Despite many efforts to delink Islam from female genital mutilation, the practice is mostly found among Muslims. It also cannot be compared to male circumcision.
FGM is mandated in Islamic law, which is why, for example, a Muslim cleric is leading the fight in Gambia to make female genital mutilation legal again.
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.
“UNICEF: 230 million females are circumcised globally, 30 million more than in 2016,” by Noha Elhennawy, Associated Press, March 8, 2024:
Over 230 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation, most of whom live in Africa, according to a report issued on Friday by the United Nations children’s agency.
In the last eight years, some 30 million people have undergone the procedure, in which external genitalia are partially or fully removed, UNICEF estimated in the report, which was released on International Women’s Day.
The percentage of women and girls who experience female genital mutilation is declining, UNICEF said, but it warned that efforts to eradicate the practice are too slow to keep up with fast-growing populations.
“The practice of female genital mutilation is declining, but not fast enough,” the report said.
The practice, incorrectly believed to control women’s sexuality, can cause serious bleeding and even death. Girls are subjected to the procedure at ages ranging from infancy to adolescence. Long term, it can lead to urinary tract infections, menstrual problems, pain, decreased sexual satisfaction and childbirth complications, as well as depression, low self-esteem and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“We’re also seeing a worrying trend that more girls are subjected to the practice at younger ages, many before their fifth birthday. That further reduces the window to intervene,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
Some 144 million women and girls have been through female genital mutilation in Africa alone, followed by Asia and the Middle East with 80 million and 6 million respectively, the report said. Somalia tops the list of countries where the practice, also known as female circumcision, is prevalent, with 99% of the female population between the ages of 15 and 49 having been circumcised.
Burkina Faso made the most significant progress, reducing the proportion of women between 15 and 49 who were circumcised from 80% to 30% over three decades…..
BTeboe says
If Allah made Muslims perfect, the best of all peoples, then why do they need to change what Allah has created. Too bad there is no such thing as a time machine so we could send these people back to the 7th century.
Ray Jarman says
+1
BTEBOE, A most perfect question. I guess that Allah is not so perfect after all.
CalvinsLutheran says
These idiots have such low IQs that they have no concept of faithfulness as a trial through the fire of temptation. To retain her ability to enjoy her own husband a woman necessarily must retain her”pearl tongue” such fidelity enforced in such a savage manner is the sign of a demonic and subhuman psychology. That alone would justify a Mosaic punishment for all primitive adherents of the practice. The Western World is complicit in our silence.
Buzz says
They are muslim why would we care?
CalvinsLutheran says
First of all there is not a large enough population of females in the Muslim population worldwide for there to be that many FGM victims. The statistics are way beyond accurate in those millions. Try again UNICEF. This publication should NOT propagate these damnable numbers. There simply are NOT that many Africans or Indonesians or Indians on the planet. Somalia certainly does not have that large a population for these figures. Saudi Arabia, Iran and all other Middle Eastern countries included DO NOT engage in the practice. Those subanthropoid critters in African Islam DO NOT amount to those numbers. Try again please.
Tatanka says
Even if there were only 2 muslim women ,GM is torture and mutilation and a barbaric practise and should be eradicated from this planet.
As far as for the Muslim males , they can cut the dick of every single one of them for all i care
Troybeam says
The Truth:
However what the Arabic actually says is:
http://www.answering-islam.org/index.html
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 clitoris
(this is called HufaaD). {bold emphasis ours}
The Arabic word bazr does not mean “prepuce of the clitoris”, it means the clitoris itself (cf. the entry in the Arabic-English Dictionary). The deceptive translation by Nuh Hah Mim Keller, made for Western consumption, obscures the Shafi’i law, given by ‘Umdat al-Salik, that circumcision of girls by excision of the clitoris is mandatory. This particular form of female circumcision is widely practiced in Egypt, where the Shafi’i school of Sunni law is followed.
In this book, in the section titled “THE BODY”, we find on page 59 the following entry:
Nuh Hah Mim Keller’s Translation Arabic Original
Non arabic version
e4.3 Circumcision is obligatory (O: for both men and women. For men it consists of removing the prepuce from the penis, and for women, removing the prepuce (Ar. Bazr) of the clitoris (n: not the clitoris itself, as some mistakenly assert). (A: Hanbalis hold that circumcision of women is not obligatory but sunna, while Hanafis consider it a mere courtesy to the husband.)”
Gospel Day says
Check your facts before you spout such nonsense. Basic numbers according to Pew Research: total Muslim population 1,571,198,000. In every age category, women far outnumber men; in the 18-49 age group, females make up 58-59 percent of Muslims. Far more than enough for the UN statistics, but Tatanka is right. Even one case in the entire world, in all of history, would be a foul, satanic horror. The West is indeed complicit in its ignorance and silence (worse even, in its sometime protection of this as a “religious right”).
England Invaded says
Let me guess, it’s whiteys fault somehow.
Common place in the UK now as well. Savages.
Troybeam says
230 million females of all ages suffer from FGM, they suffer their whole lives first from the procedure, second from their husbands after marriage because the husbands will not allow them to be surgically re-opened after FGM that in plain terms be ripped open and it causes problems with urination and female issues for life. What is really sad is that women endorse this even when they have had the procedure themselves, daughters are no exception. In some nations its so bad for women that they are banned from the community due to health problems caused by FGM. There is a group that gives medical care to these women however these women must travel to where the location is often long distances.
abu taleb says
I bet UNICEF is supporting children mutilation for changing gender.
Buzz says
They are muslim, why would we care?