Monday, September 19, 2016

FGM and Mormons



Last month an article I wrote about female genital mutilation (aka as female genital cutting or female circumcision) and Mormons was published in an on-line journal called Square Two which deals with "faithful LDS thought on contemporary issues." You can read that article here: http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleEmmettLDSFGM.html

The gist of the article is that there is evidence of the mildest form of FGM (stage IV)--pricking of the clitoris--being practiced on some LDS girls in Indonesia. The question then arises that if it happens among LDS girls in Indonesia might it then happen among Mormons in Africa where FGM is also commonly practiced among all religious groups--including Christians. I was unable to confirm if FGM has been practiced among Mormons in Africa so there is more research that needs to be done. What I did find out is that many other Christian Churches with congregations in Africa have spoken out against FGM. Within the Mormon Church I was able to find examples of Church leaders condemning cultural practices from Africa, like paying a bride price (lobola) or spending exorbitant amounts on funerals and weddings, but nothing about FGM. In fact I have not yet found any official mention of FGM by Mormon leaders (in conference talks, Ensign articles, the Handbook of Instructions, letters from the first presidency).

In the conclusion of the article I made these recommendations:

"Since FGM/C has been practiced among Mormons in Indonesia and might be practiced in Africa, it makes sense to consider ways to make sure that Latter-day Saints understand that this is not part of the gospel culture.Possible actions to be taken might include: 1) seeking out information from local Relief Society and Young Women leaders (in Africa, Indonesia and in any country where there are immigrant communities who come from areas where FGM/C is practiced) as to whether or not FGM/C is practiced by women and girls in their ward/branch; 2) determining the severity of this cutting and then deciding if all forms of FGM/C are not in keeping with the gospel cultures or if the ceremonial prick of Stage IV as practiced in Indonesia is acceptable: 3) suggesting other coming of age activities/ceremonies that are in concert with the gospel culture, if a ceremonial prick is considered unacceptable. Additionally, even if FGM/C is found not to be practiced among Mormons, the LDS Church should still join the chorus of other Christian churches in openly condemning this harmful practice."


Since the publication of the article two positive developments have come to my attention.



In a September 11, 2016 address (minute 3:41) at Windsor Castle, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, an apostle in the LDS Church, spoke out against FGM (perhaps the first mention of this practice by a church leader) as one of many forms of violence against women. 

He said: “Unfortunately violence toward women is not limited to times of war. Instances of female genital mutilation, removal of bodily appendages, and honor killings persist during times of peace….Surely God knows of their suffering and weeps with them. As Isaiah [22:4] lamented: Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.” 

He said: "Unfortunately, violence toward women is not limited to times of war. Instances of female genital mutilation, removal of bodily appendages, and honor killings persist during times of 'peace.'.... Surely God knows of their suffering and weeps with them. As Isaiah lamented, 'Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.'"

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/transcript-elder-holland-religious-persecution-forced-migration-conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raHYOLu0uck&feature=youtu.be 
 

Sadly, this important statement was included at the first of a speech that mainly focused on two other important and current issues--helping refugees and religious persecution, both of which have received considerable attention over the past year by Church leaders. Unfortunately this ground breaking statement about FGM did not get mentioned in either of the main Church produced articles about the speech including a Church News article (image below) that briefly mentioned women's issues including "sexual violence against women," but did not include mention of specifics like FGM, and an article in the Deseret News that mentioned "sexual violence" against women: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865662516/At-Windsor-Castle-Elder-Holland-joins-international-leaders-in-talks-on-religious-persecution.html)




Last week I was contacted by a staff member of US Senator Harry Reid (a Mormon and a Democrat) from Nevada. From this staff member, who had some questions about my article, I learned that for over two decades Reid has been at the forefront of US government efforts to curtail the practice of FGM. He first learned of FGM in 1994 and was the author of the 1996 law banning FGM in the US for girls under 18. He also sponsored the Girls’ Protection Act, which banned vacation cutting. This law passed as part of the fiscal year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.  He also initiated two broad and comprehensive reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which were just released, looking into how the US is addressing FGM. http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/676833.pdf. http://www.gao.gov/assets/680/678098.pdf.



