CIRCUMCISION

CIRCUMCISION

Some time ago I discussed “circumcision” in my religious studies class. I downloaded the material to be discussed from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/ . I intentionally selected the topic to introduce an idea about ‘female circumcision’ or people also call it as ‘female genital mutilation’. And, as I expected, all students did not know yet about the ‘existence’ of this disastrous ‘so-called’ tradition in some areas in the world. 

MALE CIRCUMCISION

To begin with, we talked about male circumcision. One male student of mine who just moved back from America to Indonesia around a year ago said that he and his older brother got circumcised after they arrived back in their home country. This particular student of mine is around 18 years old. When I asked him why he did that, he said his parents convinced him that it would be for his as well as his brother’s health advantage. He believed that circumcised penis is more hygienic. And after being circumcised he said that he felt his genital area was cleaner or it was easier for him to clean it.

Another student said that he did not get circumcised because his mother never talked about it. He believed if it were really good for his health, his mother would talk about it and offered him to have it or not. The statistic given in the material discussed – only around 30% of males in the world are circumcised – strengthened his opinion that circumcision is not important.

Two female students shared their stories when their brothers got circumcised. They said that their brothers got their penis circumcised after they had a discussion about it with their parents – especially their fathers : It is important that men get circumcised for medical advantage. Besides for medical reason, they believed that circumcision is compulsary because it is one religious obligation.

However, when finding out that in fact only the book of Genesis stating the importance of performing circumcision – and not in The New Testament nor in Alquran – my students started thinking that perhaps circumcision is carried out in some areas in the world due to cultural reasons and not religious instruction. 

FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

As I wrote above in fact my students have never heard of female circumcision yet. They were never aware of this bloody inhumane practice. Their parents never talked about it to my students and nobody else has ever got them to know this. Since the Genesis only mentioned about male circumcision – and no verse at all in the New Testament or Alquran mentioning about it – we came to the conclusion that female circumcision – or female genital mutilation – is all due to cultures. (At least it is not supposed to be a part of Abrahamic faiths’ rite.)

“Why does it state that female circumcision is very painful while male circumcision is not? Or at least not that painful?” one student asked when the handout we discussed wrote “painful procedure.”

It is a painful procedure perhaps because in fact in women’s genital area there is nothing to be cut for any reason – for example for hygienic reason. If there is no hygienic nor religious reason, why do many people still do that nowadays?

Genital cutting is widespread within some African cultures and ethnic groups. It is seen as the climax of initiation, something that both boys and girls have to take part in before they are accepted as adults in the community. According to those who support this practice, the process of female genital cutting has practical merits in a physically harsh society. It is proof that the woman is mentally strong and able to deal with the difficult responsibilities of adult life. Nevertheless, representatives from many countries in Africa meet each year to discuss ways to end the practice because “female genital mutilation and cutting is a violation of the basic rights of women and girls. It is a dangerous and irreversible procedure that negatively impacts the general health, child bearing capabilities and educational opportunities of girls and women,” said Carol Bellamy, executive director of the UNICEF on February 7 2005, the International Day of Zero Tolerance of FGM.”

Girls in African countries undergoing female genital mutilation are usually still very young – six years old – so that it means the decision to have it is in the hands of their parents. The parents possibly do that due to social pressure and the girls cannot say ‘NO’ towards their parents while in fact those girls are the ones who will suffer from some negative impacts caused by FGM.

FEMALE CIRCUMCISION IN INDONESIA

Although the practice of FGM in Indonesia is not as ‘well-known’ as in Africa, we can still find it especially in rural areas despite the fact that the Indonesian government officially banned FGM in 2006. If in Africa female circumcision is considered as the climax of initiation before girls enter adulthood, what about in Indonesia? The article in this link said that there are three reasons why some foundations holding free circumcision events include female circumcision :

• ·         It will stabilize her libido
• ·         It will make a woman look more beautiful in the eyes of her husband
• ·         It will balance her psychology

The first reason strengthens what women activists have said that the practice is strongly misogynistic. Inferior and weak men need to do something to ‘calm’ (or conquer?) women’s sexual drive. In order to make themselves sexually powerful, they must weaken women first. Besides doing this ‘physical thing’ they also create false true woman precept: a true woman must be libido-less.

