Admin Posted November 21, 2015 “My name is Yasmeen; the meaning of my name is very central to who I am and how I live my life.” In Persian, Yasmeen means “flowering plant.” Yasmeen (Amina) Ahmed, a biology major, is from a tight-knit Somalian community in Africa with traditional values and practices. She is the eighth child of 11 siblings. Out of her nine sisters and two brothers, she was the only child to attend boarding school and is now the only one receiving higher education in the United States. “Ever since I discovered the origin of my name, I knew I needed to do something different,” Ahmed said. “My dad always knew I would be someone to change lives.” Along with the traditional importance of family loyalty and respect, their Somalian community also practices illegal female circumcision. This at-home procedure is protocol for all women, regardless of whether it is wanted. Ahmed was the only one out of her nine sisters who was fortunate enough to escape genital mutilation. “This topic breaks my heart. The reason they practice this is to ensure that women remain chaste, and that satisfaction is to be experienced for males and not for females,” she said. “It’s a form of oppression; a form of oppression that not everyone notices. It doesn’t take a high level of education to see that this isn’t right. I see it, you should see it and they should all see it. It’s wrong and I don’t support it.” Ahmed said that she is extremely thankful, but is often consumed with guilt and sadness when realizing others close to her weren’t as fortunate as she was. She returned home one year after spending time away at school to discover that her 7-year-old sister had bled out during an at-home procedure and passed away. “I never even got to know her. Maybe she would have been another flower in my family. Maybe she would have felt just the way I do. Maybe she would have been motivated to make a change,” she said. “That really pains me ... that she never got that chance to choose.” According to Ahmed, a 20-year-old African woman like herself typically would be preparing for marriage and conforming to all community standards. Therefore, she believes that the opportunity to be studying at Gonzaga as a sophomore is a triumph in itself. Ahmed speaks with her parents frequently, and said that her mother and father continually question when she will return from the United States to marry and live a life true to her culture. “That can wait. My education comes before anything. I will always be thankful for education,” Ahmed said. “Education is the reason I could escape my home when I was little and never had to experience female circumcision for myself. Education is the reason I will be able to return to my community and change the life of many women as an OB/GYN doctor.” Her parents are reluctant to approve the educational path she has chosen to pursue. Ahmed says her mother and father attempt to convince her that this rebellion against her culture is incredibly disrespectful to her community, family and herself. “They ask me ‘If you chose to defy your culture, then who are you?’ Well, I’m Somali,” Ahmed said. “I can talk in Somali, I can wear Somalian clothes and I can cook Somalian food. I am Somali. So do not tell me that I have left my culture just because I do not support robbing women of a part of who they are.” Ahmed is hopeful that one day she will have the opportunity to return to Somalia as a gynecologist and educate her community about the harmful effects of female circumcision. As the only woman in her family to avoid this procedure, she feels an obligation to make a difference and act on the behalf of her biological sisters as well as her sisters by community. She is determined to change these traditional practices and does not believe she has bloomed to her full potential until she does. “I am passionate about this because the women who are affected do not have a choice. How is it fair that I escaped this cruelty? How is it fair that others didn’t? Sometimes I think I’m just lucky, and other times I think that God is using me as a vessel to stop this act in my community and beyond,” she said. Ahmed is confident that she will live up to the name that her father gave her. The seed of passion has been planted within her, and her education continues to help her bloom into the flower she, and her family, always knew she would be. “I look forward to the day when I am a hero in a cape for these women and their lives,” Ahmed said. Source: http://www.gonzagabulletin.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alpha Blondy Posted December 1, 2015 education is important, but she shouldn't forget her culture too. too much education is not good for a woman. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
