Kenya: Uncircumcised pupils sent home

Submitted by Matt on Tue, 2007-02-13 04:37

Warning for parents in sub-Saharan Africa: Failing to subject your sons to MGM can lead to denial of education, law or no law. Story here.

Wonder if there would be a mere shrug of the shoulders in response were these pupils girls? "But," some say, "what if circumcision actually does decrease HIV transmission?" Well, so would FGM, too, by the same reasoning: reduction of mucosa, surface area, etc. But that's no excuse-- or is it? Apparently when talking about boys, it is. Excerpt:

"The pupils were told not to return until they had completed the procedure.

'Please do the needful within two weeks and let your son report back to school with you immediately he is well,' a letter to parents from the school said.

Circumcision is not obligatory for admission to secondary school, but a study released in December said it reduced the risk of contracting HIV/Aids."

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Comments

I don't get it. It says the students were sent home because it was feared they would be bullied for having an uncircumcised penis. Just a small ways down, it suddenly mentions that circumcision reduces AIDS. Is that relevant at all? Is BBC trying to push their own agenda?

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Submitted by bryanh on Tue, 2007-02-13 17:05

And why would they be getting bullied, and by whom? Other boys? I am not sure I believe the principal's excuse. I have never heard of a principal sending a kid home because he was being bullied and telling the parents they have to do xyz to make the kid more acceptable to whom, the bullies? Something just doesn't add up.

I'll bet this has to do with financial and other aid. I'll bet that aid has a price tag, and that's this: circumcise your boys. Otherwise, no aid.

Bullying indeed. Who is getting bullied and why? There's more to this story than first meets the eye.

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Submitted by mcc99 on Tue, 2007-02-13 22:00

.....that a males genital integrity is seen as insignificant.

May I be paranoid for a momment?

Many realize that Oprah (Orca) has tremendous influence in African Nations. With her new school that blatantly ignores boys, I wonder if her idealogy has manipulated other nations with a forced circumsition agenda. Never under estimate Oprah's anti-male agenda. She is seen as a humanitarian, yet she "cherry picks" the individuals she chooses to help. Just a thought.

anthony

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Submitted by anthony on Wed, 2007-02-14 22:40