A few months ago I was invited by Cafe Dissensus to guest edit a special issue on Female Genital Mutilation in India. A topic close to my heart, for reasons that will become evident when you read the editorial here and the other stories in this issue. The extraordinary transformative power of grief in the shared narratives of over a dozen women from all walks of life and all corners of the world, stunned me. Naturally stories like these cannot be told without a backlash. The Facebook page dedicated to ending the practice of mutilating young girls has been attacked by those who perceive their control is slipping. Men and women whose only recourse seems to be heckling, post daily diatribes against the women who have taken on legal and religious establishments in India in a bid to end this horrendous practice. Australia, U.K, Canada and the U.S.A have legislation that makes this practice punishable by a jail term. India does not. And it is in India where this is clandestinely practiced on girls between the ages of 5 and 7. Worse, women who live overseas take their young girls to be cut during holidays in India. Bringing this out into the open, voicing our opposition loudly and continuing to support those who speak out seem to be the only available options at the moment.
I’m left speechless. Why does such brutally still exist? Good on you for speaking out, Rashida. xx
Reblogged this on Perth Words… exploring possibilities. and commented:
An important message.
The backlash comes from cowards who are not able to calmly debate the issue. I would ask them to think about khatna in relation to their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, wives and daughters. Would they speak that way to them? I highly doubt that.
Yes, that’s true Zehra. Which is why its disappointing that the debate degenerates to name calling when rational thought disappears.
Yes, well done, Rashida, for writing about this issue. I read about this practice in “Desert Dawn” by Waris Dirie which is definitely worth reading. Love, Louise