Weather is Cool

Cumulonimbus clouds above Africa.

A Good Fatwa

Reuters reports that Mauritanian imams have issued a fatwa against female genital mutilation. Cheikh Ould Zein, secretary general of the Forum of Islamic Thought in Mauritania said the following:

“Are there texts in the Koran that clearly require that thing? They do not exist. On the contrary, Islam is clearly against any action that has negative effects on health. Now that doctors in Mauritania unanimously say that this practice threatens health, it is therefore clear that Islam is against it.”

Innovative Orphanage

A Tanzanian orphanage has taken an innovative approach to dealing with the many orphaned infants, who often follow their mothers to the grave, due to lack of medical care and nutrition. These children are not put up for adoption, nor do they spend their entire childhood in the orphanage. They stay until their 2nd or 3rd birthday, cared for by workers and "bintis." A binti is a female relative who comes to live & care for the child at the orphanage. This allows the child to bond with a permanent caregiver, and it also allows the binti to receive education she otherwise would not. The Berega Orphanage is small, caring for only 20 or so infants and toddlers -- a tiny drop in the sea of 50 million African orphans -- but they are saving lives, one orphaned infant at a time.

Virgin Rape Myth

There is a dangerous myth in Zimbabwe that men will be cured of HIV/AIDS if they have sex with a virgin. This advice -- given by some traditional healers -- is one reason behind rapes. These rape victims are often young girls. CNN briefly profiles a child-rape survivor (now age 37) who has been fighting against this abuse. Due to threats on her life, she now lives in the UK.