Muslims practising female circumcision

[mwinyi]

Asalaam aleykum Warahmatullah

Brothers and Sisters

I know some mght feel embrassed about this issue but would like to know what does Islam (Qur'an or Sunna) that allows this practise.

I know some would come and say ohhh some non Muslim countries also practise this but my focus of discussion is not on non-Muslims but rather Muslims.

Its a practise that is widely done in Oman, Somalia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India (Muslims parts), Sudan, Egypt (where 96%) of girls have been genetically mutilated (Behind circumcision lies the belief in these societies that, by removing parts of girls' external genitals organs, sexual desire is minimized) and I remember one of the scholars there Sheik Youssef Badri even endorsed this practise.

Some defend this for cultural reasons, but last time I checked we Muslims are told that ISLAM COMES FIRST BEFORE CULTURES so why would people who are Muslims practise this Female Genital Mutilation?


I stand to be corrected and I hope to learn alot on the subject

wabillahi Tafiq

[amr123]

Brother there are many type of female circumcision. Most often people called female genital mutilation as female circumcision. But that type of circumcision is not allowed in Islam.

There is a detailed thread on this topic. I shall post after searching.

[amr123]

Here is a quote with explains it very well. The Sunnah is the mildest of its form, and its not obligatory, just Sunnah. Unfortunately in some Muslim countries they practice genital mutilation which is NOT from Islam.

Asslamo Allaikum,


1) First and foremost this procedure is NOT obligatory, rather it is Sunnah

2) Second lets look at the evidence to see WHAT EXACTLY is Sunnah and we find the strongest evidence to be:

a) "When two circumcised parts unite then bathing becomes obligatory." (Sahih, Reported by Ahmad and Al-Baihaqee)

b) The saying of the Messenger (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) in the Hadith of Umm ‘Atiyyah to a female circumcision: "When you circumcise then do not cut severely, since that is better for her and more pleasing to the husband." (Reported by Abu Dawud and Al-Baihaqee)

The definitions and parameters as set by World Health Organisation:

1) TYPE I: excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris:

The first and the mildest kind of female circumcision as defined by WHO (World Health Organisation) and this is the Sunnah as proposed by Messenger (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam)

2) TYPE II: excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora;

This is bordering on genital mutilation expressly forbidden by Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) in the Hadeeth above and unfortuanely carried out in Muslim countries in the name of Sunnah!

3) Type III: excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation);

This is expressive and deliberate genital mutilation expressly forbidden by Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) in the Hadeeth above (Type II is forbidden & this is Type III)…this can have serious health repercussions...This is also carried out in Muslim \countries in the name of Sunnah, unfortunately!


4) Type IV: pricking, piercing or incising of the clitoris and/or labia; stretching of the clitoris and/or labia; cauterization by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue;

s c a r ing of tissue surrounding the vaginal orifice (angurya cuts) or cutting of the vagina (gishiri cuts);

introduction of corrosive substances or herbs into the vagina to cause bleeding or for the purpose of tightening or narrowing it; and any other procedure that falls under the definition given above.

Just look at above, do you think this Type IV can possibly be Sunnah? This is used in torture.

Problem is that Type II, III & IV are gential mutilation and if Type I if not done under sterile conditions and by competent medical professionals can lead to infections and further complication (just like male circumcision)!

So Media & NGO's make a bid deal about the Sunnah when even WHO recognise Type I to be a fairly harmless procedure!

Unfortunately the practises of Muslim countries (where Type II, III and even IV) is practised is providing enough material to the Media to hit us with

[Aseatic]

I never heard of girls being circumcised in my country. It wasn't until I heard some stuff from Africa. I didn't even know girls could be circumcised.

[Absolute truth]

assalam alaikum
View the photo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cl...er_anatomy.gif

FGM is Sudanese circumcision, which is strictly prohibited in islam.
Circumsion that "may be related to islam " is cutting ONLY the hood which is equivalent to male circumicision whithout any danger

Allah knows the best !

[qibla]

I never heard of girls being circumcised in my country. It wasn't until I heard some stuff from Africa. I didn't even know girls could be circumcised.

ASWW
Exactly! Mostly its tradition and culture and African too!!

[AbuFatimah]

ive often thought about the hikmah of the approved sunnah form of female circumcision. the reality is, if u go to africa and ban it completely, people will do it illegally. If u open up government approved clinics that only remove the clitoral skin which doesnt harm the female, its a far more hikmah way of removing this menace from africa inshallah. Like how islam managed succesful alcohol prohibbition in the 7th century while america failed miserable in the 20th century alcohol prohibbition.

The impermissable type of female circumcision is brutal, they remove virtually everything and sow it together again, a lot of women die due to this in places like somalia. If you role out government approved sunnah clinics it cud probabil eradicate this practice in a few generations. Instead, they will probabily try the western 'democratic' method, ban it because of human rights, and everyone will still do it illegally and the women will be in even more danger. Wallahu a'lam

[mwinyi]

WAS,

Where are you from? I have never heard this to take place in India-Pakistan. I think this only happens in some parts of Africa.

I think you are confused by the anti-Islamic propoganda that falsely accuse that all Muslim women are circumcised by force. Do some research, and you will find that only women living in some parts of Africa undergo such practice, and its cultural and not enforced by Islam.

Asalaam aleykum

If you read my first post I mentioned specifically, I am not interested in what goes on with the non Muslim societies. I am more interested in Ummah. There are issues that goes on within the Ummah that sometimes we feel embarrassed to talk about and when outsiders point them out we tend to be defensive for no apparent reason

when it comes to ilm we should not be embarrassed and lets not jump the gun.

The reason I admire Sunniforum is members here dont just throw stuff out its argument and counterargument with evidence

Africa has over 50 countries and According to the World Religion Database, 48 percent of Africa’s 1 billion inhabitants are Christian (495.8 million); 41 percent are Muslim (423.5 million) and 11 percent are “other” or unaffiliated

So we cant lump all africans as practitioners of FGM thats why I specifically mentioned countries with predominantly Muslims....i.e Muslim countries

[mwinyi]

assalam alaikum
View the photo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cl...er_anatomy.gif

FGM is Sudanese circumcision, which is strictly prohibited in islam.
Circumsion that "may be related to islam " is cutting ONLY the hood which is equivalent to male circumicision whithout any danger

Allah knows the best !

If the Islamic law does not mandate female genital mutilation and tolerates only the most mild form of circumcision (and that only if it produces no adverse effects in the child), then how does it come about that so many people from certain countries with large Muslim populations such as Sudan and Egypt insist that savage acts which exceed these limits are not only permitted, but required by Islamic law?

[Aseatic]

mwinyi

The source does have some questionable claims, saying female circumcision is practiced in much of the Muslim world. We in Malaysia and Indonesia do not circumcise girls. And brother Transitory has said it does not happen in India and Pakistan either. I don't think the Arabs do it, or surely Western media would be all over it. Not even the Twelver Shia Iranians do it.

It's just parts of Africa, some corners where jahiliyyah has not completely faded away, because Islam spread into the interiors of Africa pretty late. Strong Muslim emirates and kingdoms were only established in 1700s, and large unified systems (Sokoto Caliphate) only in the 1800s, right before colonization.