text:
Mutilating Facts: Setting the Record Straight About Female Genital Mutilation
FGM is one of the most difficult topics to deal with, and I am pleased to share a scholarly paper on Female Genital Mutilation. Even if one woman, Muslim or otherwise is deprived of her God given pleasures of life, it must be stopped. Standing up against oppression is one big aspect of being a Muslim.
In the preamble section, the paper makes a powerful declaration, "it must be publicly and categorically stated that female genital mutilation is prohibited under Islamic Law. The prohibition is such that it is considered a crime under law deserving of full compensatory considerations. One of the most senior Jurists of all time, Imam Malik, considered it similar to a person losing any other bodily limb, and subject to full force of the law
Injustice to anyone and particularly women will eat away the morality of the society from within. Oppression cannot go on for long. Every religion has been a medium to restore righteousness in the society, the guidance is universal including Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) who said, the least thing you can do against injustice is to speak up. Speaking up is the right thing to do.
Continued: below
Mike Ghouse is committed to nurturing the Pluralistic values embedded in Islam and Quran, God wants all of us to co-exist and live in harmony. He tells us to know each other, and learning about each other amounts to understanding, and understanding to acceptance and appreciation of the God given uniqueness of each one of the 7 billion of us. God further declares that the best among us is the one who takes care of fellow humans. Islam is about building cohesive societies where no one has to live in fear of the other.
The previous posting with a few ghastly pictures on the topic is at: http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2011/11/female-genital-mutilation-among-bohra.html
Mutilating Facts: Setting the Record Straight About Female Circumcision and Genital Mutilation
Mutilating Facts:Setting the Record Straight About Female Circumcision & Genital Mutilation by Afroz Ali.
Courtesy - http://seekersguidance.org/blog/2012/04/mutilating-facts-setting-the-record-straight-about-female-circumcision-genital-mutilation/
1. PREAMBLE.
Female circumcision today has been made synonymous with female genital mutilation. This has added to much confusion as well as has raised legitimate as well as ill-motivated concerns regarding the position of either act under Islamic Law. As such, and preamble to the discussion submitted in the Paper below, it must be publicly and categorically stated that female genital mutilation is prohibited under Islamic Law. The prohibition is such that it is considered a crime under law deserving of full compensatory considerations. One of the most senior Jurists of all time, Imam Malik, considered it similar to a person losing any other bodily limb, and subject to full force of the law.[1]
This entire discussion is underpinned by a Hadīth which states:
On the authority Of Abdullah bin Yazid Al-Ansari, The Messenger of God, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, forbade robbery and mutilation of bodily limbs.[2]
Circumcise: /ˈsəːkəmsʌɪz/, verb, to cut off the foreskin of (a young boy or man, especially a baby) as a religious rite, especially in Judaism and Islam, or as a medical treatment; cut off the clitoris, and sometimes the labia, of (a girl or young woman) as a traditional practice among some peoples.[3]
It is noteworthy that the English term 'circumcision' is defined to include the practice of mutilation of the female genitalia, i.e., cutting off of the clitoris. Furthermore it is as noteworthy that the supposed practice of the cutting off of the labia is a 'traditional practice among some peoples.' We will see in this Paper that such definitions themselves are prejudicial and inaccurate in their attempts to define the act. Presumably they reflect a toeing of the line of secular and modern claims against some forms of such acts or against some religious practices in general. The definition itself is normatively accurate, but descriptively presumptuous.
But this Paper is not a polemic against definitions and presumptions per se'; it is more aimed at setting the record straight regarding what Islam's position is on two kinds of acts: female circumcision in the one hand and female genital mutilation in another. They are, in fact, two very different, and unrelated, kinds of acts; the former being permissible and the latter completely forbidden under Islamic Law. The butchery that this issue has received in modern times is as barbaric as what some customs and cultures have practised; the worst culprits being western academics, including Muslims. Such academics have written scores of influential Papers from social anthropology, making highly inaccurate theological conclusions, such that it is almost impossible to search for the practice of female circumcision without it being connected to genital mutilation. Interestingly, the practice of female circumcision is alive and legally permissible in many western nations (that have whipped the horse to death so to speak), including nations like USA and Australia, but under a very different and almost inviting name. But more on that later, if only to encourage the reader to keep reading in order to get a better grasp of the subject.
Undoubtedly, malpractice of circumcision is not uncommon in Muslim communities. But that is a highly deceptive statement; the practice of female circumcision and its malpractice which includes genital mutilation are quite global in distribution. Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia, Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, as well as Brazil, Peru, China and the Aboriginal tribes of Australia are not exempt from such practices.[4] Such malpractice also occurs in countries like USA and Australia through the legalised procedures, leaving many women unable to sexually function.[5] The criminal malpractice is a human problem, violating the rights of women the world over, through various means of manipulation of women , e.g., religious claims, cosmetic beauty, and the like. The rhetoric that exists in social research and reporting on this issue is acutely prejudicial despite the facts, and women remain the victims, despite the investigations and reports claiming to advocate for women's and indeed human rights. The clearer, and apolitical, we are regarding the prohibition of female genital mutilation, the better the results will be in protecting the rights of women. This means also to be clear regarding the legal permissibility of female circumcision, as discussed and explained below.
This topic is a hotspot for securing "research" grants, particularly if it also includes vilifying religion through it. My targeting of academics in the west in this Paper is solely because they are an incredibly influential body today which shapes much of societal thinking. Just as it is relevant to educate the academics so that they do not keep wasting valuable paper and resources writing factoids, there is also relevance in raising awareness amongst the many cultures that are doing the wrong thing. Both groups play their proportionate role in maligning the facts. This short Paper aims to set the record straight for whoever chooses to read it in full, and aspires to be amongst the many wonderful resources that are already available from those who truly want to help uphold the rights of women in full without prejudice.
3. FEMALE CIRCUMCISION & ISLAM
Before looking into specific evidences and guidelines regarding what Islamic Tradition has to say about female circumcision, it will be important (particularly for those who are unfamiliar withHadīth science and its diversity) that one understands the fact that 'Hadīth', from which Islamic Law is derived, includes not only the collections of Bukhari and Muslim, or The Verified Six (or the Collection of Six),[6] but in fact scores of other authentic Collections. The methodology of classification of Hadīth is a complex science, particularly in terms of which one of the Five Rulings would fall under as derived by any one of the four Schools of Law. Furthermore, it is simply untrue that if an authority like Bukhari did not include a Hadīth in his Authenticated Collection, this somehow means that it is inauthentic. This Paper does not go into any detail regarding Hadīth classification and the science pertaining to it for deriving the law itself; it should be clear to the reader that such a science will need scholarly study. Unfortunately, numerous modern writers have either taken it upon themselves to render certain Ahadīth 'weak' or 'inauthentic' and thus somehow unfit for legal purposes, or quote someone else to assert the same thing. I suspect this is because many Muslims writing on this matter are either embarrassed or lack knowledge and assume that all aspects of it are inhumane; particularly regarding the blurred distinction between circumcision and genital mutilation. Statements like "even if the Prophet had said so…." are rampant in academic literature, mainly from Muslims, who seem to find it difficult to come to terms with what is evidentially true; that female circumcision is permissible in Islam, as it is in secular law of countries like USA and Australia.
The problem in reality is not in the statement I have just made, but in that the vast majority of people (the mal-practitioners, the academics, the lay Muslims, as well as many clerics altogether) simply do not know what that statement means. i.e., that female circumcision is permissible in Islam.
So what does female circumcision refer to, first and foremost within the Islamic Legal Tradition? Some of the verified Ahadīth that refer to circumcision in general (i.e., male and female) and to female circumcision in particular are as follows:
The Messenger of God, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, said, "Five matters are from the Fitrah [i.e., primordial human nature that inclines to goodness and wellbeing]: circumcision, shaving off of pubic hairs, trimming of one's moustache, removing of hair from the armpits and cutting of nails."[7]
The Messenger of God, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, said, "Circumcision is from my practice for men and kindly honourable for women."[8]
The Messenger of God, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, said, "When the circumcised part touches the circumcised part, purificatory bath becomes obligatory."[9]
Here is an important Hadīth that needs some explanatory comments, and which will also be referred to later in the Paper in some detail:
A woman who was known as Umm 'Attiyah was known in Madinah to perform female circumcision [probably even from before the advent of Islam] and the Messenger of God, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, said to her, "Umm 'Attiyah, when you do circumcise, restrict yourself to cut a minute part and do not excise the glans. That will be far more pleasant for the wife and satisfying for the husband."[10]
Commonly in popular articles, this Hadīth is claimed to be a sole reporting in the Abu Dawud collection and, as such, claimed to be weak and unreliable. For example, the following comment is not uncommon:
"This is known to be a "weak" hadith in that it does not meet the strict criteria to be considered unquestionable (classified as mursal, i.e. missing a link in the chain of transmitters in that none was among the original Companions of the Prophet.) In addition, it is found in only one of the six undisputed, authentic hadith collections, that is in the Sunan of Abu Dawud……."[11]
There are significant errors in the statement above: The Hadīth in question is reported by other narrators with sound chains of narration and Abu Dawud is not the sole narrator at all; MursalAhadīth are in fact subject to legislation and have several levels of legal usage; contrary to the claim, a Mursal Hadīth is not a weak Hadīth… that should suffice to know that such careless and ignorant statements are neither proofs against female circumcision nor conducive to expert consideration. We will refer to this particular Hadīth as the Umm 'Attiyah Narration when we return to it for further details. It is noteworthy that thisHadith clearly distinguishes between circumcision and genital mutilation or cutting, but presumably the subject article either ignored this fact or confused one with the other.
