Pre-Exam Rant
I'm about to start my Epidemiology mid-term. A test which is scaring the crap out of me. But just quickly before I head off into that little trial I just wanted to have a quick rant.
This stuff is back at the forefront of my mind after a protracted e-mail exchange on a student-midwife mailing list I belong to. What started as a discussion of female genital mutilation after this bloke was convicted of performing a clitoridectomy on his two year old daughter with a pair of scissors, morphed into a discussion of the relative religious grounds for mutilating baby boys (both Jewish and Christian). I'm sorry, I just don't see the difference. Either way you are permanently removing a piece of biologically important, erogenous, sexual tissue from a vulnerable unconsenting human. It's just not acceptable.
Another friend now plans to circ. her baby. I find myself praying (something I don't do a lot) that she bears a girl. I hate that I have to pray for one gender over another. I want to just pray for a healthy baby and a lovely birth but I have to hope like crazy that it's a girl so I don't spend ages feeling sick to my stomach if it is born a boy. I had a hollow feeling in my stomach as I pleaded with her to have the surgery performed by a Mohel, with the appropriate ceremony, just in the hope that if it had to be done, then it would be done by someone really good at it, while her son was cradled in his fathers arms, surrounded by the community of people who love him. I guess as I said it, my mind was thinking that that has to be better than being strapped to a circ board and being cut by a perfect stranger, less than a day after his little body slid into the world. If I'm really honest though, it makes me feel sick.
I've tried to get over this issue a bit, try to rationalize my tiny, inneffectual piece of it. Three of my BEST friends chose to circ. their babies for a variety of religious and non-religious reasons and many other good friends. I know that it must make them angry at me when I get so mad about this. But I can't help it. It really upsets me. And no matter how many times I look at it it just gets worse. I try to shut up about it but I can't.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Well, perhaps I haven't said it quite this explicitly before but here goes:
This stuff is back at the forefront of my mind after a protracted e-mail exchange on a student-midwife mailing list I belong to. What started as a discussion of female genital mutilation after this bloke was convicted of performing a clitoridectomy on his two year old daughter with a pair of scissors, morphed into a discussion of the relative religious grounds for mutilating baby boys (both Jewish and Christian). I'm sorry, I just don't see the difference. Either way you are permanently removing a piece of biologically important, erogenous, sexual tissue from a vulnerable unconsenting human. It's just not acceptable.
Another friend now plans to circ. her baby. I find myself praying (something I don't do a lot) that she bears a girl. I hate that I have to pray for one gender over another. I want to just pray for a healthy baby and a lovely birth but I have to hope like crazy that it's a girl so I don't spend ages feeling sick to my stomach if it is born a boy. I had a hollow feeling in my stomach as I pleaded with her to have the surgery performed by a Mohel, with the appropriate ceremony, just in the hope that if it had to be done, then it would be done by someone really good at it, while her son was cradled in his fathers arms, surrounded by the community of people who love him. I guess as I said it, my mind was thinking that that has to be better than being strapped to a circ board and being cut by a perfect stranger, less than a day after his little body slid into the world. If I'm really honest though, it makes me feel sick.
I've tried to get over this issue a bit, try to rationalize my tiny, inneffectual piece of it. Three of my BEST friends chose to circ. their babies for a variety of religious and non-religious reasons and many other good friends. I know that it must make them angry at me when I get so mad about this. But I can't help it. It really upsets me. And no matter how many times I look at it it just gets worse. I try to shut up about it but I can't.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Well, perhaps I haven't said it quite this explicitly before but here goes:
I think circumcision is a human rights violation. It is unacceptable to permanently remove a part of and disfigure a child's (female or male) genitals (or any other part of their body). I reject religious and cultural (or personal and family for that matter) grounds for this practice. I understand that it may never change but I just want to be completely clear with the universe that I oppose this. Completely. 100%. I think it is wrong.Sorry, folks. There it is.
posted by Louisa at 9:41 AM
4 Comments:
Amen, sister.
I could almost have written that same paragraph.
Though, I will still respect someone who truly does believe that they were called by God to circumcise their son but ONLY if they do the ceremony out of hospital by a Mohel... if they do it in the hospital or in their ped's office then they are using religion as an excuse, IMO. I still don't think it's right even with the Mohel, but I respect that they think it's right and necessary.
It's truly sexist and wrong that if we circumcised our daughter we would be thrown in jail and if we circumcised a son we would be congratulated by most people. Both practises make me sick. Not to mention, most Americans are unaware that FGM was legal in this country until 1996... so much for the argument that if it's legal it must be okay *rolls eyes*
love and peace.
Well I a am among those who chose to circumcise their son.
Religious reasons was the factor that came into play when this was done.
My question to emjaybee is "if your husband had said that not circumcising was not up for discussion what woudl you have done?" I am assuming that you discussed this after you got married, yet before pregnancy. Have far would you have held out...honestly?
I know you feel very stronlgy on this topic Louisa, I consider you to be one of my best friends...I respect your opinion and hope that you too can respect mine.
Love ya and your family! and miss you too!
Thanks all for your comments. What would I have done if DH had wanted to?
Actually I think I would have vetoed. It's one I would have gone to the wall for. I actually have a few friends (including one Muslim friend) who very steadfastly insisted on their boys remaining intact over their husband's wishes.
Love you too.
XX
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