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“Muslim (Somali) Culture: Value Acquiescence to Allah as supreme authority” vs “American Culture: Value the supremacy of the individual.”
How far did Minneapolis and Minnesota go in urging Americans to abandon their values and accept Somali Muslim ‘cultural values’?
A report from the Hennepin County Medical Center that was posted on the Minneapolis Minnesota Department of Health site was titled “caring for women affected by female genital cutting” or FGM, a Muslim practice common among Somalis of mutilating the genital areas of young girls, “Striving for Health Equity’.
The ‘Equity’ report defined the “big hurdle” as, “Muslim (Somali) Culture: Value Acquiescence to Allah as supreme authority” and “American Culture: Value the supremacy of the individual”.
Even though FGM is a crime in Minnesota (for now at least), the report urged American medical personnel to practice “humility” and “cultural sensitivity”.
It warned Americans about “being aware of your values, biases and boundaries” and used as a negative example a previous statement by the medical facility, “This isn’t about respecting someone’s culture – it’s about being complicit in mutilating women.”
The ‘equity’ FGM report was very much about respecting Somali Islamic ‘culture’.
The report urged Americans to practice “humility” and to view FGM as “Opportunity to learn about their culture and view of health as well as to teach about ours” and warned them to consider “immigrants life experiences which are so much different (and more difficult) than our own.”
When it came to Somalis, there was no law, only the supremacy of their religion and culture.