C.E. - Sept. 21 - Female Mutilation in Egypt

[Gregory Hewett]

Voices Rise in Egypt to Shield Girls From an Old Tradition
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN

KAFR AL MANSHI ABOU HAMAR, Egypt — The men in this poor farming community were seething. A 13-year-old girl was brought to a doctor’s office to have her clitoris removed, a surgery considered necessary here to preserve chastity and honor.

The girl died, but that was not the source of the outrage. After her death, the government shut down the clinic, and that got everyone stirred up.

“They will not stop us,” shouted Saad Yehia, a tea shop owner along the main street. “We support circumcision!” he shouted over and over.

“Even if the state doesn’t like it, we will circumcise the girls,” shouted Fahmy Ezzeddin Shaweesh, an elder in the village.

Circumcision, as supporters call it, or female genital mutilation, as opponents refer to it, was suddenly a ferocious focus of debate in Egypt this summer. A nationwide campaign to stop the practice has become one of the most powerful social movements in Egypt in decades, uniting an unlikely alliance of government forces, official religious leaders and street-level activists.

Though Egypt’s Health Ministry ordered an end to the practice in 1996, it allowed exceptions in cases of emergency, a loophole critics describe as so wide that it effectively rendered the ban meaningless. But now the government is trying to force a comprehensive ban.

Not only was it unusual for the government to shut down the clinic, but the health minister has also issued a decree banning health care workers— or anyone — from conducting the procedure for any reason. Beyond that, the Ministry of Religious Affairs also issued a booklet explaining why the practice was not called for in Islam; Egypt’s grand mufti, Ali Gomaa, declared it haram, or prohibited by Islam; Egypt’s highest religious official, Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, called it harmful; television advertisements have been shown on state channels to discourage it; and a national hot line was set up to answer the public’s questions about genital cutting.

But as the men in this village demonstrated, widespread social change in Egypt comes slowly, very slowly. This country is conservative, religious and, for many, guided largely by traditions, even when those traditions do not adhere to the tenets of their faith, be it Christianity or Islam.

For centuries Egyptian girls, usually between the ages of 7 and 13, have been taken to have the procedure done, sometimes by a doctor, sometimes by a barber or whoever else in the village would do it. As recently as 2005, a government health survey showed that 96 percent of the thousands of married, divorced or widowed women interviewed said they had undergone the procedure — a figure that astounds even many Egyptians. In the language of the survey, “The practice of female circumcision is virtually universal among women of reproductive age in Egypt.”

Though the practice is common and increasingly contentious throughout sub-Saharan Africa, among Arab states the only other place where this practice is customary is in southern Yemen, experts here said. In Saudi Arabia, where women cannot drive, cannot vote, cannot hold most jobs, the practice is viewed as abhorrent, a reflection of pre-Islamic traditions.

But now, quite suddenly, forces opposing genital cutting in Egypt are pressing back as never before. More than a century after the first efforts to curb this custom, the movement has broken through one of the main barriers to change: It is no longer considered taboo to discuss it in public. That shift seems to have coincided with a small but growing acceptance of talking about human sexuality on television and radio.

For the first time, opponents said, television news shows and newspapers have aggressively reported details of botched operations. This summer two young girls died, and it was front-page news in Al Masry al Yom, an independent and popular daily. Activists highlighted the deaths with public demonstrations, which generated even more coverage.

The force behind this unlikely collaboration between government, nongovernment organizations, religious leaders and the news media is a no-nonsense 84-year-old anthropologist named Marie Assaad, who has been fighting against genital cutting since the 1950s.

“I never thought I would live to see this day,” she said, reading about the subject in a widely circulated daily newspaper.

Dr. Nasr el-Sayyid, assistant to the minister of health, said there had already been a drop in urban areas, along with an aggressive effort in more than 100 villages, mostly in the south, to curb the practice. “Our plan and program over the next two years is aiming to take it down 20 percent nationwide,” he said.

The challenge, however, rests in persuading people that their grandparents, parents and they themselves have harmed their daughters. Moreover, advocates must convince a skeptical public that men will marry a woman who has not undergone the procedure and that circumcision is not necessary to preserve family honor. It is a challenge to get men to give up some of their control over women.

And it will be a challenge to convince influential people like Osama Mohamed el-Moaseri, imam of a mosque in Basyoun, the city near where the 13-year-old girl lived, and died. “This practice has been passed down generation after generation, so it is natural that every person circumcises his daughter,” he said. “When Ali Gomaa says it is haram, he is criticizing the practice of our fathers and forefathers.”