The second reason is illogical since the criteria of being beautiful is different from one person to another. While the third reason is very wrong since FGM even can cause some negative impacts. FGM also can result in a lifetime trauma, moreover when done by not an expert and using non hygienic media.

The same article reported that female circumcision in Indonesia is less extreme than the kind practiced in other parts of the globe – Africa particularly. Despite some studies done on it informing that female circumcision in Indonesia is done by merely rubbing turmeric on the genitals or pricking the clitoris once with a needle to draw a symbolic drop of blood, the Population Council’s 2003 study said that 82  percent of Indonesian mothers who witnessed their daughters’ circumcision said that it involved ‘cutting’. Another article at this link  stated that “while the procedure in Indonesia is not as severe as in parts in Africa and involves cutting less flesh, it still poses a serious health concern.” 

“The fact is there is absolutely no medical value in circumcising girls. It is 100 percent the wrong thing to be doing,” said Laura Guarenti, an obstetrician and WHO’s medical officer for child and maternal health in Jakarta.

There is no medical value nor cultural tradition nor religious merit in female circumcision. The Indonesian government banned the practice in 2006. So, what caused the even more widely-found practice in society? Social unawareness! Ignorance! Misogyny! In order to make it safer, the effort proposed by Linda Gumilar, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment, to make the female circumcision practice medicalized and carried out by trained health personnel will make it sound misleadingly lawful.

Maria Ulfah Anshor – one women’s rights fighter – said, “I would advise not to circumcise your daughters at all. It women are circumcised, people believe they become more beautiful and not as wild and will make men more excited in bed. For women themselves, they don’t get any excitement at all.”

CONCLUSION

When male circumcision possibly has medical benefits and it is somewhat strongly encouraged from religious views – it is written in the book of Genesis – female circumcision has no medical benefits at all for women and it is not written either in any so-called holy book. The root of it is just misogyny that dates back from immemorial time. 

GL7 12.06 110612

Irshad Manji: the controversial figure

Media statement by Irshad Manji - 10 May

Four years ago, I came to Indonesia and experienced a nation of tolerance, openness and pluralism. In my new book, I describe Indonesia as a model for the Muslim world.

Things have changed. Last night at LKiS community center, religious gangsters attacked about 150 citizens of Yogyakarta, as well as my team. My colleague, Emily Rees, was struck with a metal bar and had to be rushed to hospital. Her arm is now in a sling. Two other attendees sustained head injuries. I have spoken with them both and, by God's grace, they will recover.

But the reputation of the criminals should never recover: They hid behind masks and helmets while beating up ordinary people and destroying property. These men are cowards.

In sharp contrast, the courage of several citizens saved my own life. As the gangsters shouted, "Where is Manji?," citizens shielded my body with theirs. I am immeasurably grateful for, and humbled by, their bravery. They have shown that Indonesians can unite for human dignity.

Citizens have reported to me that their police and government are capitulating to the thugs. But the people need not capitulate. May all Indonesians take pride in their peaceful heroes -- and learn from them.

Irshad Manji Author, Allah, Liberty & Love and Director, Moral Courage Project, New York University

Four years ago. That means not so long ago. Indonesia was 'already' under the same president cum unsuccessful singer, SBY. :) 

So what has changed 'Indonesia'? 

Indeed we all know that tolerance -- especially tolerance among religions -- has been declining very badly in our country, the once-called a country with big tolerance among its citizens. Can I say it all started from the so-called civil war in Maluku by the end of nineties? Since then on, intolerance among religions has become worse and worse each year. The existence of the hardline Islam organizations have a very big influence and many people know that some hardline Islam organizations were even made by the government. 

The government plan to make a bigger civil war than just what happened in some regions, such as Maluku and Kalimantan? What for?

Coming back to Manji.

