FGM is mandated in Islamic law: “Circumcision is obligatory (for every male and female) (by cutting off the piece of skin on the glans of the penis of the male, but circumcision of the female is by cutting out the bazr ‘clitoris’ [this is called khufaadh ‘female circumcision’]).” — Umdat al-Salik e4.3, translated by Mark Durie, The Third Choice, p. 64
Why is it obligatory? Because Muhammad is held to have said so: “Abu al- Malih ibn Usama’s father relates that the Prophet said: ‘Circumcision is a law for men and a preservation of honour for women.’” — Ahmad Ibn Hanbal 5:75
“Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: ‘Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.’” — Abu Dawud 41:5251
That hadith is classified as weak, but this one is classified as sahih (reliable): “Aishah narrated: ‘When the circumcised meets the circumcised, then indeed Ghusl is required. Myself and Allah’s Messenger did that, so we performed Ghusl.’” — Jami` at-Tirmidhi 108
If Muhammad had the genitals of his favorite wife, Aisha, mutilated, that is a strong endorsement of the practice from the man who is an “excellent example” (Qur’an 33:21) for Muslims.
Why does it matter whether or not FGM is Islamic? Because the practice will never be eradicated if its root causes are not confronted. As long as those Muslims continue to believe that Allah and Muhammad want it done, for some that will override all other considerations.
“NSW genital mutilation convictions stand,” by Hannah Higgins, AAP, October 16, 2019:
The convictions of three people for female genital mutilation in NSW will stand after Australia’s highest court ruled the practice is illegal in all its various forms.
The ruling comes four years after the trio was convicted by a jury of the FGM of two primary school-aged sisters in two separate ceremonies the occurred between October 2009 and 2012.
The two girls’ mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and midwife Kubra Magennis were each handed a minimum 11-month custodial sentence, to be served by way of home detention, in 2016 after they were found guilty of “mutilating the clitoris” of the girls.
Dawoodi Bohra sect community leader Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri was also found guilty of being an accessory to the girl’s mutilation and was also sentenced to a minimum of 11 months’ imprisonment.
The two sisters suffered through ceremonies known as “khatna” which the High Court says involves causing injury to a young girl’s clitoris by cutting or nicking it.
Charges were laid after the girls told a female police officer and a social worker they had been subjected to “khatna”.
The mother and Magennis admitted they were present in a room with the girls for a “symbolic ceremony” – however they say the ceremony involved Magennis placing forceps on the girls’ vulva’s, not clitorises, without cutting them.
But in an electronically recorded interview with police, the elder girl described the tool used on her as something that “looked a bit like scissors”….
“My mum tells me not to go around telling everyone (about it) much,” she told investigators.
Covertly recorded evidence caught the mother admonishing her daughters following their interviews with police for revealing “a big secret”….