One of the reasons is due to the arabic word khitaan or khataan. Circumcision in judaism and islam may be very similar but still different in meaning. Female genital mutilation fgm, also known as female genital cutting fgc, is practiced in 30 countries in western, eastern, and northeastern africa, in parts of the middle east and asia, and within some immigrant communities in europe, north america and australia. On international day of zero tolerance for fgm, we cant stay frozen. There are several reasons why fgm tends to get linked to islam. Female genital mutilation fgm, also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. In the quran male and female circumcision in any sura or ayet is not mentioned. Why female circumcision is a must for the muslim woman. It establishes a clear distinction from male circumcision. Female circumcision is gaining popularity day by day as muslim women become aware of its importance. In this paper, i show that fgm is not an islamic practice. The day i saw 248 girls suffering genital mutilation.
By the help of fieldwork and academic literature she examines this not merely taboo but also legally forbidden practice in the biggest muslim country in the world. Most often, fgm supporters cite a hadith recorded by imam abu dawud. Its time to end fgm chad mannequin challenge unicef. Circumcision in islam simple english wikipedia, the. Female circumcision, describe by the who as fgm, is a common practice in africa. Male circumcision rates in utah decline as parents reconsider the procedure by allison oligschlaeger spenst hansen knows better than to take his body for granted. Female genital mutilation in sudan open access macedonian. Persistent female genital mutilation despite its illegality. Background globally, an estimated two million women have undergone female genital mutilation fgm, and approximately four percent of women who have been circumcised live in ghana. One such myth both espouse is the fabrication that islam endorses female genital mutilation, also known as fgm or infibulations. As muslims, according to the sunnah of the prophet the hadith say we have to judge, is the circumcision of boys in childhood is not like the jews on 8 day is necessary. Centre for the study of islam in the uk, cardiff university. All fitra duties are applicable to both males and females.
This study aims to determine the female genital mutilation fgm and its associated factors in sudan. Female circumcision is prohibited, regardless of whether it is performed in a hospital or a public or private health clinic. Thanks to unicef chad for the most powerful mannequin challenge video yet. Proceedings of the international seminar on female circumcision 16 june 1988, mogadishu, somalia, aidosswdo, 1998.
Female genital mutilation fgm comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. It has been documented in 28 african countries and in some countries in asia and the middle east, but due to increasing immigration from these countries to the western world, fgm has become a worldwide human rights and health issue. Unfpa does not encourage use of the term female circumcision because the health implications of male and female circumcision are very different. Female circumcision is a very important health problem affecting about 140 million people all around the world. One of the most controversial topics is female genital mutilation in religion and more commonly within islam. Ppt female genital mutilation powerpoint presentation. An example are the persians, who did not practice neither male nor female circumcision before the advent of islam. It was regarded as a fitra duty like male circumcision and treated as such. Comparative study of meanings, beliefs, and practices of. Medical benefits of female circumcision i2 research hub. Noting the lack of doubt that male circumcision is a legitimate practice, the papers largely address common misunderstandings about the islamic ruling in the case of daughters.
The practice is found in africa, asia and the middle east, and within communities from countries in which fgm is common. May 31, 2016 is female genital mutilation allowed in islam considering the fact that women face various complications such as infections, bleeding and even death. This file should not be deleted if the license has. I am often asked what my perspective is with regards to female genital mutilation or more commonly known as female circumcision within the islamic world. Throughout the paper the author focuses on the ritual of female circumcision in indonesian java, more specifically in the city of yogyakarta. A call for a global response 4 this report is a joint publication by equality now, the end fgm european network and the us end fgmc network. It was a female only affair men and boys had their own circumcision gathering upstairs, and the mood was relaxed and sisterly. Bilal philips is female circumcision allowed in islam.
Youll be forewarned prior to these slides to exit the slideshow if needed. A questionnaire was created and used by three trained research assistants for the. This procedure is harmful to women and causes many complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Its global annual incidence is believed to be 3 in one million people. For similar reasons, nahid toubia and anika rahman, editors of female genital mutilation, use fc as well as fgm. New legislation in france has led to more debate on whether wearing the veil amounts to the sexual repression of muslim women. This slideshow contains explicit photographs in the later slides. Knowledge and perspectives of female genital cutting among. Circumcision was introduced to many lands for the first time through islam itself following the early muslim conquests under the rashidun, who were the companions and contemporaries of muhammad. An analysis of female circumcision according to islamic law. Data from sudan multiple indicator cluster survey mics. Legitimization of male and female circumcision, middle east research associates, 1994. Dissecting the claims of legitimization for the ritual of. Supporters of fgm have translated this word, which appears in several religious texts, as a word interchangeable for both male and female circumcision.
