Truth by repeated assertion- Rajeev Srinivasan on the motivated campaign about alleged ‘Hindu terrorism’

 source: http://rajeev2007.wordpress.com/2010/07/26/alleged-hindu-terrorism-truth-by-repeated-assertion/

Truth by repeated assertion

Rajeev Srinivasan on the motivated campaign about alleged ‘Hindu terrorism’

Joseph Goebbels pithily described propaganda thus:

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.

By this measure, there appears to be a conspiracy in India to propagate a certain set of views, and in Noam Chomsky’s words, to “manufacture consent”. Like the military-industrial complex in the US which allegedly controls what its citizens think, there is a media-State nexus in India, whereby the mass media unquestioningly regurgitates the State’s perspective.

A recent example is the fuss about a new Indian ‘laptop’ for $35. It is virtually impossible to get a large portable display for less than $50, and with the electronics and packaging, even if the software is free, there is no way the bill of materials can be less than $100. Yet the media swallows this story whole.

This is far from the most egregious example. Bafflingly, the media repeats the government’s anodyne, statements that inflation will subside “in the next six months”. This is ludicrous and has no rationale, yet mandarins mouth it regularly. But it is never challenged by the media; meanwhile, food inflation is galloping at over 20%.

But the cravenness of the media is most evident when it comes to that pet project of the State, known as ‘secularism’. The actual meaning of the term, which emerged in the context of the continuous interference of the Catholic Church in the affairs of the State in medieval Europe, is that the State is fully indifferent to religion.

However, in India, so-called ‘secularism’ means precisely the opposite – the State looks upon every individual primarily based on his religion. For instance, the Prime Minister made the statement in December 2006 that Muslims should have first rights to the resources of the country. This violates the Constitution, but it has become part of the accepted ethos through repeated assertion.

The most blatant example of this propaganda is the current feeding frenzy about ‘Hindu terror’. The fact is that there is practically no history of Hindu terror. Religious terrorism has traditionally been the monopoly of the Abrahamic traditions, including Communism. Monotheists by definition divide the world into ‘us’ and ‘them’, and demonize the Other, probably a necessary condition for terror.

Communist terrorists regularly massacre people in Central India, West Bengal and Kerala. There was Jewish terrorism – the Stern gang in Palestine, which had as a member Yitzhak Shamir, later Prime Minister of Israel, comes to mind. There are many historical examples of Christian religious terrorism, going back to the liquidation of the Albigensians and other heretics around 345 CE, the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition (and especially the version in Goa), all the way to assassinations by radical anti-abortionists in the US.

The National Liberation Movement of Tripura is an explicitly Christian terrorist group, forcibly converting people. The National Socialist Council of Nagaland has unleashed terrorism in its pursuit of “Nagalim for Christ”. The assassination of Swami Lakshmananda in Orissa, when his major ‘sin’ was that he was defending Hindu tribals against the depradations of Christian missionaries, is another example.

But clearly Islamic terrorism is the biggest example of religion-based terrorism today. Suicide bombings, the fatwas on Salman Rushdie and others, 9/11 and 26/11, the periodic bombings in many parts of India, college professor T J Joseph’s hand getting sliced off as retaliation for alleged blasphemy, all these are instances of Islamic religious terrorism. The terrorists themselves take pains to point out that their acts have religious sanction.

Compared to all this, there is no evidence whatsoever that there is Hindu terrorism. The so-called Malegaon blast case and other alleged instances of Hindu terrorism languish because of lack of evidence, although, those accused such as Sadhvi Prajna are also rotting away in jail. If there are incidents of Hindu violence, these are almost inevitably reactions to terrorism imposed on them.

The moral equivalence drawn between the Abrahmics’ inherent tendency to violent terrorism and the non-existent Hindu or Indic terrorism is abhorrent.

There is the Panchatantra story about the man with the goat and the three rogues. The rogues convince the gullible man, via the ruse of repeatedly telling him that he is carrying a dog, to abandon the goat, which of course was their original intent. The rogues in the media and the State are, through repeated assertion, convincing people of the ‘fact’ of Hindu terrorism. Do we want to make it a self-fulfilling prophesy?

