Do They Hear You When You Cry

Posted on 05 August 2018 by Fauziya Kassindja

For Fauziya Kassindja, an idyllic childhood in Togo, West Africa, sheltered from the tribal practices of polygamy and genital mutilation, ended with her beloved father s sudden death Forced into an arranged marriage at age seventeen, Fauziya was told to prepare for kakia, the ritual also known as female genital mutilation It is a ritual no woman can refuse But Fauziya dared to try This is her story told in her own words of fleeing Africa just hours before the ritual kakia was to take place, of seeking asylum in America only to be locked up in U.S prisons, and of meeting Layli Miller Bashir, a law student who became Fauziya s friend and advocate during her horrifying sixteen months behind bars Layli enlisted help from Karen Musalo, an expert in refugee law and acting director of the American University International Human Rights Clinic In addition to devoting her own considerable efforts to the case, Musalo assembled a team to fight with her on Fauziya s behalf Ultimately, in a landmark decision in immigration history, Fauziya Kassindja was granted asylum on June 13, 1996 Do They Hear You When You Cry is her unforgettable chronicle of triumph. Read Do They Hear You When You Cry By Fauziya Kassindja – kino-fada.fr It is insane, the fuss we make about our hesitancies to address these kinds of issues, because heavens forbid we talk about womanly parts and the types of torture these parts sometimes have to endure it s akin to speaking about the cringe worthy subject of sexual assault Let s avoid talking about a procedure that poses serious medical risk and causes psychological trauma to women and girls, because it is not polite conversation and it spoils our morning tea, or because it is only a cultural t It is insane, the fuss we make about our hesitancies to address these kinds of issues, because heavens forbid we talk about womanly parts and the types of torture these parts sometimes have to endure it s akin to speaking about the ...The US is known as the country of immigrants, but it also has one of the most horrific records of integrating them into mainstream society This is a story of the 1990s but according to all news reports and statistics, things have not much changed in the USA To start at the beginning, Fauziya Kassindja started life in Togo in a very patriarchal but loving family they exist and was brought up to value education Her father was against FGM but at the same time, he did not empower his daughters The US is known as the country of immigrants, but it also has one of the most horrific records of integrating them into mainstream society This is a story of the 1990s but according to all news reports and statistics, things have not much changed in the USA To start at the beginning, Fauziya Kassindja started life in Togo in a very patriarchal but loving family they exist and was brought up to value education Her father was against FGM but at the same time, he did not empower his daughters to be independent or to find their own way in life without having to submit to a man This part of the story was a little annoying in the narrative as the author makes excuses for these things When her father dies, ...This is one of those stories which, if it were fiction, it would be totally unbelievable It s the story of a young Togolese woman who flees Togo to escape an arranged marriage and genital mutilation, only to get trapped in the immigration system upon arriving in the US As I was reading this book, I would have given it four stars the writing could h...Fauziya Kassindja grew up in Togo, Africa in a privileged setting Her father did not believe in the tribal practices of polygamy and Female Genital Mutilation FMG Fauziya s father died suddenly and she was pulled out of school and put into an arranged marriage as a fourth wife and then told to prepare herself for FMG.Kassindja s sister went against her own husband to save her sister and help her to escape the country But escape to what Kassindja ended up going the the US and applying for as Fauziya Kassindja grew up in Togo, Africa in a privileged setting Her father did not believe in the tribal practices of polygamy and Female Genital Mutilation FMG Fauziya s father died suddenly and she was pulled out of school and put into an arranged marriage as a fourth wife and then told to prepare herself for FMG.Kassindja s sister went against her own husband to save her sister and help her to escape the country But escape to what Kassindja ended up going the the US and applying for asylum The customs officers immediately sent her to jail where she was kept for sixteen months Fauziya was treated worse than the worst offender as she had no status She was housed with murderers Her health deteriorated to near death without any conc...Fascinating, Educational, Intense, Heartbreaking, Enlightening Horrifying A Beautifully Rewarding Moving Read I Loved ItHere is Fauziya telling her life s story It s compelling I applaud her courage in several avenues First and especially, in the continued need she consistently exhibits to demand that female mutilation becomes unacceptable and worthy of the condemnation that it so deserves Especially in Africa and the Middle East, and within worldwide medical associations It s a cause of misery and terrible outcomes, life long, for a woman s health and natural barriers against infection Besides the brutalit Here is Fauziya telling her life s story It s compelling I applaud her courage in severa...De plaats waar de hoofdpersoon vandaan komt is in Togo, 20 km van een plaatsje in Ghana waar ik zelf ben geweest De omgeving en de sfeer wordt zo goed omschreven in het eerste deel van het boek dat het even leek of ik weer in dat gebied rond liep Hoe donker de nachten zijn, hoe het landschap er uit ziet, de littekens in het gezicht van de mensen als stamkenmerk, hoe de mensen hun bagage vervoeren op hun hoofd, het reizen in de trotrobusjes, de verkopers, de huizen, het eten, de snoeren van kra De plaats waar de hoofdpersoon vandaan komt is in Togo, 20 km van een plaatsje in Ghana waar ik zelf ben geweest De omgeving en de sfeer wordt zo goed omschreven in het eerste deel van het boek dat het even leek of i...This book made me really interested in the process of claiming asylum I ve never thought much about asylum, but reading a personal account of someone suffering through the process really made meinterested in learningabout those seeking asylum i went through a phase of reading a lot of books written by and about people in prison, all of which have been depressing to read, but her story added a whole new dimension she had to suffer all of horrible things that happen in prison withou This book made me really interested in the process of claiming asylum I ve never thought much about asylum, but reading a personal account of someone ...I was really blown away by this book in fact, I think it is one of the best, if not the best that I have read yet this year An African girl of 17 years of age tries to get political asylum to escape kakia or FGM as she flees Togo by way of Germany and then the U.S This was a painful but incredible description of her ordeal in prison and finally the legal difficulties endured as her legal team worked day and night trying to get asylum granted Fascinating and absorbing, a must read for wo I was really blown away by this book in fact, I think it is one of the best, if not the best that I have read yet this year An African girl of 17 years of age tries to get political asylum to escape kakia or FGM as she flees Togo by way of Germany and then the U.S This was a painful but incredible description of her ordeal in pr...While this book is a little outdated published 1999 not much has changed by the way of treatment of refugees and asylum seekers I never expected this book to be so topical, but it s all I ve been thinking about with the travel ban.Fauziya never wanted to leave her country She had no idea what legal rights or options she had when she landed in America To say that people land here for terrorism and to abuse the system is a ridiculous broad sweep of a tiny minority She needed help and our sys While this book is a little outdated published 1999 not much has changed by the way of treatment of refugees and asylum seekers I never expected this book to be so topical, but it s a...

English
05 August 2018

Fauziya Kassindja