Female Genital Mutilation

Female circumcision, better known as Female Genital Mutilation, is an

ugly monster finally rearing its head from out of the depths of time. It

can attack a girl at any age, with a little prompting from her society,

and the aid of an unsuspecting human wielding the knife. Usually, it is

performed from a few days after birth to puberty, but in some regions,

the torture can be put off until just before marriage or the seventh month

of pregnancy (Samad, 52). Women that have gone beyond the primary level

of education are much less likely to fall victim to the tradition ("Men's...",

34). The average victim is illiterate and living in a poverty-stricken

community where people face hunger, bad health, over-working, and unclean

water ("Female...", 1714). This, however, is not always the case.

As one can see in the following story of Soraya Mire, social classes create

no real barriers. Soraya Mire, a 13-year-old from Mogadishu, Somolia, never

knew what would happen to her the day her mother called her out of her

room to go buy her some gifts. When asked why, her mother replied, "I

just want to show you how much I love you." As Soraya got into the

car, she wondered where the armed guards were. Being the daughter of a

Somolian general, she was always escorted by guards. Despite her mother's

promise of gifts, they did not stop at a store, but at a doctor's home.

"This is your special day," Soraya's mother said. "Now you

are to become a woman, an important woman." She was ushered into the

house and strapped down to an operating table. A local anesthetic was given

but it barely blunted the pain as the doctor performed the circumcision.

Soraya was sent home an hour later. Soraya broke from her culture's confining

bonds at the age of 18 by running away from an abusive arranged marriage.

In Switzerland, she was put in a hospital emergency room with severe menstrual

cramps because of the operation. Seven months later, the doctor performed

reconstructive surgery on her. Now in the U.S., Soraya is a leading spokeswoman

against FGM (Bell, 58). In addition to being active in the fight against

FGM, she is a American filmmaker. She has come a long way. Being well-educated

about the facts of FGM also brings to light the ugly truth. "It is

happening on American soil," insists Soraya. Mutilations are occurring

every day among innigrants and refugees in the U.S. (Brownlee, 57). Immigrants

have also brought the horrifying practice to Europe, Australia, and Canada

(McCarthy, 14). Normally, it is practiced in North and Central Africa ("Men's.