"I was sexually violated in a dangerous ritual"

During my freshman year of colledge, I was flipping through one of my sociology books before class when i landed on a page about female genital mutilation, or FGM. It talked about how girls in some cultures have parts of the gentitals cut off or swen together; its supposed to keep women's sex drives low, so they'll stay loyal to their husbands( or prevent them from having sex altogether). And all at once, I flashed back to my childhood and realized: I had been a victim of FGM.



I had a typical suburban American childhood--I was a Girl Scout and had friends of all races and religions--but I'm also a part of a really small sect of Islam. There are only 1 million of us in the world, and we follow strict traditions to a tee. One of the customs is the khatna; Its when, at about age 6, a girl has a piece of her clitoris removed(Most muslims dont do it, its cultural, not religious.) When I was 6, i knoew nothing about sex or why a khatna was a big deal; i just knew it was something other girls in my sect did, and that it would hurt.
My khatna was done at the office of my pediatrician, who was in my sect. I was so scared, my mom had to pin me to the table. My legs were spread open as i felt the most excruciating agony--a shooting pain that went from my vagina to the top of my head. but i never questioned it; i moved on as if it were normal.
But when i put the pieces together at 19, it made me feel like id been raped back then--something had been taken from me without my consent. and even though i was a virgin, i became scared that i wouldnt be able to function sexually. I made my first appointment with a gynecologist, who confirmed my fear: most of my clitoris had been removed. Here i was in college, where everyone was experimenting with sex or was talking about it, and all i could think was that no guy would ever want someone who was sexually handicapped like i am.
As distraught as i was, i decided to channel my energy into change. FGM is an accepted, deeply rooted tradition where my parents grew up in Africa(and in other parts of the world), but in the US--where FGM is illefal and we know its wrong--it has to end.
I cant report FGM to the police; that could just drive it underfround and make it more unsafe. The best way to stop it is to educate my peers: if my generation refuses to do it to our daughters, and so on, FGM will die out.
People also need to know that girls who have undergone FGM arent "weird"; theyre victims of a violent physical and psychological crime that people must talk about. The more people know about it, the less likely it will be practiced.


Response: This was a very astonishing article that left me speachless for a while. It is just sad and disgusting to know that certain cultures still do such things. I did know that monks follow FGM, but not islam. The tought to do something about this did triger, but then it made me angry that even though i might think this is wrong and disturbing, religious belifes are much more stonger than my individual voice. I am sure that there are actions being taken towards FGM now, but am still worried, as there is no doubt that it still takes place secretly. What if it were me? What if it were one of my friends. Just the tought, what if it were my mom? i wouldnt have been here, now, this moment. I feel miserably sorry for that girl, and hope that not many girls suffer from such acts in the upcoming generation..