A woman journalist who reported on the practice of female genital mutilation in Liberia has gone into hiding after receiving death threats, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
Mae Azango, a reporter for the daily "FrontPage Africa" and New Narratives, a project supporting independent media in Africa, published an article on 8 March describing how tribes carry out female genital mutilation on as many as two out of every three girls in the country.
After the article was published, Azango received death threats that forced her to leave her home. "They left messages and told people to tell me that they will catch me and cut me so that will make me shut up," she told CPJ.
Wade Williams, the editor of "FrontPage Africa", said that several people around town had confronted her over the article, which was widely discussed on radio programmes. Williams also said that the newspaper and its personnel were receiving threatening phone calls. "They said that for us putting our mouth into their business, we are to blame for whatever happens to us," Wade told CPJ.
National Police Deputy Director Al Karley said he had made Azango's case a high priority.
CPJ has appealed for help from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, "as Africa's first and only female head of state and a champion of women's rights."
"We believe your political leadership is required to ensure the government will take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and well-being of this journalist," said CPJ in the letter.
Female genital mutilation is a taboo subject in other parts of Africa, too. In 2010 in the Gambia, authorities arrested women's rights activist and journalist Amie Bojang-Sissoho and Dr. Isatou Touray with the Gambia Committee on Traditional Harmful Practices, an organisation that campaigns against female genital mutilation and other discriminatory practices. They were freed only after international media drew attention to their case but they remain on trial on trumped-up charges of embezzlement, reports the World Organisation Against Torture.
In February 2009, four female journalists were taken hostage in Kanema, Sierra Leone, by members of a traditional female group called the Bondo Society, reported Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA). The group contested the journalists' reporting of female genital mutilation practices in the county.
Popular reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly has been threatened and banned from his home country Côte d'Ivoire for singing songs on controversial issues, including female genital mutilation.
Read Azango's article, "Growing Pains: Sande Tradition of Genital Cutting Threatens Liberian Women's Health", here.