Given that it is clear that female circumcision is at the very least permissible in Islamic Law (as to which one of the Five Rulings it takes is beside the point for now), it is absolutely critical to understand what 'female circumcision' means. The key misconception and misrepresentation arises from varied levels of ignorance regarding this simple yet important point: definitions. We will return to what Islam defines it as, but firstly it is noteworthy to understand what current explanations and descriptions exist amongst researchers, social commentators and those who work in the field of advocacy against the mixed understanding of female circumcision/female genital mutilation. It is rather unfortunate that the two terms are commonly used interchangeably when, as we will see, they are two completely different things, and should be treated as such to help in removing the confusion.
4. FEMALE CIRCUMCISION, FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION & ISLAM
There are numerous descriptions and definitions of the two terms and they are unfortunately commonly interchangeably used. In truth, what is a violation of human rights of a female isgenital mutilation, and the World Health Organisation classifies it into four kinds:[12]
i) Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris (a small, sensitive and erectile part of the female genitals) and, in very rare cases, only the prepuce (the fold of skin surrounding the clitoris).
ii) Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (the labia are "the lips" that surround the vagina).
iii) Infibulation: narrowing of the vaginal opening through the creation of a covering seal. The seal is formed by cutting and repositioning the inner, or outer, labia, with or without removal of the clitoris.
iv) Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area.
It must be stated clearly that Islamic Law has explicitly prohibited all such kinds of procedures since approximately 1433 years ago, except the removal of the extra labial or prepuce skin without damaging the clitoris where such a need arises; a legal practice in secular nations like USA and Australia today.[13]
Cultural practices around the world do practice such violent methods, and WHO lists some reasons for such inhumane practices:
- Where FGM is a social convention, the social pressure to conform to what others do and have been doing is a strong motivation to perpetuate the practice;
- FGM is often considered a necessary part of raising a girl properly, and a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage;
- FGM is often motivated by beliefs about what is considered proper sexual behaviour, linking procedures to premarital virginity and marital fidelity. FGM is in many communities believed to reduce a woman's libido and therefore believed to help her resist "illicit" sexual acts. When a vaginal opening is covered or narrowed (type 3 above), the fear of the pain of opening it, and the fear that this will be found out, is expected to further discourage "illicit" sexual intercourse among women with this type of FGM;
- FGM is associated with cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are "clean" and "beautiful" after removal of body parts that are considered "male" or "unclean";
- Though no religious scripts prescribe the practice, practitioners often believe the practice has religious support;
- Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to FGM: some promote it, some consider it irrelevant to religion, and others contribute to its elimination;
- Local structures of power and authority, such as community leaders, religious leaders, circumcisers, and even some medical personnel can contribute to upholding the practice;
- In most societies, FGM is considered a cultural tradition, which is often used as an argument for its continuation;
- In some societies, recent adoption of the practice is linked to copying the traditions of neighbouring groups. Sometimes it has started as part of a wider religious or traditional revival movement;
- In some societies, FGM is practised by new groups when they move into areas where the local population practice FGM.
Again, it must be stated clearly that all such motivations and reasons for practising female genital mutilation are also rejected in Islamic Law.
What are the evidences that Islam rejects and prohibits the practice of clitoral removal, clitoral cutting, and the like?
Firstly, the very definition of the Arabic term used for female circumcision – khafđ al-mar-āt – is defined by Classical Lexicons as follows:
"Removal of the uppermost skin at the top of her glans."[14]
The academic misconception (or dishonesty) in many Papers and government documents incorrectly refers to khafđ al-mar-āt (female circumcision) as Clitoridectomy in relation to the removing of part or the whole of the clitoris! This is totally false.
Secondly, the Umm 'Attiyah Narration is key to the rejection of all forms of genital mutilation, including the excising of the clitoral glans, as it explicitly states that:
"Umm 'Attiyah, when you do circumcise, restrict yourself to cut a minute part and do not excise the glans. That will be far more pleasant for the wife and satisfying for the husband."[15]
Thirdly, the most authoritative analyst of Hadīth, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, has this to say to define circumcision for the male and the female (in relation to the Hadīth quoted earlierregarding the "two circumcised parts meeting and necessitating purificatory bath"):
"What is meant by the dual form in the phrase "the two circumcised parts" is the circumcised genitals of the man and the woman respectively. Male circumcision (khatn) is the removal of the skin of the head or glans of the penis. Female circumcision (khafđ) is the removal of a tiny piece of skin above her glans which resembles the crest of a rooster [referring to the skin forming a clitoral hood]…"[16]
One of the Principles for deriving Legal Rulings is the principle of limitation where the particular ruling cannot be applied beyond the stated limitation itself. Female circumcision (and indeed male circumcision) is limited by definition explicitly to avoid all harmful actions and procedures. In other words, Islamic Law manages its Laws not by exhaustive lists of do's and don'ts, but by prescribing limits, everything beyond which is not permitted. In the case of female circumcision - by definition, by Prophetic statement and by practice - the limits are set to include nothing but the extra clitoral prepuce and any associated labia, (which we will discuss more on in the next section of this Paper).
It ought to be abundantly clear, that:
i) Islamic Law prohibits Clitoridectomy, Excision, Infibulation and other harmful female genital surgical procedures;
ii) Islamic Law permits - by definition, by Prophetic Statement and by practice - female circumcision. The definition under Islamic Law for female circumcision is exclusively the removal of the uppermost extra skin at the top of the clitoral glans.
Some statements of the most authoritative Scholars will also help to understand and reinforce these two points of clarity that must not be confused:
i) Imam Nawawi said (commenting on the Abu Hurairah Hadīth stated earlier), "Circumcision is obligatory according to al- Shafi`i and many of the scholars, recommended by Sunnah according to Malik and the majority of them. It is further, according to Shafi`i, as regards to males it is obligatory to cut off the whole prepuce or skin which covers the glans or head of the penis, so that the latter is wholly denudated. As regards to females, it is obligatory to cut off a minute part of the skin in the highest region of the genitals. The sound view in our school (Shafi`i), which is shared by the large majority of our companions, is that circumcision is allowed in a youthful age but not obligatory."
ii) Shaykh Nuh Keller's Translation of al-Misri's "Reliance of the Traveller" (Shafi`i school) p. 59: "Circumcision is obligatory (Sh. `Umar Barakat: for both men and women). For men it consists of removing the prepuce from the penis, and for women, removing the prepuce of the clitoris (Keller: not the clitoris itself, as some mistakenly assert). (Sh. `Abd al-Wakil Durubi: Hanbalis hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but recommended by Sunnah, while Hanafis consider it a mere courtesy to the husband."
iii) It is not obligatory for women either in the Maliki school or in the Hanbali school. Both schools consider it merely recommended. See Al-Qayrawani's "Risala" p. 161, 305; and "al- Mughni" 1:85. Ibn al-`Arabi al-Maliki says in "Tuhfat al- ahwadhi" (1:167): Khafđ for the woman is like khitan for the man and consists in removing a piece of skin the size of a rooster's crest in the uppermost region of the genitals.
Unfortunately modern texts, in particular the highly erroneous book titled "Fiqh as-Sunnah"[17] loses true scholarship and confuses the prepuce with the actual genital and clitoral glans and erroneously states:
The first of the features of natural religion [fitra] is circumcision. It is the removal of the skin which covers the head or glans of the penis… As for the woman, it consists in removing the upper part of the genitals. The opinion of the large majority of scholars is that it is obligatory….[18]
Proof is entirely against two claims made here in the book Fiqh as-Sunnah: female circumcision neither refers to the removal of the genitals/clitoris, nor is it a dominant opinion that it is obligatory. In fact, the obligatory nature stated in the Shafi'i School is conditional, and will be discussed later in this Paper.
Another important fact that must be highlighted is that there is no evidence at all that female circumcision can be performed upon an infant girl. In fact, evidence and inferences clearly point to the permissibility (or conditional obligation) of female circumcision upon puberty, as explained below. This highlights another important fact completely ignored in the discourse regarding female circumcision: that it is the female herself who would elect to take up the permitted procedure by her own consent. It is quite obvious to realise that it is only at the post-pubescent stage that the female would become fully cognisant of any arousal conditions. It may be that she does not become aware of it until she is legally married and when she enters into sexual intimacy with her husband. The female in question, due to certain anatomical factors affecting her sexual arousal, may decide to take up the voluntary procedure of female circumcision through a legal and professional service. With such an understanding, it would be unthinkable and preposterous to justify the practice of female circumcision on a pre-pubescent female child.
