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. 

7 comments:

  1. Huzzah! I learned about FGM as a kid and was horrified, but then you get caught up in life and since it's not an issue that's very prevalent in community, it went out of my mind...a few times. I'm enraged by the thought of it, but thus far have not acted.
    Way to DO something about it!! And I'm so glad it's starting to cause motion in leadership bodies. You're an inspiration to just speak up!

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  2. You wonder if FGM is done by Lds people in Africa? Yes it is we were witnesses to the fact. we served as senior missionaries to Sierra Leone 2010–2011. We taught a part member family with four vivacious girls and one strong son. We arrived at our teaching appointment with them only to find that two of the older girls and their parents were gone to a nearby village. We were informed that this procedure was going to be performed on the two girls. We were heartsick. It is so ingrained in their culture that it will be many years before it disappears. Even though there are laws against it this still goes on in the remote villages in Africa. I am relieved that Elder Holland has spoken against this And that you write so well against this dangerous assault on children.

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  3. Diana, Thanks for this information. I kept trying and trying to verify whether or not FGM was practiced by Mormons in Africa. Yours is the first confirmation of what I suspected. I hope that information like yours will result in additional efforts (particularly by the LDS Church) to stop this horrible practice.

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  4. Your work is important in making efforts to stop FGM. I hope the same kind of work can be done to stop male genital mutilation, namely, routine infant male circumcision.

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  5. THE BUTCHERS OF WOMANHOOD- FGM ( THE COVENANT OF THE FLESH). When God told Abraham to sign the covenant of the flesh, he circumcised all the male children and he was circumcised. The message was direct and in plain language. GENESIS 17: 1-27. The agreement was strategically initiated and the male child grew beholding daily his agreement with God at every call of nature throughout his married life. The covenant of the flesh for a man is with ease to behold with no ill feelings or regrets without medication required afterwards in life. When God warned in spiritual language and told Moses that the Children of Israel shall not mutilate girls in honor of the dead ( satanic sacrifice since there is no circumcision of girls in God), the message was well understood and was given in a spiritual language which bears two warnings, Leviticus19:28-29. The Israelis parents shall not sexually mutilate daughters and fathers we commanded not have carnal knowledge (incest) of daughters making them prostitutes. Fgm prostitution is a prime satanic sacrifice for a woman prohibited by God, of secrecy with miseries and constrains of disgrace to behold accompanied by many cases of traumatic child delivery requiring medication. Fgm sin of crime of honor humiliation for womanhood persists for many girls globally. There is no open fold of a foreskin in a sexual organ of a woman to cut round that hides dirty stuffs that stinks. There are no undue growths that warrant scrapping. Esther4: 1-17. The King of Persia and Media had a law also on women and only the king's favour on a wife's uninvited paid visit to inner court would save her from eminent death punishment by his held out golden scepter an act of favour and approval. This law had sexual control on womanhood. From the fall of man from the garden of Aden man's further fall from grace was subjected to demonic competitive lust to womanhood in polygamous marriage ( which later turned to enmity against womanhood also in form of fgm) which was not in favour with God and He reduced his old age to 120yrs Genesis 6:1-7. Satan has convinced men and parents to demand and shift girls' natural Divine onset to maturity from monthly period to fgm castration in honor of the dead. As far as parents remain the relentless heinous bedrock of fgm pursuing ensured satanic cultural sacrifice honor offered, there is no equal reprieve for girls from onslaught on womanhood in honor of the dead by parents hell bent on executing falsely claimed benefits in fgm to men in deviated demonically controlled sexual life style in marriage. It is the most sadly unfortunate tragedy for Christians parents being involved in fgm satanic cultural sacrificial goals honored which sin will follow them beyond the grave unless they repent and get saved. I have heard men say women like children and in Christians marriages women encourage the brides to take their husbands as their first born. Initially the two statements were too contradictory to each other and crushing in my mind but I found women forthright and forthcoming. The bridegroom is first satisfied with her blessed fountain of love and her breasts before any child birth. Proverbs 5:18-19. Fgm dehumanized and deforms womanhood being the worst satanic cultural religious sacrifice of honor for the dead taxed on womanhood globally. Fgm heinous atrocities destroy the divine sexual entity and dignity of man that establishes him honorary more culturally religiously in demonic world. All men must be saved from satanically tailored cultural honor in fgm slavery endorsed by cultural elites. Fgm remains a satanic sexual sacrifice honorary prescribed and endorsed by men in tearing down the helm of womanhood from the apex.

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  6. Where does this fucking statistics come from? seriously a huge lie and wrong intentions behind this colorful sourceless image! I should be an idiot to believe this!!!

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  7. THE BUTCHERS OF WOMANHOOD- FGM ( THE COVENANT OF THE FLESH). When God told Abraham to sign the covenant of the flesh, he circumcised all the men, male children up of eight days old and he was circumcised. The message was direct and in a plain language. GENESIS 17: 1-27. The agreement was strategically initiated and the male child grew beholding daily his agreement with God at every call of nature throughout his married life. Genesis17 :9-14, 9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant. The way and style of circumcising a man child at Gibeath-haaraloth was given by God as a must for a man child. Joshua 5:2. 2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. Any man child that was not circumcised was to be cut off from his people. The covenant of the flesh for a man is with ease to behold with no ill feelings or regrets without medication required afterwards in life. When God warned in a spiritual language and told Moses that the Children of Israel shall not mutilate girls in honor of the dead ( satanic sacrifice since there is no circumcision of girls in God), the message was well understood and was given in a spiritual language which bears two warning. The Israelis parents shall not sexually mutilate daughters and fathers we commanded not have carnal knowledge (incest) of daughters making them prostitutes.. Some wars atrocities ,famines draughts and diseases are as results of satanic sacrifices offered in fgm. Those parents who honorary perform the fgm carnage are a curse which brings turmoil to families and nations. Even when done by medical profession fgm remains a satanic sacrifice for men. Once a girl child’s lustrous beauty of womanhood is offered to satan in fgm prostitution in honor of the dead by her parents ,the marriage bed is defiled hence her body loses sexual vitality and turns to a cold sexual state which they call good behavior-halve sexually (dead) asleep. Fgm satanic sacrifice in honor of the dead is offered to man as a tool of sexual suppression control on womanhood and the land is cursed in oppressive evils faithfully secured by men. Fgm is purely a satanic sacrifice endorsed for men who accept and demand cultural sexual castration on womanhood as a must in marriage. Men require redemption and sanctification of their souls to God from satanic enslavement honour in fgm offered over their prime flesh endorsed over generations. Men have religiously tasked themselves in a sexual supremacy battle field over womanhood in suppressing women sexually in fgm as an act of blaming God for her active sexuality which they view as not in order. This is purely demonic competitive sexual inclination of men which demonizes womanhood and thwart her Divine sexual joy fulfilment entitlement . But God created woman equal to his needs.

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