I applaud the long time efforts of Senator Reid and hope that the speech by Elder Holland might be the beginning of Church efforts to help stop the horrible practice of FGM


UPDATE (2-19-20)

On February 19, 2020 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints posted on line an updated Handbook of Instructions. Handbook of Instructions.

Happily included in the Handbook was this entry:

I look forward to seeing how this new policy is disseminated and taught to members of the church in areas of the world where FGM is still a cultural practice. 


UPDATE (7-31-2020)

Today the Church issued a statement indicating more changes in the handbook of instructions. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/handbook-update-july-2020?lang=eng&cid=email-OCA_HandbookUpdate_072420_CTA  Included in those changes were several updates to the section on Moral Issues on such topics as sperm and egg donation, fertility issues and birth control. There was also a change to the statement on FGM, now there is no indication of further policy direction which leaves it unclear as to whether the ceremonial prick of Type IV is equally condemned along side the full removal of female genitalia found in Type I-III. As far as I can tell, the Church has yet to offer any public announcement, discourse or publication about the ban on FGM.


 
 
UPDATE (11-11-3021)


Nice to see a local LDS chapel in Reading England being used for a Conference calling for the end of FGM.   https://rva.org.uk/event/ending-female-gential-mutulition-fgm-in-a-generation-be-part-of-the-narrative/

UPDATE (11-22-23)

As part of an inter-religious council effort, the Upper Hill Stake Center in Nairobi Kenya hosted an Anti FGM drama festival for Muslim girls schools. This is a commendable effort, but sadly the article makes no mention of the Handbook of Instruction condemnation of the practice. Nor does it posit that perhaps LDS girls might also be subjected to FGM and need to be taught that FGM should not be practiced. 

Sunday, September 11, 2016

Wonderful


I did it again. My voice cracked, tears welled up and I had to take deep breaths to keep reading. It has happened before when I have read the Bronze Bow or Where the Red Fern Grows to my kids and it happened this Sunday afternoon when I finished reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio to willing Will.

Will has always been very selective in what I can and cannot read to him. Unlike his older siblings, I have started and then, at his request, stopped reading many a book with him. A few weeks ago a friend of mine Betsy Siddoway Vandenberghe (we first met on the same study abroad in Jerusalem years ago) recommended Wonder as a great read-out-loud for kids. Here is what she wrote in a Facebook post:

"This book is a family MUST. Always appreciate the posts about bullying and teaching kids to be kind at school, but if you want your kids’ hearts, and your own, to grow 10 sizes—well, that is a job fiction, deftly and honestly and artistically rendered, does best, without preaching, but through making your soul care so deeply about a character and his family that the writer (R.J. Palacio, a first-time author whose career involved book jacket designing and raising kids) receives letters from all over the world, including full-grown men who cried out loud reading her book. Have to admit to choking up and not being able to continue multiple times, myself. And for those who prefer their religious motifs understated and subtle (as opposed to heavy handed and turning off anyone not religiously inclined), the references to CS Lewis, Tolkien, and 1 John 5:4 are masterfully executed."

It sounded wonderful to me so I checked it out of the BYU library in hopes that Will would let me read it to him. Happily he agreed. What started out as a thirty minute reading session the first night morphed into several hour-plus sessions during the past week (in which I willingly (not something I readily do) chose to skip the 10:00 news) with Will begging for me to read some more. What is so weird about this all is that it is not Harry Potter or Fablehaven or some other typical read for kids. It is about a boy with a facial deformity trying to make his way through fifth grade. Along the way we learn of nice and not-so-nice reactions from people around him. 

Here is one quote in the book that summarizes why I liked it so much and why I choked up several times while reading it: "Shall we make a new rule of life....always try to be a little kinder than necessary." (p. 299, from J.M. Barrie's, The Little White Bird). Such good advice. Read this book. Read it to your kids. 

Also be sure to read the follow-up The Julian Chapter--it's always good to get the other side of the story. Very touching and also full of humanity.