Monday, March 9, 2009

For Kurdish Girls, a Painful Ancient Ritual



The Widespread Practice of Female Circumcision in Iraq's North Highlights The Plight of Women in a Region Often Seen as More Socially Progressive. Launch Photo Gallery

Sheelan Anwar Omer, a shy 7-year-old Kurdish girl, bounded into her neighbor's house with an ear-to-ear smile, looking for the party her mother had promised.

There was no celebration. Instead, a local woman quickly locked a rusty red door behind Sheelan, who looked bewildered when her mother ordered the girl to remove her underpants. Sheelan began to whimper, then tremble, while the women pushed apart her legs and a midwife raised a stainless-steel razor blade in the air. "I do this in the name of Allah!" she intoned.

As the midwife sliced off part of Sheelan's genitals, the girl let out a high-pitched wail heard throughout the neighborhood. As she carried the sobbing child back home, Sheelan's mother smiled with pride.

Read more at: washingtonpost.com

55 comments:

  1. First of all I think who ever published this thing is very stupid. Because first of all u broke the child’s religion and second you did something her mom and her dad will be sad for the rest of their lives. Did you have any idea what going to happen if the "world" sees this girl naked like that?? Her mom and dad will be very sad of what u did and I have to say that I’m a Kurdish girl too. But we don’t do this stuff to Kurdish girls, because we don’t have this religion as they have and when the lady says in the name of Allah, then she lies because Allah never sad this is legal and he never said that we Kurdish people shall do this with our little girls.. This is not something written in the Quran. These people haven’t seen the world yet, they know nothing about human rights and this is not something right. I know that this is not our religion and this is not our culture. We don’t have any culture like this. So who ever did this to their little girl, I can’t say its not right because maybe they believe in this. But I have to say that it’s not a Muslim thing!!!! So please don’t think wrong of Kurdish people. When some one publishes something like this people say well every Kurdish people does this and it’s not true. It maybe 4% of Kurdish people who lives in somewhere in a village far from the Muslim people. They build their own thing and own culture.

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    1. I totally agree. I am not to speek of the kurdish but showing her face (of a scarf wearing girl) with her legs naked...?! whats your point? you are the one torturing her by embarasing her in frount of e1. Of cource her permission was not either taken b4 either the mutilation neither taking the pics. Please remove the pics or atleast blur or cover her face.

      Also I am a muslim and still couldn't find a single reason to say Islam orders that!??

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  2. yeah mee too.. we kurdish ppl dont do this such of things ..so remove this link itsnot right to publish something which is not ture,, if it is true u shall not publish like this u shall write how many % of the kurdish ppl do this before u publish just KURDISH GIRL::

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  3. OMFG WOW who ever got this story is stupid as hell and if this is going on,it is the most disgusting thing ever. because I am a Kurd too and I have never in my life heard of this kind of torture on such a young girl...second of all this breaks all of the rules in Islam, because this has nothing to do with Allah like that woman said. wow I’m in shock that they are doing this because if they were real Muslims they would know that no one ever touches a young girl or does anything to their private parts that is harm and this is disgusting....I feel so bad for the girl and all the others before her :(

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  4. There is no research backing this article. Any intelligent person who have been or know Kurdistan knows that this is untrue and that this maybe practiced in a very small group somewhere in some isolated village. I am also sure that this kind of practice happens in every society and region in the world but it's a very minuet fraction that people do NOT associate it with a country/region/religion/or group. Therefore, everything that is in this article is incorrect and does not reflect KURDISH people.

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  5. People need to know that this is real and stop denying it. It doesn't matter what religion or type of people do this that is not the point!! it's done in a lot of cultures and if you didn't know may be you're the one who's not very bright.

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    1. if it makes you sin than cut it off

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  6. well if it's not done by muslims, still why are you going to let this happen in your country. Even if is 4%, is still done to little girls, and in your country. So dont act like you didnt know about it, and like is not happening, because it is. The point is not to get offended, ar to defend where you are from, but to stop it no matter what.

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  7. To everyone who wrote something before be, thank you to the Kurdish women who clarified that Kurds do not do this. In many places, Muslims do this thing. It is very widespread.

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  8. ya'll need to stop worrying about her parents who let this little girl be horribly abused and traumatized, and get to fixing your fucked up culture. Look at this photo. The women can't bare to watch what is happening. Fuck this.

