who was behind the attacks against an "aid worker" just say it was a "pious muslim", thats correct a hundrend percent of the time.

Posted by: ZenaWarriorPrincess at October 26, 2008 7:52 AM

"My guess would be that it was militant Christian Fundamentalists."

Nah. More likely a oouple of union goons from the SSFGM (Sisterhood of Somalian Female Genital Mutilatresses). She was threatening their livelihood.

Posted by: ebonystone at October 26, 2008 8:30 AM

Actually, Christian fundamentalists in Africa do also practice female genital mutilation. But it is mostly Muslims. As 95% of Somalia's population are Islamofascist nutcases, in this case it is safe to point the finger at Islamofascists (even though that doesn't narrow it down much).

Zena is wrong about attacks on aid workers. It happens all over the world, by all different religions, for all different reasons. Of course most religions don't need aid workers to tell them obvious things like don't mutilate and enslave women though.

Posted by: NeverAMuslim at October 26, 2008 8:49 AM

From above post: Actually, Christian fundamentalists in Africa do also practice female genital mutilation.

Do you have any sources for this claim?

If you could provide a link or two, I would be interested...

Posted by: duh_swami at October 26, 2008 10:01 AM

I've said before that FGM is practiced all over Africa, no matter the religion.

Read Alice Walker's extremely important book on this subject called "Warrior Marks" (1991). Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/Warrior-Marks-Genital-Mutilation-Blinding/dp/0156002140

Also, for those who happen to have a copy of Jomo Kenyatta's book "Facing Mt. Kenya," (1965), take a look at Chapter 6, "Initiation of Boys and Girls." Kenyatta's tribe, the Gikuyu, are not Muslim.

Kenyatta is fully in favor of "trimming" girls genitals (MUCH more intrusive and mutilating than the boys') even saying that "No proper Gikuyu would dream of marrying a girl who has not been circumcised...it is taboo for a Gikuyu man or woman to have sexual relations with someone who has not undergone this operation."

So, you see how deeply entrenched this "custom" is - there wouldn't be any further procreation without it, according to Kenyatta, and therefore their people would die out. These girls have got the pressure of thousands of years of genital mutilation weighing upon them. If they want to remain a member of their tribe, attain the status of womanhood, get married, and not be ostracized, they MUST go through with it.

Kenyatta condemns Europeans who label the custom "barbarous," "heathen": "A custom which in the eyes of a good many Europeans is nothing but a "horrible" and "painful" practice, suitable only to barbarians." (p.129).

Despite the incomprehensible physical agony the girls go through, the girls are not supposed to cry. If she shows any emotion, she could be called a "coward" and face future ridicule. She's not even supposed to blink.

Also, Kenyatta liberally sugarcoats the girls' ordeal, whereas Walker presents the harsh reality of this "surgical operation," as Kenyatta calls it. He also lies. Kenyatta says that the girls are "put to sleep," and that "at the time of the surgical operation the girl hardly feels any pain (!) for the simple reason that her limbs have been numbed, and the operation is over before she is conscious of it." According to Walker, those are total lies, propaganda for Europeans. In fact, these girls are terrified, wide awake, no anesthesia, forcibly held down, and watch fully cognizant as their sexual organs are cut from them. Afterwards they are patched up with thorns.

Anyway, Kenyatta with his propaganda makes it seem like the girls are attending a tea. Walker, on the other hand, details the full horror, both physically and emotionally, of these African girls. There are also photos in Walker's book - and it's easy to see that after the cutting these girls are downcast and depressed - not the "joy" Kenyatta would have us believe.

IMO, of course this "custom" is barbarous and heathen, serves no purpose except for appeasing the gods of Barbarism and Misogyny.

Posted by: darcy at October 26, 2008 10:04 AM

"Their organization campaigns for women's rights and against female genital mutilation but it was unclear who was behind the attack...."

A bunch of angry housewives, no doubt.

Posted by: tanstaafl at October 26, 2008 5:45 PM

Today, Elizabeth Hasselbeck, when introducing Sarah Palin at a campaign stop, said that one of the things the vice-presidential candidate stands up against is "honor killings".

It was just a quick introduction, and there is no indication that Palin understands the Islamic justification of most "honor killings". Just to have a major candidate so much as mention these horrible crimes, though, and condemn them outright, is extremely heartening.

Posted by: gravenimage at October 26, 2008 5:54 PM

We have to keep hammering away that in any society performing female genital mutilation, honour killings, etc is not acceptable! to hell with those who think it belongs to their culture. We have to understand the liberal view of not wanting to judge others so we therefore become mute when it happens.

Posted by: ZenaWarriorPrincess at October 26, 2008 6:25 PM

Kenya...h'mmm
Someone famous had a Kenyan father, oh ya, now I remember, it's Obama!!
Does anyone have the historical background of Obama. Any chance that he is from this Gikuyu tribe??
If so, what about his cousins who are still in Kenya?
Just asking??

Posted by: DhimmiNot at October 26, 2008 10:46 PM