Imam Nawawi states regarding female circumcision and age:
The sound view in our school (Shafi`i), which is shared by the large majority of our companions, is that circumcision is allowed in a youthful age but not obligatory.[19]
Imam Shawkani states:
Nothing has been transmitted with regard to its timing nor its obligatory nature.[20]
Furthermore, one may want to return to the previous quotes stated above; they refer to post-pubescent women, as 'woman' and 'wife'. It is absurd to suggest that female circumcision refers to its practice on female children.
Once the reasons for female circumcision are understood it becomes evidently clear that the decision is solely in the hands of the female adult herself. The question then arises as to why female circumcision would be allowed in the first place. And that is when the laws of nations like Australia and USA help shed some light on this; countries that rightfully ban female genital mutilation but that refuse to make an attempt to understand female circumcision (as defined and explained above), although their laws already permit it!
5. FEMALE CIRCUMCISION, SECULAR LAW & LEGAL PURPOSE OF CIRCUMCISION
In the secular west, you may not hear the term 'female circumcision' as a legally approved practice. This may be because the term is popularly interchangeably used and therefore confused with genital mutilation. Regardless, it is legally practised under a more nuanced and an almost attractive genre of…. cosmetic surgery. To be exact, the procedure, exactly as outlined under Islamic Law in relation to the clitoral prepuce and associated extra-labial skin, has a specifically technical term. The procedure is called labiaplasty (and sometimes labioplasty).
Labiaplasty is defined as:
Labiaplasty is a surgical procedure that will reduce and/or reshape the labia minora and the associated prepuce - the skin that covers the female clitoris and vaginal opening. In some instances, women with large labia can experience pain during intercourse, or feel discomfort during everyday activities or when wearing tight-fitting clothing. Others may feel unattractive, or wish to enhance their sexual experiences by removing some of the skin that covers the clitoris. The purpose of a labiaplasty is to better define the inner labia. During this procedure the urethral opening can be redefined, and if necessary improvements to the vagina may be made.[21]
The most common reason for women today to seek labiaplasty is for cosmetic, aesthetic and beautification reasons, although a lesser number of women elect to have the procedure for medical reasons, e.g., discomfort, pain, sexual inhibition and the like. According to statistics of USA, the procedure is not commonly elected for by women regardless.[22]
Unfortunately it is a rising trend (up by 30% in USA), heavily driven by cosmetic surgery campaigns, where more and more women are taking up the procedure purely from a perceived cosmetic, aesthetics and beautification perspective.
It is also important to highlight that malpractice also occurs in these legalised procedures. Whilst malpractice is never satisfactory and cannot be excused, the point being highlighted here is that it does occur, and there is an equitable responsibility for us in the western world to advocate, at the very least, for safer standards and practices for labiaplasty in countries like Australia and USA, just as there is a call for the more acute problems in African nations, for example. The rights of women must be protected and upheld not through geo-politics but through ethical standards.
There is a more specialised cosmetic surgery that is legal in countries like UK, USA, Australia, etc. It is called clitoridotomy, or more commonly known as clitoral hoodectomy. These procedures specifically specialise in clitoral prepuce surgical procedures to reduce or shape the skin, such that a woman can experience better sexual pleasure, when without the procedure she would not be able to and may not ever experience an orgasm. Clitoridotomy is very often also referred to as female circumcision, to distinguish its legal nature from the illegal act of female genital mutilation.
These procedures are for exactly the same reason as the Islamic Law permits them, to the extent that the Shafi'i School considers it a personal obligation to undertake the procedure so as not to be sexually deprived.
When the clitoral prepuce is abnormally large, thick or heavily and tightly covering the clitoris, women can suffer from a condition called Clitorial Phimosis. This causes the sensitivity of the clitoris to be greatly reduced to almost having no sensation at all. If this were the case, women during sexual intimacy with their husbands could experience pain and high levels of stress and frustration due to being unable to reach orgasm. In other cases, particularly in warm climates, such a condition can lead to unintended sexual arousal simply by the friction caused between the clitoris and the tightly covering prepuce.[23]Without going into any further detail, I am certain that anyone can understand such a problem; sexual frustration ruins individuals and marriages. It is with these facts in mind that one should read the Umm 'Attiaya Narration in relation to the permissibility of female circumcision:
The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God the Exalted be upon him, said, "Umm 'Attiyah, when you do circumcise, restrict yourself to cut a minute part and do not excise the glans. That will be far more pleasant for the wife and satisfying for the husband."[24]
Islam's permissibility is entirely based on a sincere concern regarding the natural wellbeing (fitrah) of the female, and her human right for sexual pleasure within her marriage. Female circumcision under Islamic Law, as is the case for legal labiaplasty and clitoridotomy, allow for surgical procedures that protect and enhance a woman's arousal via the clitoral glans. Neither the laws of the secular west nor the Islamic Law tolerate or allow female genital mutilation in any form whatsoever. However, it can be argued that Islamic Law has the principle of limitation, but the secular law does not necessarily. As a result some of the legalised procedures in nations like Australia and USA may well be genital mutilation even if carried out with the express consent of the female. Whilst that is for lawyers of the secular jurisprudence to deal with, one thing is undoubtedly certain - Islamic Law protects the right of the woman and permits her to make a personal choice for female circumcision, in order to eliminate any arousal problems that may have been present for her. Islamic Law also prohibits any form of genital excision, mutilation and surgical alteration regardless of her consent. In other words, it is not only prohibited for a woman to seek genital mutilation, it is as prohibited for people to facilitate or perform acts of genital mutilation. The reason is simple: the former permission is part of the primordial human nature that leans to good and wellbeing (permitted sexual satisfaction is part of wellbeing). The latter prohibition is because it is against human nature even if the human has a depraved desire for mutilation, and is similar to the responsibility of authorities to stop a person from harming themselves even if they may consent to such a depraved action.
An interesting but sad fact that surrounds the issue of female circumcision is that there is a great deal of opposition to it because it is seen as a "religious" practice. This may be the paradigm of many religions, but it is not of Islam. Islam's Five Rulings – from obligation to prohibition – are not only a matter of ritual devotion but also a mode of living by such values because in them are inherent human benefits that outweigh harm or have no harm. And at the same time, whilst a Muslim may rarely seek to understand the inherent material benefits, her Faith in God is sufficient to participate in an act as a ritual devotion which is permissible. What is damaging and dangerous is the ongoing and accelerating attack on actions because their basis arises from a religious instruction. This is not only prejudicial, extreme and undemocratic, it is also simply unacceptable. It is like banning Muslims from washing their hands before and after eating because the act arises from a religious instruction! Washing hands for hygiene may be simply understood today, but it was not always the case, to the extent that in Australia, the Department of Health has had to run media campaigns to educate teenagers and youth to wash their hands before eating.[25]
Call it by whatever name we choose to, female circumcision as explained in this Paper is permitted under Islam Law, and the choice to undertake the procedure is entirely upon the woman, upon her puberty, when she becomes aware of any sexually inhibiting or arousal conditions.
The confusion, malpractice and criminal activities surrounding female genital cutting, i.e., either mutilation or legal circumcision, must first be properly understood by those who advocate for human rights of women. Otherwise, false claims and rhetoric against religious practices, often driven by geo-political agenda, will only force communities which are in breach of the law and human rights to disengage. The real problem of violence against women that female genital mutilation is part of, cannot in that case be properly addressed. Currently the blazing fire of crime against women is largely fuelled by the academics and activists themselves, who are armed with the wrong information. To disarm a society obsessed with violence means they must first arm themselves with unbiased and accurate facts.
Communities around the world that practice female genital mutilation under whatever name and excuse they give it, commit an unacceptable crime against women and female children. Proper education regarding the act must be a priority. Community leaders must reject female genital mutilation. Indeed in Muslim communities, influential and educated leaders must become aware of the facts in order to help curb the practice of female genital mutilation in their communities. But this will only happen if those in leadership and positions of influence themselves understand the facts. Every reader of this Paper has a responsibility to promote a better and clearer understanding of the subject by stopping ignorant and misguided claims and teachings from spreading.
Governments, service providers, authorities and the media must refrain from misguiding the public by spreading false information as part of an agenda to malign religions, and indeed Islam. They need to redefine their intentions and purposes, which must solely be for the care and concern for the women and children who are suffering from criminal malpractice of what is commonly referred to as female circumcision. Global organisations like the United Nations should not have their websites optimised to search engines where a person seeks information on female circumcision but gets directed to pages on genital mutilation; this is grossly irresponsible and contrary to helping the victims themselves. Female circumcision in its legitimate form is a personal and human right of a woman; genital mutilation is a horrible crime. We must inform the people of the difference.
