SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO HUMANS

Our society is concerned with the suffering experienced by the inhumane practices of our older cultures. Some of our older customs have superstitions that still cause terrible pain and cruelty. In order to change this, we believe that producing a documentary is perhaps the most effective way to educate those ignorant of these practices and to encourage viewers to get involved collectively. We have begun two documentaries which will be edited by a man of distinction who was allowed to enter into a trusting relationship with these cultures so that he could engage in their rituals and practices.

Written words cannot convey the powerful impact that graphic images have. We feel the extreme explicitness of our documentation is the only way to accelerate the education needed to change not just these practices but the ignorance which remains between our cultures. Our first film will be about the continuation of Ritual Genital Mutilation, while our second film will explore non-physical circumcision ceremonies practiced that have recently been introduced, where the concept of initiation among girls is transformed to “circumcision through words.” Too often religions are blamed for these practices, but these are rights and rituals with deeper roots in time; no religion has ever prescribed the operation.

The reticence of older cultures to move from homestead to city and then to the outer world is a conflict that will only be healed by aggressive efforts to educate and provide alternatives to old habits and superstitions. This is a project to facilitate change, not to foster judgment. This is not a project about evil or ugly practices, nor villains, but rather an undertaking that is respectful of the culture and people involved. This is an attempt to alleviate the pain and misery suffered by those caught in old cultural superstitions and brutal practices. We advocate breaking the taboos in healthy ways.

Filmmaker Bhupender S. Sikand requires sufficient funds for the total footage of his 16 mm color film to be transferred to a digital medium, then edited and compiled, with the addition of narrative and sound. In return for sponsorship to accomplish these goals, donation of still images, slide shows, and later a DVD package will be furnished upon completion. Immediate steps could be taken for display opportunities in museums, in humanitarian organizations, and among concerned individuals. We will provide our sponsors with current updated information on the progress of the documentary.

The Sikand Trust* has been established to support these causes by way of donation. Our goal is to return to the world something of lasting value. The film archive of the SPCH contains a great deal of material that could be used for educational purposes. Our first project is estimated to take an excess of $40K to complete. If this project has an impact on you—if it touches your heart—please pass the word to a friend. With reciprocal links between our Web sites we can accelerate the dissemination of this information and hopefully provide the informational tools to help change these practices.

* Document # 96-2850, California.

The images on this site are graphic historical documents that show rituals in a society that many people may find difficult to view.