Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Breaking the silence over genital mutilation horror - ABC news report


MULTICULTURALISM IN ACTION – FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION RAMPANT IN AUSTRALIA - Why are people not jumping up and down about this dreadful child abuse? This is disgusting.

Across the nation, young girls are being mutilated in a brutal and barbaric religious practice that most Australians struggle to comprehend.
More than 120,000 migrant women in Australia have suffered genital mutilation - a brutal religious practice common in Islamic populations in Africa, South America, parts of Asia and the Middle East.
There is no data held on how widespread female genital mutilation is in Australia, but 7.30 has spoken to women who are voicing their concerns despite the fear of rejection from their Communities.
The genital mutilation is carried out by women on girls between the age of four and 10.
It is a crime in Australia and is not sanctioned by the Koran; nonetheless, it is happening behind closed doors.
7:30 understands the women chosen to do the cutting often do not have any medical qualifications, with the procedures being carried out in people's homes using crude surgical implements.
The procedure can range from a small cut to a girl's clitoris to the entire removal of the genitals.
In extreme cases the wound is sewn up to leave only one opening - the size of a matchstick - for urination and menstruation.
'Clandestine practice'
The reality is that they are not qualified at all. These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be elder or wise person in their community.
Imam Afroz Ali, one religious leader prepared to break the silence, says female genital mutilation is a "clandestine practice".
"I have had people mention it has happened to themselves, it's happened to members of their family or they are aware this is happening in Australia," he said.
It is also common for the women doing the cutting to charge a fee for their services.
"The figure could be around $2,000 to $3,000... the reality is that they are not qualified at all," Mr Ali said.
"These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be an elder or wise person in their community."
Zarine, who moved to Australia six years ago, comes from a Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohras, who originate in India.
In India, female genital mutilation is called traditional cutting.
Zarine was five when her grandmother told her they were going to the market. Instead, she was taken to a house where she was pinned down and mutilated.
"There were about three other women there - they were sitting and chatting. They were from the same community because they were speaking the same language," she said.
"They asked me to take my underwear off ... I just wanted to run out of there. I knew there was something going to happen to me.
I don't remember seeing anything but after that I felt a very sharp pain. I still remember that. I still remember that pain.
Mutilation charges
Five weeks ago, New South Wales police arrested and charged eight people with the alleged genital mutilation of two girls in Sydney and Wollongong in the past 18 months.
The arrests followed an anonymous tip to the office of the NSW Child Protection Minister, Pru Goward.
"The secrecy which with this is carried out makes it very difficult for police to collect evidence," Ms Goward said.
"It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident."
The eight people arrested all belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community in New South Wales.
The identities of all those arrested have been suppressed except for one - Kubra Magennis, a 68-year-old retired nurse.
There are fears the practice of female genital mutilation spreads much wider than this one case suggests.
In September, West Australian police arrested and charged a couple with female genital mutilation after they allegedly took their daughter to Bali for a traditional cutting ceremony.
7:30 has also been told that girls are being mutilated in the town of Katanning, 200 kilometres south of Perth, home to a large Malaysian Muslim population.
When they tell their story it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine.
Transforming lives
At the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, a discreet clinic is transforming lives by reversing extreme forms of female genital mutilation.
The clinic sees around 25 women every month.
Through family planning officers like Zeinab Muhamed, the broader aim in Victoria is to break the cycle of mothers subjecting their daughters to the procedure.
People tell Ms Muhamed that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is hard to move away from.
They say it is women who are pushing it.
"When they tell their story, it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine," Ms Muhamed said.
"They spend days after the procedure when they can hardly urinate.
Their legs may have been tied together so the labia actually fuses together."
'Torture'
One woman who spoke to 7.30, Samira, has been surgically reopened.
She says women in Victoria are being stitched closed again after they have given birth even though it is a criminal offence.
Samira says female genital mutilation is "torture".
I think that a lot of people would still like to do it ... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'.
"I was told whether I wanted to be stitched back up or not and I refused, and [my midwife] said some women insist on being stitched back, so I was quite surprised," she said.
Samira is strongly against the cutting of young girls but says not everyone in her community agrees.
"I think that a lot of people would still like to do it... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'," she said.
"It all depends on the culture, the family, the religion background.
