Proxy,

Are you outraged that the AAP suggest that "only
pricking or incising the clitoral skin as sufficient to satisfy cultural requirements" by a medical practitioner should be legal to prevent anything from a cliterectomy to infibulation? Or is this just an attempt to gather more evidence that we are allowing the dreaded Islamic hordes free reign and demonstrating the evils of multiculturalism?

Why not outrage that Samoans must get tattooed or that people can get their children's ears pierced? Both these are purely cultural harm (ie. no medical potential benefit cf. immunisation), are more severe in damage and perfectly legal.

Sorry to be suspicious minded but I can't help wondering if the prick or nick is your main concern.

You've outed him mjpb.

>>Or is this just an attempt to gather more evidence that we are allowing the dreaded Islamic hordes free reign and demonstrating the evils of multiculturalism?<<

Proxy starts these threads for exactly that purpose.

He tried it with http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3614, but instead of expressing horror at the presence of Islam on a UN committee, the posters insisted on talking about wimminz issues.

He tried to bring it back on track here http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=3614#86794, but it slipped away from him again.

That must have been frustrating for him, so he started this one.

Don't tell him we're onto his little game though, will you?

mjpb,
<<Sorry to be suspicious minded but I can't help wondering if the prick or nick is your main concern.>>
It's all the pricks that concern me.

Anti: "Where is the chorus of indignation at these practises? "

There is, but this thread was about FGM. If you start a thread about the forced tatooing of children or male circumcision I am sure the outrage will be plentiful even for you.

Thanks for acknowledging that women and girls should not have to endure this practice, even if it was not immediately obvious at the beginning of your post.

I don't know where Proxy expected this thread to go by Putting a US discussion paper forward that recomends education.

I am more interested in FGM here in Aus and i can tell you that we have been doing the education bit for 16 years and the incidence is reportedly higher now, so education is not working if we wish to stop the practice.

Ok it is illegal in all states but no charges have ever ben made. When I asked the health Minister that she replied that there are 'cultural considerations'. I find it ridiculous that people are charged with cock fighting offences, a cultural activity, but no one is charged for mutilating little Aussie girls. The practice is barbaric and should be stopped now.

Do we need a girl to die from shock, bleeding or infection before something is done.

My lobbying to MPs has been on two fronts. (a) Charge the parents with child abuse, and (b) Stop immigration of those cultures that practice FGM.

It should be intolerable that we turn a blind eye. Did not the PM say some time back about something. "To do nothing is to condone it".

If we continue as we are in relation to FGM, some advocate will be saying that as we do not enforce the laws we condone it should remove the laws making it illegal. Is that what we want?

Banjo,
Good on you for actually doing something about this issue.
I agree with both your points:
(a) Charge the parents with child abuse, and
(b) Stop immigration of those cultures that practice FGM.
I would add:
(c) Deport those found to be taking part in this barbarism.
I believe that the message would soon get through.
However, I fear that champions of "human rights" would soon hop on the bandwagon to stop the laws being enforced.
But where are all the HR chumps now?
My guess is that they're paralysed by cognitive dissonance.
Admitting that FGM is a problem would challenge their core beliefs on cultural relativism.