25th Jul 2010

Postscript by Rajeev Srinivasan -- fatal flaw in Nehru's character: he worked with a simplistic "Muslim = good, Hindu = bad" formula. He was wrong.

Postscript by Rajeev Srinivasan

Dear readers, thank you for the overwhelmingly positive response to my previous column "Hindu pilgrims massacred". Several hundred emails came in, and I obviously cannot reply to them all individually. A number of readers asked me to publish my columns in the mainstream Indian print media. Well, I have tried, but they won't print my stuff, as I am not a 'secular progressive'. I tell painful truths, which they would rather ignore.

Several people asked me to lead or take part in movements or organisations that are working hard to arouse the world's conscience regarding the mistreatment of Hindus. I am delighted to see so much action, and I will give my full moral support. In general, though, I am a polemicist, a pamphleteer, rather than one who takes an active role in organisations.

Several Christian Indian readers wrote suggesting there was a qualitative difference between the murders of the Hindu pilgrims and the attacks on Christians. Their refrain -- startlingly uniform considering these people were from many parts of the world -- was that the former was an attack on Indians by foreigners and the second was by Indians on Indians. (Film-buff readers will forgive me if I am reminded of "lithe and fierce like a tiger" from Costa-Gavras' Z.)

I disagree -- there is no difference. For one thing, I only talked about Graham Staines. He was no Indian, but a white Australian. Secondly, it is clear now that most attacks on Christian Indians were executed by the Muslim sect Deendar Anjuman with funding from Pakistan. Therefore this is an attack on Indians by foreigners, just as at Amarnath it was an attack on Indians by foreigners. Third, the Hindu pilgrims and Staines were both deliberately targeted on account of their religion.

Dear readers, do not buy into the easy 'secular progressive' lie that some 'Hindu fundamentalist' group is running around attacking Christian Indians. If this were indeed the case, the consequences for Christians would have been far more grave. The same 'secular progressives' became extremely quiet as soon as it turned out that there is evidence it is Pakistan-funded Muslims attacking Christians with the intent of causing communal disturbances. (Yes, that is evidence, not 'evidence' as rediff.com's own story had it.) It is clear that for Nehruvians 'secular progressive' means 'apologist for mischief by Christians, Muslims and Marxists'.

By the way, have you ever wondered why we say 'Indian Muslims' and 'Indian Christians', but 'Hindu Indians'? Nobody other than me says 'Muslim Indians' or 'Christian Indians': it sounds a little odd. The truth of the matter is, we expect Muslims and Christians to have primarily a Muslim or Christian identity, and only incidentally hold an Indian passport. But we don't say 'Indian Hindus': we say 'Hindu Indians', because we expect Hindus to be Indians primarily and Hindus incidentally. The very terms expose our biases and expectations. And perhaps the truth?

A few readers asked why I only blamed Nehru, who is after all, dead and gone. I must quote Shakespeare: "The evil that men do lives on after them." It is also true, alas, that the BJP bunch don't seem any more competent at dealing with our two evil neighbors. Are we just dumb? Are we a tired and defeated civilization? I don't think so, but I wonder. Sooner or later, the baleful Nehruvian influence will disappear, and we will move forward.

For those who thought that I was a bit extreme in suggesting there was apartheid in India against Hindus, consider the following. Hindu pilgrims get massacred in Amarnath, but the Indian government spends Rs 1.2 billion in subsidising the Haj pilgrimage. "India is perhaps the only country that provides subsidy for Haj Pilgrimage", said the report, from Yahoo/India Abroad. It continues, saying that India sent 112,000 pilgrims last year, second only to Indonesia's 155,000.