In summary, female circumcision under Islamic Law is not different to the legally practised procedures called labiaplasty (or labioplasty) and clitoral hoodectomy (or clitoridotomy) under secular laws of nations like Australia, UK and USA. Islamic Law limits such a procedure to a female adult who may experience mild or severe clitoral phimosis, i.e., formation of extra skin as prepuce and connecting labia which affects sexual arousal, either through a lack of clitoral stimulation due to the heavy and tight layer of extra skin, or through unintended sexual arousal through friction when, for example, a female would merely be walking or running.
From Islam's point of view, female circumcision is not only a human right; it is a Divinely Ordained right of a woman. And if it helps the sceptic, it may be worth reflecting that we as humans evolve in our knowledge and understanding, and it is for that very reason God The Creator has revealed Laws and Guidelines so that the human does not have to wander in darkness for centuries before being enlightened with knowledge which help in the wellbeing of the human. We the human might not know everything but our Lord has not abandoned us. God's Final Messenger, Muhammad, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, was sent as Mercy to the entire creation. He had a deep sincere concern for the wellbeing of the human being, and so lived God's Word in full, giving us the best of examples to follow - there is no doubt about that. The argumentation and misleading information human beings spread is a devastating force and, in the context of the subject of this Paper (whether claiming that genital mutilation is somehow Islamic, or that legal circumcision is somehow equivalent to mutilation), is ruining the lives of innocent women and children. And so it may be apt to end by quoting from Divine Revelation that God Almighty said:
Here you are - those who have argued about that of which you have little knowledge; but why do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows, while you do not.[Qur'an 4:109]
We may want to take counsel from that.
[1] Muwatta of Imam Malik, and can be found in the section dealing with "Blood Money Matters" (Compensatory Laws)
[2] Hadīth recorded by Bukhari
[3] Oxford Dictionary Online
[4] Female Genital Mutilation, L.P. Cutner (Obstetrical and Gynaecological Survey, p40, v7, 1985)
[5] To be discussed further below under section 5.
[6] I refer to the Hadīth here and not the Qur'an, because the key evidences to consider regarding this subject is in the Hadīth literature, which is a record of the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, upon whom be peace and blessings of God The Exalted, and forms part of the Primary Sources from which Islamic Law is derived.
[7] Hadīth recorded by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Malik and numerous others.
[8] Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, al-Tabarani (Dar Ihya al-Turath al-'Arabi, Beirut, latest print edition- 2009); recorded in the Musnad of Ahmad and by others.
[9] Al-Muwatta, Malik, and recorded by numerous others.
[10] Majma al-Zawa'id, al-Haythami (Dar ul-Kutb al-'Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1999); also in al-Mu'jam al-Awsāt, al-Tabarani (Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, unknown date of publication); and numerous others with verified chains of narration.
[11] Female Genital Mutilation, Muslim Womens League (Paper presented, January 1999 and available at their website:http://www.mwlusa.org/topics/violence&harrassment/fgm.html)
[12] Female Genital Mutilation, World Health Organisation (Fact Sheet no. 241, February 2012). It can be accessed via their website athttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/
[13] Refer to Section 5 of this Paper.
[14] One may refer to lexicons like Lisān al-'Arab, as well as Lanes Arabic-English Lexicon. A modern collection of the classical definitions is also a good reference, titled Muj'am al-Lughāt al-Fuqara, Rawwas and Sadiq (Dar al-Nafa'is, 1985).
[15]Majma al-Zawa'id, al-Haythami (Dar ul-Kutb al-'Ilmiyah, Beirut, 1999); also in al-Mu'jam al-Awsāt, al-Tabarani (Dar al-Kitab al-Arabi, unknown date of publication); and numerous others with verified chains of narration.
[16] Fath al-Bari, ibn Hajr al-Asqalani- this is a well-known work and is available from numerous current-day publishers.
[17] A book which is unauthorised for legal teachings, and which contains dubious and erroneous claims.
[18] Fiqh as-Sunnah, Sayyid Sabiq (Dar al-Bayan lil-Turath, Cairo, 1987)
[19] Al-Minhaj bi-Sharh Sahīh Muslim, Imam Nawawi
[20] Nayl al-Awtar Sharh Mantaqa al-Akhbarmin Sayyidil-Akhyar. Imam as-Shawkani
[21] For detailed information regarding labiaplasty, including definitions and scope of procedures, go to http://www.labiaplastysurgeon.com/. Warning: the web pages have graphic images and must be avoided unless the textual explanations are difficult to comprehend. Individuals with a genuine concern to understand this issue properly should be the only ones accessing such information. Any abuse of the graphical information, including desire to view it for sexual gratification is prohibited under Islamic Law.
[22] American Society of Plastic Surgeons 2000/2005/2006 National Plastic Surgery Statistics: Cosmetic and Reconstructive Procedure Trends:
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/media/statistics/loader.cfm?url=/ commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=23628
[23] A beneficial website that provides sound and professional advice on these matters can be found at http://www.gynaecologists.co.uk/clitoral_hoodectomy.html.
[24] I remind the reader to note that the reference is explicitly to an adult female.
[25] I recommend reading information available at http://www.hha.org.au/.
Labels: Bohra, Egypt, Female Circumcision, Female Genitial Mutilation, FGM, Muslim Speaker Mike Ghouse, Muslims Together, pluralist Mike Ghouse, www.Islamtogetherfoundation.com, www.worldmuslimcongress.org, Yemen
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Great Panther operates 2 silver mines in Mexico, both 100% owned & royalty free. The company has been grown own out of cash flow & is profitable. The 2 operations were acquired for about C$10 million & the company is now worth C$300+ million. The plan is to continue growing the company.


⬅ J C Penney's And Golf!
026 – The Golf Improvement Podcast – Interview with Dr. Bhrett McCabe – The Mindside!
Welcome to Episode 26 of The Golf Improvement Podcast. Dedicated to bringing you useful information on custom club fitting, short game improvement, and effective practice techniques to Take YOUR Game To New Heights!
What a Masters – thanks Jordan Spieth AND Justin Rose!
Quote from Nick Saban – "It Takes What It Takes"
April 25 "Shoot Lower Scores" Day at the Centennial Golf Academy – 30 minute driver and iron testing sessions, email me at tony@gameimprovementgolf.com for more information!
Interview with Dr. Bhrett McCabe – Performance and Sports Psychologist, and creator of The Mindside Podcast.
Comments on "I practiced, I should have played well."
The importance of Adversity and Failure in Improvement.
Thoughts on Practicing The Mindside.
Bhrett's final thoughts for golfers who want to play their best.
Thanks Bhrett – for your knowledge AND for The Mindside Podcast!
To learn more about Dr. Bhrett McCabe – Click HERE!
To subscribe to The Mindside Podcast – Click HERE!


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Author or Editor: Bingru Huang x
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Nutrient Accumulation and Associated Root Characteristics in Response to Drought Stress in Tall Fescue Cultivars
Bingru Huang
Drought is a major factor limiting the growth of turfgrasses in many areas. The functional relationship of drought stress and accumulation of various ions in turfgrasses is not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of drought on root growth and accumulation of several major nutrients in three tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) cultivars varying in drought tolerance (Falcon II = Houndog V > Rebel Jr). Grasses were grown in well-watered or drying (nonirrigated) soil for 35 days in a greenhouse. Drought conditions limited total root length to a greater extent for `Rebel Jr' than for `Falcon II' and `Houndog V', while specific root length (SRL) was greater in `Falcon II' and `Houndog V' than in `Rebel Jr'. Concentrations of N, P, and Mg decreased, whereas those of K, Ca, and Fe increased, in shoots of drought-stressed plants of all three cultivars. Root N was not affected, but root P decreased in `Rebel Jr', and root K decreased in all three cultivars under drought conditions. Drought reduced the proportions of N and P in shoots and increased those in roots, while increasing the proportion of K in shoots and decreasing that in roots. During drought stress, both `Falcon II' and `Houndog V' maintained higher K concentration in shoots, and `Falcon II' in roots, than did `Rebel Jr', but `Rebel Jr' and `Houndog V' had higher Fe concentration in shoots than did `Falcon II'. The higher K and lower Fe accumulations in shoots could contribute to better drought tolerance of tall fescue cultivars.