In fact, four years ago, Indonesia's intolerance to view differences was bad enough already. But still, according to Manji's statement, she was warmly welcome here at that time. Therefore, I am of opinion that perhaps I had better change my own question "what has changed Indonesia?" 

Indonesia's intolerance is still as bad as four years ago.

My own question slowly led me to another thought: Irshad Manji's sexual orientation has been popularized more than when she came here four years ago. The fact that there have been some communities that 'promote' homosexuality as one normal orientation just like heterosexuality -- such as ourvoice -- that has 'come out' must have a bigger role. The more 'campaign' done by these communities, the more rejection done by public who have been brainwashed that homosexuality is something against 'natural' law.

I am wondering who was behind those hardliners who did some violence toward Manji -- such as what happened in LKis Jogja; who paid them so that they did an action. (click this link ) Rumors said that those hardliners would do actions when they got paid.

And one very heart-breaking event for me was when even Gadjahmada University -- MY almamater --  cancelled the plan to have Manji talk about her book at that campus. (click this link )

Indeed, struggling for equality for everybody -- in this cace among heterosexual, homosexual, and asexual -- is still long way to go. Religions with their dogma as one 'legal' attacker of non heterosexuality will always be in use. 

C-net 21.41 130512

Some comments from my other blogsite which will be closed down December 1, 2012

delete reply martoart wrote on May 13 afemaleguest said Indonesia's intolerance is still as bad as four years ago. bukannya makin lebih buruk?

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on May 13 lebih buruk ya Kang? hmmmmm :-(

delete reply dinantonia wrote on May 14 No religion and its dogma legalizes any kind of attack. I dont agree with homosexuality, but I dont hate them. Seneng dan setuju banget sama quote dr opini org ini: " I do associate with homosexuals, and i try to tell them the truth of what i believe, and if they don’t accept, then to each his own. no love lost. But i would never treat one badly or dismiss one bc of it. I love everyone and treat them with respect."

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on May 14 dinantonia said Seneng dan setuju banget sama quote dr opini org ini: " I do associate with homosexuals, and i try to tell them the truth of what i believe, and if they don’t accept, then to each his own. no love lost. But i would never treat one badly or dismiss one bc of it. I love everyone and treat them with respect." opini siapa ini Dina? :)

delete reply nanaskuningkeci wrote on May 14 kayanya makin parah mba... dimana2 group itu bikin Indonesia jadi bukan negara pluralisme lagi... hiks

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on May 14 nanaskuningkeci said kayanya makin parah mba... dimana2 group itu bikin Indonesia jadi bukan negara pluralisme lagi... hiks yes, you can say that again, Ranie T.T

delete reply onit wrote on May 17 by the way, only recently i liked irshad manji on facebook. why? i knew her looong time ago when she published her 1st book in 2003. it was (as she personally admitted it) about anger. her anger towards attitudes of many muslim people she knew. to me, it was yet another anger expression (but honest!), so it was normal, not exceptional. however, i just read excerpts from her latest book allah, liberty, love, which is available at amazon.com. within less than 10 years she has communicated with many muslims (especially female ones) throughout the world and she managed to build her aspirations based on her conversations with people. she has grown, matured. i said "wow" so many times reading the excerpt, because it's what i had in my mind, too. only i've chosen a different path, as to me faith is a personal matter. she chose the courageous path, by connecting with many people in the world and labelled herself a reformist. i'd like to get her book. after i read her full book, i'll write this in a review.

delete reply martoart wrote on May 17 onit said i'd like to get her book. Sila minta Nana linknya sist...

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on May 19 I have been on the move (alias kluyuran mulu) since Thursday, belum ketemu kompi atau lepi, so belum bisa kirim link ke Onit ^^

delete reply onit wrote on May 19 sip lah.. kan aku dah nemu di amazon, buat apa dikasih link lagi ;)

delete reply martoart wrote on May 19 onit said sip lah.. kan aku dah nemu di amazon, buat apa dikasih link lagi ;) gratis maksudnya..

morningpray

 

I don’t remember when the last time I prayed. :-P Perhaps since I realized that in my ‘old’ dictionary, the word ‘pray’ referred to ‘dictating to god to fulflil what I wanted via praying’, instead of ‘begging to god for god’s mercy to grant my pray’.  At this point I realized that I have converted to be an agnostic instead of “just” a secular. How long ago? I don’t remember. but perhaps some posts related to “praying” will remind me myself.

