She said Western solutions should not be applied to African countries. Even on contentious issues such as female circumcision and segregation of men and women.
I cannot help but think she has a point.
Look what American involvement has done in Afghanistan. Has it really been worth it, people left there are now terrified and worse off than ever. It can be said there is arrogance in America and Britain telling them how to live. Though with the best of intentions.
The fact that American failed to stop some wrong things does not mean it would be wrong to stop those wrong things.
Stopping female circumcision is not a "Western" item. Either it is wrong or it isn't.
She has a point because they have their own ways. With say female circumcision, we think that is brutal and wrong. But the women are often the ones who perform it on young girls, it is their way.
Well, if those women have been psychologically trained and intimidated all their lives to see things the way they do, this certainly does not make their way right or acceptable.
I have been told that female circumcision by certain people claiming to be Muslims is in order to keep them from feeling pleasure during marital intimacy.
Here is an article I just found and read some of it >
Q&A on Female Genital Mutilation | Human Rights Watch
According to what I read in this article >
Female circumcision can be meant to help keep a female from being attracted to immorality and same-sex relating . . . since she won't feel pleasure. Also, there can be cultural identity included, maybe, by keeping a same tradition going. And if it is required in a location, a female living there can have major problems getting married if she has not been circumcised.
So, such women circumcising little girls can be doing it because they have been abused and brainwashed into accepting it, I would say.
The article, by the way, says not only Muslims are involved in this, plus not all people claiming to be Muslims are doing female circumcision. And female circumcision is done by certain people who claim to be of certain Christian and Jewish groups.
In this linked article, we have this quote >
"For example, while FGM is practiced in Egypt, which is predominantly Muslim, it is not practiced in many other countries with predominantly Muslim populations, such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. The association of FGM with Islam has been refuted by many Muslim scholars and theologians who say that FGM is not prescribed in the Quran and is contradictory to the teachings of Islam."
And this article says the United Nations has activities designed to stop female circumcision.
So, this is not only a Muslim problem, plus stopping it has not been only a Western effort, I can see.
So, even if the United States failed to change things to be better in Afghanistan, this does not automatically mean it would be wrong to stop wrong things in Afghanistan. But you need people who know what they are doing, who can help people to do what is better.
Jesus says,
"without Me you can do nothing", in John 15:5.
If the United States is busy with pushing very wrong ways, such as mutilating men and mutilating and killing unborn people, how can she at the same time have the character to do very well to stop other people from doing their wrong things?
Jesus says,
"he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much," in Luke 16:10)
From this I see how people in power in America can not have the character to do things right in Afghanistan while they do not have the character to do things right in the United States. I now think of this > mutilating Sharia Law Muslims with bombs and guns might not be how to pave the way to stopping the mutilation of little girls.
However, Jesus does have His people in various places, and with Jesus His obedient people are now already doing what works. They are succeeding, right while others of self-dependent pride are bleeding.