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Female Circumcision:gross violation of a woman's basic human rights

Women rights

Today in one of the newspapers I came across an article about female circumcision or more commonly known as female genital mutilation, it reported that in Egypt more than 90% of the female population from rural Egypt have been subjected to this awful practice. The procedure includes removal of the labia majora in moderate cases but in most cases clitoris as well the entire labia are removed. This debauchery is often committed by backstreet witch doctors using crude and unsterile equipment. 

At the core of this terrible practice is the erroneous believe that this cleanses a woman, controls her sexual appetite and bounds her to a marital/family environment. This is a gross violation of a woman's basic human rights. Unlike the male genital foreskin that has higher risk of carrying sexually transmitted diseases and receptors which have been identified as the biggest carriers of HIV viruses, the vaginal skin outer skin have no such properties. 

A woman has every right to enjoy sexual pleasures and to deprive her of this is violating her God given right. Such attitudes are strongly condemned in Islam. In fact sexual pleasure in martial relationship has been associated with heavenly rewards and part of God's Grace.

The lacks of scientific knowledge coupled with age-old nonsensical traditions are devastating women in that part of the world and something must be done to end this urgently. More education and vigorous campaign to highlight the destructive impact should be the priority. 

The consequence is devastating causing deformity to the vagina, bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse, dysfunctional sexual relationship and major complications during child birth. This practice causes untold misery to women in North African and sub Saharan region. Some do it in the name of Islam and others do it in the name of their local cultures and traditions. 

This practice predates Islam. There is no mention of this in the Quran. The blessed Prophet found this practice in some people of Arabia. He did not encourage it. He had four daughters with his wife Khadija and he never instructed his daughters to have this done to them. If every aspect of Prophet’s life practices, instructions and approvals were meticulously recorded why was this missed? In fact all the books that narrated the traditions of the Prophet does not ever mention this practice either. Why was this particular practice not recorded? 

The only one mention is found in Sunan Abu-Dawood and even the complier classifies this narration as weak (da’if). It is an established principle of Islamic legal system that no Islamic rule can be derived using a weak narration. 

Imam Malik in his Muwatta, the most authentic book and the earliest compilation of the traditions of the Prophet and the practices of the people of Madina never once mentions this practice. How could he have forgotten such a practice if it was part of Islam or even a widespread Arab custom? 

In most of the Muslim countries this practice has been eradicated. However, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Mali and Somalia have become more notorious for this practice.

This has such a destructive consequences on a female sexual and reproductive health that Islam cannot sanction such a barbaric pre Islamic and tribal tradition. I wholeheartedly believe it should be eradicated by universal declarations under the UN and through state legislations that are vigorously enforced. I also believe an ijtihad of the Muslim scholars is long overdue to place a total prohibition on this. 

A female genital is not for mutilation or abuse. She has the right to have her honour and dignity protected. She has the right to enjoy sexual pleasures, she has the right to bear children and give birth without being subjected to unnecessary pain. I say let us end this rotten practice immediately. 

Please join the campaign to end FGM.

24030 views 0 comments Female Circumcision genital mutilation 

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