-Caveat Lector- Gambian President Backs Female Genital Mutilation Africa News Service 22-JAN-99 BANJUL, Gambia (PANA, 01/22/99) - Women activists campaigning against Female Genital Mutilation in Gambia are vowing not to be intimidated to abandon their onslaught against the painful practice. The women were reacting to Tuesday's speech by President Yahya Jammeh that those who were campaigning to eradicate the practice were, including Islamic scholars, were "enemies of Islam" seeking to undermine the religion and African culture. Speaking to muslim leaders after prayers making the end of Ramadan, Jammeh had said "FGM is part of our culture and we should never allow anyone to dictate to us how we should conduct ourselves." To him, there must be some ulterior motives for the West to single out FGM and put in a lot of money for for its elimination, while ignoring several other factors affecting the health of women, such as skin bleaching. Jammeh's stance puts him on a collision cause with women's organisations campaigning against the practice, which is widely used in Gambia. His statement came a few weeks after the practice was outlawed in neighbouring Senegal. It also contradicts the declaration by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Ebrahim Malick Samba, a Gambian, who told a recent seminar in Banjul that FGM was "unnecessary and a health hazard." He called on the government to ban the practice. What is interesting is that the Gambian vice president, Mrs Issatou Njie-Saidy, who is also minister of health and women affairs, is among the staunch campaigners against FGM. Gambians are watching how the whole debate would proceed from now. Jammeh's speech has evidently disappointed most of the anti-FGM campaigners, particularly the Gambia Committee Against Harnful Traditional Practices, which condemned it as unfortunate and retrogressive. A spokesperson of the committee said the time had come for the government to clarify what had become of all the protocols and agreements it had signed with several UN agencies purporting that it was bent on eliminating the harmful practice. She also called for clarification on what would happen to the plan of action for the elimination of FGM, which was recently formulated by the health ministry. "Whose word should we believe; the president's or the vice president's who has recently made a public declaration supporting the campaign for the elimination of the practice?" she asked. The spokesperson said the committee would not relent in its campaign for the elimination of the practice. "Our consent is clear and no amount of condemnation would make us retreat," she stressed. She appealed to national organisations interested in the welfare of Gambian women and children to take up the issue with the government. FGM is practiced in at least 26 African states. By Demba Jaw, PANA Correspondent ================================= Robert F. Tatman [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remove "nospam" from the address to reply. NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml POSTING THIS MESSAGE TO THE INTERNET DOES NOT IMPLY PERMISSION TO SEND UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL E-MAIL (SPAM) TO THIS OR ANY OTHER INTERNET ADDRESS. RECEIPT OF SPAM WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF THE SENDER'S ISP. ____________________________________________________________________ More than just email--Get your FREE Netscape WebMail account today at http://home.netscape.com/netcenter/mail DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