In HortScience Volume 36 (2001): Issue 1 (Feb 2001)
Heat-induced Leaf Senescence and Hormonal Changes for Thermal Bentgrass and Turf-type Bentgrass Species Differing in Heat Tolerance
Yan Xu and Bingru Huang
Leaf senescence can be induced by many environmental stresses, including supraoptimal temperatures. The objectives of this study were to evaluate leaf senescence induced by heat stress for two Agrostis species contrasting in heat tolerance and to examine whether heat-induced leaf senescence in both species was associated with changes in three major senescence-related hormones: ethylene, abscisic acid (ABA), and cytokinins. Plants of heat-tolerant rough bentgrass (Agrostis scabra Willd.) and heat-sensitive creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) were exposed to 35/30 °C (day/night) (high temperature) or 20/15 °C (control) for 35 d in growth chambers. Turf quality, photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), and the contents of two pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) for both species decreased under high temperature; however, heat-tolerant A. scabra exhibited delayed and less severe decline in all parameters compared with heat-sensitive A. stolonifera. Ethylene production rate increased in both species at 35 °C, but the increase was observed 21 days later in A. scabra compared with that in A. stolonifera. ABA content increased at the initiation of heat stress and then declined in both species after prolonged heat stress. However, the timing of the increase was delayed for 7 days and the highest level of ABA content was less in A. scabra (4.0 times that of the control) than that in A. stolonifera (5.9 times that of the control). Decreases in both forms of cytokinins (transzeatin/zeatin riboside and isopentenyl adenosine) were also delayed for 14 days and less pronounced in A. scabra. Correlation analysis revealed that leaf senescence induced by heat stress was negatively correlated to ethylene and ABA accumulation and positively correlated to cytokinin production. Delayed leaf senescence in A. scabra under heat stress could be related to slower and less magnitude of changes in ethylene, ABA, and cytokinins.
Changes in Fatty Acid Composition and Saturation in Leaves and Roots of Creeping Bentgrass Exposed to High Soil Temperature
Xiaozhong Liu and Bingru Huang
Previous studies found that high soil temperature is more detrimental than high air temperature for the growth of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris L.). The objective of the study was to investigate changes in fatty acid composition and saturation levels in leaves and roots for creeping bentgrass exposed to high soil temperature. Shoots and roots of `Penncross' plants were subjected to a differential air/soil temperature of 20/35 °C in a growth chamber. Soil temperature was controlled at 35 °C using an immersion circulating heater in water bath. Shoot injury induced by high soil temperature was evaluated by measuring level of lipid peroxidation expressed as malonyldialdehyde (MDA) content, chlorophyll content, and photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) of leaves. MDA content increased while chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm decreased at high soil temperature. The content of total fatty acids and different species of fatty acids were analyzed in both leaves and roots. Total fatty acid content in leaves increased initially at 5 days of high soil temperature and then decreased at 15 days, while total fatty acid content in roots decreased, beginning at 5 days. Linolenic acid was the major fatty acid in leaves and linoleic acid and palmitic acid were the major fatty acids in roots of creeping bentgrass. Leaf content of all fatty acid components except oleic acid increased initially and then decreased at high soil temperature. Root content of all fatty acid components except palmitoleic acid and oleic acid decreased, beginning at 5 d of high soil temperature. Oleic acid in leaves and palmitoleic and oleic acid in roots did not change during the entire experimental period. Leaf content of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids increased during the first 5 to 10 days of high soil temperature and decreased at 15 and 25 days, respectively. Root content of saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids decreased beginning at 5 days of high soil temperature. Double bond index decreased in both leaves and roots. High soil temperature induced changes in fatty acid composition and saturation levels in leaves and roots, and this could be associated with physiological damages in leaves even though only roots were exposed to high temperature.
Differential Effectiveness of Doubling Ambient Atmospheric CO2 Concentration Mitigating Adverse Effects of Drought, Heat, and Combined Stress in Kentucky Bluegrass
Yali Song and Bingru Huang
Drought and heat stress can limit the growth of cool-season grass species, whereas doubling ambient CO2 has been shown to promote plant growth. The objectives of this study were to examine differential responses of shoot and root growth as well as photosynthesis and respiration to doubling ambient CO2 during drought or heat stress alone or the two stresses combined and to determine the relative effectiveness of doubling ambient CO2 in mitigating negative effects of drought or heat stress alone and in combination in a cool-season perennial grass species. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis cv. Baron) plants were exposed to ambient CO2 (400 μL·L−1) or doubling ambient CO2 (800 μL·L−1) concentrations while subjected to the following stress treatments in growth chambers: drought stress by withholding irrigation, heat stress (35 °C), or the combined two stresses for 28 days. Doubling ambient CO2 increased root and shoot growth as well as root/shoot ratio under all treatments. Doubling ambient CO2 enhanced leaf net photosynthetic rate (Pn) to a greater extent under drought or heat alone, whereas it reduced respiration rate (R), to a larger degree under heat and the combined stress, leading to a greater ratio of Pn/R. Doubling ambient CO2 mitigated adverse physiological effects of drought or heat stress alone, whereas fewer effects were observed under the combined drought and heat stress. The positive effects of doubling ambient CO2 were associated with the development of roots biomass and the maintenance of a positive carbon balance under either stress alone or the combined drought and heat stress.
Differential Responses to Heat Stress in Activities and Isozymes of Four Antioxidant Enzymes for Two Cultivars of Kentucky Bluegrass Contrasting in Heat Tolerance
Yali He and Bingru Huang
Understanding antioxidant mechanisms for heat stress is important for improving heat tolerance in cool-season plant species. The objective of this study was to identify antioxidant enzymes associated with cultivar variations in heat tolerance in kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) by comparing heat responses of activity and isoforms of antioxidant enzymes in two cultivars contrasting in heat tolerance. Plants of heat-tolerant 'Eagleton' and heat-sensitive 'Brilliant' were exposed to 20 °C (control) or 40 °C (heat stress) for 28 days in growth chambers. Chlorophyll (Chl) a content remained unchanged and Chl b content increased in 'Eagleton', while both of them decreased in 'Brilliant', and by 28 days, 'Eagleton' had significantly higher Chl a and b content than 'Brilliant'. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly higher in 'Eagleton' than in 'Brilliant' by 28 days of heat stress. An isozyme SOD2 was induced early during heat stress in 'Eagleton', while isozyme SOD3 degraded, to a lesser extent in 'Eagleton' than in 'Brilliant'. Catalase (CAT) activity significantly increased in 'Brilliant' but remained constant in 'Eagleton', and 'Brilliant' had a significantly higher CAT activity and isozyme CAT1 than 'Eagleton' during heat stress. Significant increases in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities occurred under heat stress, to a greater extent in 'Eagleton', whereas isozymes did not exhibit difference between cultivars. Guaiacol-peroxidase (POD) activity declined during heat stress in both cultivars. The intensity of POD isozymes in 'Brilliant' remained constant, while 'Eagleton' showed a transient increases in POD1 at 7 days of heat stress. Our results indicated that antioxidant defense mechanisms for heat tolerance in kentucky bluegrass could be mainly associated with changes in activity and forms of isozymes of SOD for O2 scavenging and APX activity for H2O2 scavenging under heat stress.
Leaf Protein Abundance Associated with Improved Drought Tolerance by Elevated Carbon Dioxide in Creeping Bentgrass
Patrick Burgess and Bingru Huang
Elevated CO2 may contribute toward plant tolerance to prolonged drought stress. The objective of this study was to investigate changes in protein abundance associated with mitigation of drought stress by elevated CO2 in leaves of a cool-season grass species used as fine turfgrass. Plants of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera cv. Penncross) were grown at either ambient CO2 concentration (400 µL·L−1) or elevated CO2 concentration (800 µL·L−1) for 35 days under well-irrigated and fertilized conditions and then subjected to drought stress for 21 days by withholding irrigation. Plants exposed to elevated CO2 concentration maintained higher leaf water content, membrane stability, and visual turf quality (TQ) under drought stress compared with plants grown under ambient CO2 conditions. The abundance of proteins involved in photosynthetic carbon fixation and assimilation, including chloroplastic glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase A (GAPDH-A) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RuBisCO) decreased less and the abundance of proteins involved in respiratory metabolism (i.e., cytosolic GAPDH) increased less during drought due to elevated CO2. The results suggest that elevated CO2 lessened growth and physiological damages during drought by facilitating ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate regeneration and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production in photosynthesis and downregulating factors contributing to respiratory metabolism.
Osmotic Adjustment Associated with Variation in Bentgrass Tolerance to Drought Stress
Michelle DaCosta and Bingru Huang
Osmotic adjustment (OA) is a major physiological mechanism associated with maintenance of cell turgor in response to dehydration stress. The objectives of this study were to examine changes in capacity for OA in relation to plant tolerance to drought stress for two cool-season turfgrass species, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) and velvet bentgrass (A. canina L.), and to determine major solutes contributing to OA in these grass species. Plants of `L-93' creeping bentgrass and `Greenwich' velvet bentgrass were grown in a growth chamber in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes (5 cm diameter, 40 cm high) filled with a 1:3 (v/v) sterilized mixture of sand and sandy loam soil. The experiment consisted of two soil moisture treatments: 1) well-watered control, irrigated three times per week to maintain soil moisture near pot capacity; and 2) drought stress, irrigation completely withheld. Velvet bentgrass exhibited higher drought tolerance compared to creeping bentgrass, as manifested by higher visual turfgrass quality (TQ) and leaf relative water content (RWC) under drought stress. Both creeping bentgrass and velvet bentgrass exhibited OA in response to drought stress; however, velvet bentgrass exhibited 50% to 60% higher magnitude of OA, which could be related to the maintenance of higher leaf RWC and TQ for greater drought duration compared to creeping bentgrass. OA for both creeping bentgrass and velvet bentgrass was associated with accumulation of water soluble carbohydrates during the early period of drought and increases in proline content following prolonged period of drought; however, inorganic ion content (Ca2+ and K+) did not considerably change under drought stress and did not seem to contribute to OA in these species.
In Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science Volume 131 (2006): Issue 3 (May 2006)
Changes in Carbon Partitioning and Accumulation Patterns during Drought and Recovery for Colonial Bentgrass, Creeping Bentgrass, and Velvet Bentgrass
Efficient carbon distribution and utilization may enhance drought survival and recovery ability for perennial grasses. The objectives of this study were to examine changes in carbon partitioning and carbohydrate accumulation patterns in shoots and roots of colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris L.), creeping bentgrass (A. stolonifera L.), and velvet bentgrass (A. canina L.) in response to drought and re-watering following drought, and to determine whether species variation in drought tolerance and recuperative potential is related to differences in the patterns of carbon partitioning and accumulation. The experiment consisted of three treatments: 1) well-watered control; 2) drought, irrigation completely withheld for 18 days; and 3) drought recovery, a group of drought-stressed plants were re-watered at the end of the drought treatment (18 days). Drought tolerance and recuperative ability of three species was evaluated by measuring turf quality and leaf relative water content. These parameters indicated that velvet bentgrass was most drought tolerant while colonial bentgrass had highest recuperative ability among the three species. Plants were labeled with 14CO2 to determine carbon partitioning to shoots and roots. Carbohydrate accumulation was assessed by total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) content. The proportion of newly photosynthesized 14C partitioned to roots increased at 12 days of drought compared to the pre-stress level, to a greater extent for velvet bentgrass (45%) than for colonial bentgrass (35%) and creeping bentgrass (30%). In general, the proportion of 14C was highest in roots, intermediate in stems, and lowest in leaves at 12 days of drought treatment for all three bentgrass species. As drought duration and severity increased (18 days), 14C partitioning increased more in leaves and stems relative to that in roots for all three species. Stem TNC content was significantly greater for drought-stressed plants of colonial bentgrass and velvet bentgrass compared to their respective well-watered control plants, whereas no differences in stem TNC content were observed between drought-stressed and well-watered creeping bentgrass. Our results suggest that increased carbon partitioning to roots during initial drought stress represented an adaptive response of bentgrass species to short-term drought stress, and increased carbon partitioning and carbohydrate accumulation in stems during prolonged period of drought stress could be beneficial for rapid recovery of turf growth and water status upon re-watering.
Changes in Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Lipid Peroxidation for Bentgrass Species in Response to Drought Stress
Previous investigations identified velvet bentgrass (Agrostis canina L.) as having higher drought resistance among bentgrass species. This study was designed to determine whether species variation in drought resistance for colonial bentgrass (A. capillaris L.), creeping bentgrass (A. stolonifera L.), and velvet bentgrass was associated with differences in antioxidant enzyme levels in response to drought. Plants of 'Tiger II' colonial bentgrass, 'L-93' creeping bentgrass, and 'Greenwich' velvet bentgrass were maintained in a growth chamber under two watering treatments: 1) well-watered control and 2) irrigation completely withheld for 28 d (drought stress). Prolonged drought stress caused oxidative damage in all three bentgrass species as exhibited by a general decline in antioxidant enzyme activities and an increase in lipid peroxidation. Compared among the three species, velvet bentgrass maintained antioxidant enzyme activities for a greater duration of drought treatment compared with both colonial bentgrass and creeping bentgrass. Higher antioxidant enzyme capacity for velvet bentgrass was associated with less lipid peroxidation and higher turf quality, leaf relative water content, and photochemical efficiency for a greater duration of stress compared with colonial bentgrass and creeping bentgrass. These results suggest that bentgrass resistance to drought stress could be associated with higher oxidative scavenging ability, especially for velvet bentgrass.
Drought Survival and Recuperative Ability of Bentgrass Species Associated with Changes in Abscisic Acid and Cytokinin Production
Abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinins are two groups of plant hormones that play important roles in regulating plant responses to decreases in soil water availability. The primary objective for this study was to determine whether species variability in drought survival and recovery for colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris L.), creeping bentgrass (A. stolonifera L.), and velvet bentgrass (A. canina L.) were related to changes in ABA and cytokinin content. Plants of 'Tiger II' colonial bentgrass, 'L-93' creeping bentgrass, and 'Greenwich' velvet bentgrass were subjected to two soil moisture treatments: 1) well-watered controls, irrigated three times per week; and 2) drought, irrigation completely withheld for 16 days. For recovery, previously drought-stressed plants were rewatered and irrigated three times per week to evaluate the recovery potential for each species. Drought stress resulted in significant declines in turf quality (TQ), shoot extension rates, canopy net photosynthetic rate (Pn), daily evapotranspiration rate (ET), and cytokinin content, and significant increases in ABA content for all three bentgrass species. Velvet bentgrass exhibited less severe drought injury, as exhibited by higher TQ, Pn, and daily ET rate compared with colonial bentgrass and creeping bentgrass. Velvet bentgrass also had significantly less ABA accumulation, which could allow for continued gas exchange and sustained plant survival during drought stress compared with colonial bentgrass and creeping bentgrass. Upon rewatering after drought stress, colonial bentgrass exhibited more rapid recovery in turfgrass growth and water use compared with creeping bentgrass and velvet bentgrass. The higher recuperative ability of colonial bentgrass could be associated with its more rapid decline in ABA content and increases in cytokinin content compared with creeping bentgrass and velvet bentgrass.
© 2019 American Society for Horticultural Science

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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This notice has information about your current prescription drug coverage with Coulee Medical Center and about your options under Medicare's prescription drug coverage. This information can help you decide whether or not you want to join a Medicare drug plan. Information about where you can get help to make decisions about your prescription drug coverage is at the end of the notice.


Basic equipment from the modular system.
Halle Opera House is still located in the theatre at Halle an der Saale, which was opened in 1886.
The town theatre was the most modern technical opera house in Europe alongside the opera house in Budapest in its day.
Halle Opera House is the only theatre uniquely reserved for opera in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Halle Opera House has owned modular system materials continually since 2001.
It now has an extensive basic stock of components, which are mainly used for stage sets. The theatre is able to present sophisticated and relevant stage sets in static terms by using the modular system materials, which are complemented by special structures adapted to the system. We have not only supplied the modular system, but also some special structures – e.g. a water tank for staging "Alcina" in 2012 and a special aluminium structure for the opera "Walküre". We were able to perform the planning work and the static calculations for the funnel segment of the Hunchback of Notre Dame in 2013.
Can we introduce you to our solutions bank?


With cannabis now legal in Canada, many entrepreneurs are wondering how they can participate in this flourishing new part of the economy.
In order to become a licensed cultivator or seller of medical or recreational cannabis, Canadian businesses need to be compliant with federal government regulations and, as a result, be able to provide inspectors with detailed tracking, monitoring, and reporting information on the history of every gram you grow or sell.
The cannabis market has already shown itself to be a vibrant sector of the Canadian economy, but businesses that want to sell cannabis products need to make sure they are doing so legally. This means being licensed by the federal government, as illegal distribution or sale of cannabis can carry a penalty of up to fourteen years in jail.
The federal government has drafted an extensive guide to help cultivators and sellers stay compliant, but it is up to the businesses themselves to find ways to meet these requirements. If you want to enter the cannabis industry, you will need to make sure that your operation is in line with Canadian law.
One of the key aims of Canada's Cannabis Act is keeping profits from the sale of cannabis out of the pockets of criminals, and to that end the government has introduced standards requiring cannabis products to be tracked from seed to sale.
Fortunately, there are companies that specialize in the tools producers need to keep detailed digital records for every plant grown and harvested. Using a simple barcode system, wireless scanners, and specially designed software, companies like Ample Organics make it easy for cannabis cultivators to track and record their production instantly, so high level data on each plant is stored accurately and efficiently.
Those interested in learning more about how this technology works should visit ampleorganics.com for information on how their seed-to-sale cannabis software makes cannabis compliance easier for cultivators and sellers.
The Cannabis Act is also designed to ensure that those under eighteen don't have access to cannabis products. Selling cannabis to a minor carries a fine and up to fourteen years in prison. It is also illegal to use a youth to commit a cannabis-related offence.
Businesses and cultivators need to be hyper-vigilant about who has access to their products and who is participating in the cultivation and sale of cannabis products.
