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vikingwolf's review
2.0
I was a great admirer of the work that Waris did and I very much enjoyed her first two books which I certainly recommend to readers. When I heard about a third book on FGM I was interested in reading it. Sadly I ended up angry and frustrated by the attitudes of Waris to Western people which bordered on racism. Not impressed at all by her now.
First thing is, I am totally opposed to FGM and I can't imagine the trauma of what these girls go through. I'm not against giving them medical help here in the UK and providing trauma therapy for their ordeal. I feel in cases where FGM is discovered, punishments need to be given. On this I agree with Waris. But I do not agree with the amount of blame that she unleashes on western governments and its people during her crusade.
Lets start with her attitude of 'do as I say, not as I do'. She talks about having a relaxed attitude to timekeeping and appointments, turning up whenever she feels like it. However, when the woman she is meeting is late, Waris makes a big fuss about there being no apology or reason given. So it is ok for Waris to do what she wants and be late but everyone else has to be on time to meet her. A bit of hypocrisy there. Still, that is a niggle and not part of my real complaints.
Waris clearly has it in for Western governments, blaming them for cases of FGM, blaming them for not doing enough. Funny, when we do intervene in African affairs we are told to mind our own business and that we don't understand African culture. If we don't intervene we are suddenly responsible for FGM and genocide and every other problem in Africa. We can't win. We give a lot of money for things like famine relief and medical care in Africa...where does that money go? It goes to government officials to buy private planes for its leaders instead of helping ordinary people. I suppose THAT is our fault as well.
Getting back to the point, I was getting pretty angry as I read on. Waris starts pointing the finger at western people for things like FGM. It seems that because we don't integrate African people into our society, they cling to traditions like FGM so it's our fault that girls are still being cut! That Waris, is a pile of steaming bullshit! A lot of African migrants don't speak English and don't WANT to be part of the local community, preferring to stick with a community of their own people. So how the hell am I meant to make friends and make them feel welcome when most aren't interested??? How is it MY fault that these families take the horrific step of mutilating their daughters??? How am I meant to know who is doing it and who to report them to? That is a bloody ridiculous thing to say!
Waris also blames us for not putting enough money towards FGM and other issues. Right. The people in Africa are the ones who are mutilating their daughters. Let Africa pay the money to re-educate people and pay for corrective surgery and other procedures! Let them police this! Most FGM is still happening in Africa itself with girls being sent home to stay with relatives where they can be cut, safe from western justice. So I say again, how is this all our fault Waris??? Are we meant to send troops into Africa to examine every girl and arrest countless parents? Oh please!
We are also not doing enough to stop FGM in our western countries. Right. These families pay women from their community to come and do the cutting. They don't tend to seek treatment in western hospitals for fear of the results of FGM being seen. They keep this secret in their own community. They don't cooperate with the police, social workers or health professionals . They don't shop others in their community. Yet Waris thinks we are doing nothing. She wants girls to be examined in schools for evidence of FGM! Are you serious??? Can you imagine the outrage it would cause if you take every girl who does not have white skin out of class for an examination like that??? Parents would go mental! And I expect the British taxpayer is expected to pay for it too.
Waris also complains about people not integrating in the community because they have no papers, living in grotty bedsits and are hiding like criminals, making them cling to the old traditions. They are ILLEGALS for fuck's sake! What are we meant to do, put them up in The Dorchester??? It's not our fault that they sneak into Britain and hide away and cut their daughters! We didn't put them there!
Waris needs to get her head out of her arse and point the finger in the right direction. It is the elders in the tribes and towns who tell parents that this tradition needs to be upheld. It is African governments who are not making FGM illegal or enforcing punishment. It is African communities in western countries who keep having their daughters cut and hushing it up. It is African people who are not telling the authorities about girls they know who are in danger. Perhaps Waris should concentrate on going to Africa and telling the people there to change their ways instead of blaming the countries who have taken in so many African refugees and given them a chance at a new life.
If they are all at grateful as Waris, maybe we shouldn't bother.
First thing is, I am totally opposed to FGM and I can't imagine the trauma of what these girls go through. I'm not against giving them medical help here in the UK and providing trauma therapy for their ordeal. I feel in cases where FGM is discovered, punishments need to be given. On this I agree with Waris. But I do not agree with the amount of blame that she unleashes on western governments and its people during her crusade.
Lets start with her attitude of 'do as I say, not as I do'. She talks about having a relaxed attitude to timekeeping and appointments, turning up whenever she feels like it. However, when the woman she is meeting is late, Waris makes a big fuss about there being no apology or reason given. So it is ok for Waris to do what she wants and be late but everyone else has to be on time to meet her. A bit of hypocrisy there. Still, that is a niggle and not part of my real complaints.
Waris clearly has it in for Western governments, blaming them for cases of FGM, blaming them for not doing enough. Funny, when we do intervene in African affairs we are told to mind our own business and that we don't understand African culture. If we don't intervene we are suddenly responsible for FGM and genocide and every other problem in Africa. We can't win. We give a lot of money for things like famine relief and medical care in Africa...where does that money go? It goes to government officials to buy private planes for its leaders instead of helping ordinary people. I suppose THAT is our fault as well.
