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Dear Hoda,
Thank you very much for your question. It is a real important one, despite its sensitivity. This sensitivity sometimes makes people avoid discussing such an important matter and remain ignorant of the difference between their true religious obligations and their cultural based habits!
Unfortunately, the subject of Islam and female genital mutilation (FGM), have gained ground lately over so many topics that deserve more attention and ijtihad. Yet, the matter does deserve attention, as a social phenomenon that should be faced. It should not be tolerated by committed Muslims, who are not to bear with injustice and violation of women’s body, in the name of their religion of tawhid.
I feel it incumbent upon me, as an American Muslim, to put forth all my effort, trying to clear up this gross misrepresentation. Thank you for allowing me to elaborate here, by replying to your question.
Traditional Excuses:
The so called “traditional fundamentalists” - in the juristic, not the political sense -endorse the procedure for reasons of cleanliness, falsely equating the female's unaltered genitalia with the male’s and imagining a parallel! Others boldly assert that, without female circumcision. Wantonness will almost certainly ensue, citing the “Western woman's sexual promiscuity”!!
At this juncture, we must make mention of the false interpretations, which have been attending the story of Adam and Eve's fall from paradise. Although the Qur’an is quite clear as regards the mutual disobedience of both parties to their Creator, incorrect views still abound, viewing the woman temptress as the root of all evil!
Let us stop and take a look at some Qur’anic verses and prophetic sayings to again, clarify the exquisite fairness regarding the two sexes. This is as far as guilt or propensity for error is concerned…
“When a man and a woman are alone together, Satan is the third.” This hadith refers to non-related males and females, other than your spouse — and it goes for BOTH SEXES.
Then, there is the clear verse, no. 31 in Surah 24, which orders the believing men AND believing women to lower their gaze and protect their private parts from the opposite sex.
In Surah 25, there is the clear verse, no. 20, which states that humans were created as a trial for each other - will they then be patient?
The verse says: *{… and We have made some of you a trial for others; will you bear patiently? And your Lord is ever Seeing.}*
When Allah orders women not to display their adornments to the opposite sex, except spouses and male relatives, He is giving a clear prescription for the malady, which affects us. We are all far too impressed by appearances, which are for the most part deceiving. When women disobey Allah in this regard, both parties are the victims. She is not appreciated for her humanity, intelligence and character and he is attracted more by form than by content… Also, the jealousy, which results from mixed social gatherings often results in severe marital discord, often leading to divorce!
We all know how easily most men fall for a pretty face. Women are likewise swayed by a man's money, power and social status. Isn't it clear how the root cause of so much pain is pride? False illusions of power hold sway, as most forget that all power is to the Almighty Allah alone. Yet, Satan has kept his promise, that he would lead most astray from the straight path and his weapon of choice is pride! It takes a lot of strength of character for a woman to dress plainly in public, and yes, cover her head if she so chooses. It is equally difficult for men to use their power, money and status to fight for Allah's just causes. Peer pressure and the fear of failure, play a major role in the downfall of both sexes, once again the root cause is related to self-esteem.
If our self-esteem were to be measured in terms of Allah's pleasure, we would feel satisfaction in knowing that we build character and achieve self-satisfaction through obedience to Him. This pays off far greater dividends than following our own whims.
I had to elaborate at length on this aspect to show that reasons of promiscuity are not physical - in this context women’s genital anatomy - but mainly conceptual and psychological.
If we can cure the souls and hearts, we would not be over-obsessed by the body. We would neither regard it as a cause of evil nor as a sole locus of existence and domain of self-realization.
Only in Africa!
Through lack of proper education, even such basic skills as reading, many African societies have fallen victim over the centuries to vicious plots by the enemies of freedom and social developments for all races. In Egypt, some voices call for the restriction of women, solely to their homes, citing the fitna (stress or strife), which ensues as women on the loose are targeted as the major culprit.