Reader Balwant, among one or two others, was upset at what I thought of Nehru. They are entitled to their opinion. But let me quote Swapan Dasgupta in India Today: "Nirad Chaudhuri thought it epitomized the Allahabad brahmin's instinctive approval for anything Islamic and, hence, 'cultured'." This concerns the arbitrary anointing of the so-called Nehru jacket and tight trousers as the 'national dress of India', when it is anything but: there are very many ethnic costumes in India. But it points to a fatal flaw in Nehru's character: he worked with a simplistic "Muslim = good, Hindu = bad" formula. He was wrong.

Rajeev Srinivasan

http://www.rediff.com/news/srinivas.html

Government is like sex:

Government is like sex: some like it, some do not, but too much of it is likely to give more pain than pleasure.The Indian Government is becoming, in the somewhat exaggerated words of a well-known industrialist, a sex maniac on the rampage, bent upon raping the whole country. 


Rapist or not, the Government is easily the biggest monopolist. 

Its tentacles have spread to every area. Like some monolith-creating machine, it has a finger in every pie, a foot in every door and a puppet on every string. It is India™ biggest employer, landlord, exporter, trader, capitalist, socialist and go-between. 

It has replaced the maharajahs as the exclusive doler of patronage and learnt to create instant caste systems reminiscent of the Raj. Thirty-one years after Independence, the Government has succeeded in corroding the independence of its people.

Russian roulette vs African roulette

The foreign minister of a small African state had opportunity to visit Russia for the very first time.  There he was warmly welcomed by his Russian counterpart, who wined & dined him and generally offered him the best hospitality that Russia could offer.

On the last day of the visit, the Russian foreign minister took the African foreign minister into a room with a table on which lay a revolver.  “My comrade, since you are about to leave, I must introduce you to a custom we have here in Russia, something called Russian roulette.  It is a true test of manhood and worth, and how it works is that you must take the revolver, spin the cylinders, hold the revolver to your head and then pull the trigger.  Only one of the six chambers is loaded."”

The African leader, being of proud warrior stock and a courageous man, took the revolver, spun the cylinder, snapped it shut, pointed it at his head and sighed with relief when all he heard was a ‘click’, but no shot.

Well impressed with his bravery, he and the Russian drank vodka until the African leader had to be carried aboard his plane.

Six months later the Russian foreign minister visits the African foreign minister’s country.  The African, remembering keenly the Russian roulette he had to play previously, took the Russian into a room on the last day of his visit. In the room were six beautiful, naked young women.

”To prove your courage and manhood, see before you six of the most beautiful women from each of our tribes.  This is something I call ‘African roulette’.  You may pick any one of them and she will give you a blow job.”

The Russian, not too averse to this idea at all, asks the African, “But where is the risk?  To be called roulette there must be some form of risk involved.”

The African smiles broadly. “One of the six is a cannibal.”

Lenient Sufistic thought where those Unbelievers who had never heard of Religion of Peace will be spared

Religion of Peace made it compulsory for the believers to pronounce malediction against Jews and Christians on daily basis, in the 5 daily prayers. This is the kind of brainwashing that you need to be aware. It’s a dangerous encouragement, if inculcated since childhood, can have a permanent detrimental effect on our brain. 


I had been attending the mosque for nearly 23 years of my life, I know the kind of preaching instituted in the mosques as well. It’s always the condemnation of Kaafir (Unbelievers) that become the heat sermon, either in Friday prayer or even the E’id prayer.

If I tell you that in Buddhist temple, they never curse any living thing, except pray for the peace of the whole creation, don’t you think that it’s superior? I am no Buddhist, but I can clearly witness the problem within Religion of Peace. Religion of Peace is an ideology that propagate hatred against humankind. 


Read the holy book in totality, you will observe the pattern where God is struggling against Unbelievers to bring them to the right course, right faith, and if failed, passed a cruel verdict to them, hell fire for eternity. 


The most accepted earliest position is that all Unbelievers will be doomed to hell fire, even babies. Nevertheless, later scholars of Religion of Peace detected the illogicality of this idea and introduced certain lenient Sufistic thought where those Unbelievers who had never heard of Religion of Peace will be spared, not entering paradise or hell, but will be annihilated.

