Comments on: Mauritania Islamic Scholars Issue Fatwa Against Female Genital Mutilation

By: ShannonTM

ShannonTM — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:00:23 +0000

Laura — great piece, and to the commenters:
excellent exchange on the extent to which one can link religious communities/identification with the practice of FGM.

1) @ re: Katie (or re:re:Katie). You make a valid point but, as a responsible reader, I feel the need to point out that your last assertion is false. The majority of Muslims neither engage in nor condone FGM/C. I don’t think that’s what LSG is getting at, but it was important that you commented on the undeniable connections between culture and religion.

2) For LSG:
You commented on this Fatwa not mentioning the importance of female sexual pleasure. By-the-book Islam (note with a grain of salt) puts a premium on sexual equality, especially with regard to pleasure. If you’re interested in looking into this, I wrote a paper on this last semester (if you’d like to read it shoot me an email, you know where to find me).

“The Prophet said, ‘No one among you should throw himself on his wife like beasts do. There should be, prior to coitus, a messenger between you and her’. People asked him, ‘What sort of messenger?’. The Prophet answered, ‘Kisses and Words’”

and

“…they have to spend their whole life with each other and that too with love and affection. This love and affection can only be produced when both derive maximum sexual pleasure in their marital life”
Khan, Muhammad Aftab Ph.D Sex and Sexuality in Islam. Nashiriyat, Lahore: 2006.

By: re: Katie

re: Katie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:54:09 +0000

Katie, in the case of FGM, religious and cultural justifications are inextricably linked. Even if the practice is not universally Muslim (and Muslims do not universally practice FGM), those who support FGM would often point to their religion as justification. I don’t think Laura is blaming Muslims in general or thinks that Islam is an inherently “anti-woman religion;” I think she is making the accurate point that many within the faith engage in this anti-woman practice.

Laura – this is great news. Thanks for writing.

By: Katie Dalby

Katie Dalby — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:02:19 +0000

As neither the Quran, Hadith, nor any other Islamic text has any reference to female genital cutting whatsoever, it’s unfair to link the practice primarily to Islam by asking for feedback from Muslims. While the vast majority of people who engage in FMC are Muslim, any connection between FGC and Islam as a religion is very weak. Certainly, there are numerous ways women can combat FGC from within the Islam. In addition to Cheikh Ould Zein’s justifications, the Quran and Hadith also emphasize women’s rights over their bodies and yes, the importance of female sexual pleasure. These are valuable tools for Islamic women who want put an end to FGC within their communities. Still, it bothers me that the author makes FGC out to be a Muslim practice instead of a cultural practice as it contributes to the perception that Islam is an anti-woman religion, when in fact it is not.