While I understand your empathy my concern is that there is a thin line between diplomatic and human relations and ethnocentricity. In this case if a culture uses this practice as complying to a very ancient tradition one that both men and women of that culture agree to- who are we (the US) or the UN to say that the practice must be stopped. The most immediate conflict would be that in the states circumsion of males is the norm and I wonder if you saw footage of an infant circumcision (much less an adolescent one) would you be as compelled to challenge your own country's reality much less compel other cultures to morally measure up.

its like- how can we tell them to stop- when we do it too?

Beyond that terms like "barbaric" are insulting considering that this is a cultural tradition that exceeds the history of the barbarian people much less the loaded impression of the term I think its unfair and obviously prejudiced.


K