Can you see the frailty of such reasoning? Do you or your human brother who was borne in Arctic had any choice to belong to an accepted religion? No, my human friend.

-

a Hindu Rajput, named Laxman Singh from Riasi near Jammu changed name to Madho Das after he became an Ascetic and then again changed to Banda Bahadur or Banda Bir Bairagi when he took up the sword once again

There are two types of Sikhs, the real ones who still identify themselves with Hindus and the other ones who call themselves Akalistanis and identify themselves with Muslims, so it all depends.

And since Sikhism only became a truly militant force against the Muslims after 1699, and the Sikh army only met with their first major victories and establishment of the first Sikh Kingdom under the Guidance of a Hindu Rajput, named Laxman Singh from Riasi near Jammu, whose name was changed to Madho Das after he became an Ascetic and then again changed to Banda Bahadur or Banda Bir Bairagi when he took up the sword once again to lead the Sikhs against the Muslims.

So until 1699, it was all a Hindu resistance through Rajputs, Marathas, Assamese, Gurkhas etc etc etc

The pettiness of eminence BY Mani Shankar Aiyar

Contributed by Rohan Jain.

Holding the 10-day, Rs 20,000 crore-jamboree reflects a misplaced sense of pride and distortion of national priorities. If not on development of a chronically poor nation, the money could have been well spent on bringing basic sports to every mohalla and panchayat

Justice A P Shah, the best judge the Supreme Court never had, released a few days ago a sober, deeply researched, fact-based indictment of the Commonwealth Games by the Housing and Land Rights Network — devastating precisely because it is so understated. The report has been met with thundering silence by the same media that is driving itself ballistic over the Bhopal gas tragedy verdict although the Rs 20,000 plus crore being spent on the Commonwealth Games extravaganza would have been more than adequate to compensate the victims of Bhopal beyond their wildest dreams. 

My fundamental objection to the Games is the distortion it has introduced in national priorities and our sense of social justice, that privileges a “spectacular Games”, as the Prime Minister has assured the nation, over a spectacular reduction in child malnutrition — running at 47 per cent of children under five. Is it fair that thousands of the poorest families entering the national capital — migrant workers fleeing desperate poverty in the rural hinterland — should suffer their shanty town on the right bank of the Yamuna being destroyed overnight in the environmental interests of protecting the unimpeded flow of the sewer we call Delhi’s principal river while promoting the Akshardham temple and now the Commonwealth Games Village on the left bank of the same river, ironically almost exactly opposite the demolished slum of Yamuna Pushta? In Gandhi’s India, does anything go in the name of God and Mammon? 

And why, in the name of that same God and Mammon, the Commonwealth Games for the most prosperous part of the most prosperous city in India — the posh heart of New Delhi? The Commonwealth Games in Manchester were leveraged to rejuvenate the utterly rundown eastern section of the city where every family had undergone unemployment for at least a generation and some for two or three. Now, Walmart has its largest global store, employing 18,000 boys and girls, and Microsoft its European headquarters, in East Manchester thanks to the fillip given by the Games. Consequently, the 2012 Olympic Games are designed for the “spectacular development” of the 10 most underdeveloped counties of the Lea Valley on the far fringes of London. 

Why then was the spectacular development of Bawana on the poverty-ridden edges of the capital not picked up, as originally proposed, for our Commonwealth Games? Indeed, why not the Games in Dantewada — which could well do with a Rs 20,000 crore-bonanza to cock a snook at the Maoists? Only because the partyhopping glitterati of the Organising Committee would not know poverty from plum pudding. They rate the Games as a party for themselves and their ilk — not the dirty, filthy, evilsmelling aam admi of the real Bharat. 

