Female Genital Mutilation :: Female Circumcision

Female circumcision, better known as Female Genital Mutilation, is anugly monster finally rearing its cutting edge from out of the depths of time. Itcan 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 isperformed from a a couple of(prenominal) days after birth to puberty, but in some regions,the torture can be put off until just before marriage or the seventh monthof pregnancy (Samad, 52). Women that have gone beyond the primary levelof education are much less likely to fall dupe to the tradition (Mens...,34). The average victim is illiterate and living in a poverty-strickencommunity where people face hunger, bad health, over-working, and uncleanwater (Female..., 1714). This, however, is not always the case.As one can see in the following story of Soraya Mire, social classes createno real barriers. Soraya Mire, a 13-year-old from Mogadishu, Somolia, neverknew what would supervene to her the day her mother called her out of herroom to go buy her some gifts. When asked why, her mother replied, Ijust want to show you how much I kip down you. As Soraya got into thecar, she wondered where the armed guards were. Being the daughter of aSomolian general, she was always escorted by guards. Despite her motherspromise of gifts, they did not stop at a store, but at a impacts home.This is your special day, Sorayas mother said. Now youare to become a woman, an important woman. She was ushered into thehouse and strapped down to an operating table. A local anesthetic was abandonedbut it barely blunted the pain as the doctor performed the circumcision.Soraya was sent home an hour later. Soraya broke from her cultures confiningbonds 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 menstrualcramps because of the operation. Seven months later, the doctor performedreconstructive surgery on her. Now in th e U.S., Soraya is a leading spokeswomanagainst FGM (Bell, 58). In addition to being active in the fight againstFGM, she is a American filmmaker. She has come a long way. Being well-educatedabout the facts of FGM also brings to light the ugly truth. It ishappening on American soil, insists Soraya. Mutilations are occurringevery day among innigrants and refugees in the U.S. (Brownlee, 57). Immigrantshave also brought the horrifying practice to Europe, Australia, and Canada(McCarthy, 14). Normally, it is practiced in North and Central Africa (Mens.