So, because I stopped praying, does it mean that I never expect anything for my future? (do you agree that praying means we expect to get something good for our future and we ask god’s help to make it come true? Or in a more extreme point, we dictate god to grant it.)

Of course I still expect some (or perhaps many) good things for my future. But as people say, praying has a kind of ‘placebo effect’ (in Bahasa Indonesia, we call it ‘sugesti’). After praying, people feel like they have more strength to make their dreams come true. So? They try harder to reach their dreams after they pray.

Me? I skip the ‘praying’ stage. After having one expectation – let’s say – I directly jump to the following stage: do my best to make it come true. Isn’t our real effort the most important part?

However, since I ‘learned’ that in many cases our own expectation – especially when it is related to somebody else – sort of hurt us when it doesn’t come true, I have tried my best not to have lotsa expectations. Just live my life enough. Do what I must do. As many ‘spiritual’ people believe that what we have done towards other people in this universe, in fact, we do it to ourselves.

Meanwhile ...

A few weeks ago, something came up. This made me open my twitter account that I made perhaps in the middle 2010. But due to my twitter illiteracy, I hardly visited.   I started tweeting until I found some accounts of public figures that I thought would broaden my horizon in viewing this life. One of them was Ayu Utami whose book – Si Parasit Lajang – was always one of my most favorite books. And I always love reading her other books, from Saman, Larung, Bilangan Fu, and Manjali dan Cakrabirawa.

I don’t know her spiritual view, honestly. One thing for sure is of course I know she is against the male-dominated culture.

But frankly speaking after following her account on twitter, I found it surprising when the first time she tweeted something that was related to ‘pray’, although it was a simple one. For example, “#doapagi, lenturkanlah otot kami yang tegang” (#morningpray, make our stiff muscles bend and relax easily) “#doapagi, lumerkanlah lemak menggumpal ini” (#morningpray, reduce the fat in our bodies) until more serious one, such as “#doapagi, tajamkanlah pikiran kami dan lembutkanlah hati kami” (#morningpray, sharpen our brain and soften our heart).

Well, people can say that she can be my role model so out of nowhere, I started thinking what kind of ‘pray’ I could post in my twitter account.  My first one is like this: “#morningpray, wish my yummy cappuccino will brighten my day and the good rumor at school will come true”. Well, in fact it didn’t sound much different from my ‘usual’ status, such as “my darling perfecto cappuccino, please brighten my day”. Only, I did not necessarily consider it as a pray. 

Have you ever thought that the existence of social network – such as facebook – has made people more narcissistic? It happened to me too. So this ‘new’ idea about updating status using the term #morningpray gave me more ‘chances’ to attract my online buddies there. (ahh, excuses!)

Luckily, not long after that, when reading Ayu Utami’s latest novel “Cerita Cinta Enrico” – the so-called biographical novel of her ‘present’ husband, I found the answer of my own question about her spiritual view. Compared to Enrico who always thought that he was a non believer (but still thinking about ‘being sinful or not’ when having sex), Ayu was a believer. She was just against everything which was patriarchal, such as Indonesia’s regulation of marriage : man/husband is the leader and woman/wife is the homemaker. The government is not supposed to interfere in a family’s business,

Me? Believing that all religions (or only Abrahamic religions?) were products of patriarchal culture, I decided to be neutral.