But the movement against genital cutting has matured and is increasingly prepared for these arguments. At first, Ms. Assaad and a group of intellectuals who together created a task force simply lectured their neighbors, essentially calling the practice barbaric.

“At the beginning we preached and said this is wrong,” she recalled. “It didn’t work. They said, ‘It was done to our mothers and grandmothers, and they are fine.’ ”

She and her colleagues sounded like out-of-touch urban intellectuals, she said. But over time, they enlisted the aid of Islamic scholars and health care workers, hoping to disperse misconceptions — like the idea that cutting off the clitoris prevents homosexuality — and relate to people’s lives.

“Circumcision is a very old custom and has absolutely no benefits,” Vivian Fouad, who helps staff the national hot line, said to a caller wondering what to do with her own daughter. She continued: “If you want to protect your daughter, then you have to raise her well. How you raise your child is the main factor in everything, not mutilating your daughter.”

Egypt is a patriarchal society, but women can be a powerful force. So Ms. Assaad helped persuade two important women, elite and privileged, who like herself could not believe the practice was as widespread as it was, to join her battle.

The first was Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of President Hosni Mubarak and a political force in her own right. The second was an ally of Mrs. Mubarak, Mosheira Khattab, head of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, a government agency that helps set national health and social policies.

Mrs. Khattab has become a force in pressing the agenda. Her council now has a full-time staff working on the issue and runs the hot line. She toured the Nile Delta region, three cities in one day, promoting the message, blunt and outraged that genital cutting had not stopped.

“The Koran is a newcomer to tradition in this manner,” she said. “As a male society, the men took parts of religion that satisfied men and inflated it. The parts of the Koran that helped women, they ignored.”

It is an unusual swipe at the Islamists who have promoted the practice as in keeping with religion, especially since the government generally tries to avoid taking on conservative religious leaders. It tries to position itself as the guardian of Islamic values, aiming to enhance its own wilted legitimacy and undercut support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the banned but popular opposition movement.

But the religious discourse concerning genital cutting has changed, and that is credited to Ms. Assaad’s strategy of reaching up to people like Mrs. Mubarak and out to young women like Fatma Ibrahim, 24. When Ms. Ibrahim was 11 years old, she said, her parents told her she was going for a blood test. The doctor, a relative, put her to sleep and when she woke, she said she could not walk.

The memory haunts her now, and though she says that her parents “will kill” her if they find out, she has become a volunteer in the movement against genital cutting, hoping to spare other women what she endured.

“I am looking to talk to the young, the ones who will be parents in 10 years,” she said. “This is my target group. I talk to the young. When I get married, inshallah, I will never, ever circumcise my daughter.”

Mona el-Naggar contributed reporting from Cairo.

[julie]

Female Mutilation in Egypt

I think that this event was a shocking and moving event. It is very interesting to read this kind of event, because it is different from usual, it popped out. It is not a topic that people talk a lot about (good job Lyra).
As I said it, after reading this article I was shocked. I cannot believe that mutating women can be a tradition, it is horrible... I had heard about this practice before but I did not know it was that common and usual, in this part of the world. Some girls died because of infection after this practice, but it does not seem to affects people, because they continue to do as if nothing happened. Only few people in Egypt start to understand that this painful torture does not have any benefit.
I read on a web site that, in Egypt, over ten women, eight believe that circumcision is a good tradition. This mean that EIGHTY percent of the women, in Egypt are for women circumcision, even thought they themselves suffered of it…but why do they believe in this practice? Do they really think it is a benefit for their daughter? Do they really think their daughter will be more calm and intelligent because of this? Why do they believe in something that, often, perturbed them when they were small? Do they really believe in it, or do they just follow the traditions???
What will happen after that, I do not know… I hope one-day people will understand than this practice has absolutely NO benefit. I hope one-day people will understand that the only thing that this do is, killing and making women suffer. Because seriously, the only thing that circumcision brings to parents and husbands, is good conscience.

[priyankajohn]

This was the most shocking news I have read in the recent times. It is very disturbing and this practise is worse than barbarism and I really wonder how women in this day and age still practise and support it. I have heard about male cirumcision, but this is the first time am hearing about female circumcision. I personally think this kind of practise should be completely banned and very very strict punishments should be given to people who force this on the girl children.

Women supporting this and performing it on their own daughters is ridiculous and this will leave a scar on the child for life both mentaly and physically. What are the trying to prove How can they believe that this will keep the women under control and they will behave well. Does anyone think of the risks and pain and agony involved before and after. I also feel women are being brain washed in the name of religion from when theyare little children that these things have to be done.

