 |
|
| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Mar 2014 : 05:45:54
|
1. Declaration on Engaging Religious Leaders Towards Ending FGM A Regional Dialogue held at Paradise Suites Hotel,
The Gambia 27th – 28th February 2014
Published on Friday, 21 March 2014 | Written by Sarjo Camara
In this edition of women and development, we reproduce the declaration that emerged from the regional dialogue on the topic “Engaging religious leaders to end female genital mutilation” that took place at the Paradise Suite Hotel in the West Coast Region of The Gambia. The regional forum was conducted by GAMCOTRAP and funded by Save the Children. We published statements from the meeting and this is the final declaration by the participants.
Recognizing after deliberating and reflecting on the situation of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia through dialogue with religious leaders, from Senegal, La Guinea, Mauritania and the Gambia, with the participation of the Imams, Islamic Scholars, Chiefs, Women Leaders, Youth, relevant Institutions and civil society organizations that FGM is a gross violation of women’s human rights and the rights of the girl child;
Recognizing and confirming the fact that FGM is not a religious obligation in the Holy Koran nor is it mentioned or prescribed for girls and/or women in any authentic Hadith;
Affirming that Islam respects and recognizes the rights, bodily dignity and integrity of women and calling for all religious leaders and other stakeholders to dissociate FGM from Islam;
Condemning the practice of FGM as a gross violation of women and girls’ rights to education, health, sexual and reproductive rights, their right to freedom from physical, mental, social, economic and sexual abuse and violence and making them more vulnerable to such abuse and violence and
Recognizing that FGM leads to medical complications, domestic violence and could contribute to the increase of HIV, AIDS and other STIs;
Realizing that the harmful impacts of FGM resulted in the physical, mental, social and economic abuse of women and girls and render them powerless and vulnerable to abuse;
Extremely concerned that the misconceptions on FGM results in the destruction of the very social fabric of human existence by negatively impacting on women and undermining their bodily dignity and integrity;
Noting the various existing international and regional conventions, protocols, resolutions, declarations and instruments to protect women and the girl child from FGM and other harmful Traditional Practices;
Concerned that, despite these international obligations by states FGM still persists and continues to be perpetuated against women and girls with impunity due to misinterpretation of the Koran and resulting in the marginalization, discrimination and stigmatization of women from the same religious persuasion;
Alarmed that, some religious scholars continued to misinterpret the Koran and encourage women and men to perform FGM despite the proven health consequences and consequent violations of the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls in the regions;
Recognized and concerned those political leaders have justified their reservations to pass a specific law on FGM based on these religious misconceptions;
Deeply concerned and alarmed on the situation with regards to FGM and Islam: We the Participants of the Regional Dialogue are convinced in the light of the above that we must come to a consensus on the following Actions;
We solemnly proclaim that all our Governments/States Must ensure the effective implementation of all, relevant international and regional instruments and harmonizing same in our local laws by legislating against FGM by 2015.
Must recognize the dignity of women and girls as equal human being/persons as men diversely across the Continent.
Must note that Islam across the region in diverse countries does not promote FGM and to take a stand against religious scholars undermining state policies promoting women and girls rights by preventing and punishing perpetrators and those who incite and encourage them to carry out such acts and protect victims from FGM.
To Women Welcoming and calling all women to support and engage in the advocacy to end FGM in order to protect innocent children and to empower women to defend their rights.
Other Actors Calling on Women’s Rights Organisations, Civil Society Organisations, and other relevant institutions and individuals to engage in effective advocacy and lobbying to advance the protection of the girl-child from FGM.
Appealing to various institutions to support the proposed specific bill prohibiting FGM.
We urge The Gambian nation to love, cherish, honour and treat with dignity the girl-child, who has no choice or opportunity to object to FGM. Subscribed to by the Participants from the workshop on Engaging Religious Leaders Towards Ending FGM:
A Regional Dialogue On this 28th Day of February 2014 Paradise Suites Hotel Banjul, The Gambia
Foroyaa Women & Development News
2. Related Bantaba topic First British charges for FGM
|
Edited by - kobo on 31 Mar 2014 05:48:10 |
|
|
kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2014 : 03:17:43
|
1. IMAM FATTY: THERE IS NO FGM IN GAMBIA
The State House imam, Alhaji Abdoulie Fatty, has declared that “there is no FGM in The Gambia” while accusing anti-FGM campaigners of spreading fallacies about what he described as an “Islamic practice”...
Full Story from The Standard
2. An analysis of report with questions for veracity and heated open debate from comments following this report;
Gambian imam: Prophet Muhammad spoke well of FGM
The Daily Observer in The Gambia printed a piece saying that female genital mutilation was un-Islamic, and now Alhaji Abdoulie Fatty, the Imam of State House Mosque, says Not So Fast: you can’t say anything about Islam without a degree in Islamic studies, and you can’t say anything about FGM unless you’ve been through it. But does Dr. Jack Faal qualify on either count?......
Full Story from Jihad Watch
3. Gambian women fleeing female genital mutilation threat
Fear of female genital mutilation (FGM) is grounds for seeking asylum in the UK, but campaigners say that hundreds of women have had such applications rejected. Newsnight's Sue Lloyd-Roberts spoke to two women from The Gambia whose applications failed, and travelled to their home country to test their cases on the ground...
The hold such traditions have in The Gambia was made apparent when I met Muhammed Alhajie Lamin Touray, the country's most senior imam and president of the Islamic Council in The Gambia.
"Apart from the religious reasons in favour of female genital mutilation, I have heard on reliable authority that the clitoris makes a woman itch, making her want to scratch all the time and that the clitoris makes water leak from her private parts," he said.
To which I retorted, "I have had a clitoris for 60 years and this has never happened to me."
"Then you are an exception among women!" he said, laughing.
It was the laughing that I found most shocking. It was as if he was admitting to the absurdity of his position. Surely if he truly believes that the mutilation of young girls is ordained by God and is good for women, he would not laugh....
Full Report from BBC
4. MFI Pamphlet #1 FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION: AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE by Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad, Ph.D.
THE MFI PAMPHLET SERIES, initiated by the Minaret of Freedom Institute aims to make widely available, at a minimal cost, a summary of authentic Islamic positions on important issues of the day. These pamphlets are directed to a general audience, yet present positions backed by scholarly research presented elsewhere either in academic papers or conferences or based on opinions issued by qualified scholars.....
Full Story from Minaret of Freedom Institute - (MFI)
5. Muslim Women’s Shura Council FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING: HARMFUL AND UNISLAMIC |
Edited by - kobo on 03 Apr 2014 03:51:51 |
 |
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
© 2005-2024 Nijii |
|
|
|
Ending FGM Religious Leaders Declaration