"It's very sensitive and it's hard, but you can't convince everybody to [think like you do]."MULTICULTURALISM IN ACTION – FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION RAMPANT IN AUSTRALIA
Across the nation, young girls are being mutilated in a brutal and barbaric religious practice that most Australians struggle to comprehend.
More than 120,000 migrant women in Australia have suffered genital mutilation - a brutal religious practice common in Islamic populations in Africa, South America, parts of Asia and the Middle East.
There is no data held on how widespread female genital mutilation is in Australia, but 7.30 has spoken to women who are voicing their concerns despite the fear of rejection from their Communities.
The genital mutilation is carried out by women on girls between the age of four and 10.
It is a crime in Australia and is not sanctioned by the Koran; nonetheless, it is happening behind closed doors.
7:30 understands the women chosen to do the cutting often do not have any medical qualifications, with the procedures being carried out in people's homes using crude surgical implements.
The procedure can range from a small cut to a girl's clitoris to the entire removal of the genitals.
In extreme cases the wound is sewn up to leave only one opening - the size of a matchstick - for urination and menstruation.
'Clandestine practice'
The reality is that they are not qualified at all. These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be elder or wise person in their community.
Imam Afroz Ali, one religious leader prepared to break the silence, says female genital mutilation is a "clandestine practice".
"I have had people mention it has happened to themselves, it's happened to members of their family or they are aware this is happening in Australia," he said.
It is also common for the women doing the cutting to charge a fee for their services.
"The figure could be around $2,000 to $3,000... the reality is that they are not qualified at all," Mr Ali said.
"These are women from a village who have migrated to Australia and have access to a razor blade and are considered to be an elder or wise person in their community."
Zarine, who moved to Australia six years ago, comes from a Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohras, who originate in India.
In India, female genital mutilation is called traditional cutting.
Zarine was five when her grandmother told her they were going to the market. Instead, she was taken to a house where she was pinned down and mutilated.
"There were about three other women there - they were sitting and chatting. They were from the same community because they were speaking the same language," she said.
"They asked me to take my underwear off ... I just wanted to run out of there. I knew there was something going to happen to me.
I don't remember seeing anything but after that I felt a very sharp pain. I still remember that. I still remember that pain.
Mutilation charges
Five weeks ago, New South Wales police arrested and charged eight people with the alleged genital mutilation of two girls in Sydney and Wollongong in the past 18 months.
The arrests followed an anonymous tip to the office of the NSW Child Protection Minister, Pru Goward.
"The secrecy which with this is carried out makes it very difficult for police to collect evidence," Ms Goward said.
"It is unlikely that this is an isolated incident."
The eight people arrested all belong to the Dawoodi Bohra community in New South Wales.
The identities of all those arrested have been suppressed except for one - Kubra Magennis, a 68-year-old retired nurse.
There are fears the practice of female genital mutilation spreads much wider than this one case suggests.
In September, West Australian police arrested and charged a couple with female genital mutilation after they allegedly took their daughter to Bali for a traditional cutting ceremony.
7:30 has also been told that girls are being mutilated in the town of Katanning, 200 kilometres south of Perth, home to a large Malaysian Muslim population.
When they tell their story it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine.
Transforming lives
At the Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, a discreet clinic is transforming lives by reversing extreme forms of female genital mutilation.
The clinic sees around 25 women every month.
Through family planning officers like Zeinab Muhamed, the broader aim in Victoria is to break the cycle of mothers subjecting their daughters to the procedure.
People tell Ms Muhamed that female genital mutilation is a cultural practice that is hard to move away from.
They say it is women who are pushing it.
"When they tell their story, it's heartbreaking. These women have been through an experience that we can't even imagine," Ms Muhamed said.
"They spend days after the procedure when they can hardly urinate.
Their legs may have been tied together so the labia actually fuses together."
'Torture'
One woman who spoke to 7.30, Samira, has been surgically reopened.
She says women in Victoria are being stitched closed again after they have given birth even though it is a criminal offence.
Samira says female genital mutilation is "torture".
I think that a lot of people would still like to do it ... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'.
"I was told whether I wanted to be stitched back up or not and I refused, and [my midwife] said some women insist on being stitched back, so I was quite surprised," she said.
Samira is strongly against the cutting of young girls but says not everyone in her community agrees.
"I think that a lot of people would still like to do it... they've been brainwashed by their families [who say] 'it's good for you, it's important, it's part of our culture'," she said.
"It all depends on the culture, the family, the religion background.
"It's very sensitive and it's hard, but you can't convince everybody to [think like you do]."