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  9. A person can only speak for themselves, and is not a mouthpiece for their culture. Clearly 'some' Kurds do this or there wouldn't be an article. It is practiced in many parts of the world, not exclusive to Islam, is barbaric and unnecessary.

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  10. I don't understand why people deny and get personally offneded when it is not a personal attack. As the person 4 up from me said "do something about it" instead of pretending you never knew anything about it. Which would either make you very ignorant, or just a liar.

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  11. The only thing i can say is that i will pray for that little girl who has sufferd the pain of hell.. and that i will hope and pray that her parents c hell the mother fukers.. What kind of stupid animals have a culture like this where they torture there kids..

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  12. Its just Discusting to c that there are people out there that still have the brains of Animals
    OH ma gosh its just horrible to think about it ...

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  13. I don't care where you are from or your culture or religion....this is awful....and whether not this story is backed up with hard evidence...this procedure is happening ,,,,RIGHT NOW.....

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  14. To say this does not happen in Kurdistan is ignorance. Yes, the large majority dont practice this heinous and barbaric ritual; however, it does exist although it happens in many other places like Saudi Arabia. Islam is not a religion of peace, it does advocate martyrdom and genital mutilation in boys. The people who do this do it in the name of Islam because thats how they interpret its passages.Islam advocates sexual promiscuity in men
    (4 wives) while women have to be virgins, it advocates honor killings and the marriages of 8 year old girls. Why else do you think they do this? to make sex painful for these girls so that their husbands wont worry about them cheating while they are with their whores.

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  15. I can't think of anything more barbaric or horrifying. Its a devils religion that promotes this. God of the Universe made that part on girls just like he put a penis on a boy. Those who do such to innocent children should be hanged.

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  16. this is sick. anyone who touches a child like this should be murdered in the most disturbing way. i dont give a fuck if its tradition or religion. it is wrong. how fukt up do you have to be to want to inflict pain on a child. this is so wrong. i have never been so disturbed

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  17. There are weird traditions across all the world, but we can not judge them for their actions, because all the cultures are different.

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  18. This is sooooo wrong , I am also a Kurdish girl . I grew up around Muslim people & I know for a fact this is NOT part of the muslim religion . This link is wrong and disturbing . You should be ashamed . Allah knows this is wrong & so do you .

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  19. Doesn't matter if it's part of a "weird" tradition. It is barbaric, and needs to be stamped out. You can judge an ACT, and decide when it is pointless, appalling, against nature and just plain wrong. Try and imagine it being done to you. Imagine the pain and suffering the woman will now have to endure.

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  20. Be azare,
    eger amang le regirtin le khetene dizhayety eyslam nebet helwesteky bashe, belam eger le dyny eslamda hatbet we wajb krabet awa min hych laryekim ley nye...
    kawan
    kawanmohemed82@yahoo.com

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  21. it was posted because the group known for doing female circumcision the most is muslim. The girl happens to be kurdish, and for kurdish girls who ARE muslim, it's not unheard of to see this.

    And yes, there's research backing this article. You just don't do enough reading as the rest of the world.

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  22. As a Kurdish student at AUI-S, I am totally disagree with that dreadful ritual act. It made me feel as if I lost my humanity. That is really terror, not anything else. Those people MUST be judged, and they have to be in jail for several years. If I was the Prime Minister of KRG, I would eradicate those ugly women who do that.

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  23. Barbaric savage bastards in the name of Allah your shit infested Muslim arsehole brains of dogs Allah is pure fucking evil. Allah must surely be the devil because of all the suffering and shame done in his name.

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  24. I just want to comment saying, there is so many of u saying that this is not true, and it does not happen.... Well if it does not happen then why am I learnig about in my Sociology class in college this is the only reason i found this site.. I was interested in knowing if it was true or not.. And I will say that it is very true, and very discusting, and very unhuman.. to do this to our poor children.. I found an article stating that it use to be practiced in the United States not to many years ago. But I do know that this does not happen to all Kurdish wonman so I see all of your point stuff like this should not be able to be posted all over the internet so that all Kurds are assumed to do it... Sorry. to the young children and adults who have to go through such torture..