Let me enter a declaration of interest. As an officer of the Indian Foreign Service, I paid Rs 3 lakh for a flat in the Mayur Vihar complex. The Commonwealth Metro has increased its market value to over a crore while smashing to smithereens over 40 slum colonies, several in the immediate vicinity of Mayur Vihar, and driving the most wretched of the wretched — our beggars — off the streets so that no foreign visitor to the Games goes away with the “wrong” impression that 836 million Indians live on under Rs 20 a day, and 239 million of them on less than even a tenner (reference: the Arjun Sengupta Committee report). Whom are we trying to kid: the videshi mleccha or ourselves? 

And what kind of an impression of our degradation will that same foreign visitor whose delicate eyes have been shielded from the gross reality of our poverty carry when he finds himself solicited at every Games corner by escort agency pimps offering desi maal at cut rates? 

This national shame began when the Indian Olympics Committee hoodwinked Atal Bihari Vajpayee in May 2003 into authorising an Indian bid on the solemn assurance that the Organising Committee would require no more than a “loan” of Rs 150 crore of public money — all of which would be reimbursed to the exchequer from ticket sale proceeds, sponsorships and advertisements. In the event, for the opening and closing ceremonies alone, the sanction has soared to nearly Rs 400 crore, and the total advance to upward of Rs 1,600 core — a cost escalation of a thousand per cent, and still counting! Meanwhile, ticket sales on the opening day, announced in screaming headlines next morning, have crossed Rs 20 lakh. At this dramatic rate, it will be close to the 22nd century before the Organising Committee even begins to discharge its debt to the country. 

And, of course, the innocent Vajpayee did not care to ask what the infrastructure expense would be. So sanction was given without a khota paisa being set aside for Games venues, flyovers and underpasses, shiny new airports, metro lines from nowhere to nowhere, and what not. No one knows — or, at any rate, tells — what that infrastructure expenditure might amount to: the most modest estimate is upwards of Rs 20,000 crore and the wildest printed estimate suggests Rs 60,000 crore. 

And for the privilege of spending this humungous sum (on, inter alia, relaying pavements on the best pavemented roads of Lutyens’ Delhi!), Vajpayee, on the telephone, in the middle of the Indian night, agreed to the Indian delegation at Montego Bay offering an “incentive” of $100,000 to every Commonwealth country — Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand included — to “train” their participants. Would I be inviting defamation charges in calling this sweetener a “bribe”? 

When the government changed, we could — and should — have revised our offer to host the Games, or at least put a lid on what government would spend. Instead, the same finance ministry and Planning Commission which solemnly reminded us that we are a “poor” country when Rs 600 crore was sought to finance gram nyayalayas to bring justice to the doorstep of the poor became completely open-handed in meeting every demand of the Organising Committee and every estimate of the infrastructure implementation agencies. Why? Why are we like this, only? 

Just one reason: false prestige, a belief that we can earn standing in the international community by financing a 10-day sports circus while retaining the position we have held on the UN Human Development Index for the last 15 years — position no. 134 (almost the same as we would have held in medal tallies if the number of Commonwealth countries was 134). 

Poor, poor Mahatma Gandhi, who said the “India of my dreams” is an India in which the poor of India will be the focus of public attention and every Indian, however poor, will feel he is a participant in the building of new India. Go, tell that to the tribals of Abujmarh — and perhaps they will tell their Naxal cousins. 

Our middle class and our political class are so committed to these false values, this loot of the moral legacy of our Freedom Movement, that not even the ticking of the adding machine could stop the relentless forward movement of the expenditure clock. 

As minister of sports, I tried to stop it — and found myself in a minority of one. I was soon out on my ear. The Planning Commission, which was not even squinting at the Organising Committee’s demand for Rs 6,000 crore for a 10-day tamasha, found itself unable to agree to the same sum being spent over 10 years on bringing basic sports facilities to every panchayat and every mohalla of this viciously poor nation. 

China not only hosted the Olympics, it also picked up the highest number of medals because their sports authorities first ensured that every Chinese child plays sports and games — and thus widens to the full the net which catches the top-rung talent. We do next to nothing about bringing our children in the sporting net — and, therefore, show up our comic side when medals are announced. 

