#1 Response from the Netherlands

HI everyone,

Unfortunately these practices are not new to me. Since we have a lot of Turkish people in Holland, they also have taken this old and unexplicable custom with them. It is terrible for the families being torn between their feelings and the pressure of the family. Most kids here are pretty 'western' and that makes it even harder to swallow and understand.

Please know that the Koran (the islamic bible) says nothing about these practises. Again like so many times in the past, it is culture that has formed these ideas, not religion. The same goes for the circumcizing of women in Africa in a lot of christian beliefs even.

I think if we would separate culture from religion we would be left with only one religion: love, peace and understanding.

Thanks for sharing Sophia.... I know we sometimes feel we don't want to be the barriers of bad news, but awareness is soooo important. Unfortunately in spirituality too often people choose to pretend there ARE no problems, but there are... It is not hard to pretend something is not there.... seeing it, knowing it and then deciding to still feel love is what is really what I think is important.

Without awareness 'they' win...

Love,

Iris