As is the case with all producers who deal with controlled substances, businesses in the cannabis industry need to be able to show that their products have been grown and harvested with the utmost care and that they are compliant with government regulations from seed to sale.
Canadians who purchase cannabis for recreational or medical purposes have a right to know that the products they are buying have been grown, harvested, processed, packaged, and sold safely and responsibly. As such, cultivators and vendors have a vital roll to play in securing public trust by demonstrating to regulators and customers alike that the cannabis products they have produced meet the highest standards of quality.
Should everyone be heading to Uni?


"I received this recipe from my husband's aunt who has been serving this at her restaurant for years. Great for people who don't like bready things, because it has more custard than bread."
Blend half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a blender until smooth. Arrange bread in a 9x13-inch baking dish; sprinkle with raisins and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread.
Place baking dish in a large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or cold.
I. Doubled the bread after I read it was really wet. The flavor was great but it was still way to wet for me.
I love this recipe. I've made it three times and it always comes out so good! Thank you so much for sharing.
I made this recipe last night and it is fantastic. More custard than bread pudding but full of yummy old fashioned goodness. I will be making this again and again. Thanks.


Scarygirl creator Nathan Jurevicius re-imagines the divine Dievas of Lithuanian lore for his first-ever 8″ Dunny. As a soul-escorting owl, this black-flocked Dunny with vinyl belly plumage, bright geometric eyes, orange beak and gradient-tipped wings shepherds spirits on their eternal journey. Available at Kidrobot stores, Kidrobot .com and specialty retailers beginning February 17, the uniquely crafted Dievas retails for $75.00 (£65.00 UK; 75€ Europe) and is limited to only 1500 worldwide.


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TREASURER MOORE ANNOUNCES DECEMBER UNCLAIMED PROPERTY PAYOUTS TOP $2.2 MILLION
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – State Treasurer Riley Moore today announced his Office's Unclaimed Property Division processed more than $2.2 million in unclaimed property returns to individuals, businesses and other organizations during the month of December – one of the top 10 monthly payouts in the program's long history.
"With the launch of our West Virginia Cash Now program and continued strong claim payments, we're on track to see the highest amount of unclaimed property ever returned to our citizens this fiscal year," Treasurer Moore said. "These record payouts are a testament to our innovative efforts to reform this program – making it easier than ever for people to claim their lost funds – along with our aggressive digital marketing and public education campaigns to raise awareness of it."
The Unclaimed Property Division processed $2,269,898 worth of payments during December. That amount pushes the total amount returned by the Office for the first six months of the current fiscal year, which began last July 1, to nearly $11.8 million – already well more than half of the record $18.6 million returned last fiscal year.
In addition to the regular claims, that total includes a large payout that will be presented Tuesday, Jan. 10, at Mannington Middle School to a charitable trust founded in honor of a prominent local doctor to benefit the school's library. Those funds will be presented during a 1 p.m. event Tuesday afternoon at the school.
Treasurer Moore said his Office has more than $300 million in unclaimed property listings for individuals, businesses and other organizations. He encourages everyone to visit www.wvtreasury.com today to search and see if they have funds to claim.


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For spring/summer 2014, Rossella Jardini chose to address dressing for a range of women in black-and-white terms
Moschino 30 years on: Italy's most light-hearted label enters a new era
From 'waist of money' belts to garbage-bag dresses, Moschino has spent three decades gently ribbing planet fashion – while steadily building a style empire. As Jeremy Scott presents his debut, Rossella Jardini talks about keeping the label going after the death of its founder, Franco
Rebecca Gonsalves
Saturday 22 February 2014 01:00
The old adage that friends are the family we choose may sound trite, but it never seemed more true than behind the scenes at Moschino's 30th anniversary extravaganza in Milan last September. Bittersweet as these celebrations often are, Moschino the brand didn't shy away from the pain of its past – namely losing Moschino the man to Aids-related illness in 1994.
Before his death, Rossella Jardini was Franco Moschino's right-hand-woman; in his absence, she was appointed the brand's creative director, taking control of a brand that had become known for accessorising its clothing with wry social commentary. In the Eighties and Nineties, Moschino was one of a cabal of powerful Italian brands. Much-coveted and copied, its kudos was unassailable, not least for the way it provoked debate. Even the correct pronunciation of the name was a source of some dispute (the correct answer is Mos-kee-no by the way). With multiple sub-brands and licences and even a hotel, Moschino has expanded further than anyone foresaw, but its sass and wit remain rare attributes in Italian fashion, where sleek and sexy are so often the order of the day.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm and joy," says Jardini, when we meet before the spring/summer 14 show at Moschino's headquarters. Bill Shapiro, American-born menswear designer and long-standing member of the clan, is serving as translator while Jardini's spaniel, Charly, happily scampers around the room. "We care about other people. I think it's a bit Italian, the family thing in fashion in Italy is important – it's part of what Italian fashion is." Indeed, the dynastic element of Italian fashion houses from Gucci to Pucci, Missoni to MaxMara is in part what has allowed so many of them to become commercial juggernauts – regardless of whether offspring or an outsider is at the reins. Shapiro may joke that the Moschino family is "dysfunctional", but the emotion and trust that is involved is clear to see.
I am shown a preview of a montage of Franco Moschino's life on film – later that evening, it will be played as an introduction to the show. "I wasn't able to watch for years," says Jardini about the memories such footage provokes. "It's easier now, a little bit easier. Franco left a lot of open doors, a lot of open roads, so in that way it was difficult – he was incredibly missed, for his charisma as well as his talent."
"This is sort of a love story," she says, at once referring to the brand, the collection, and tonight's celebration. "The people who worked with Franco, the people who knew him, well he was so special. It was incredible, people really loved him – and one of the ways to keep you going through the work was the love that he had for people, and that people had back for him. Celebrating the roots of the brand is a way of keeping Franco and those people alive, a way of keeping the love alive."
The Moschino spring/summer 14 show
1/6The Moschino spring/summer 14 show
Monochrome chic
Bringing Moschino brand to a new generation
The models promenaded down the catwalk two-by-two, exploring the good girl versus bad girl dichotomy that the 'MTV crowd' lap up
"People sometimes say 'Who's your woman?', but my woman is both good and bad," says Jardini. "A collection is a reflection of who you are, and in the end everyone's good and bad."
Jardini says she is drawn to the 'good girl' persona, and the duty and devotion she's shown to the label, and the man who founded it, would certainly reflect that
Provoking debate
The brand has become known for accessorising its clothing with wry social commentary
Bowing out
The brand's creative director Rossella Jardini takes to the catwalk at the end of the spring/summer 14 show
Franco Moschino burst on to the scene with his eponymous label in 1983, and it didn't take long for stetsons, shopping bags, slogans, question marks and cow print to become signatures of his catwalk shows. They were a spectacle from the start, featuring supermodels of the day including Pat Cleveland and Violetta Sanchez, Amalia Vairelli and Gisele Zelany, who all returned to the catwalk for the anniversary celebration, wearing clothes from the archive that they had previously modelled.
"It's like a big family reunion," says Jardini. "Yesterday [when those models came for fittings] was very emotional. We said, 'No one's going to cry' and as soon as they saw each other: 'Waah!'. Alek Wek came in and said 'It's just like coming home. With all this crazy world and everything changing, it's just like coming home'."
Backstage before the show, Wek was thrilled to have been brought back into the fold: "I can't believe it's the 30-year anniversary, it's so historical, and to be a part of that is humbling". As well as affection for the team, especially Jardini, Wek feels strongly about the emotion behind the clothes: "They're clothes that every woman can wear and feel lovely [in], they can feel sexy and they can be themselves. I'm wearing one piece from the archive – it just tells you when something is great, it's timeless. The chemistry is so wonderful, it's not something you can script or make up."
"Franco felt that people should dress as they want, not as they should," says Jardini, and it's true that Moschino's message was just as important as the surrealist and ironic creations he used to convey it. Details such as a belt that spelt out 'waist of money', or a singed shirt with 'too much irony' sloganed on the back, were snapped up by those who wanted to show that they were in on the joke. But Jardini is keen to clarify that it was not Franco's aim to make fun of the way that people themselves dressed – rather to poke and prod at planet fashion. "He liked the idea of people being free to dress as they wanted," she says. "It was liberating for him."
Now the message behind the clothes may have veered away from those roots, but there is a sense of empowerment and positivity that remains inherent, as well as those signatures. "In the Eighties it was easier and there was a lot less pressure – it was a little bit more free," says Jardini, before reeling through the collections, pre-collections and licences under the umbrella of Moschino brands she must oversee. Although Moschino has never been a label that takes itself too seriously, it is a business and an important one, generating nearly 60 per cent of parent group Aeffe SpA's sales.
