Critics of sexuality need prayers to recover the humanity they are losing
What you need to know:
- The Luo are surrounded by circumcising neighbours who similarly never fail to mention uncircumcision in jest. They are called omunyolo by the Luhyas in the north, ng’etai by the Nandi and Kipsigis to the west and omogere by the Kisii and Kuria to the south.
- Other scholars suggest preoccupation with sexuality, almost to the exclusion of the entire human being, results in defining women primarily as genital carriers, which must never be accepted as a yardstick of our humanity.
- There is no future for us without forgiveness, so holding grudges against Hon Kuria and his ilk is not an option.
It may be just a small flap of skin — but the question of whether or not it is removed has gained currency in determining status and leadership ability in Kenya.
It has been reason to isolate, stigmatise or punish people from tribes that do not circumcise.
That we are heading for trouble again was clear when the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) got entangled in a recent flurry of exchanges on circumcision, occasioned by a notorious MP’s determination to lampoon the uncircumcised.
An angry Ken Mwaniki quipped on Facebook: “What kind of leadership is this? ... Now when you insult our lake side brothers, do you expect them not to hit back? Seriously, what kind of a nation are we building?”
The Luo are surrounded by circumcising neighbours who similarly never fail to mention uncircumcision in jest. They are called omunyolo by the Luhyas in the north, ng’etai by the Nandi and Kipsigis to the west and omogere by the Kisii and Kuria to the south.
But rituals do not make any sense to those outside the orbit in which they are observed. A story has been told of a drunk who crossed the street and accosted a pedestrian, and asked: “I say, which is the other side of the street?”
The pedestrian replied: “That side, of course!”
The drunk said: “Strange. When I was on that side, they said it was this side.”
VALUE OF CIRCUMCISION
The other side of the street — the value of circumcision — depends on where we are.
Our perspective differs with our context, the things that have formed us; culture is one of the most potent of these influences, helping to determine how and what we apprehend of reality and how we operate in our context.
Even though she speaks about female circumcision in her celebrated book Bridges and Barricades, Prof Amede Obiora’s point that dominating cultures appoint themselves as the barometers of morality and ethical standards. Thus, circumcision parties have just sharpened exclusion.
Listen to Prof Volf, observing about his native Bosnia: “Symbolic exclusion is often a distortion of the other, not simply ignorance about the other; it is a wilful misconstruction, not mere failure of knowledge. We demonise and bestialise not because we do not know better, but because we refuse to know what is manifest and choose to know what serves our interests.”
Other scholars suggest preoccupation with sexuality, almost to the exclusion of the entire human being, results in defining women primarily as genital carriers, which must never be accepted as a yardstick of our humanity.
Our very own Prof Micere Mugo shows us in a confrontation recorded in her book Writing and speaking from the heart of my mind, how we might respond.
SECRET OF JOY
“I had been invited as a panellist to discuss Alice Walker’s Possessing the secret of joy at the Equitable Auditorium, New York city... The promoter called to ask for details about me. I explained that I was an international scholar and visiting professor at Cornell University, a political activist, poet and playwright.
As if she had not heard me or thought what I had just said was of no relevance, she proceeded to ask me: ‘Are you mutilated?’ Now that question to a 50 year-old African woman is not just shattering but downright rude.
In shock and disbelief, I asked her what she had said, and she repeated the question. Although I protested against objectification, the woman remained adamant. I was livid and made this abundantly clear by promptly withdrawing my participation.”
Let this very private thing remain that; private and hidden. We should not allow it to cripple our attempts to build one country, where our diverse identities are celebrated and included in the development of the country.
There is no future for us without forgiveness, so holding grudges against Hon Kuria and his ilk is not an option.
May Malusi Mpumlwana’s insightful reaction to his tormentors also be instructive here. During the Truth and Reconciliation process in South Africa, he said: ”When they torture you, you look on them and you say, ‘By the way, these are Gods children,’... and you know they need you to help them recover the humanity they are losing.”
Canon Omondi serves with the All Saints Cathedral diocese in the Anglican Church of Kenya. The views are his own.
