Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

FGM Please sign this petition

I've just come across this link. Horrendous. Can you sign and forward, Facebook etc? Thanks. http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52740

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Permalink Reply by Gerry Platt on November 10, 2013 at 18:32

signed.

My courageous friend Hodo is one of the women to speak out against female genital mutation here:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-cruel-cut/4od#3602669

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Permalink Reply by matt on November 10, 2013 at 19:29

Thanks re, have signed as well.

The lady who set up this e-petition Leyla Hussein speaks here briefly on 4OD. Gerry links to the full documentary above.

One of a number of back-ground articles regarding FGM here if others are interested in reading more (BBC).

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Permalink Reply by re johnson on November 10, 2013 at 19:53

Thanks Gerry, Matt for info and links. I am so moved and full of admiration for these women who speak openly about this. Apart from signing the petition, circulating it as much as I can, I would like to know what else I can do to support the campaign.

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Permalink Reply by matt on November 10, 2013 at 20:11

When I first heard of this barbaric practice I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The Channel 4 programme is hard hitting (at 24mins in it's interesting to see how the young men interviewed change in their attitudes to FGM once they see Leyla's 'gallery' presentation).

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Permalink Reply by Abi on November 10, 2013 at 23:02

Doesn't seem that long ago since people called it 'female circumcision' and talked about it being a cultural practice that we shouldn't interfere in. I'm so glad that most of the world has finally seen sense.

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Permalink Reply by matt on November 12, 2013 at 21:40

Number of signatures:73,766

Need 100,000

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/52740

Surely everyone who sees this will click through and sign this petition

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Permalink Reply by re johnson on November 13, 2013 at 8:48

Matt, how can we make the petition more visible?

Thought about what else we can do. Abster says that it is now called what it is - mutilation which is crucial. It needs to be aired - like the brilliant film and petition - and it also needs to become a known-about, talked-about subject, by all of us. By the general community. If you have young children, their friends may be at risk of this. I don't know if this is a topic discussed in schools, amongst teachers, parent groups etc. We need to keep the issue alive and open, think of ways we can do this amongst our own friends, colleagues etc.

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Permalink Reply by matt on November 13, 2013 at 13:03

Hi re, I'd suggest you change the title of your post to something like, 'FGM - please sign this petition'. I good number of people have probably heard of the term FGM and it attaches the topic to the 'petition'. This post will go out in the mail-out to all HOL members Thurs or Friday.

I note that the petition has added another 1500 signatories in the last 15 hrs so that's encouraging. If that momentum keeps up then the 100,000 needed to trigger the possibility of a debate in parliament should be reached before Xmas, way before the deadline.

You can contact Leyla Hussein on her twitter feed

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Permalink Reply by Takaokagiejin on November 13, 2013 at 16:20

Here is more information about FGM and link to a film by Sue Lloyd Roberts for Newsnight which shows the less than happy experiences of women who seek protection from FGM in the UK and then tracks back to the villages they fled.

http://www.star-network.org.uk/index.php/news/comments/no_return_to...