Female Genital Mutilation

Nick Cohen writing in Standpoint magazine shares an excellent article about the willingness of people in the west to turn a blind eye to the assault on so many women and girls worldwide when the issue arises of FGM, Female Genital Mutilation [sometimes called Female Genital Cutting], in fact Nick goes further and rallies against the apologists who have and continue to fight and argue for women’s rights in the West, but draw equivalence or relativism defending horrific practices often based on these women’s skin colour or religion of inheritance is different from their own. Feminism broke down frontiers of Christian based societies but stopped there.

I clicked to Nick’s article after seeing Prodicus had highlighted it, as well as a supporting and equally brilliant piece brilliant piece by Clive James in the same edition. Clive’s piece is on the broader veil of silence and why we are not more critical of women’s rights and inequality, all around the world. I would beg all reading this piece to go read, or to bookmark these pieces and find some time to have a read because frankly not enough is said or written about it. The World Health Organisation estimates that around 3 million girls and women a year are at risk undergo some form of FGM, and that between 100m and 140m in the world today have already undergone the procedure.

If you think that that is no big deal, perhaps you can wait for 2 minutes, watch this video and then begin to draw a conclusion.

It is not usually a good idea when Western democratic nations try to aggressively force their ideals upon developing nations, but on this issue, I think I could a compelling case can be made to be a lot more vocal in what I suspect is a shared public disdain. FGM is a widespread practice that often leaves women physically and mentally scared for life; its affects are devastating and affect every single woman in every town in all countries that allow the practice. Having seen a programme earlier in the year on television, just watching the images haunted me and my wife into a state of shock. I could not find these words here without being shown the way from the linked articles. I am glad I have finally done so, and hope that others with a platform will do the same.

We do indeed smugly claim a moral high ground in western society, and if we are to preach our standards and encourage liberty to flourish, then we should preach that we do not consider it acceptable to mutilate girls in such a horrific manner. It is liberty for all that we must seek, there is now such thing as liberty for the few.

I have also seen that the Devil’s Kitchen has picked up on the original piece by Prodicus and has drawn some typically apt and incisive conclusions. Not least that all religious exemptions recognised under UK law should be reversed and to quote the Devil, “There should be one rule for all, and everyone-everyone-should be equal under the law” I would find that a hard position to argue against.

We must not allow FGM to take place in Britain becuase we cannot legitimise in any way the forced assult of any person, whether their religion or culture demands it or not.

The debate on FGM is already being discussed in some countries where it is practiced, and I offer a few more short videos that I hope will offer a little more insight into the subject.

Make your own minds up if you have not already, but if you were not aware this was going on, at least you are now.

What Is The Greatest Human Invention Of All Time?

In an email this week I wrote that I felt that Democracy is the Greatest Human Invention of all time. I think I might try to find some time this week to elaborate on why I think this, and pop it on the blog.

But I though I would open the question up to people who read this blog. What do you think is the greatest human achievement or invention of all time? And why?