Female genital mutilation fgm is a practice involving the removal of all or parts of the female external genitalia. Objective this study aimed to understand the reasons for the practice by the muslim community, traditional practitioners and the views of religious scholars as well as the medicalisation trend of the practice of female genital cutting fgc. See more ideas about circumcision, female and feminism. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perspectives of the local religious leaders in erbil governorate, iraqi kurdistan region about different aspects of fgc. I gather your question pertains to female circumcision. Nov 17, 2012 women and girls clad in long tunics were lining up outside to register. In the bawku municipality and pusiga district, sixty one percent of women have undergone the procedure. The female gynaecologist sitt albanaat khaalid says in an article entitled khitaan albanaat ruyah sihhiyyah female circumcision from a health point of view. Religious circumcision and the human rights act archives of. Keeping this in mind, ellen gruenbaum in her book, the female circumcision controversy, uses the term female circumcision fc, despite the fact that circumcision for female genitalia trivializes the damage and scale of the practice. In an earlier volume,female circumcision in africa. Born in the midst of his parents divorce, the 24yearold salt laker was, of course, a read more. Culture, controversy, and changeshellduncan and hernlund 2000, we sought to examine multidisciplinary perspectives on practices of female genital cutting fgc in africa and how this topic has become a nexus for debates about gender, power.
Although female circumcision has been illegal in the uk since the prohibition of female circumcision act was passed in 1985, it has been perceived as an unnecessary piece of legislation, given that the performance of this operation is considered as unprofessional conduct by the general medical council. The term female genital mutilation is used by a wide range of womens health and human rights organizations. Religious leaders are one of the key actors in the issue of female genital cutting fgc due to the influential position they have in the community and the frequent association of fgc with the religion. Infibulation circumcision the entire external vagina is cut away and stitched. Female circumcision in this area is not as destructive or mutilating as in some arabic and east african cultures. Abstract a collection of three brief scholarly treatises on male and female circumcision as viewed in the body of islamic law. Followers of most religions in africa practice fgm but it is generally described as an islamic practice. Female genital mutilation fgm frequently asked questions.
Download fulltext pdf the islamic view on female circumcision article pdf available in african journal of urology 193. Fgm is an act of terrorism not an act of islam huffpost. Aug 27, 2012 female circumcision fc has lifelong adverse social and health consequences for women, and its abolition will not only enhance the health of children and women, but also promote gender equality. The study was conducted to gain insight into the meanings, beliefs, and practices of female circumcision among three nigerian tribes in the united states and nigeria. Female circumcision unislamic february 18, 2014 a egyptian conference of muslim scholars from around the world declared female circumcision to be contrary to islam and an attack on women, and called today for those who practice it to be punished. This study therefore aimed at identifying the factors that sustain the practice of fgm despite its illegality. Sep 12, 2016 all the hadiths that mention female circumcision not female genital mutilation and shown that they are all very poor in authenticity in addition, the existence of female circumcision in the community does not necessarily mean that it was to be recommended or made obligatory. Shocking female genital mutilation aka female circumcision.
In the early days of islam which were its best days all muslim women were circumcised. Female genital mutilation is the removal of all or part of the female genitalia. This work analysis the various arguments put forward by the supporters of female genital mutilation fgm under islamic law to find out whether this practice is islamic or whether it is a customary or cultural tradition or is a matter of personal preference in different parts of the muslim world where it exists. The jewish and christian view on female genital mutilation. Like many other western countries, norway hosts a large proportion of immigrants from fcpracticing countries, though primarily from somalia, which is the country with the highest prevalence of fc in. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. My gender transition from female to male dear buzzfeed. The practice is mostly carried out by traditional circumcisers, who often play other central roles in communities, such as attending childbirths. In an effort, however, to clarify the islamic worldview and dispel a number of misconceptions surrounding islam s position on women, the remainder of this paper discusses in detail the common objections leveled against islam regarding the issue of female genital mutilation fgm.
Participantobservations occurred in three sites in nigeria ibadan, lagos, and owerri and in essex county, new jersey newark, irvington, and east orange. How female circumcision is still practised in malaysia. The islamic view on female circumcision sciencedirect. Design this is a mixedmethod qualitative and quantitative study. Islams treatment of women is a regular topic in the western press, yet few jump to the defence of muslim and other little boys subjected to childhood circumcision. Mutilation of any organ of the body is haraam in shariah. The recent wave of immigrants to australia includes people from countries where female genital mutilation fgm is predominant. Oct 31, 2015 female genital mutilation or cutting comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons who. Apr 21, 2017 shocking female genital mutilation aka female circumcision 1. It is also sometimes referred to as female genital cutting or female circumcision.