The gods must be crazy

I am travelling once again. This time to eastern Ethiopia .In fact, very close to the Ethio- Somali border. I found kryptonite i.e can access internet here:)

I learned something shocking about female genital mutilation. May be ,am just being ignorant me as usual. Before laying on you what’s so shocking some basics on FGM : Genital cutting is seriously rampant this side.  From what I have seen I would guess 90 sth percent. The kind of cutting/ mutilation might differ from region to region. The worst of it is known as infibulation where a woman’s genital is sawn after being cut. 

I can not give you the details of infibulation in simple terms since I’ve never seen one and still do not have the guts to watch FGM documentaries describing the procedure. Whenever I think about watching one I get scared that I might get sick afterwards. Anyhow, here is what I copy pasted from www.religoustolerance.com.

“Infibulation (a.k.a. Pharaonic circumcision. This involves removal of the clitoris and prepuce, followed by sewing up of the vulva. A small opening is left to allow urine and menstrual blood to pass. ₇ A second operation is done later in life to reverse some of the damage. In some cultures, the woman is cut open by her husband on their wedding night with a double edged dagger. She may be sewn up again if her husband leaves on a long trip.”

           

So ,yesterday I was having a discussion with some Somali women here and they were explaining how the cutting and sewing is done. One woman said she was sawn when she was six and got cut when she got married and was about to have the first sexual experience with the husband. Now she has been divorced and wants to get married again. She wants her second husband to think/feel like she is a virgin, She saw her own genitals again.

What’s worse , naive me always tought sewing is done with needles. But , came to find out that people actually use acacia thorns to do that. I have been literally shaking every time I imagined the lady sewing her own genitals with thorns.