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Oh, Please. Liberia is not the only country with female genital mutilation,. Egypt leads the world with a whopping 90% rate but I do not see anyone talking about that. paint Africa barbaric and see how the international media salivate over it. Nobody is threatening Azango because female genital mutilation is practiced by only about 30% of people in Liberia. why should anyone want to threatened her? Books have been written about this and I do not see any threats against the authors.
AGAIN THIS THE WEST AND THEIR NGOS WHO COME INTO AFRICA NOT EVENREALISING THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE OLDER THAN THEY ARE IN ANY CIVILSED WAYS . AFRICA HAS BEEN THE MAIN PROTAGNIST OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR WORDL WIDE. THE ADVENT OF THE EUROPEANHAS BEEN ANTI AFRICAN. YES!! THIS HAS BEEN PART OF A SUCCESSFUL PLOT TO UNDSERMINE AND ATTRIBUTE EVERYTHING AFRICAN AS UNCIVILSED BARBARIC SAVGE AND SO ON. HISTORY TAUGHT US THAT WHEN THE AFRICANS WERE FORCED TO FLEE EUROPE AFTRE BEINGT HERE FOR 700MYEARS THEY HAD SETTLED THERE BRRINGING ISLAM UNIVERSITIES BOOKS OF SCIENCE MEDICINE AND MANY MORE ARCHITECTURE THEY ATUGHT EUORPE MUCH MORE THAN ROME OR ANT ONE TO WHOM THEY GIVE ALL THIER CREDIT TO. THIS WAS A WAY TO INSULT AND DEHUMANISE US TO ERASE US FROM HISTORY. THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT TECHNOL;OGY WOUL; BE THEIR DOWNFALL EVEN THOUG THEY HAVE CIRCULATED MANY BOOKS TO DEFEAT AND DENY THE IMPORTANTS OF THE AFRICAN AND ITS TRUE IDENTITY . AFRICAHAS FOUND AWAY TO DEFINE ITSELF AND RECOGNISE THE TRUTH. VERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE MADE TABOO IN AFRICA WE SE THATB IS PRACTRISED WORLD WIDE AND THEY ARE JUST ATINY MINORTIY TRYING TO IMPOSE THEIR WILL UPON ALL AFRICANS. JUST AS IN THE ISSUE OF SODOMY THEY WANT US TO BELIVE IN THIS AS SOMETHING GOOD AND SOME THING TO FOLLOW YET WE KNOW FROM BEING TRUE TO OURSELVES THAT THIS SOEMTHING THAT WE WOULD NEVR LOOK TO ACCEPT AS PART OF ORU TRADITIONS. THEY COULD HUFF AND PUFF BUT THEY WONT BLOW THIS DOOR DOWN. AS WE BECOEM WISER WE SEE THAT THE EURPEANS WERE DENYING US OUR CULTURE BECAUSE THEY WERE ON APOWER TRIP. THEY WANTED US TO BECOME SUBMISSIVE SO THEY DROVE ALL THE PARCTISES UNDEGROUND. WHAT WE HAD BEFORE ALL OF THIS WERE WOMEN WHO WERE VERSED IN FEMALE CUTTYINGS THIS WA SOMETHING THAT WAS TAUGHT MANY THOUSAND SOF YEARS BEFRE THE WHITES CAME INTO AFRICA. BECAUSE OF THEIR INETRFERNE THOSE WHO WERE THE SA TODAY WE WOULD SAY PRFESSIONALS WERE NO LONEGR THERE TO SUPPORT AND TEACH TO THE YOUNEGR ONES ; ALSO BECAUSE OF SLAVERY THIS INTERUPTED ALL OF AFRICAS TRUE HISTORY IN A VERY BIG WAY. MANY PEOPLE FLED THE CITIES T GO T BUSH AND MANY WERE LEFT TO GROW THEMSELVES AS PARENTS WERE TAKEN INTO SLAVERY AND THE HUMAN ASPECT OF THE AFRICAN CONTINENT BECAME FRAYED FOREVER. WHAT I SAY TO AFRICA TODAY IS BEPROUD OF WHAT VER IT IS THAT YOU DO THERE IS NO NEED TO LISTEN TO FAIRY TALES ABOUT AFRIC AAS THEY WERE