Genital mutilation of Southern Kurdistan (Iraq)

ROSITAV.COM | 03.2009 .  original text

Genital mutilation of Southern Kurdistan (Iraq)

Part 3

Gabar Çiyan / Zarathustra News

Introduction

With the genital mutilation of girls at an early age is to control the future of women's feelings and sex drive. Their view of women is degrading. Women should be a property, and only to satisfy the man. The woman's dreams of love will not be an issue. Without thinking about the difficult physical and psychological consequences puts still with female genital mutilation.

The report consists of statistics of the affected areas, the victims' comments and interviews with various organizations.

The purpose of this report series is to arouse a debate issue of genital mutilation in Southern Kurdistan (Iraq). We are asking the Kurdistan Regional Government - KRG to immediately put a total end to female genital mutilation. Laws must be enacted against female genital mutilation and the guilty must be prosecuted and punished. For a systematic monitoring, a supervisory authority is organized.

Ronak Faraj is known for its activities against genital mutilation in Southern Kurdistan (Iraq). She has been researching long about it. Her research book "Female genital mutilation" is both both in Kurdish and English. The number of first edition was very limited. Research published not in a journal or magazine.

We have contacted Runak Faraj Rahim, and interviewed her. We have taken note of her book and translated a part of her research.

What was the reason that you wrote a book about female genital mutilation in South Kurdistan? 

In 1991, when Kurdistan was liberated, I was rector of a gymnasium, which was mixed with boys and girls (Hadji Awa refugee camp) near the town of Ranya. This reception was one of the Saddam regime had built around Ranya for those villagers who had destroyed the regime and moved to its inhabitants.

The school was named Hiran and the total was 900 students in this school, of which 430 of them were girls. March 1992 I was on the way home from school when I saw a blond girl of 6 years of age who was wearing a yellow dress and a long run against me. Mannan ran after her, who wanted CIRCUMCISE her. . The girl saw me and cling to my legs and said:

 "Please, Miss for God's sake do not let my mother CIRCUMCISE me." The mother cried again and again: "You miss, you can keep in her for me."

When the mother got hold of the girl hit her head with her fist and pulled her with him. I went after them. When I came into the house, I saw an elderly lady who had a piece of fabric in different colors, and 7 terrified and TREMBLING little girls in 4 to 10 years of age. The lady took up a razor blade out of a bag

"In the name of God and Allah," she said.

The girls were pale with fear. Some of the crying and the other was silent and terrified. I asked, what she is doing, what is going on? She said that she would CIRCUMCISE girls. I thought that it was true! How can you do this? She did not listen at all to me. One by one they took trosan of the girls and took away a little meat called qitke in Kurdish (clitoris).

The trip came to a girl named Shin in 6 years of age, I went up to her and looked at what the older woman did. She smekte over it called clitoris in heaven's name, and then cut it with rakbladet.

One of the girls who were in 4 years of age was Giaband bled a lot and it put her in a water container. At night I could not sleep and was up all night because the images of 29 girls who were circumcised this day left me not.

The day after I went to school and expect that of the 430 students, 380 were circumcised.

Tell us about your active ether and research. Have you reached the target with the book? 

It is clear after I have gathered statistics, I began collecting data and educating people. In 17 years I went around in Ranya and Pishdars villages and towns around the Hawler and Khalifan to hold seminar. In two years I had a radio program, who was both editor and program leader for the program. The program was called "women's vote" and sent from Ranya. The radio has spent much time Ranyas villages was about genital mutilation of girls.

When I came back to Sulaymania, I started working on women's information center. We had a radio program broadcast from Radio "Gali Kurdistan". I was editor of the program and Hana Shwan was program leader. A section of the program was about genital mutilation.

Since we had a project with Norwegian NPA org for 81 villages in Garmian area. I taught how to combat such practices. In 2004 started the Center another project for 41 villages around Ranya and Pishdar for the fight against genital mutilation of girls. I have taken part in many televised debates, on the same issue in Azadi TV in March 2006, and in Ranya and Zagros TV in March 2007. I participated in Hawler conference organized by Khatoo Zin organization and later in Sulaymania Conference by Norwegian NPA arranged.

I am satisfied and can say that these activities have affected people and got good results, particularly when it comes to educating people.

How can we eradicate genital mutilation of girls in Kurdistan? 

