Female Genital Mutilation in Islam
Female circumcision is a practice not uncommon in Muslim society. Although this practice does not only occur within Muslim society, this paper will focus on the practices that do occur within Islamic society. The Islamic countries with the most prevalence in practicing this form of genital mutilation are Sudan (98%), Somalia (98%), and Egypt (75%) (El Saadawi 34). Other Islamic countries that practice this are Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and India, which practice this under the name of sunnah circumcision. Sunnah refers to the Muslim religion, although it is not clearly defined within the religion.
There are three major types of female circumcision that are commonly practiced within Islamic society. These types are: sunnah; clitoridectomy or excision; infibulation or pharaonic circumcision. Sunnah is performed according to the tradition of Mohammed. Religious circles who favor this method of circumcision usually do not give details as to what the act actually entails. Some circles say that is the complete removal of the clitoris and labia minora, whereas others tend to say that it is just the cutting of the kernel-shaped external skin above the genitals (Falk). A cliteridectomy consists of ablation of the clitoris as well as the labia minora. Infibulation involves complete removal of the clitoris, labia minora, and part of the labia majora. Then the two sides of the vulva are sewn together with silk, thorns, or slivers of wood in order to close the vulva, except for a passage of urine and menstrual flow (Falk). Even with minimal excisions, this experience undoubtedly traumatizes the female. "To some extent all excisions involve some degree of irreparable loss. A...
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Vince McMahon’s WWF is a multi-million dollar corporation and has been wildly successful in capturing the sports entertainment market. “Monday Night Raw,” the weekly soap opera on TNN, is one of the three most watched cable shows each week. In addition, the WWF has weekly wrestling shows on UPN and MTV. Personally, I am caught up in the phenomenon. I set aside my Monday evenings to watch Monday Night Football and professional wrestling. I enjoy attempting to figure out the storylines before they unfold and attempt to guess the action that may happen in the next segment.
In Althaus’ article, she provides in-depth information about female circumcision; a highly controversial cultural ritual that is practiced in at least 28 countries
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Female genital mutilation is mostly practiced in Islamic and African cultures, claiming young girls as t...
Freedom of choice is a desire for most, but as we are young we depend on the decision of our parents. With this dependent nature of a child the freedom of choice is limited, for males this can lead to a life long consequence. Male circumcision is the surgical removal of the foreskin; the skin covering the head of the penis. Circumcision is practiced for religious purposes in Jewish and Muslim communities. Normally, the boy’s age varies from 4 to 11 years old. In the United States, this procedure is also done but without a religious purpose. The boys in this case are commonly newborn. This practice became popular after medical groups claimed that there were many health benefits that came with circumcision. Though it has been proven otherwise, it is still a common practice in the U.S. fueled by ignorance. Circumcision is an unnecessary surgery that leads to psychological problems, issues with sexual activities and lasting physical damage.
During W.W.I the Austrian wore the pike gray 1909 pattern tunic and trousers. They have three white stars on the collar which indicate Sergeants rank. Some have leather gaiters worn by mountain troops; others wore the ordinary trousers with the integral gaiter which fastened around the ankle with two buttons. Men and women wore tunics made of khaki serge flannel or cord. Most men, and some women, also wore leather cartridge pouches and a slouched hat. Women were seen wearing long, more fuller skirts. Blouses usually had a high neck line and the sleeves were full length. Women also wore their hair longer but usually pulled it back into a bun or pony tail. Fashions were very conservative. On the Eastern Front, German infantry wore white coats with fur on the inside. They did this for warmth and camouflage. They wore the field gray cap with black/white and red at the top, and state blockade on the band. The band was red for infantry, black for rifles and artillery, and brown for machine gun battalions. The German Army uniform began to change in 1915. They went from buttoned cuffs to a simple turned back cuff. During W.W.I. tobacco was not frequently used, but drinking tea and whisky was used more for entertainment and relaxation. During W.W.II. materials were scarce. Skirt hems were much shorter and skirts were more form fitting. The clothes could not have any cuff, ruffles or flap pockets. Pants could be no more than 19 inches wide. There were also shortages of fabric such as silk, rayon and nylon. American women were starting to become fashionable by wearing military hats, men's pants, and patches. Women also stopped wearing large jewelry such as bangles and beads. Short haircuts were considered much safer at work and less trouble. The short hairstyles became popular during the war. Men's suits were rationed and each man was only allowed one suit per year. Men were allowed to only have four cigarettes per day. The styles during W.W.I were not as conservative as the styles during W.W.II. The styles during W.W.II. indicate a shortage of products which mandated the fashion industry during that era for both men and women. The changing of the fashions from W.W.I. to W.W.II. show that men and women were becoming more in tune with fashion. Styles were not as conservative as they used to be.
