Liberal society wants us to be accepting of all cultures, people groups, and traditions, no matter how damaging to humanity it is.
There has to be a line drawn between right and wrong, even if it may offend a culture’s sensibilities.
One African tradition must stop. It is harming young girl’s physically and mentally, and you wouldn’t believe how.
In the United Kingdom incidents of “breast-ironing” have been popping up all over the area.
Citizens are becoming aware of the painful practice when some girls are getting infections that are sending them to the hospital.
The Daily Wire reported:
“So-called “breast-ironing” entails taking hot stones to a girl’s chest, as you would an iron, in order to stunt her development.”
It is customary for the female elders in the family to perform the practice on the child, this being her mother or grandmother.
How can a mother intentionally inflict immense pain on her child over and over again?
That’s right. The stones are applied to a young developing girl’s breasts sometimes weekly until growing is complete.
Other objects are at times implemented to act as a flattening agent as well, such as hot pieces of wedged wood.
Extensive, long-term damage is done to the breasts where the heat melts the fat tissue, flattening the breasts after repeated compressions.
Victims abound across the UK. Margaret Nyuydzewira had breast-ironing performed on her, and advocates for others undergoing the practice, as well as pushing for legislation to recognize it as child abuse, according to the Daily Wire.
Nyuydzewira says “The British people are so polite in the sense that when they see something like that, they think of cultural sensitivities.”
However, Nyuydzewira knows that child abuse should not be turned a blind eye in the name of cultural differences, adding, “But if it’s a cultural practice that is harming children … any harm that is done to a little girl, whether in public or in secrecy, that person should be held accountable.”
In Croydon alone, a town in England, one activist reports that there are at least 15-20 cases of breast ironing, according to The Guardian.
The activist who remains unnamed says that “It’s usually done in the UK, not abroad like female genital mutilation (FGM).”
Hospitals near towns that have a larger population of immigrants see a greater number of cases related to injuries obtained from the futile procedure.
A former nurse of ten years at one of the affected hospitals, Jennifer Miraj, has seen an increasing number of “young victims” come through with breast ironing injuries, according to the Daily Wire.
“I took care of a young 10-year-old girl who had an infection, which had been going on for a few years from ironing,” reported Miraj.
Currently, there are no laws that forbid this tradition that has afflicted over four million children, according to Face 2 Face Africa.
Survivors, government agencies, and human rights groups have made efforts to ban the practice, but to no avail.
The United Nations has even stepped in, calling breast ironing one of the top five under-reported gender-specific global crimes.
The reasoning behind this cruel practice is that it keeps unwanted male advances at bay, hopefully minimizing rapes and sexual assaults, according to the Daily Wire.
Women in the community believe that a girl who appears undeveloped will have a better chance at avoiding early pregnancy and marriages.
In a land where rape and violence is rampant, it is understandable that communities would want to find ways to protect their children from assault.
However, this is not the answer. There needs to be methods outside of mutilation to seek safety in the families.
Originating in Central and West Africa, breast ironing is only one of many mutilation practices that the surrounding cultures utilize.
Authorities and political representatives need to stand up against the politically correct giant and work to protect the children who are subject to lifelong struggles as a result of abhorrent traditions.
The breasts are a natural part of the body and carry one of the most vital operations for a woman, providing life-saving nourishment to her children.
Please let us know in the comments section what you think of the breast-ironing practice, and it still being legal in the home.