It is obvious that organizations must work with information and has asked the Parliament of Kurdistan through a law banning genital mutilation of girls.

Female Genial mutilation

Research: Runak F. Rahim

Research Problem and its importance 

Research with regard to social problems are very rare and demanding in terms of women. This is because:

1. The lack of a department or a center that provides financial support for research.

2. High cost of financing this work.

3. The interest of such studies is low, due to political conflicts in the region.

4. Most people believe that certain issues in our society is sensitive and considered the family's problems. Therefore, they do not submit their data to public research.

I believe that this research is an important step, and hope to identify the factors underlying the practice of female circumcision, the harmful effects and the existence of this practice.

The purpose of the research 

1. Gather information from the 3 cities, Suleimaniyah, Erbil and Duhok.

2. Finding appropriate solutions to eliminate female genital mutilation.

3. Identify the main central areas of the practice.

4. Identify the main factors behind the existence and practice of this phenomenon.

5. Identify the consequences of circumcision of women and its harmful effects on society, through analysis of the data collected in the research.

6. Identify the person in the family who is responsible for the implementation of this act.

Definition 

Circumcision (female): the removal of all or part of the external female genitals.

Collective Town: The government has evacuated many villages and gathered them in a created city.

Qitka (clitoris), a very sensitive part of the external female genitals where all hormones for six process is collected.

Effects of genital mutilation of women/girls 

Female circumcision is performed by cutting away a small triangle shaped piece of the upper part of the small lips. This part is very sensitive, all hormones for six process gathered there. Circumcised women do not know the sexual orgasm during intercourse. This is a factor behind the cold relations.

Sometimes removes a major part of LABIA due to lack of expertise. Women who do the operation is often illiterate.

Age 

The age of the circumcised girls are different from one area to another. It is common that it is performed at the ages of 4 to 5 years. In some areas, it is reported that girls as young as one month old has been circumcised. Its harmful effects are shown when the girl get married because it creates problems in the sexual relationship.

Privacy 

1. Writing on the mutilation of the clitoris is shameful because it is part of a woman's genitals.

2. Most of the women who perform female circumcision is traditional midwives and are illiterate. They are not generally recognized health professionals.

Accessibility 

Female circumcision is carried out with a knife or a razor blade. The woman, who does this attention to hygiene, and not the purity of rakbladen. With the same razor blade can be up to 10 girls to be circumcised.

Typically, after removal of the clitoris, so apply ashes on the wound, or dipping the cut area in a bowl of iced water. This is why many girls at risk of infection or severe bleeding. They are affected by fear and pain that affects the future, both physically and mentally.

Details of Research 

Data from a total of 40 480 interviews:

Erbil: 

8 district, each district 30 interviews.

1 teaching institution in the city of Erbil

5 collective towns, each class city 800 forms or interviews.

55 villages, each village 40 interviews.

Suleimaniyah: 

8 district, a total of 1 000 forms.

8 secondary preparatory schools for girls

6 collective cities, each city collectively 700 forms or interviews

496 villages, each village 40 interviews

Duhok: 

1 district

1 preparatory school for girls

1 class city

12 villages

Analysis of the research samples 

The examination of circumcised girls aged 1 months to over 10 years old, showed the conclusion that:

Most victims are girls from 4 to 10 years old, since the girls aged 1 months to 3 years. 11 years and over are less affected.

The examination of a total of 40 480 women was 30 324 circumcised, and they are 10 352 children from 1 to 16 years old.

Place of birth 

• Of the 6 132 girls living in collective towns are 2 700 of these girls were born in villages and 3 432 in the collective towns. The collective towns built in 1979 until 1987. Then deported Baath Party people from villages to collective towns.

• Of the 20 390 women in the villages, where 12 240 of them in the collective towns after evacuation of their villages.

• After 1991, when villages rebuilt, 8 150 were born there.

• Of the 3 802 circumcised girls in urban areas, are 2 790 of them were born in urban areas and 507 in villages.

The number of circumcised women 

Statistics collected show that 30 324 women and girls have been circumcised. These data were collected through distribution of about 2 000 forms in all areas. Such issues had an important role in gathering this information. This is in addition to the interviews made with people from different areas.

• Of the 30 324 women from villages and cities, "says 24 435 that it is for religious reasons, and that it is Sunnet. And if it is not carried out, then God will not forgive them.

For 80 years ago in Germian area, from the villages Tarkhani, said a religious man Mula Muhammad that circumcision is a harmful act, as this practice has since ceased.

