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A review by misspalah
Do They Hear You When You Cry by Fauziya Kassindja
4.0
I’ve read about female genital mutilation (FGM) 12 years ago. I am not going to call it circumcision because it is not - Not if you remove the whole clitoris and labia majora. To think that this culture is still prevalent in some countries and it was being justified in the name of tradition and religion, it sickens me to death. Before you point fingers saying it doesn’t happen in Malaysia, it does. There are 4 types of FGM, and in Malaysia - FGM type 1 is widely practiced especially Muslim Girls. Do your research and asked your parents directly — Has it been done on you? Of course some would say you wont even noticed it, you were so small or some would say, we only remove a little bit of it — nothing is harmful. This topic
is so controversial among muslims despite it has no linkage whatsoever with Islam. I believe RAGE did one documentary about female circumcision in Malaysia. I won’t write much on this as this whole issue will turn into a debate in another minutes but these FGM is becoming more severe as in other region especially in some African and Middle eastern countries, they do the type 2 and type 3 of FGM which caused the women to bleed to death and some suffered the impact of it through the childbirth and intercourse. This is exactly the reason Fauziya escaped from Togo and went to Germany.
.
.
She was raised in a fairly educated and modern family. Although both her parents are devout muslims, they believe Fauziya and her sisters knew how to take care of themselves hence they are free to do whatever they want. Besides, her father believe that FGM or known as Kakiya in her language is barbaric hence he never imposed it on their daughters. However, things changed when her father passed away. According to Fauziya, her tribal custom dictates that her uncle and aunt will be her guardian. At that time, all her eldest sisters already married and her mother has been banished from the house. She was helpless and alone. Her aunt has decided to marry her off to another man who’s already has 3 wives at that time. Whats more concerning is he insisted that Fauziya will go through the ‘Kakiya’ as he wanted fauziya to be clean for him once they got married. FGM type 2 and 3 usually will be done by midwife. Most of the cases, this midwife doesn’t sterilise their tools. Hence, most victims prone to have an infection. Whats more worse is Type 2 and 3 FGM is usually done during their teenage years when the would takes longer time to heal. Luckily for Fauziya, her eldest sister helped her to escape from this and insisted her to go to germany as if she just escaped to Ghana or other neighbouring countries , her uncle and aunt can find her and take her home. Fauziya met a kind german woman named Rudina who gave her a temporary shelter and Charlie whose a Nigerian Immigrant that advised her to go to USA and applied for an asylum.
.
.
I wished she didn’t listen to Charlie and choose to stay in Germany but she didnt. She went to USA and was detained right away as she’s using someone else’s passport to enter into the country and she didn’t come clean on why she’s seeking asylum in USA. If she did tell that she will be forced to be circumcised and if she were to send back she might suffer punishment from her family, she probably will be spared from going to the prison. Half of the story did entail on how she met her lawyers in USA, Eric Bowman and eventually Layli Miller Bashir and Karen Musanto. The memoir was a straightforward piece and easy to follow. Fauziya might not write eloquently but the subject matter she raised in this book deserved a spotlight. It didn’t sit well with me
knowing that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the countries where the practice is concentrated. Be it type 1, 2 or 3, no one has to go through it.
is so controversial among muslims despite it has no linkage whatsoever with Islam. I believe RAGE did one documentary about female circumcision in Malaysia. I won’t write much on this as this whole issue will turn into a debate in another minutes but these FGM is becoming more severe as in other region especially in some African and Middle eastern countries, they do the type 2 and type 3 of FGM which caused the women to bleed to death and some suffered the impact of it through the childbirth and intercourse. This is exactly the reason Fauziya escaped from Togo and went to Germany.
.
.
She was raised in a fairly educated and modern family. Although both her parents are devout muslims, they believe Fauziya and her sisters knew how to take care of themselves hence they are free to do whatever they want. Besides, her father believe that FGM or known as Kakiya in her language is barbaric hence he never imposed it on their daughters. However, things changed when her father passed away. According to Fauziya, her tribal custom dictates that her uncle and aunt will be her guardian. At that time, all her eldest sisters already married and her mother has been banished from the house. She was helpless and alone. Her aunt has decided to marry her off to another man who’s already has 3 wives at that time. Whats more concerning is he insisted that Fauziya will go through the ‘Kakiya’ as he wanted fauziya to be clean for him once they got married. FGM type 2 and 3 usually will be done by midwife. Most of the cases, this midwife doesn’t sterilise their tools. Hence, most victims prone to have an infection. Whats more worse is Type 2 and 3 FGM is usually done during their teenage years when the would takes longer time to heal. Luckily for Fauziya, her eldest sister helped her to escape from this and insisted her to go to germany as if she just escaped to Ghana or other neighbouring countries , her uncle and aunt can find her and take her home. Fauziya met a kind german woman named Rudina who gave her a temporary shelter and Charlie whose a Nigerian Immigrant that advised her to go to USA and applied for an asylum.
.
.
I wished she didn’t listen to Charlie and choose to stay in Germany but she didnt. She went to USA and was detained right away as she’s using someone else’s passport to enter into the country and she didn’t come clean on why she’s seeking asylum in USA. If she did tell that she will be forced to be circumcised and if she were to send back she might suffer punishment from her family, she probably will be spared from going to the prison. Half of the story did entail on how she met her lawyers in USA, Eric Bowman and eventually Layli Miller Bashir and Karen Musanto. The memoir was a straightforward piece and easy to follow. Fauziya might not write eloquently but the subject matter she raised in this book deserved a spotlight. It didn’t sit well with me
knowing that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in the countries where the practice is concentrated. Be it type 1, 2 or 3, no one has to go through it.