A Swedish politician has been accused of racism and bigotry after she was pictured with a cake art installation meant to highlight the issue of female genital mutilation.
Culture minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth was presented with the cake at World Art Day in Stockholm, where she was invited to give the monstrosity a "clitoridectomy", reports the Swedish newspaper Friatider.
The cake was part of an art installation made by Makode Aj Linde whose head was part of the "performance" presentation to Liljeroth.
In videos from the exhibition, the head of the cake (Linde) screams, as if in pain, while visitors crowd around.
However the artist's intention of highlighting the issue of female circumcision backfired, sparking anger and accusations from the African community in Sweden, the Local newspaper said.
People also took to Twitter to vent their anger over the installation, labelling it "racist" and "repulsive".
Female genital mutilation is the removal of part or all of the external female genitalia. In its most severe form, a woman or girl has all of her genitalia removed and then stitched together, leaving a small opening for intercourse and menstruation. It is practiced on the pretext of cultural tradition or hygiene.
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How can Makode Aj Linde talk and get awareness on an unspeakable issue except by a shocking visual which everyone can understand? The problem here is that the number of people who misunderstood his vision are far greater than those who got the message right.
Racist - a person who believes in racism, the doctrine that a certain human race is superior to any or all others.
please show me how this is racist? Makode, who made the cake is mixed race, but if your white and seen near the cake then you are racist? some people have really lost the plot
Rupert_Tumblefish: Racist - a person who believes in racism, the doctrine
I can guarantee those that screamed "racist" are white middle class do gooders who know next to nothing about the issue being raised and see racsim where it does not exist.......
tetleys: I can guarantee those that screamed "racist" are white middle
I don't think white females get circumcised do they? if not, then the colour needs to be there to be an accurate reflection of the message they are trying to send. When Chinese women had their feet bound, it would have made no sense to make a cakedepicting bound feet on a western woman would it? Racism isn't racism if it is fact!
SuperDoc2: I don't think white females get circumcised do they? if
Female genital mutilation is an important issue that needs to be addressed totally. Have they gone about this the right way? Not sure. Coz people are talking about something else, race in this case. I support new & novel ways to highlight issues, maybe this one ought to have been slightly more tactful.
vividrick: Female genital mutilation is an important issue that needs to
I would have thought the whole point was to high light the barbaric practice of female gentila mutilation , So The "Swedish African" community was offended , Hmmmmm more like the truth hurts !
wAdrian: I would have thought the whole point was to high
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Huffington Post UK | By Felicity Morse Posted: 17/04/2012 17:39 Updated: 20/04/2012 13:43