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  25. This has nothing to do with Allah
    Allah is far away from this
    Is far from these stupid animal
    I will pray to god or Allah what ever,,,,,, is only the only one in the sky
    To punish these people and put them to hell .
    And where in the hell is the government isn’t already 2010 ???? isn’t time to stop this and to educate your own people ????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  26. my feeling is, her parents... hope they fucking die, but then again, they don't know any better, it has been done to them before, they have no TV, no education, don't get me wrong i am not making excuses for them, but the useless fuckers in charge (i.e. the govermant) should be watching this and making sure it doesn't happen

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  27. wallah this is soo haram who ever does this to innocent kurdish girls is just plain heartless and knows nothing of the muslim culture!!! how will she answer to allah about why she put that little girl in such pain! i know this for a fact, but when judgement day comes she wont have an answer to respond back to allah! and allah will take care of her from there!! i was shocked reading this article, it literally crushed my heart :( its NOT true, non of it is!! being kurdish myself i know better of my culture this is just plain WRONG! kurdish ppl are the best and we have soo much respect and tourting women like that is not in our blood!! please remove this article for the respect of all kurdish ppl!

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  28. The apologists and deniers of this widespread practice are almost as despicable and disgusting as the act itself.

    Worldwide estimates sit at around 130,000,000 women who have had their genitals excised, increasing by thousands DAILY. As I write this, little girls in predominantly Islamic enclaves and countries are being laid out on dirt floors, kitchen tables and having a vital part of their normal human sexuality viciously removed.

    This practice may well predate Islam, but Muslims are the only people barbaric enough to continue its practice into modern times.

    It's an utter disgrace to see posters like the above appealing to remove this piece of informed journalism about female's suffering in the name of respect. Why does such a primitive, backwards and cruel people deserve our respect? I think these savages need to be exposed to the world, just as I think most of the bigoted, hateful, repressive so-called "peace loving" Islamic nations of this world need to be eradicated completely. And not some BS Judeo-Christian campaign, but a HUMAN campaign.

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  29. Hey retard I happen to be Kurdish!!! AND WE DON'T NOT DO DISGUSTING ACTS SUCH AS THIS!! FOR ONE KURDS WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING SUCH AS THIS! OUR PARENTS WOULD NEVER DISGRACE CHILDREN! SECOND YOU HAVE A VERY SICK MIND. BE GLAD I LIVE IN EUROPE.
    FYI KURDS ARE NOT MUSLIM!! IF I EVER FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE YOU'LL BE IN COURT YOU SICK FREAK!!

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  30. BUDY GO FUCK YOURSELF!! I HAPPEN TO BE A KURDISH GIRL!! I HAVE STUDIED THE HISTORY OF MY PEOPLE UP TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN ERA!! WE WOULD NEVER DO ANYTHING IN THE NAME OF ALLAH BECAUSE WE ARE NOT MUSLIM, WE'RE GERMANIC!! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. MY PARENTS ARE BOTH FROM KURDISTAN MY MOTHER HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS! NO KURDISH PARENT WOULD DISGRACE THEIR CHILD IN SUCH A WAY! YOU ARE A SICK PERVERTED ASSHOLE AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING!

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  31. 0% OF KURDS DO THIS!!! NOT ONE KURD DOES THIS BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN OUR RELIGION OR CULTURE!! HOW DARE YOU THINK KURDS WOULD COMMIT AN ACT SO EVIL!!

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  32. As a lawyer, historian, an EU member and Kurd myself I have to say this is absolute rubbish! Kurds do not commit acts such as this!!

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  33. what kind of ppl would do that to their daughters?? thats no #*&#@!* right!! i think is the most stupid thing ever, only ignorant ppl do that to their kids

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  34. @Anonymous
    I m not Kurd, but I know that this is not in Islam, may be its picture of some other medical tretments, or some thing else those who think Islam is bad, I say just one think that, try to get the positive picture. Islam is name of peace....love humanity...

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  35. All those, especially those from the area, who say "I will pray for that child" are part of the problem. You are shirking all sense of responsibility and effectively abandoning the matter to a superhero. It is not a Muslim act but does occur in a lot of Muslim areas, truly horrendous. People need to actually be pro active to prevent this- praying will not stop it. I can't imagine how many young girls have prayed about this matter.

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  36. I think the women who do this to kids should know better since they will have had this done to them. They need their hands cutting off so they can't hurt or damage any more young girls

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  37. people are civilized and soon they will pass this

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  38. this has NOTHING to do with kurdish culture! Oh my god...

