Zulfiqar110

"Female circumcision has been condemned as a 'torture' or 'degrading treatment' that lacks any 'respect for dignity' of women and girls. And it should be. Unfortunately, some of the most egregious manifestations of 'degrading treatment' and lack of 'respect for dignity' lie in the modus operandi of many Westerners (feminists and others) who have intervened in this matter. The resistance of African women is not against the campaign to end the practice, but against their dehumanization and the lack of respect and dignity shown to them in the process."

—Obioma Nnaemeka, 2005. (1)

(Swans - July 13, 2009)  A potent weapon of transnational elites in the advancement and legitimization of imperialist conquests is the nebulous concept that is human rights. (2) Women's rights are no exception, and as Zillah Eisenstein observes: "Women's rights as a discourse both legitimizes [neoliberal] democracy and critiques other-than-Western forms of democracy simultaneously." (3) In this regard, as the introductory statement by Obioma Nnaemeka conveys, there are many problems with the way that predominantly liberal feminist groups pursue their campaign against the practice of female circumcision, which is more commonly referred to as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). In contradiction to the stated objective of protecting global human rights, and specifically women's rights, a good case can be made that mainstream feminists act unconsciously as agents of imperialism. This article will demonstrate this argument by critically evaluating the role of a leading women's rights group, the Tahirih Justice Center, which has played a central role in raising public awareness of Female Genital Mutilation in the United States.

Rest of article can be read, here.