• Of the 3 802 interviews in the city, indicates that 1 202 as political freedom now, we can address female circumcision.

Interviews 

In an interview with Dr Rezan (female doctor, a specialist in women's diseases), she said:

Rania District is one of the areas where girls are circumcised in a large scale. Hundreds of girls were there by their mothers and fathers when the blood ran down over her legs. When I examined them, I could see that they had just been circumcised. Because women who carry out this work was ignorant, they cut away a very large part. This will undoubtedly be harmful to the girl's physical health and have adverse psychological effects. She will be afraid of blood until she becomes an adult.

But the worst effects of circumcision of girls after marriage. 70% to 80% of the problems in a relationship in our society based on the fact that women are sexually cold. Sometimes stop these problems in separation and divorce.

In an interview with Awaz Othamn, researchers in Suleimaniya court, she stated that 70% of marital problems due to:

• Female Circumcision

• Traditional ways of increasing child

•  Lack of sex education

Short interview with Fatma Ibrahim, 50 years

Fatma Ibrahim is one of the women who Omsk girls Dollaraqa, the area near the villages of Rania: Plangan, Kawbeen, Darahan, character, and Baharan.

How did you learn this practice? 

I have learned from another woman in our village who is dead now.

Have you heard of this practice is harmful? 

No, as far as I know. I do a charitable work. God and Islam will not be happy with those who are not circumcised, I think.

How old are the kids that you Omsk? 

3 to 4 years old.

What do you use the tools before a circumcision? 

I agree (Qitka) and lowers it with a razor blade and put a little ash on the wound to stop the bleeding.

How many children do you have omskurit until now? 

I have omskurit more than 1 000 girls. All the villages around this area send their daughters to me that I should CIRCUMCISE them.

Additional copies 

- Two ladies in Sarkapkan village of Raniya area, Omsk girls. They said, "we have done this for a long time and our mothers and grandmothers did the same."

- A lady in Basirma in the city of Erbil called H-GH and was born in 1970 performing many circumcision. In response to our questions, she explained like this:

"We Omsk all girls, usually at ages 2 to 5 years old. I Omskaya girls with razor blades." Furthermore, she explained that she never has heard that circumcision is harmful to girls.

- RH from Qaladiza city, stated that she has practiced circumcision in 20 years. Earlier, she used a knife, but now uses she has a razor.

- EA was born in Pishdar area, and she explained that she has learned that phenomenon in Iran. Girls from Iran come to her for circumcision.

Lack of communication 

In Badinan area is not customary genital mutilation. In the area soran asked people if they knew anything about this. Only 1 251 of 40 480 persons were aware that the absence of genital mutilation of girls.

Fear 

Of 40 480 samples taken in the research, was 30 324 women and girls are circumcised. The women told me about the terrible experiences when they were circumcised, all said they felt fear and shame and that they will never forget that moment.

Orgasm 

Of the 30 324 circumcised women who were interviewed were 13 655 married. In response to our question about feelings during intercourse, said 13 650 of that they never had an orgasm.

If damage 

Genital mutilation leads to both physical and psychological damage. An interview in Erbil showed how many there were who knew about these injuries. Of the 9 240, only 170 who knew about it.

Until 2001, I was the only one who worked openly about this practice. From the interviews I did, I realized that they are not open to talk about this subject.

In the surrounding villages in Erbil, only 25 women out of a total of 2 200 who had knowledge of the damage that occurs during sexual mutilation. In the collective cities of Erbil, only 780 of 4000.

In the villages around Suleimaniyah was 4 000 of a total of 19 840 who heard about this phenomenon. In the collective towns, only 1 500 of 4 200 who knew about this phenomenon.

Recommendations 

1 - Inform people about the harms of this practice by holding seminars and meetings with doctors.

2 - Please explain and clarify these injuries, and all actions, through radio to reach remote villages.

3 - Increase awareness among midwives by holding courses in the collective towns and explain to them the dangers. Those involved in this practice must be identified and informed that they may be punished for this harmful phenomenon.

4 - Training teachers to have an active role to combat this phenomenon.

5 - The religious should also have an active role to combat this phenomenon.

Conclusion 

It is clear that female genital mutilation is not one of the Kurdish traditions and the Kurdish faith. In order to address this phenomenon, this must be disseminated among the Kurds.