, bringing male circumcision into this discussion must be another moral equivalency argument. Otherwise, there is no reason to keep on freaking doing it. Please start another thread about male circumcision because it has no place in any discussion of female genital mutilation.
Like I said, bringing male circumcision into this discussion must be another moral equivalency argument. Otherwise, there is no reason to keep on freaking doing it. Please start another thread about male circumcision because it has no place in any discussion of female genital mutilation.
I saw an interview with a woman from one of those African regions not long ago on one of the news outlets. I wish I could remember her name. She's rather well known and heads up some organization aimed at bringing awareness about the abuse of women/girls where she comes from. She tells a pretty frightening story. She was butchered as a young girl. Sold off, raped more times than can be counted. Due to the mutilation alone, she suffers from a particular chronic infection which I cannot recall the name of either. At any rate, she has to wear a bag, sex is totally impossible (it would exacerbate the chronic condition and cause secondaries that combined would be lethal) constant , chronic pain that's just off the charts, just a really sad tale. You wouldn't know it looking at her. Beautiful lady. She went into horrific detail about what FGM does. Many girls don't live long right after it's done because of the infections and if they do live it's a lifetime of pure misery. And that's if they're not being abused and raped daily and have anything resembling a lifetime.
Under the best of conditions it causes horrible pain, constant infections,and urinary disfunction. So yes, comparing it in any way to male circumcision is REALLY splitting hairs. I get the point they're trying to make with the comparison, but it's really oversimplifying. One can't compare a minute or two of sting with no memory of it and no ill after effects to enduring a butcher process at an age where there will be full memory of the trauma, possible (probable) slow death from sepsis (a condition I'm quite familiar with) and barring that a lifetime of constant pain. And just for good measure, total denial in adulthood of any pleasurable experience from sex.
The comparison is moral equivalency at best and completely chickens*** at worst. They are separate issues and require separate discussion. An argument can be made for or against circumcision. There is no argument in favor of FGM that would wash in a civilized society.
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