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Essay about Female Genital Mutilation in Islam

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Female Genital Mutilation in Islam

Female circumcision is a practice not uncommon in Muslim society. Although this practice does not only occur within Muslim society, this paper will focus on the practices that do occur within Islamic society. The Islamic countries with the most prevalence in practicing this form of genital mutilation are Sudan (98%), Somalia (98%), and Egypt (75%) (El Saadawi 34). Other Islamic countries that practice this are Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and India, which practice this under the name of sunnah circumcision. Sunnah refers to the Muslim religion, although it is not clearly defined within the religion.

There are three major types of female circumcision that are commonly practiced …show more content…

This act is usually performed by an individual with no medical training, such as a midwife, using crude instruments which causes complications sometimes leading to death. The outcomes of this operation are excruciatingly painful, both during the actual procedure and later in the woman's life.

There were shrieks and screams as the tip of her clitoris was grasped with a pair of forceps and the whole structure removed with a scalpel. One side of the labia minora was next held by the forceps and the whole length pared off with a scalpel. Likewise the adjacent medical parts of the labia majora were removed. The whole area was then swabbed once more with cotton wool. Four stitches were inserted into the remaining skin of the large labia, commencing from the pubis and leaving a small opening posterior. This was left to allow the passage of urine and when the time came, menstruation. After extraneous blood had been washed from the wound, penicillin powder was liberally applied. (Cloudsley 115)

This story describes in vivid detail what a typical operation is like. The pain experienced during this procedure would undoubtedly be unbearable and memorable for a prepubescent female.

Generally, female circumcision in Islamic society is performed when the female is between the ages of five to ten years. This is an age of great self-awareness for the female along with awareness of her surroundings. As

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