ALL LIES . WE FIND THAT THERE GREAT CIVILSATIONS IN AFRICA EVEN BEFORE THE EUROPEANS WERE APEOPLE AS SUCH. AFRICA DURING THE 15THCENTURYT WAS NO HWERE NEAR UNCIVILSED IN ANY WAY ESPECIALLY NOT WET AFRICA / MOST OF WEST AFRICA WERE EITHER MUSLIMS OR ISRAELITES . THAT TRADITION STILL LIES IN THE AFRICAN HEART EVN THOUGH THEY HAVE FLIRTED WITH CHRISTIANITY WHITE EURPEAN STYLE WHERE THY FIND THAT A WHITE GUY IS JESUS WHO IS PROCLAIMED GOD. HISTORY ISTEACHINGTHAT JESUS WAS IN NO WAY WHITE EVEN A LITLE BIT HE WAS DEFINITELY A DARKSINNED MAN. HSITORY ALSO TEACHES US THAST DURING THE BIRTH OF JESUS EGYPT WAS STILL PRIMARILY BLACK . JESUS SPENT ALOT OF TIME IN ETHIOPIA AS ALL THE POPHETS DID. WE NOW KNOW THAT AFRICA WAS WHERE CIVILIZATION BEGAN FULL STOP. WE DID NOT WAIT 995 HUNDRE THOUSAND YEARS TO BECOME CIVILSED BY WHITES THAT IS TOTAL MADNESS AND EVN WHEN THESE RACIST LISTEN TO THEMSELVES THEY CAN NOT BELIEVE THAT RUBBISH. SOMETHINSG WE HAVE DOEN IN THE PAST WE MUST LEARN TO STERILISE UTENSILS AND ALSO GET PROFESSIONAL DOCTORS TO CIRCUMCISE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT PEOPLE FROM EUROEP CAN COME INTO AFRICA AND DEFINE TRADITONAL VALUES HAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. AFRICA MUST DEFINE THEIR OWN VALUES . WE ARE NOT GOING INTO THE WEST TELLING THEM MUST STOP SODOMISING EACH OTHER SO THEY SHOULD TO HAVE ANY SAY IN AFRICA. THE TRUTH IS THEY CONDEMNED EVERYTHING AFRICAN AS TO LEGALISE SLAVERY AND KEEP US IN CHECK. THIS ADDED TO THE PSYCHE THAT WE WERE SAVCAGES AND HEY AHVE TO TEACHGUS HOW TO BE CIVILSED. CIVILSED PEOLE DO NOT TREAT HUMANITY AS THEY HAD TREATED US THEY WERE THE BARBARIANS OF ALL TIME. THE INDO ARYANS WERE THE FIRST TO COME INTO AFRICA WITH SLAVERY AFRICANS WERRE NOT ENSALVERS AT ANYTIME . AFRICA HAD THE HIGHEST OF CIVILISATIONS WHEN THE PEOPLE OF AISA BECAME CIVILSDE AFTER WE WENT INTO AFRICA AND CIVILSED THEM THE ORIGINAL AUSTROLOID BLACK MAN DID NOT HAVE THE SMAE HIGH INFRASTRUCTRUAL MANTALITY AS THE AFRICAN. WE BROUGHT CVILSATION ALLOVER THE PLANET THSI WHY TILL TOADY EVERYTHING THAT IS IDENTIFIABLY BLAK THEY CLAIM THAT ALIENS WERE HERE THEY FROM OUTA SPACE CAME TO EARTH AND DID THESE THINSG. WE SHOUDL AS BLACK PEOPLE TAKE THESE SLIGHTS AMCOMPLIMENT. THIS ONLY GOES T SHOW HOW LIMITED THEIR CAPACITY FOR LEARNING IS THEY DO NOT TRULY KNOW A THING. TODAY AFRICA IS IDENTIFIABLY DIFFERNT WE ARE STANDING ORU GROUND WE WILL; NTO COMPRMISE WHAT IS ORU DIGNITY FOR SCRAPS WHEN WE KNWO WE ARE VALUED IN THE ZILLIONS IF WE WERE TO TRULY EXPAND ON THE IEA OF UNTIISING ONE CURRENCY BACKED WITH ALLOUR COMMOMODIIES WE WOULD BE THE KINGS OF THE PLANET WHICH WE ALWAYS WERE. AFRICA THIS CONTIENT IS THE LAND OF KINGS AND QUEENS TRUE KINSG AND QUEENS. WE HAD GREAT NATIUONS OF PEOPLE NO LITTLE TRIBES AS THEY WANT TO DEFINE WHOM WE WEREE. WE LOST OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION DURING THE ATLANTIC CROSSING SO WE WERE A CONTINET FULL AND EXPLOSIVE F PEOLE AND CULTURES. DO NTO BE CONFUSED OR UNDERMINED BY THEIR PROPOGANDA ALL THEY HAVE TAUGHT US HS ALL BEEN LIES NOT ONLY DID THEY LIE TO US THEY LIED TO THEMSELVES. AFRICA MOTEHR AFRICA IFTHIS WAS TAUGHT BY OUR ANCIENST THEN IT MUST BE RIGHT I HAVE NOT FOUND ANYSOND THING THAT IS SAVAGE PRIMITIVE OR CONTRARY TO HUMANITY ON THIS GRACIOUS CONTINENT. EVERYTHING THAT AFRICA DOES IS BLESS. WE SHOUDL NTO BE PUT OFF BY WHAT WE HAVE REMEBERED FROM OUR PAST AND HAVE PRESERVDS WE MSUT USE OUR INTELLIGENCE AND DO IT MORE INLINE WITH WAHT WE NOW CANSEE FOR OURSLVES I THE RIGHT WAY TO DOTHINGS. WHAT WE MUST ALSO DO IS GET RID OF THES NGOS WHO COEM TO INTRDUCE ANTI AFRICAN WAYS . THERE WAYS ARE CORRUPT AS THEY TRY TO COEM, TO AFRICA TO TURN ORU CHILDREN INTO FOOLS AND PUPPETS SO THEY CAN COME INTO AFRICA AND PRACTISE THEIR NASTINESS. THEY ALREADY HAVE OPUR CHILDRENTURNED INTO WHORES ANF HARLOTS . THSI WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT PRACTISED IN AFRICA ONHE CONTINENT ESPECIALLY IN WEST AFRICA. THIS A EUROPEAN INTERVENTION ONTHIS CONTIENET. LET US BE CLEAR WE HAD PLYAGMY THE IDEOLOGY THAT MAN SHOUDL HAVE MANY WIVES THERE WAS NO NEED FRO PROSTITUTION MOST WOMEN WERE MARRIED SO THERE WAS NO NEEDFRO PROSTITUTES. THE TIEM OF THE S PARCTISES THE MAN WAS VERY GENEROS IN HOW HE RAN HIS HOEM THERE WAS LOVE FOR ALL HSI WIVES AS WELL AS LOVE FOR HIS CHILDREN. THERE WAS ASTRONG HIERARCHY WHERE ORGANSIATION WAS PRELAVENTAND MAN DID NOT NEED TO STARY SHOUDL HE DESIRE ANOTHER HE WOULD THENWED ANOTHER WIFE SO AGAIN PROSTITUTION WAS WHEN THEY BROGUHT CONFUSION INTO AFRICA . THEY BROUTGHT ALL THEIR NASTINES SO NOW THE LAST FRONTIER IS SODOMY. WE MUST THANK AND PRASIE " ALMIGHTY GOD" FOR HE IS SO GREAT" WHEN "OUR LORD" CONTINUED TO SEE HOW MUCH WE HIS CHILDREN HAD FALLEN PREY TOP SATN AND HSI MINIONS HE SENT HIS ANGELS UPON THE EARTH TO GATHER ALL HIS CHILDREN TO REMIND THAM THAT "HE IS THIER LORD" WE HAVE COME TO REALITY OF SELF AND CONTINENT. WE ARE NOT LYING WHEN WE SAY THAT WE ARE CULTURALLY OPPOSE T SUCH RADICAL IDEAS ASTHE LEGALSISATION FO SODOMY THAT WAS A GREAT INSULT TO US AND " OUR LORD" WHEN "OURLORD" HEARD SUCH DIABOLICAL THINSG "HE WAS VERY ANGRY HE WOULD NEVER ALOW HIS BELOVED CONTINENT TO FALL VICTIM TO SUCH DEPRAVITY. WE SUFFRED MIGHTILY AT THE HANDS OF THESE PEOPLE THEY HAVE VICTIMS US A PROUD AND WZIE PEOPLE. WE FROM THE WEST OF AFRICA HAD HIGH STANDARDS OF LIVNG WE LIVED WITH THE LOVE OF GD AND WERE WELL LOOKED AFTER. WE AT THE TIME WERE THE EARTHS GRETAEST SUPLYERS OF GOLD WE TRAVELD AND TRADED ALL OVER THE PLANET . ALL THESE THINSG HAVE BEEN TURNED AND GIVEN AS HSITORY OF OTHER PEOPLES TODAY WE ARE RECLAIMING ORU TRE HISTORY WE NEED NOT FEEL INADEQUATE . WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO SEEK FREINFS OUTDIE OF EUORPE