Female circumcision a problem in Britain

[Ban Hammer 13,109]

LONDON - Female genital mutilation, commonly associated with parts of Africa and the Middle East, is becoming a growing problem in Britain despite efforts to stamp it out. London's Metropolitan Police, Britain's largest police force, hopes a campaign beginning on Wednesday will highlight that the practice is a crime here.

To make their point, police are offering a $40,000 reward for information leading to Britain's first prosecution for female genital mutilation, Detective Chief Superintendent Alastair Jeffrey said.

In Britain, the problem mostly involves first-generation immigrants from Africa and the Middle East.

Police say they don't have comprehensive statistics about the number of victims. But midwife Comfort Momoh, who specializes in treating them at London hospitals and clinics and who works with police, told the news conference she treats 400 to 500 victims every year.

Arranging or carrying out the procedure — in Britain or abroad — is a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison, but no one has been prosecuted since it was banned under British law in 2003, Jeffrey said. Police estimate up to 66,000 girls in Britain face the risk of genital mutilation.

"The timing of this campaign is for one good reason: so we can get in before the summer holidays, a time when young girls are taken abroad and subjected to genital mutilation," he told a news conference Tuesday.

Mutilated infants, girls and women face irreversible lifelong health risks — both physically and mentally, according to UNICEF and other charity groups.

Authorities believe the number of genital mutilation cases peaks in the summer, because the extended school vacation gives girls more time to recover — thereby making it easier for those responsible to cover up their actions.

Female genital mutilation usually involves the removal of the ####### and other parts of female genitalia. Those who practice it say it tames a girl's sexual desire and maintains her honor.

It is practiced by Muslims and Christians alike, deeply rooted in the Nile Valley region and parts of sub-Saharan African, and is also done in Yemen and Oman. Through migration, the practice has spread to Western countries like Britain.

U.S. federal law specifically bans the practice.

Between 100 million and 140 million women are believed to have been subjected to the practice in Africa and an additional 3 million girls face the threat of female genital mutilation every year, according to UNICEF.

Detective Inspector Carol Hamilton, who has been investigating the practice since 2004, said some immigrants in Britain may bring practitioners from their home country to mutilate several children because it is cheaper.

She said children not only suffer terrible physical injuries, but can also be left emotionally scarred.

Salimata Badji-Knight was mutilated when she was 4 years old in her native Senegal.

Now married and living in London, she fears she may not be able to have children because of the procedure. She hopes that by sharing her experiences she can prevent parents from subjecting their daughters to similar abuse.

"Why do they need to go and mutilate a young innocent person without her knowing what is going to happen, just for culture?" Badji-Knight said. "It does not add up for me."

Somali-born supermodel Waris Dirie survived a traditional form of the practice that kills hundreds of girls each year.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to present the "Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur" to her on Thursday for her work as a leading critic of female genital mutilation, which has seen her tour parts of Africa to speak out against the practice.

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[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Damn, those Brits are barbarians. We should ban all immigration to this country from barbaric nations like Britain.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I don't see how that is so difficult to prosecute. I mean it would be apparent at a routine physical whether a girl was mutilated. Once detected, you grab, prosecute and jail the parents before kicking their arses back to where such practice is still acceptable. Clearly, those people have no place in Britain or any other civilized country.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Once detected, you grab, prosecute and jail the parents before kicking their arses back to where such practice is still acceptable.

Yeah, hopefully those Brits will keep their despicable behaviors on their crummy dreary little island. Hopefully USCIS is browsing visajourney.com and knows not to issue any visas to Brits for a while until those clits grow back.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Once detected, you grab, prosecute and jail the parents before kicking their arses back to where such practice is still acceptable.

Yeah, hopefully those Brits will keep their despicable behaviors on their crummy dreary little island. Hopefully USCIS is browsing visajourney.com and knows not to issue any visas to Brits for a while until those clits grow back.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I give you Gupt at work:

[Ban Hammer 13,109]

Yeah, hopefully those Brits will keep their despicable behaviors on their crummy dreary little island. Hopefully USCIS is browsing visajourney.com and knows not to issue any visas to Brits for a while until those clits grow back.

so is this what the brits mean by "keeping a stiff upper lip"

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Yeah, hopefully those Brits will keep their despicable behaviors on their crummy dreary little island. Hopefully USCIS is browsing visajourney.com and knows not to issue any visas to Brits for a while until those clits grow back.

so is this what the brits mean by "keeping a stiff upper lip"

rofl yeah. barbaric perverts.

[jundp 191]

Um........

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Once detected, you grab, prosecute and jail the parents before kicking their arses back to where such practice is still acceptable.

Yeah, hopefully those Brits will keep their despicable behaviors on their crummy dreary little island. Hopefully USCIS is browsing visajourney.com and knows not to issue any visas to Brits for a while until those clits grow back.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I give you Gupt at work:

I think that (bolded) post stretches the concept of sarcasm to breaking point; and might be offensive if most of us 'old-timers' didn't already know that it was posted for baiting purposes and provoking just that sort of reaction - presumably from UK-US newbies.

Edited July 11, 2007 by erekose

[sereia 0]

In Britain, the problem mostly involves first-generation immigrants from Africa and the Middle East.

and the rest is probably second generation. poor girls.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

multiculturalism at it's worst

[Reba 2]

Just because it is illegal in the US, doesn't mean it doesn't also happen here. Or Canada, or Germany or or or...

Genital mutilation has been done in some Eastern and African cultures for centuries. Yes, we "civilized" folks know that it is wrong, on soooooo many levels, but just making it illegal isn't enough. Its still going to happen unless those cultures eradicate it themselves, with education and furthering women's rights among the community. Because that's what it is, is beating down females so they have no sexual urges and can't entice the poor unsuspecting boys. Or don't want to, because I imagine that sex after having your genetalia mutilated isn't very pleasurable at all.

[Toshtishtash 1]

Once detected, you grab, prosecute and jail the parents before kicking their arses back to where such practice is still acceptable.

Yeah, hopefully those Brits will keep their despicable behaviors on their crummy dreary little island. Hopefully USCIS is browsing visajourney.com and knows not to issue any visas to Brits for a while until those clits grow back.

:blink:

[homesick_american 1]

You shouldn't be surprised; it has been a problem for years in the UK and for probably even longer in France. France has had some big-time problems with it.

I don't see how that is so difficult to prosecute. I mean it would be apparent at a routine physical whether a girl was mutilated. Once detected, you grab, prosecute and jail the parents before kicking their arses back to where such practice is still acceptable. Clearly, those people have no place in Britain or any other civilized country.

You're assuming Britain is a civilized country.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

You're assuming Britain is a civilized country.

Zing!

(Actually, my UKC husband said something to the same effect just last night... )