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  39. For the ones who are denying this act. Wake up!! This has a lot to do with the Kurdish culture simply because they are Muslim. This also occurs in Nigeria, Egypt, Afghanishtan, Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and any country that is greately influced by Islam. Therefore, this is all about Islam. Let's just assume Kurds had a different religion like Christianity, this would've not have happenend. This does not happend in Christian countries. Does it? Have you heard of a community that practices this act and that happens to be something other than Islam? Do not be surprised and fooled, this is very normal in Muslism societies, whether you like or not. Kurds may have changed and embraced modernity but they still have not let go of their rituals like this act or honor killings. The Kurds who are denying this are obviously not aware of their own culture. Shame on you....

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  40. ban this act completly that's the best step forward to get it abolished no matter the place the town the city the people or the religion. I've heard that its done to stop the girl/women feeling sexual during her change to adulthood. and they believe that it stops a women having those feeling so she wont be interested in seeking men. Its defiantly shameful, wrong and bad practice i want an outright ban

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  41. wtf kurdish people dont do this ! and no where in Islam does it say to do this... its fucked up!!

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  42. That's is not a mother but a bloody animal bitch! The midwife must have her hands cut off and killed for doing this brutal abuse to kids. Mother she can't really be called mother doesn't deserve a daughter all bastards who abuse kids and give for Fgm must have a death penalty!!!!!! Death to bastards abusing children and humiliating cutting off part of bodies! Death! The midwife and mother will pay and suffer for this small girls tears and pain!

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  43. OMG.. I AM A KURDİSH BOY.. AND I AM A MÜSLİM.. OUR RELİGİON DOESN'T SAY IT.. MAYBE THEİR BELİEF WANTS IT.. BECAUSE IF THEİR DAUGHTER HAVE SEX, SHE İS KİLLED BY HER FAMİLY, SO THEY DONT WANT SHE WİLL DİE.. MAYBE EVERYTHİNG FOR THEİR GİRL.. AND I AM A KURDİSH BOY.. BUT I HAVE NEVER HEARED IT.. SO YOU CANT SAY ALL KURDİSH PEOPLE DO IT..

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  44. i dont knw why evryone is geting angry most of them woman has had it don to and also they do it when they are younder so they forget fast

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  45. i am an kurdish girl and i have never hurdof this in kurdistan :)

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  46. Anonymous, December 30, 2010 3:31 AM:

    Do some research. Don't judge people. Female genital mutilation most often occurs in West African nations. It is not a widespread Muslim practice. I myself don't know how prevalent this practice is among Kurdish girls, but I feel that we need to stop being so angry & hateful about this.
    Even the people responding used unnecessarily rude names. Instead of calling each other names, we should all agree that FGM is a very real phenomenon that affects the lives of millions of girls-- & something has to be done about it.

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  47. i , m a man and i had my circumz and my parents belive i waz bound for this coz of my religion , and the benifits of the sexual conducts i am gona enjoy kinda enjoyed .this practice has no difff. in women its religious jst like men circumz . not to mention the evidence to prove from quran .people should be mentioned that this will increase her fertility and make her sexual conduct more comfertable this has a positive impact this encourage a health of children. this also decreases the risk of a lot of sexual transmitting diseases

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  48. What is happening in this artical is not true to every kurdish person, or muslims and to say a kurdish family used it upon the name of allah is wrong and backwards. It does happen to a small fraction of people all over the world not just muslims or kurdish however the words "if it makes you sin, cut it off" if we all lived by this then everyone would be partiualy disabled because I can think of more than just one thing that could make we the world as a humanbein sin. Also the pictures put up of the girl is very wrong and should be moved or blured, however the person who made this artical was not to enhance the publics or reader knowlege, if that were the case then not one only village would be visated.

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  49. why kurdish do thes if any uses of thes thing????

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  50. I would say that it does happen as I have seen villages- and men and women who would do this to boys and girls (circumcision) it does stop some sexual diseases but ,maybe girls should be a lot younger like boys who have it done if that is possible , otherwise this 'act' stays with them the rest o f their lives and causes a lot of problems I just think it the whole kurdi honor thing and in some isolated areas this practice may never die out

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  51. how about somalia its very bad there

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