<p>“How do you connect Ethiopian immigrants engaged in genital mutilation with Islamic-jihadists?”</p>
<p>I do not know about the specific case, but genital mutilation is not unheard of in the Muslim world, especially in Africa. So when someone asked what Ethiopians had to do with Islamic-Jihadism, I responded that they were most likey Muslims. Part of their Jihad is to bring their culture here, and not just live it without hurting others or forcing others around them to ascribe to it, but by doing things like genital mutilation.</p>
<p>This is a cultural practice, not a Muslim practice. And, I hope we all are united in supporting asylum requests of undocumented immigrants who would be subjected to this if they’re deported.</p>
<p>This “we” certainly does not include the Department of Justice – I worked on a case last year concerning a woman who was trying to stay in the U.S. in order to protect her daughter from FGM in her tribe back home. She was ordered deported, and she took her children and fled federal authorities. We don’t know where they are today.</p>
<p>You know where they DON’T practice FGM, and never have? Iraq. So I don’t think it is playing a role in the current “war on terror.”</p>
<p>Yeah, Hanna, I kinda figured that my “we” is not as inclusive as it oughta be. People are very quick to denounce the practice, but not so quick to protect a socalled illegal immigrant from being sent back to it.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the DOJ and Homeland SEcurity often don’t think that’s grounds for asylum, as you know better than I do.</p>
<p>garland, while FGM may have been praticed by obscure cultures before Mohammed arrived, it is Muslim countries & cultures that still follow the practice. In fact, as recently as 1997, the Egyptian courts overruled the country’s ban on FMS after being pressured by Muslim clerics who claim Muslims must follow the teaching of Mohammed and circumcize their daughters.</p>
<p>The UN, in typical fashion, takes a wishy-washy position: </p>
<p>"The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is ambiguous about FGM. On one hand, Article 24, paragraph 3 states: “States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.”. But Article 29 paragraph 1.c calls for: “The development of respect for the child’s parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own.” </p>
<p>I would support 100% the granting of assylum for any woman or girl facing such barbarity. I do recall, though not all details, some recent, highly-covered FGM claim turned out to be false. The claims must be valid, & I don’t know if legitimate claims are being denied or not.</p>
<p>“The al-Qaida army has 12,000 fighters in Iraq, and they have vowed to die for God’s sake,” a man introduced as al-Muhajir said in an audio tape made available on militant Web sites.</p>
<p>“We will not rest from our Jihad until we are under the olive trees of Rumieh and we have blown up the filthiest house which is called the White House,” al-Muhajir said.</p>
<p>Muslims in Great Britain, Canada, and Germany are pushing to be exempt from their nations’ laws and be only answerable to Shari’a. Of course, the practices of Shari’a are considered barbaric by western standards. This is golani’s point: The radical faction do not want to coexist peacefully with their western neighbors. They want to aboslish western culture.</p>
<p>Well, we’ve just played into the hands of these terrorists, holding our elections, excersing democracy, expressing freedom of choice, first woman ever to be Speaker of the House and now we’ve “Cut and Rum(sfeld)”. they’ve got us just where they want us.</p>
<p>“Well, we’ve just played into the hands of these terrorists, holding our elections, excersing democracy, expressing freedom of choice, first woman ever to be Speaker of the House and now we’ve “Cut and Rum(sfeld)”. they’ve got us just where they want us.”</p>
<p>Well I guess we could have had KING George…no? </p>
<p>Is that your alternative? Do you really think so much of this president that you regret elections? How sad for you.</p>
<p>“Well, we’ve just played into the hands of these terrorists, holding our elections, excersing democracy, expressing freedom of choice, first woman ever to be Speaker of the House and now we’ve “Cut and Rum(sfeld)”. they’ve got us just where they want us.”</p>
<p>It’s just the usual from the rightwing Hate America crowd.</p>
Well, of course, mathmom. Not every one of the billion+ Muslims still operates within a dark ages mentality. The point is this: Other than in Muslim cultures, where is FGM being practiced or condoned or overlooked?</p>
<p>kluge: Other than crazy Timmothy McVeigh, this radical right wing faction does not refuse to coexist in peace. In Waco & Ruby Ridge, the crazies kept to themselves until the government stormed in. We had nothing to fear from David Koresh or the poor woman shot by an FBI sniper while holding her baby. Their views may have included odious ideas such as white seperatist beliefs, but they had no intention of harming you, me, or anyone else.</p>
<p>Oh, the White Supremacists really do have an intention of harming me (don’t know for sure about you, SS). Read any of their hate literature, their websites, listened to their music?</p>
<p>White supremists are not white seperatists, Allmusic. The seperatists just want to be left alone & do not want the races mixing. WHo cares if they hole themselves off in some remote wooded area & are never heard from again? Not me. They are harmless.</p>
<p>I think the difference, however, is how acquiescent the different governments are toward this kind of behavior. In Europe, speech of the “hate” type alone is a crime. In the US, while speech is generally allowed, the line between speech and action is not one that the Fed likes to see toed.</p>
<p>Many governments of Muslim countries, however, lack the reach and/or will to really keep speech from turning into action.</p>
<p>I do not, however, believe for a minute that the extreme opinions are in any way representative of the majority of Muslims. It defies logic, methinks.</p>