WHO WANST TO ASSIST US IN TH SCEINCES MATHEMATICS AND TECHNOL;OGY ONCE WE HAVE REAQUIRED OUR SKILLS AT MASTERING THESE ARTS WE WILL RETURN TO ORU GLORY. WE MUST RMEBER THAT WERE GOLD SMELTERS DIAMOND CUTTERS. IF WE ARE T BELIVE THE WHITES THYE CAME AND FOUND ALL THESE THINSG AND INTRDUCED THEM TO US THIS IS A FALACY. WE WONT WORY ABOUT THEIR HISTORIC LIES AND DISENFRANCHISEMENT FROMTHEIR STORY WE WILL REWRITE OOUR OWN STORY A MODERN STORY THT WILL SURPAS THEM IN ALL GERATNESS. WE DO NEED TO ROB ANBD STEAL WE D NEED TO BE FRAUDSTERS WE DO NEEDD TO BE ENSALVERS AND BARBRIANS . WER WERE ENEVR CUT FROM THT CLTH; LOOK AT YOUR HISTORY MODERN HISTROY HOW THAT BLOODY CIVIL WAR YET TOADY YOU HAVE EMBRACED AND FORGIVEN EACH OTHER. THEY D NT HAVE THIS TYPE F MENTALITY THEY LIKE TO IMPRISION AND ENSLVE THIS SI NTO THE AFRICAN WAY. WE ARE FORGIVING PEOPLE IF WE DO NOT FORGIVE HOW CAN"ALMIGHTY GOD" BE EXPECTED TO FORGIVE US. WHAT WE HAVE THAT IS GREATER THAN ALL THE PEPLE ONTHE PLANET IS BELIEF AN FAITH WE HAVE NTO LOST ORU FAITH WE MIGH HAVE BEEN SEPERATED FROMOUR FAITH BUT TDAY WE CAN PROCLAIM THAT WE ARE BELIVERS AND WE KNOW WHO THE TRUE GOD IS " HE IS MIGJHTY" HE IS GLORIOUS AND "" HE IS KING". WEST AFRICA WILL NEVER ALLOW ITSELF TO BE TORN BY SUCH HATE CRIMES AGIAN THE LIKES OF SLAVERY AN THAT DEHUIMANISATION N !! NEVR "" WE WILL NTO ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE ATKEN AS INFERIOR OR SERBVANTS OF ANY OTHERS WE WILL NOT BE COLONISED AS WE ARE NOT SUBJECTS OF ANY OTHER NATION EXCEPT THE SOVEREIGN AFRICAN CONTINENT WHOM IS KING" AFRICA IS ALLIED ITSELF WITH NO OTHER THAN THE "ALMIGHTY GOD2 IN HIM DO WE TRUST AND "HE " ALONE WILL WAGE OUR BATTLES. AFRICA HAS REKINDLED ITS LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE ONE UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLA THT IS SOVEREIGN ABOVE ALL ELSE THAT THERE IS ONLY THE "ONE ALMIGHTY GOD" THE UNDEFEATABLE " ALL THOSE WHO THINKS THATS A LIE TRY HIM!!! I GUARANTEE THAT ALL YOUR EFFORTS WILL COME TO NAGHT. GIVE IT A GO. ALL THOSE WHO DONT BELIVE THAT THERE IS THIS GERAT POWER THAT IS NOT TO BE TESTED AND NOT TO BE DENIED WILL FIND OUTN HIS WRATH .MANY OF YOU STILL HAVE NOT RECOGNISED THE GREAT DROUGHT IN SOMALIA WHILE THY WERE DROPING BOMBS ALLOVER LIBAY THEY DID NOT STOP ONE MINUTE TO DROP FOOD AND WATER. WHEN THE WAR THEY CREATED ENDED THEY FINAALY OPENED THEIR EYES AND SAID OH"" THERE IS HUNGER AN STARVATION IN AFRICA BUT GUESS WHAT AFRICA PROVIDED FRO ITSLEF. YES THERE WAS SOME AID FRM IRAN AND TURKEY BUT AFRICANS PROVIDE FRO AFRICA FOR THE VERY FIRTS TIEM WE DID NOT NEED THEM TO RPOVIDE AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS REWERDING THAT NOT LONG AFTER ; "OUR LORD" SENT PLENTIFUL RAISN THT HE REPOPULATED ALL THE DEAD ROOTS THEY WERE SPORUTING WITH NEW LIFE VIBRABT LIFE.!!YES!!! BROTHERS AND SISTERS WE WERE NOT TOLD OF THIS