RIGHT OR WRONG-Culture vs.Pain
Article-"Blood, Fear and Ritual: Witness to Female Circumcision in Kenya" by Andrew Katz
Rites of passage are performed to signify that one is prepared for a stage in life. Example of some stages are independence, marriage, or parenthood. In America, a rite of passage could be getting driver’s license at the age of 16, graduating high school, or paying for rent. These stages may illustrate that the person is ready to be an adult. According to my source, young girls get circumcised to demonstrate that they are qualified to get married. Female genital mutation remains a popular act in Africa, Middle East, and other 30 countries. The act impacts the woman’s health tremendously, however the practice is still done to show the lack of control women have over their bodies. The article explains how female circumcision is performed as a ritual needed in a woman’s life in order to be happy even though the person going through the experience is not happy. The article shares the experience of two young Kenya girls getting circumcised. The author described the horrific event.
The author explains that the day prior to the actual cutting, the girls were hairless. All
their hair has been shaved off. Their body was cleaned with cow’s milk and the
girls must not show and emotions because they would be a disgrace to their
family. The parents would be recognized because their girls were about to “become
women”. On the day of the cutting, the act is performed in their house so that
they could get full recovery without any disturbance. The girls screamed out
with pain and agony once they got cut. Blood was everywhere. Animal blood and
products were given to the girls after the procedure to replace the blood loss.
To me and others who may not agree with the act may say the experience is
unfair, horrific, sad and painful. However, those who practice it totally
believe it is part of culture and tradition; it must be done to prepare their
young girls for womanhood. They do not believe it cause any health problems.
The
more I read about culture, tradition, female circumcision, believes, rites, and
rituals, it is hard for me to say I agree or disagree with the act. I am surprise
it is still done in some parts of the world but these people believe it is
needed for the women in their culture. Is that right, is it not right? It is a
difficult answer because there would bias during the process of answering this
question. Some people may still wonder why it is done, is it really necessary?
However these questions require thought.
To read the original article go to: http://time.com/3425529/blood-fear-and-ritual-witness-to-female-circumcision-in-kenya/
Source:
Katz, Andrew. "Blood, Fear and Ritual: Witness to Female Circumcision in Kenya." Time. Time, 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. <http://time.com/3425529/blood-fear-and-ritual-witness-to-female-circumcision-in-kenya/>.
Katz, Andrew. "Blood, Fear and Ritual: Witness to Female Circumcision in Kenya." Time. Time, 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. <http://time.com/3425529/blood-fear-and-ritual-witness-to-female-circumcision-in-kenya/>.
I am so shocked right now I had never heard of this!! Like this is scary. But I don't know what is scarier the actual cutting of the fact that these people take it as something normal that needs to happen like for us to get our license. I feel like this is extremely dangerous because of all the blood the girl is closing. Also I don't feel like people care about hygiene when they do this. If it is a cultural think that needs to be done then maybe it should be done in a hospital where it is much cleaner and anesthesia can be put on these girls so they don't feel so much pain. Honestly getting circumcised doesn't make you more of a woman than someone who's not circumcised.
ReplyDeleteEvery time i read about female circumcision it brings the chills to my body. It's pretty astonishing how these people think this process is a way to show they are becoming a woman and they are qualified to get married. Even though they believe there are no health problems, there still actually is like the post above mentions about the hygiene when the process being done. Also they have this tiny hole for their period to come out which can also lead to health problems. Though i don't think this process is right at all because these women should have the right to decide whether they want to do this or not. It just makes it seem that once you become a women it's a shame.
ReplyDeleteFor us, for our culture, it's easy to say that something is right or wrong, like in this case female circumcision. But for them, it is right, it is their culture, how they have been living for hundreds of years. That's like having someone telling us that getting license at 16 is morally wrong and whatever other reasons they might have. And we will tell them that they're crazy, because we will see no wrong in what we're doing.
ReplyDeleteIt horrifies me, knowing that some girls out there, young girls, have to go through this and have to be chained to this society that thinks they are nothing. That they are simply a man's property. Why don't men get circumcised the way women do? I know they do, but I mean it doesn't cause any problems, and they certainly retain their ability for pleasure. If societies want to preserve a girl's virginity, why not circumcise men as well? After all, losing virginity requires both genders.