So? Despite the fact that I claimed to be an agnostic, in my twitter account (which is synchronized to my r account) perhaps once in a blue moon, I will write #morningpray. But for sure, it is a far cry from dictating the so-called god.
GL7 14.04 200312

check this link and that one about praying 😊

 the Bahasa Indonesia version can be viewed here

Some comments I imported from my other blogsite which will be closed down on December 1, 2012

delete reply maddypunyacerita wrote on Mar 20 Interesting thought :))

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on Mar 20 thank you Maddy :)

delete reply bambangpriantono wrote on Mar 20 :)

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on Mar 20 bambangpriantono said :)  :) balik

delete reply srisariningdiyah wrote on Mar 20 nice...

delete reply orangjava wrote on Mar 20 srisariningdiyah said nice... Legi....hehehe

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on Mar 20 orangjava said Legi....hehehe sweet :)

delete reply srisariningdiyah wrote on Mar 20 nice...

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on Mar 20 srisariningdiyah said nice... aiiihhhh ... headshot nyaaa ^__^

delete reply rengganiez wrote on Mar 20 Keliatannya sejak menikah Ayu byk berubah :-D

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on Mar 20 rengganiez said Keliatannya sejak menikah Ayu byk berubah :-D begitu ya? :)

delete reply rengganiez wrote on Mar 20 Hihihihihi

delete reply srisariningdiyah wrote on Mar 20 harusnya kamis kemarin pas aku siaran terakhir sebelum cuti, ini ayu utami yang aku wawancara, untuk bukunya yang ini... sayang dia telat dateng dan gak ada konfirmasi lagi tetep mau dateng apa engga, padahal dah aku kasih slot jam selanjutnya kalo emang mau, karna kebetulan kosong... hihihi padahal mau nanya2 yang aneh2 xixixixx

delete reply rembulanku wrote on Mar 20 doa yuk mbak, minta apa enake? *make a list first* hehehehe

delete reply dinantonia wrote on Mar 22 i think we should be praising, grateful and believing instead of asking when praying :)

delete reply mawarangel wrote on Mar 30 How your opini mba, when i "curhat" to God. I ask nothing, just want to membagi beban. Ketika teman yg paling aku percayai ternya melupakan aku... Is it a dictating also,,, :-(

edit delete reply afemaleguest wrote on Mar 30 Mawar, of course not you "just" curhat, right? not ask god to do something, let's say? :-D

"Indonesian" women in the beginning of the 20th Century

Twee Soendanese vrouwen in halfnaakte pose op West-Java 1910

I got the above picture from this link. For the whole pictures, you can click here

I can say that this post is the continuation of my own post at my other blog (in Bahasa Indonesia) here.

These pictures in fact showed me the proof that women in the 'old' Nusantara archipelago were indeed topless. It was their culture at that time so it was not considered as indecent. But as we know that Nusantara was colonized by the Netherlands, for sure, those Dutch people sent to Nusantara area brought their culture here. One of them was wearing top clothes. People say that those Dutch people thought women at that time 'uncivilized' due to not wearing top clothes. They forced Indonesian women to cover their top bodies in order that they became 'civilized' and the Dutchmen would not get tempted (sexually?). :) If we look at all pictures in the link I gave above, not all women were topless. We can say that of course some women got influenced earlier than the others. Usually they came from high social classes who apparently got along with Dutch people more often than women who were from lower social classes.

In my post here, I cited a friend's comment where he believed that being topless (especially for women) was not Indonesian local culture because he opined that the coming of Islam to Nusantara around 12-15th centuries must have brought Arabic culture too to cover women's bodies. Even this picture could not convince him about local culture about women getting dressed. So, whose culture was it? :)

We can roughly conclude that the coming of Islam to Indonesia around 12-15th centuries did not directly change Indonesian's way of getting dressed. The Dutch colonial government did it.

After Indonesian's independence in 1945, Indonesian women wore 'western' as well as local clothes. By the end of the 20th century, many Indonesian women started wearing jilbab that in fact can be said as Middle East countries' culture.

Why did it not happen since Islam brought to Indonesia many centuries ago? :) As always, everything needs time to process; sometimes it needs a very short time, but at other times, it needs quite a long time. :)

PT28 14.14 100312

Religious Studies Classes in Primary School (2)

This is the  continuation of this post.