Later that evening at the packed show venue, as the supermodels took to the catwalk accompanied by Gloria Gaynor performing "I Am What I Am", it was clear from the audience's reaction that this was a fashion moment for the ages. The personality of those glamazons on stage as they revelled in their return to the spotlight was truly spectacular, and threw into sharp relief how impeccably polished and professional modern shows may be, but that they are far more bland because of it. After all, it's not easy to impress the fashion world, many of whom have been there, done that and got the (slogan) T-shirt the first time around.
Understandably, that reverence to a founder whose brand has existed for nearly twice as long without him as it did with him, is an emotionally fraught tightrope to walk. "When I see Rossella get emotional, it's hard to be strong," says Shapiro as he shows me the brand's extensive archive the day after the show. "It was hard for her when Franco died, not only taking on the workload, but not having him there as a friend or colleague – but she kept it together." And then there's that 'f' word again: "You get protective of one another and you form a family."
From the beginning, Moschino has been about family – not only creating that bond between colleagues, but also reaching out to bring people into the fold. In Italy, when in need, first you look to your family, explains Shapiro: "When Franco had to have garbage bags [for a dress from spring/summer 1994], one of the women we work with, her mother had to go out and buy the garbage bags – everyone's involved!"
That garbage-bag dress, from one of Franco's final collections, was one of a handful to be included in the Metropolitan Museum's punk-themed exhibition last summer. Looking through the archive, there are many pieces that are symbolic of their time, providing a commentary on whatever social issue needed to be prodded and poked into the public consciousness. But what's surprising is how they still resonate; the fit may need adjusting here or there, but actually many of the pieces still look modern – proof, perhaps, of how ahead of its time the brand once was, no matter who was at the helm.
"It's funny when people who work here talk about Franco's designs, and really it's Rossella's work," confides Shapiro. Moschino's larger-than-life persona may have overshadowed Jardini's achievements, but her shyness and reluctance to step in to the spotlight, coupled with her affection for her late boss, imply there is nowhere else she'd rather have spent the past two decades.
"In the first years I asked myself, 'What would Franco do?'," says Jardini. "But I stopped because he wasn't answering. I started listening to my heart instead." For spring/summer 2014, Jardini chose to address dressing for a range of women in black-and-white terms. And so the models promenaded down the catwalk two-by-two, exploring the good girl versus bad girl dichotomy that the 'MTV crowd' (Rihanna, Cara Delevingne, et al) lap up, all while bringing Moschino brand to a new generation. "People sometimes say 'Who's your woman?', but my woman is both good and bad," says Jardini. "A collection is a reflection of who you are, and in the end everyone's good and bad."
Jardini says she is drawn to the 'good girl' persona, and the duty and devotion she's shown to the label, and the man who founded it, would certainly reflect that.
Now, though, that duty is over. Almost 20 years after Franco Moschino's death, and just a month after the anniversary celebration, Jeremy Scott was announced as the new creative director for the brand. Fittingly, the American designer was a former Moschino intern, making him just another family member who has returned to the fold. In Aeffe's statement, Jardini was thanked for "her enormous contribution in keeping the spirit of Moschino alive ... Her creativity and tenacity drove the brand on and Rossella Jardini will always remain a crucial part of our history".
It's unclear, as yet, how Scott will continue that heritage: this piece went to press before his highly-anticipated catwalk debut for the brand. An insider reveals that London stores are courting Moschino in a way they haven't in years, while following the press presentation of Scott's Moschino pre-collection in New York in January, customers are already surging into boutiques and eagerly clamouring for his creations.
There's evidently plenty more left to tell in the Moschino story. Now, it's time for the next chapter.
The new Mr Moschino
By Alexander Fury
Moschino's new man, Jeremy Scott, may hail from Missouri rather than Milano, but his tongue-in-cheek chic is molto Moschino. Designing under his own label since 1996 (the late British fashion editor, Isabella Blow, was an early and vocal supporter), Scott has created dresses printed to look like credit cards, swimsuits that open like conch-shells around the models' heads, and for one memorable Paris show – titled 'American Excess' – tossed bales of dollar bills bearing his face into the crowd.
A graduate of New York's Pratt Institute who has shown his eponymous collection in Paris, London and, now, back in New York, Scott feels like the perfect fit for the house. He even interned for Moschino's US press office in his final college year. Besides all that, Scott has that very rare thing in fashion: a sense of humour. Couple that with his design talent, and a taste for ironic opulence, and he's the perfect choice to safeguard Franco's fashion legacy.
1/1Moschino 30 years on: Italy's most light-hearted label enters a new
Moschino 30 years on: Italy's most light-hearted label enters a new


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James Sparvero, Reporter
Published: February 24, 2017, 1:41 pm
Tags: News, Local, Brevard County, Strange Florida
Florida mom forgets 3-year-old child in Publix parking lot, deputies say
Cars nearly hit abandoned child
PORT ST. JOHN, Fla. – A 3-year-old child was left wandering around a Publix parking lot Thursday evening after the mother forget her child at the store, the Brevard County Sheriff's Office said.
Witnesses at the Port St. John grocery store called authorities around 7:20 p.m. to report that the cars were nearly hitting a child who was roaming the parking lot alone.
"Several witnesses said they had almost hit the kid because the kid was wandering through the parking lot," Sheriff Wayne Ivey told News 6 Friday.
Deputies tried for 45 minutes to find the child's parents until Stacy Sifuentes, 36, arrived at the scene and said she was the child's mother, according to the affidavit. Sifuentes smelled of alcohol and seemed lethargic, deputies said.
"The mom wreaked of alcohol, had really no idea how her child was left in the parking lot," Ivey said.
The mother told deputies that she realized the child was missing when she returned home and her father asked her where the child was, the report said. She returned to Publix to find the child.
"Don't get me wrong, there's probably not a parent out there that hasn't had that sick feeling where they momentarily lost sight of their child and we all know how that feels," Ivey said. "This was not that feeling. This was simply, didn't have enough faculties about her to know that she had even abandoned her child."
Sifuentes is charged with felony child neglect without great bodily harm.
She was booked in the Brevard County Jail Thursday night and was released on a $2,000 bond.
Her next court date has not been set.
Adrienne Cutway
Adrienne Cutway joined News 6's digital team in October 2016 to cover breaking news, crime and community interest stories. She graduated from the University of Central Florida and began her journalism career at the Orlando Sentinel.
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James Sparvero
James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.


After 15 years of owner/operating restaurants in Mornington I decided to take a creative change in late 2014 to do something I really enjoyed.
I make hand formed polymer clay jewellery.
Tell me about the person you are in every day life.
I am married with two children, Soleil 14 and Levi 12 that keep me busy. I love starting my day with coffee with friends after school drop off before hitting my studio for the day.
Tell me why you love creating your products or brand?
I love to be able to give people affordable, bold statement pieces to add to any outfit and to suit all age groups young and old.
I get a kick out of seeing people on the street wearing my jewellery that I have made from scratch with my bare hands. I'm constantly thinking of new designs all day every day, I love it!
Tell me about the space you work in to create your products.
I am so lucky and grateful that I have a room at home set up for my studio where I can let my creative juices flow.
Does your family help or have any input to what you create?
My whole family helps at very busy times when I have big orders to get done. I'm extremely lucky that my daughter Soleil is very creative and loves to help me roll the beads. She's such a perfectionist like me every bead has to be perfect! My son and husband helps thread and pack orders.
My business is growing to the point where I am looking at how to use my time more efficiently, while keeping everything still totally handmade. I love buying things locally handmade and think it's very important to keep that going.
I have some amazing stockists, I would love to see my jewellery in more retails stores within Australia maybe even overseas and to also keep my work balanced between family life and to keep doing what I love!!
We have some crazy talented, creative people here on the Mornington Peninsula and getting to meet and buy from these under one roof is amazing! There is always such a positive buzz, we will always keep coming back!
THANK YOU SAMANTHA, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO LET US SEE INTO YOUR CREATIVE DESIGN WORLD!
MEET THE MAKER: Emma from "Harlz & Haven"


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Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo (born January 8, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on television and in independent films in both the UK and US. Forbes first gained attention from her dual role in daytime soap opera Guiding Light, for which she received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination. She is also a Saturn Award winner with three nominations. Although she has appeared in significant roles in movies such as Escape from L.A., Kalifornia and Swimming with Sharks, Forbes is known for her recurring appearances on genre and drama shows such as Ensign Ro Laren in Star Trek: The Next Generation and her regular role as Dr. Julianna Cox on Homicide: Life on the Street during the 1990s, while building her career with recurring roles throughout the 2000s in Battlestar Galactica, 24, In Treatment, Durham County, Prison Break and her series regular role as Maryann Forrester on True Blood. Read more on Wikipedia.
Born Name: Michelle Renee Forbes Guajardo
Born: Jan 08, 1965 in Austin, TX, United States
Dear Sidewalk
Escape from L.A.
GenreShort Film
GenreComedy, Drama, Romance
GenreComedy, Crime
GenreCrime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
GenreAction, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
GenreComedy, Horror, Romance