ACOT Message Board

is the issue of female circumcision.   This is still practiced in many countries. 

But how can it be stopped?

I don't think it can be.  That is clearly a cultural issue. There was a case here in the US very recently, where a dad (of that particular culture, I can't remember his country of decent) had it done to his 4 year old daughter and the mother tried to file child abuse charges.  I don't know how that case turned out in the end, but initially he wasn't going to face any charges because it was a routine, cultural thing for his family -- just as male circumcision is for others.That being said, I wish there was a way to stop it. 

Makes me sick...and the reason behind it is even worse.

Oh geez.......this one gets me.  It still happend in the Middle East.  That - and other atrocities directed toward women - just make me sick.

I think they should change the name from female circumcision to sexual brutality and mutilation.

Ugh....that makes me sick.I wonder why he didn't face child abuse charges.  For every other situation, the answer is always - but you're in this country now and we don't do that over here.....

Male circumcision is still practiced here for both religious & non-religious purposes.

Male circumcision is still practiced here for both religious & non-religious purposes.True - but they can't really be compared in terms of intent or practice.

Oh,  I agree it should be stopped.   I remember watching an Oprah when I was like 15 or 16 and Toni Morrison was on discussing her book "Posessing the Secret of Joy", which was about this topic.  I bought the book and cried through most of it.   And yes, I agree intent of the practice and physical result is a lot different on a woman's body than on a man's body. 

So male and female circumcision are the same. Yeah, only if males got an inch chopped off the end of the peter part.

Umm...coming from a culture familiar with female circumcision..I would point out the following :Here in Egypt there is a strong movement to stop that habbit. The move is aiming towards raising awarness of how brutal and harming this habbit is. It is in no way related to my religion ( i am muslim). Its just when people are poor and uneducated, culture , habbits and religion get mixed up. people no longer stop and think about what they are doing, they just do what others have been doing long ago. But i would say that this movement is successful here, many small villages have been named "circumcison free"p.s.: am only talking about female circumscion, not male.

Dina - I remember talking to various USAid and health workers about the campaign to stop female circumcision.  They, too, agreed that the practice was diminishing in Egypt.