It has been reported that 500,000 women living in Europe are victims of Female genital mutilation- FGM. It seems that not only goods and services are being globalized, but also cultures are transported and exchanged in many ways of which migration is one of them. In some cultures abuse of the girl starts long before she is born and continues until the end of her life as this poem highlights.
February 06 is recognized as the International Zero Tolerance Day of Female Genital Mutilation and I, being a anti-FGM Strong Voice selected by Amnesty International, would like to dedicate this poem to the millions of women who have been inflicted with FGM as well as those others who are at risk of being mutilated in the name of culture. In my capacity as a writer, poet and an activist, I appeal to those who cut the girls to do away with this millennia-old traditions and stop FGM once and for all.
You can be an active voice if you have a story to share and a will to fight against FGM. Just visit: www.endfgm.eu
Birth of a baby must be a blessing event
But mine was nothing short of a curse
Daddy's face didn't shine. Drums didn't make noise
No shots were fired. No ceremony was held
The new born was me. I am a girl
In my culture, gender counts most.
A girl is not as welcome as a baby boy
Raising camel in the rangeland
is family's highest priority
They believe a girl has no hands for that
Harsh combat against the enemies
is family's highest priority
They believe a girl has no heart for that
Reconciliation in the aftermath of a clash
is family's highest priority
They believe a girl has no head for that
At five I had to face the worst
A knife cut across my genitals
A midwife circumcised me
Stitched me. Infibulated me
Where I used to have a clit
I have a black scar now
Why inflict me with this pain?
This real Pain of primitive cultures
In tears I am, at every stage of my life
Mom and Dad, am I not a daughter?
Dear Brother, am I not a sister?
Dear mankind, wherever you are
am I not a human being?
Tears, Tears, Tears
So horrific,I wonder if there will ever be enough hew and cry so that this atrocity can be stopped! In the meantime ,I'll remember to pray!
Thank you for the reminder, Abdi Noor!
Thank you, Abdi-Noor, for once again highlighting this
unspeakable crime...just outrageous that a woman's body should
be deliberately mutilated in this way.
Bless you, My Friend, and it's good to see you back.
I'm so sorry. May Jesus, Mary and Joseph, The Holy Family, bring blessings to these little girls. A woman should be revered in the home because she brings life into the world. She nurtures the little ones to be strong God-Fearing people. There should be no more killing in your country. Because of abortions and cruelity there are wars and hate crimes. This must stop. The Blessed Virgin Mary is Queen of Heaven and Earth. Start a prayer Group against this evil and your country will be blessed by God and you will see many changes. For there is a God who sees what is going on but because He gave us free will, He will allow it to happen. Stand strong in the Lord and you will prosper and the killing will stop but you must do your part. In Christ, Marguerite The Little Flower
Yankee Doodle Daddy is a historical Appalachian Family Saga. The story follows a mother's reckoning as she struggles to survive and keep her four daughters alive.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
Exploring the impact of literary icon Flannery O'Connor's noted legacy on the cultural realities of modern-day America, the world, and a certain author.
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Thank you for the reminder, Abdi Noor!
unspeakable crime...just outrageous that a woman's body should
be deliberately mutilated in this way.
Bless you, My Friend, and it's good to see you back.
John
Regis