Getting back to the point, I was getting pretty angry as I read on. Waris starts pointing the finger at western people for things like FGM. It seems that because we don't integrate African people into our society, they cling to traditions like FGM so it's our fault that girls are still being cut! That Waris, is a pile of steaming bullshit! A lot of African migrants don't speak English and don't WANT to be part of the local community, preferring to stick with a community of their own people. So how the hell am I meant to make friends and make them feel welcome when most aren't interested??? How is it MY fault that these families take the horrific step of mutilating their daughters??? How am I meant to know who is doing it and who to report them to? That is a bloody ridiculous thing to say!
Waris also blames us for not putting enough money towards FGM and other issues. Right. The people in Africa are the ones who are mutilating their daughters. Let Africa pay the money to re-educate people and pay for corrective surgery and other procedures! Let them police this! Most FGM is still happening in Africa itself with girls being sent home to stay with relatives where they can be cut, safe from western justice. So I say again, how is this all our fault Waris??? Are we meant to send troops into Africa to examine every girl and arrest countless parents? Oh please!
We are also not doing enough to stop FGM in our western countries. Right. These families pay women from their community to come and do the cutting. They don't tend to seek treatment in western hospitals for fear of the results of FGM being seen. They keep this secret in their own community. They don't cooperate with the police, social workers or health professionals . They don't shop others in their community. Yet Waris thinks we are doing nothing. She wants girls to be examined in schools for evidence of FGM! Are you serious??? Can you imagine the outrage it would cause if you take every girl who does not have white skin out of class for an examination like that??? Parents would go mental! And I expect the British taxpayer is expected to pay for it too.
Waris also complains about people not integrating in the community because they have no papers, living in grotty bedsits and are hiding like criminals, making them cling to the old traditions. They are ILLEGALS for fuck's sake! What are we meant to do, put them up in The Dorchester??? It's not our fault that they sneak into Britain and hide away and cut their daughters! We didn't put them there!
Waris needs to get her head out of her arse and point the finger in the right direction. It is the elders in the tribes and towns who tell parents that this tradition needs to be upheld. It is African governments who are not making FGM illegal or enforcing punishment. It is African communities in western countries who keep having their daughters cut and hushing it up. It is African people who are not telling the authorities about girls they know who are in danger. Perhaps Waris should concentrate on going to Africa and telling the people there to change their ways instead of blaming the countries who have taken in so many African refugees and given them a chance at a new life.
If they are all at grateful as Waris, maybe we shouldn't bother.
misspalah's review
5.0
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) was never an easy topic for dicussion in the first place. It transcend cultural, tradition and religion. It is widely practice in certain countries in Africa and Asia continents. Majority of cases can be found in the countries that are predominantly muslims. Waris Dirie wrote this book as a continuity of her first and second book, desert flower and desert dawn. She emphasized on her efforts to become the voice of helpless women and girls that faced the horror of FGM. She highlighted an alliance with men in the countries that practiced FGM is a must, that educating them about the danger of FGM will help end this harmful tradition in a long term. Being a victim herself, Waris decided that she needs to put an end to this culture and save many girls out there that are under threat of FGM.
kirbs_'s review
5.0
This book makes you want to join Waris Dirie and speak out against FGM. Very interesting!
liralen's review
3.0
Dirie's previous two books were straight-up memoir: In [b:Desert Flower|8745|Desert Flower The Extraordinary Journey of a Desert Nomad|Waris Dirie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408593037s/8745.jpg|2736618], she talks about her childhood in Somalia, running away to avoid an unwanted marriage, and becoming a model. In [b:Desert Dawn|8744|Desert Dawn|Waris Dirie|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353399842s/8744.jpg|3102650] she talks about her return to Somalia, to visit her family, after years away.
In this third book, although it's informal and largely about her own journey to learn more about FGM* in Europe and elsewhere, the point is less about her life and more to inform. She tackles FGM from a different direction than I'm used to hearing about, though: instead of focusing on its practice in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East, she focuses on Europe and what can be done to prevent a) FGM there and b) girls being sent to their home countries (or their parents' home countries) to have FGM performed.
I admire her for turning her fame and her energy outward, to tackle a difficult subject. I do wish the book were more structured -- she's not a scholar, and a lot of the information repeats itself. It's interesting to note, though, that she doesn't come down in favour of any particular method to stop FGM. Rather, she talks about people who have been active in trying to do so, and what they've concluded. Probably best that she doesn't try to make that call, but definitely a subject that calls for much much more -- more books, more research, more action.
*Using 'FGM' per the book; as Dirie notes, 'FGC' is preferred by many.
In this third book, although it's informal and largely about her own journey to learn more about FGM* in Europe and elsewhere, the point is less about her life and more to inform. She tackles FGM from a different direction than I'm used to hearing about, though: instead of focusing on its practice in Somalia and elsewhere in Africa and the Middle East, she focuses on Europe and what can be done to prevent a) FGM there and b) girls being sent to their home countries (or their parents' home countries) to have FGM performed.
I admire her for turning her fame and her energy outward, to tackle a difficult subject. I do wish the book were more structured -- she's not a scholar, and a lot of the information repeats itself. It's interesting to note, though, that she doesn't come down in favour of any particular method to stop FGM. Rather, she talks about people who have been active in trying to do so, and what they've concluded. Probably best that she doesn't try to make that call, but definitely a subject that calls for much much more -- more books, more research, more action.
*Using 'FGM' per the book; as Dirie notes, 'FGC' is preferred by many.
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