The only good that will come out of the Commonwealth Games would be a decision to never again bid for such games until every Indian child gets a minimum to eat, an assured basic education and a playground with trained coaches to discover the sportsperson in himself or herself. That, alas, is no part of our self-satisfied middle class dream for India — which is why the Maoist is knocking at our gates.

M.S. Aiyar

Shaukat M Malik in the Pakistani Spectator states on Hijab

Shaukat M Malik in the Pakistani Spectator states:"To wear the Hijab is certainly NOT an Islamic obligation on women. It is an innovation of men suffering from a piety complex who are so weak spiritually that they just cannot trust themselves!...It is the total Hijab and burqa as worn by many Muslim women in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere that clearly isolates them from society while also violating their rights, (WHICH ARE), "ESSENTIALLY HER DIVINE RIGHT TO BREATHE NORMALLY AND NOT BE FORCED TO INHALE HER OWN EXHALED AIR." 

Lack of sufficient oxygen, or cerebral hypoxia, is when there is a decrease of oxygen supply to the brain even though there is adequate blood flow. This happens when the person is breathing too much carbon dioxide relative to the amount of oxygen breathed. Symptoms of mild cerebral hypoxia include inattentiveness, poor judgment, memory loss, and a decrease in motor coordination. Brain cells are extremely sensitive to oxygen deprivation and can begin to die within five minutes after oxygen supply has been cut off.

For this very reason, not to mention others too numerous to list here,including the lack of vitamin D from never being exposed to sunlight, the burqa should not be encouraged in a civilised society.

quoting Pastor Martin Niemöller

I have quoted Pastor Martin Niemöller before and I will again:

“THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for me

and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

Geeta understanding would have made him kill Muhammad of Gaur in the first battle, just as Arjuna killed Karna

Most of us did not study History and do not need to. Thank Allah/Jesus for that. I would rather study Lilawati's proof of Pythogorus theorem, what and how Shivaji implemented anti-feudalism by stopping "watan" system, how he gave sword to every one including Brahmins and Mahars, how Warkari Sampradaya brought people together (including Marathi Muslims) etc. I would rather try to find the reason for development of Calculus in Kerala in Mathas ... was there similar develpments in other parts of India, who were the architects and Vastu architects of different temples, Rajput palaces and Taj Mahal. 

http://ashvinsblog.blogspot.com/2007/01/calculus-from-kerala.html

http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/t_es/t_es_agraw_kerala.htm

Isms and religion is a recent concept. India had Sanatan Dharma. Budha worked within this Dharma (Sanskrit) to remove the deterioration/corruption. At that time Prakrit word for Dharma was Dhamma. It was not like Jadaism vanished and Islam came about. You study Indian history through middle Eastern Abrahmic glasses.

Paper documents and artifacts can be doctored. Even in UN such proofs were provided to conclude that Saddam had WMDs and Chalu Chalabis such as you or Romilla will do for few crumbs.

I would rather go by what gets imprinted on the DNA. If Dhamma or Jaina were violently persecuted and exterminated then we would have such traits ... gandhi would not happen in this land ... he would not have mass following. I wish influence of Buddha was not so extreme that Ashoka forgot his Kshatriya Dharma.... India suffered for 2 millennia because of Jaina & Buddha. 

Do you know that even Shivaji's great grand son took Sanyas and became a Bhikshu. Wish they had made understanding Geeta compulsory for every one. Then we would not had vain Rajputs such as Prithwiraj. Geeta understanding would have made him kill Muhammad of Gaur in the first battle, just as Arjuna killed Karna.

Coming back to history based on DNA imprints ... go and find why Afghanistan is suffering. Violence, looting and intolerance is imprinted by coopting with Islamic hordes. Find out where the progeny of Aurangzeb are today. They are pulling rikshas around slums in Hyderabad. Why? Paper documents of their inheritance does not help. What got imprinted onto DNA by sibling murders, drug addict Hukka Pani and Kotha culture tells more than paper sources/books. 

Islamic invaders destroyed intellectual capital of India. Some stupids in India coopted with them, and now they are writing books.

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.