Thesis on "Study of a Custom in Somalia the Circumcision Female Genital Mutilation of Girls"

/>The circumcision of women is a practice frequently met in several parts of Africa and in some Islamic circles. In the case of Muslim tradition, the performance is believed to have a religious base. However, most Muslim teachers reject the thought that female mutilation originates from the Islam. Moreover, they claim that Muslims generally promote the sexual pleasure between men and women. To mutilate a woman by circumcising her would mean to deny her the feelings that persons have during sexual intercourse. According to Islamic writings, the Prophet Mohammed has witness a woman performing circumcision and he told her that the genitalia should not be altered. The Qur'an says that all bodily modification that people do are a product of Satan's influence, which corrupts people to torture themselves. (Conversant Life)

According to Jean L. Fourcroy, in Somalia the practice of female circumcision is very common. (Fourcroy 1999) There are a lot of Somalis that are also Muslims, but it is known among them that the practice of Female Circumcision goes back more than a millennium and a half ago before the Islam has been established. (Conversant Life)

The actual female circumcision practice implies having most of the external genital parts removed. Somali girls are circumcised at an early age, usually before reaching five years old. The "doctor" that performs the operation often family members, but the practice is also done in numerous hospitals from Somalia. "In 1995, it was estimated that 98% of Somali women had undergone female genital mutilation." (Fourcroy) From what the figures tell, the practice is embraced by most Somalis as even the medics perform female circumcision in Somalia.

Somalis believe that the circumcision is beneficial for girls because if makes them more sacred. In the Somali society a women that has not been circumcised is considered to be unworthy of living. After having been circumcised, girls have a natural chastity belt which is meant to stay that way until they are married. (Fourcroy)

The Somalis have kept the tradition of circumcising women for centuries now despite the fact that the act has proved as being dangerous in several occasions. There were often cases in which women died shortly after being circumcised because of various complications. Death is not the only harm that female circumcision can… READ MORE