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From: Orida Boukhezer-Diabate <omdiabate@msn.com> March 1, 2000.

I am glad to see someone questioning this part of African culture. I am African myself from Algeria where female excision (removal of clitoris) has been prohibited for the past 120 years or so. For boys or girls, the ceremony is not about circumcision but initiation to adulthood and other thing in the different societies of Africa. Thank God it is not a religious rite but rather a traditional one. Thank God for our Clitoris! If someone doesn't like what it does to women, I will say to him "well, don't play with it".

The Boys initiation is very different since only a bit of skin is removed. In the tradition it is part of strengthening the boys character and it gets more complex at the spiritual level. I believe that it is a crime in front of God to try to change his creation by removing organs like the clitoris or any other. It is telling God "Oh! you did wrong here, let me little human being make some changes. And changes are needed.

Many societies should stop seeing love and happiness of the women as taboo
but rather bow to it powers.

The initiation ceremony is something I think is very powerful and could be done without the mutilation of girls by women. All women aware of this, such as you or me have the power to change this. I know that in Guinea it has been illegal for a few year now.

And I know of many families who are not mutilating there daughters. While there I refuse to go to girls ceremonies and strongly stated why:
- it is against nature's law.
- it is against Muslim law.
- it is against the law.
- it helps spread aids (as well as for boys) since the same blade is used
for many girls without sterilization in between.
- beautiful angel could die of an infection or hemorrhage.

Sincerely brothers and sisters of Africa, we could do without this horrible part of the girls initiation and grow up, and sing songs for happiness without having them followed by songs of sorrow.

Orida Boukhezer-Diabate
omdiabate@msn.com

In my humble opinion, this FAQ entry's value to the drumming community could be improved by pointing to more resources. Female circumcision is a difficult, complex and controversial topic - and certainly not one on which I am an expert. Yet I think that serious drum students who are interested in really trying to understand something about the complexities of african cultures, should try to go beyond gut-level condemnation and acquire informed knowledge about the nature of the many practices that are put under the label of "female circumcision".

Understanding does not imply condoning.

To this effect, I think the FAQ should at least point to some of the more considered literature on the topic. One good place to start I am aware of is the book "Female Circumcision in Africa: Culture, Controversy, and Change", edited by Bettina Shell-Duncan and Ylva Hernlund (Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2000). The last text in this collection is by Fuambai Ahmadu, a Sierra-Leonan raised in the US.
While pursuing an anthropology PhD, she went back to Africa to undergo female circumcision, and discusses her experience with thought-provoking frankness.

Another possibility I haven't looked at is "The Female Circumcision Controversy: An Anthropological Perspective", by Ellen Gruenbaum (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001). Both books are reviewed
here:

http://www.arclaw.org/Shell-Duncan.htm

and discussed/praised in the context of another book here

http://www.arclaw.org/Review/James-Robertson.htm

Of course, the Wikipedia article on the topic is also worthwhile reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_circumcision

Finally, those seeking a springboard for more broad-ranging reading on the topic of both male and female circumcision practices, could do worse that have a look at Eric K. Silverman's literature review article, entitled "Anthropology and Circumcision"
(Annual Review of Anthropology, 2004, 33 : 419-445).
In my opinion, it's worthwhile and very accessible reading, though you'll probably have to go to a university library to find a copy.

I hope this is helpful,

--
Pascal Gaudette <pascal_gaudette@yahoo.ca>

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