Male circumcision involves the process of amputating the foreskin so that the glans of the penis is exposed. (2:602) Nontherapeutic male circumcision has been performed over many centuries and it is an integral part of some religions and cultures. The World Health Organization reports that 30% of males globally are circumcised, with 70% of these being Muslim. (3:1) The prophet Muhammad proclaimed that all followers must circumcise their sons on day seven postpartum. Although not all Muslims follow this exactly, males are circumcised within the first 10 years of age and it is one of the factors of the customs in Islam that allow for personal hygiene. (4:76) Judaism also values circumcision as an important part of the religion. As is described in the Old Testament it is one of the prerequisites to becoming a great nation that Abraham undergoes circumcision, and that every male be circumcised on the eight day of life. (4:76) Although Jesus Christ himself was circumcised, his disciple Paul proclaimed that this act is no longer necessary, thus circumcision is no longer a part of Christianity. (4:76) In addition to religious incentives for nontherapeutic circumcision, cultur...
During World War One, the role of airplanes and how they were used changed greatly. At first planes were only used for sport, but people started realize that not only could airplanes be useful but they could even influence an outcome of the war greatly. Soon the war was filled with blimps, planes, and tethered balloons. By the end of the war, planes became a symbol of fear, but they were not always treated with such respect. In the time leading up to the war, the general feeling about planes was, they were a sneaky, unfair tactic that should not be used in warfare.
Female genital circumcision (FGC) is a cultural ritual that is performed to the vast majority of women within the countries of Sudan, Kenya, Mali, Benin, Togo, and parts of the Middle East. Female genital circumcision also termed as female genital mutilation is used based upon a person’s beliefs. This ritual has been highly controversial for many years especially in the western society, due to the health risks that women may have to go through. Doctor Gruenbaum, and anthropologist who studied FGC in Sudan, has researched this topic and believes that outsiders need to have an open mind about diverse cultures. I believe that this procedure should not be illegal; however, education about the risks of the procedure should be enforced in the countries where this takes place, in order to create a safer environment for the ritual to be performed in. The goal of this essay is to know what Female Genital Circumcision is and different types of FGC and why this is performed and why it is important for outsiders to not have ethnocentric views when dealing with this. This essay also deals with why it should be medicalized instead of enforcing laws to ban this years long tradition in all African countries. When challenging female genital circumcision, we are also challenging the people who perform this procedure, their culture, values and beliefs.
Unlike male circumcisions which were practice for religious purposes, female circumcision is done for social convention and is practiced as a way to prepare girls for marriage, as well as conform to societal norms of femininity. Female circumcisions are often motivated by what would be considered proper female behavior and as a way to promote virginity as well as cause pain during intercourse to uphold these beliefs. Much like male circumcision these societal beliefs about sex and purity, have affected these cultures in their convictions that circumcision must be performed to be pure and free of
By 1917, World War I was the most brutal conflict that had ever been seen on the world stage. It was no longer a war that only involved the European powers, but also countries from all over the world including the United States. During the war, the total number of casualties reached over 37 million and over eight million lives were lost (“WWI Casualty and Death Tables” 1). The extremely high number of casualties was mostly caused by new developments in warfare technology. One of the most well remembered weapons of World War I was mustard gas. Mustard gas caused the soldiers’ skin and internal organs to blister and could be fatal, but could take anywhere from a week to an entire month to claim the lives of its victims from the inside out. Mustard gas has gone down in history as one of the most dreaded elements of the war. This horrific example of chemical weaponry is just one of the numerous amounts of new warfare technology used during the First World War, including other types of chemical weapons, machine guns, bombing techniques, airplanes, submarines and radio.
Rouzi, A. (2013), Facts and controversies on female genital mutilation and Islam. The European Journal of Contraception and Reproductive Health Care, 18, 10-14.
Many feminists in the Western Culture have this ethnocentric idea that female circumcision is “female mutilation” portraying it as a “barbaric tradition” and “violence against women” (“Yes to Female Circumcision?”). According to Fuambai Ahmadu, a Sierra Leonean-American anthropologist, female circumcision is an initiation that symbolizes matriarchal power. The practice is “synonymous with women’s power, their political, economic, reproductive, and ritual spheres of influence” (Ahmadu, pg. 14). By having no regards to the cultures and traditions of these small-scale societies, we are invalidating their beliefs and presenting ethnocentric
Deeb, Mary-Jane. Freedom House. Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa-Oman, 2010. http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=179 (accessed August 14, 2010)
“Most Christians I know are shocked to think about female circumcision and cannot imagine believing God would want it. Most Jews consider only male circumcision to be commanded by God. Most theologians in the Islamic faith consider female circumcision to be completely unnecessary and argue it is contrary to true Islam. And yet followers of all three of these major monotheistic religions have at times practiced female circumcision and considered their practices sanctioned, or at least not prohibited, by