Friday, October 19, 2012

Mowing


A day well spent today. And to top it off I defeated (yes) the grass in the back yard which has grown lush and quickly - my push mower (I supply the energy) didn't cope too well with the long grass...but I persevered and now I can smell that wonderful smell after you mow... ( the photo was taken a very long time ago but the mower style is the same) but a bit too tired to cook tea so am eyeing off a banana, some almonds, a tomato and maybe a little yoghurt for a thrill... apart from greens its nearly all the food groups. Mentioned this sort of tea when i was at Tafe the other day and all the young girls went "Ooh! Ahh! - how lucky you are not to have to cook dinner!" I just said back - "I'm nearly 60, been doing this 7 days a week  since I was 18 - done my time girls" - but sometimes it would be wonderful to be back there doing it and having Tea with others..although on a beautiful warm evening like today - its nice just to kick back, walk barefoot in the cut grass, and take the time just to see how beautiful it can all be when I take the time out to notice. Its at times like this that I feel close to what's really important and real...you know "life the Universe and Everything" - to Mum and Dad and the old people and ways that were so kind to a child like me... to a sister or two who was there when I was walking out in life and who remains there by me - solid and constant - to friends who made me laugh, to my wonderful Don who once said to me to never look down when I was walking... he said "Hold your head up and look straight at people, you have no reason to look down" What a man. I look right at people now and so much eye contact can be exhausting but so often there is a little smile or a nod, or especially special is when a toddler pulls a face at me just for fun...and to my two lovely daughters - what can i say here? They are inside my heart and I am inside theirs and it is wonderful to be so connected with two of the sanest most commonsensical people. I have been so lucky in the draw of life...it may not seem like this at times - so many, too many deaths way too young, sicknesses of those I loved, suffering, Not a lot of folk in our family seem to make old age - but life is precious and valued...and there has and is so much compassion -
I like people mainly except for the idjits!!! And hopefully they know who they are and keep well away from me... of else! And I admit to many laughs when Julia fell flat on her face - done the same but the world wasn't my witness - and I had to crawl up all by myself - so she's done well many hands to help -

Just a thought train or three -time to go for that banana (Aussie grown of course) and the Almonds (Aussie as well) - time to get back to doing my Taxes which I began only this arvo - and I have to admit I am loving the weather down here near Melbourne - the evenings are so long and light...its like having so much extra time in the day to be outside and watch the sky, feel the breeze and notice the changes around me.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Beautiful day today

Melissa and Chris near Hawkesbury River at Windsor NSW
Have been away  and the month has just flown... Its been a full time...Both our daughters had their birthdays and I went up to Windsor NSW to visit Melissa and Chris. I realise how lucky I am because my kids actually seem to like my company and want to see me...  and its easy - there are no undercurrents or falseness ..thats a real treasure I know when i hear others talking about their grown up family.
seconds before this crazy cat escaped in a flurry of fur and claws
Up at Bilipin NSW - a wonderful day with my eldest
I am back at Tafe now and along with other things I am finding myself exhausted... some issues with Adrenal fatigue which I am dealing with  - it had to happen after the stress of the preceding years - I have a good doc who as well practices along with allopathic medicine - traditional medicine - so have the best person to deal with things...just miss my amazing energy levels from before...I read back here and see how much I would write, and as well I wrote stories and poems  painted etc etc - but now I realise I am just basically doing what i have to do - basically since I moved here. Basically "you don't know what you've got till its gone" but for me luckily its only temporary. One thing I have known for decades especially as Don suffered so much "health is all"...
Its a most beautiful light sunny Spring day here today...everything looks freshly washed...flowers everywhere and so many birds in the trees outside its just so wonderful. Just to be here, and okay on this beautiful day is good enough for me. I realise today that I need nothing more than what I have right at this moment. I have wonderful kids and great memories of my lovely Don... was raised by parents whop were in love and who treated us kindly... my cats are sleeping in the sun and a light gentle breeze is blowing through my house... Hope all of you feel as at peace as I do today...Just thought to say so.

Melissa on her birthday




Ali and Andrew on her birthday


Andrew's second cake in his whole life - a beauty
Ali ready for the bog blow out

t