After discussing Buddhism in one meeting some weeks ago, this week, my students -- especially grade 4 -- were discussing Hinduism. The same as the material of Buddhism, I downloaded the material of Hinduism from this link.

This is very interesting to directly compare Hinduism and Buddhism because they seem to have the same root.

1. Both of them were first spread in India.
2. Both of them believe in the life cycle -- birth, death, rebirth.

If Buddhism was founded by Siddhata Gotama around 2500 years ago, Hinduism was founded (by no one) around 4000 years ago.When reading this part -- about Hinduism does not have any founder -- a student raised his hand and said, "that is weird, Miss. how could a religion exist without anybody founding it?" Furthermore, he said, "In my opinion, it sounds more logical if someone named 'Brahman' (in the material, it is stated that Hindu people believe in a supreme god called 'Brahman') says to people around that he is god. Those people believe in him and they start worshiping him."

For adults, I believe what was said by that particular student of mine was not something new. But when that idea was said by a 4th grader, I am of opinion that it is great. After writing on the whiteboard how long ago four religions were founded

• Hinduism dates back over 4000 years
• Buddhism was founded by Siddhata Gotama 2500 years ago
• Christianity was founded by Jesus around 2000 years ago (although some students also agreed with me when I said that in fact Jesus was Jewish)
• Islam was founded by Mohammad around 1400 years ago

I discussed the statement of my student. For people who do not believe in Buddhism, they probably think that Siddhata Gotama is just a common person, while for his followers, Siddhata Gotama is for sure a sacred person or even a saint. Perhaps his life was already perfect so he was not reborn, he 'moksa' after his death. For non Christian people, they think that Jesus is just a common person, not the son of God.

After saying this, one female student looked into my face with weird facial expression, while mumbling, "Jesus is indeed the son of God." 

For Muslim people, they are taught that Jesus -- or Isa -- is 'just' a prophet, not the son of God. Furthermore, for non Muslim people, they believe that Mohammad is just a common person, not a messenger or prophet of God. Perhaps he just happens to be a good man so that when he says that he gets messages directly from God, people believe in him.

That particular female student then raised her hand, "What is your religion, Miss?"

I said that it was not important for me to say what my religion was because I wanted to position myself 'outside the box of any religion' so that I could give 'balanced' opinion and I would not take side to any religion.

Around two weeks ago when discussing 'Christianity' in the classroom, (I took the material from here) I explained that in fact not only Judaism and Christianity have the same content in their holy books. Some materials in Alquran -- the holy book of Muslim -- are also similar with the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. People who are critical to the Bible said that the author of this book is not  creative because he just copied some material from the Torah. But the worst copycat of all is the author of Alquran, because he copied and combined (some parts of) both the Torah and the Bible. And to make it a bit different from the previous two 'holy' books. the author of Alquran added some more material.

I remember one female student looked at me with disbelief look, then said, "Miss, isn't it wrong to copy other religion's holy book?" -- I know her parents are Christian.

I didn't answer her question, but continued explaining. Nevertheless, for people who believe in Alquran, they believe that Alquran is the most perfect holy book because it has perfected the 'not perfect' parts of the previous two holy books. They are taught to believe that Islam as the last religion is the most perfect of all.

One student then commented, "But I don't believe in it, Miss."

I said it was okay for them not to believe in it. I explained that as one knowledge. I said, "Believe in your own religion as what your parents teach you. The most important thing is we respect other people's belief. Let us respect each other."

At that time. one particular student I mentioned in this post who said that he didn't want to be Muslim because he was afraid to be punished after death looked so 'relieved'. He no longer feels afraid to be a Muslim.

I said,

"Wise people say that those who sow will reap. If you do good, you will get good things. If you do bad, you will get bad things. No matter your religion is. The three Abrahamic Faiths teach that there are heaven and hell. If you are a bad person, you will go to hell after death. If you are a good person, you will go to heaven after death. If you are Buddhist or Hindu, you will be reborn and perhaps you will have a worse kind of life if in this life you are a bad person."

L Gayam 17.05 22/02/12