While I clearly don't advocate unrestricted social mixing between the sexes, I defend women’s right and - even obligation - to enter the public square and contribute to different aspects of life. Here, I deplore female genital mutilation and see it as an obstacle to development and Islamic progress on all fronts! What better way to disable African societies than to traumatize half the population at the most delicate time, the onset of puberty… The procedure usually is performed between the ages of 9-12, and most often at the hands of female relatives.
Although there is a clear injunction in the Qur’an against changing Allah's creation, there is also an order for believers to emulate Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham). He is recorded as having been circumcised at the age of eighty. Yet, the prophetic sayings make clear that this is for the male child.
Male circumcision was and still is practiced by Muslims, Jews and even some Christians. It is practices even by those who are not openly observant for obvious hygienic reasons. We have textual evidence that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) circumcised his nephews, Hassan and Husayn at the age of seven days.
In contrast, we have no corresponding information, regarding any such procedure for any one of the prophet's five daughters. No Christian sects have reported practicing this procedure as a religious ritual on their daughters, nor have Jews, observant or otherwise… Yet, the practice remains rife in African countries, leading one to believe that this form of "female abuse" continues to be used as a means of keeping in check, a sensitive segment of their population, causing her to be less than she was meant to be!!! In short, "changing Allah's creation" without clear textual evidence to do so. Female strength is wasted by abuse and Islam is taking the blame for traditions that do not have any root in it…
Linguistics and Hermeneutics:
One main reason for the continuous misapplication of female circumcision is a distance from and lack of respect for the Arabic language. So much emphasis has been placed recently on acquiring proficiency in foreign languages, resulting in a loss of fluency and competency in Arabic. We must pay strict attention to the literal meanings implied and not get carried away by metaphorical flights of fancy, which could and do lead to disastrous misinterpretations.
Take for example the procedure of the "khittan" (circumcision) itself. As in the English rendition based in Latin, the procedure involves a circular cut around the tip of the penis, and the removal of the foreskin. This procedure described in Arabic is identical to that of the description in medical books in English on the subject. Yet, the word supposedly used by Prophet Muhammad for the procedure in females WHEN AND IF necessary is "khafd" not "khittan". This involves a lessening of the enlarged problem area. Also, it should be further stated that this hadith about khafd is regarded as weak, and even unacceptable by many eminent scholars over the centuries.
Let me here mention also that I was informed by a pediatrician that there does exist certain cases, in which surgery is really needed. She says that she herself has witnessed certain cases, where little young girls have long appendage dangling from their genital area, resembling a wide elastic band about three inches long. As a specialist, my pediatrician friend sees such cases to be abnormal and need to be handled through surgery.
After becoming Muslim and moving to the Arab world, I realized with certainty that such abnormality, which required certain surgery to remove the offending appendage, is exactly what khahfd means. This procedure in such a case would be considered an act of mercy, a far cry from what is done in the name of Islam - in many parts of Africa - by mutilating the normal genital organs. Much misinformation and horror stories abound, regarding the practice of what is termed by some as female circumcision, by others - female genital mutilation.
I have personally heard countless renditions of psychic trauma and near death experiences, prompting me to take the initiative to try to clarify the subject. After having made extensive research, as to it's purported base in the prophetic traditions, I have become all too aware that special interests groups are monopolizing the discourse over this issue, each one accusing the other of ignorance in the matter!
I patiently went through all texts - misunderstood, weak or otherwise - word for word, and checked all transmitters. And, now I am confidant that what is done in the name of Islam is a crime against humanity!
In closing, what better way to attain certainty than the words of the Almighty Allah, is Surah 3, verse 36: *{… and the male is not like the female…}*
In our humanity, we are alike. Yet, our genitalia is not to be used in the analogy of circumcision as a religious ritual. The “khittan”, or circumcision, is a procedure rightly proscribed for males NOT females, except in extreme cases as the ones mentioned above.
Thank you and I hope this clarifies the matter.
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