IRACLE INTHEIR PRESS THEY ENGINERED ANOTHER WAR TO SHWQ UNGRATEFULNES AS TO NOT HAVE TH EPEOPLE BELIVE THAT THE "GLORY OF THE " ALMIGHTY GOD" GOD" IS ALIVE " WE WERE NOT TO LOOKAN SEE THAT , THAT WAS A MIRACLE. THYE WERE NOT NEEDED AS "OUR LORD" PROVIDED ALL THAT WAS NEEDED. SO IT IS TODAY THAT WE MUST FIND FAITH IN WHAT WE KNOW IS THE TRUTH WE FIND MIRACLES EVERYDAY AND WE MUST GIVE "OUR KING THE ONE ALMIGHTY GOD" ALL THE GLORY. HE HAS BLESSED US WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WERE DESOLATE AND WITHOUTHOPE "HE" POVIDED HANDSOMELY FOR US. AFRICA WE MUST NOT ATKE THINSG OR GRANTED WE MUST TRUST BTHAT WHAT WE RECICE IS A BLESSINGA NDWE WEREMEANT TO LOOK AFTRE TH EARTH W MUST BE CONSCIOUS AT ALL TIMES. WE MUST NEVER ALLOW OURSLVES TO BECOME LIKE THOSE WHO WERE ENSLAVERS AN THE LIARS TO ORU CHILDREN THEY MISUSED AND ABUSED US THEY TAUGHT US UNTRUTHS THINSG THAT WOUDLD NOT LEAD US ON THE PATH TO SALVATION. WE OURSLVES AHVE FOUND ORU WON WAY THY WOULD LIKE TO TKE THE GLORY FOR WHAT THE "KING OF ALL THE EARTH" HAS DOEN FR US. FOR HE HAS GIVEN US THIS PSALM "WHEN MOTHER AND FATHER FORSAKE THEE "I" WILL NEVER " THIS MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS I WILL LEAVE YOU WITH NEVR ABANDON WHAT IT IS THAT WE KNWO TO BE RIGHT FOR THEY HAVE ONLY BEENDECPTIVE AND LIARS ALL THE EXPERIENCES WE AHVE HAD WITH THEM . TODAY IS ANEEW DAWN WE NEED TECHNOLOGY ATHMATICS AN DSCINCES ANYTHING ELSE IS JSUT RUBBISH WE DONT NEED IDEOLOGIES AS WE ARE THE CONTINET OF PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURES SO THOSE THINGS WE DO NOT NEED WE NEED MORE ESSENTIAL THINSG THINGS TO TEACH OUR YOUTHS. WE NEED MRE DOCTORS PHARMACIS TO USE THE HERBS AND BUSHES TO DISPENSE AND THEM AND MEDICALY PRISCRIBE THEM WIHT EH ADDITION OF NEW SCEINCES. TECHNOLOGY IS A MUST WE NEED SKILLED PEOPLE TO MANGE OUR NEW INDUSTIRES. WE ALSO WANT EDUCATED MATHEMTICIAN SO THY WONT ROB AN DCHEAT US. THIS IS WHY EDUCATION EDUCATION WE NEED TO SEDN OUR CHILDREN TO ASIA WHERE THEY WILL NTO BEOUT OF PLACE HWERE THEY WILL BE TAUGHT . I BEG OF AFRICA TO DRAFT SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CARRIBEAN WHO ARE VERY EDUCATED BUT THERE ARE NO JOBS LET AFRICA BE THEIR DESTINATION WITH MORE FAMILIESS BRINGG THEIR EXPERIENCE AND KNOWEDGE . DO NOT LET THEM GIVE IT TO THSE WH ARE BNOT WORTHY. I WILL SAY THAT MANY YOUNG AFRICANS IN AMERICAAND ENGLAND ARE EBNIFITING FROM THE TEACHERS WHO COEMFROMTHE CARRIBEAN. I SAY TO AFRICA OPEN YOUR HEART AND YOUR EYES THESE ARE QUALIFIED PEOPLE WHO WOULD BEINSTRUMENATL IN THIS GLORIOUS PATH IN WORLD J HISTORY. AFRICA NEVER EVER LOOK BACK DO NOT STEAL ALOO BACK INTO NEGATIVITYY. RMEBER LOST WIFE SHE WAS WARNED THAT TO LOOK BACK WOULD BE UTTER DESTRUCTION BUT SHE COULD NTO RSIST THE POWER OF SATAN AND ENDED HERLIFE AS A PILLAR OF SALT . AFRICA THE TEACHING IS WIZE AND MERCILESS "DO NOT BECOME SALT