I repeat, very strict punishments should be given to people who indulge in this and force this upon anyone. The law should be made so strict that people will jus stop doing this in fear of being punished. At the same time women and girl kids should be educated well on the ill effects of this practise. The future generations should no way continue this.

[jiyoung93]

I never knew about this cruel surgery done to women in Egypt. Removing women¡¯s clitoris in order to prove the respect and honor, for thier culture. Clearly, this old tradition of practicing has no benefits at all. Then why did women for centuries generated this practice to the next generation? Moreover, they have less freedom. For example, they cannot vote or drive. Only, women allowed working in hospital. They cannot go out like other girls for shopping. Because men are responsible for women¡¯s rights and they control them. Even for the clothes, if their parts of skin or hair came out through the veil, the man who owns the girl will get heat by police officer severely. Girls are born to treat in a same way as men. And nobody has right to stop the rights for the girl, not even the old tradition. Knowing about what is really happening in this world, continuing this unimaginable act must stop.

Still, when I think back again, there are many sensible reasons for women to consider about their custome, and this practice. Now, the time has changed. Women should go for what is right, and what they really want. This will harm girls physically and emotionally. Plus, this is wrong and it is our duty to educate and take care of them well. It is shocking how very young girls have to go though this excruciating process. However, slowly, women are standing for what is right, in order to reduce this, all women should promise to their next generation that they would ever never have to circumcise.

[sarah99]

This article was about how female mutilation in practiced to an overwhelming extreme in Egypt, other North African countries, and a couple countries in the Middle East. The government in Egypt has made laws against it recently, but it is very hard to change something that has been happening for centuries.
I am completely horrified that this is happening. How can some women want this to happen? I just cannot understand it. As for some mothers forcing their small female children to go through this, it is child abuse. It MUST be stopped. How can anyone see this as something that HELPS women?? It puts men in a better position then women in many ways. Can you think of anything good that comes about from a woman being circumcised?? I certainly cannot.
If this continues, more women will die. Men will be put in a position over the women who are circumcised. Thankfully steps have already been made to change the laws, but laws are just words and aren’t actions. Unless more people who are against this stand up and fight for this to stop, it will continue.

[xxlyra]

What this is about
The above article is about the inhumane, barbaric, and disgusting practice of female genital mutilation in Egypt.

Why it happens and how to stop it
Female circumcision has been a part of girls' lives everywhere and continues to be so, not because it has any effect, but because people believe it has. This is a tradition so deeply rooted in the cultural mindset that any but the most liberal are simply unable to think it anything else than good, or at least necessary.
Female circumcision is thought to 'keep the girl calm' – to dampen her sexual wants. It is thought to ward off homosexuality – something that does not need to be warded off at all. It is thought to make her obedient, to make her smarter, to make her a better future wife – but all it really does is cause pain, traumas, and an endless list of other problems. Female circumcision adds to relationship problems because the lack of a clitoris with the woman leads to a lack of pleasure with the woman, and as a healthy sex life is necessary in relationships, the woman not wanting to engage in sexual activity with her partner might cause frustration on both parts. It can also cause trust problems. As described in the article, when a girl is deceived by her parents in such a gruesome manner, many never regain confidence in them again. These are the people that are supposed to protect you and love you most of all – and although many try to reason with themselves that it was for their own good, deep inside there is a profound hate for what their parents put them through. Also, many of the people who carry out the acts are not properly schooled and does not take the needed hygienic measures, resulting in death from loss of blood or shock from the terrible pain. Many experience health problems all their lives as an effect of circumcision, and the physical problems alone are reason enough to banish the practice.
But how do we achieve this?
Changing the entire mindset of a culture is nearly impossible, and takes generations to accomplish. This change is not something one should expect to see overnight – rather, taking this mission step by step will have results. Educating is the key concept here – hard facts about the physical as well as the mental problems girls encounter(ed) following genital cutting will force people to see the truth. Reaching out to the next generations of parents is crucial, as they are to define the population of a country standing on the border between modern and ancient. Public campaigns, not only in the big cities, will enlighten about religious leader's dispelling of the procedure. This fight is to be fought in the villages, with the average Egyptian set of parents. As sex and sexuality becomes less of a taboo, women will discover that they are not alone with their traumas and nightmares still haunting them after that one dusty afternoon in the doctor's office, and that they can make a difference towards their daughters.
What Egyptians fail to realise is that it is not the reproductive organs and the erotic zones themselves that are one's most sexual feature – it is the brain. Some people argue that this is an integral part of Egyptian culture, but no matter how integral and crucial to the national identity ANYTHING is, humanity comes first. If Egyptians want their daughters to abstain from promiscuous sex, they shall talk about it and reason about it, not just cut off a part of their daughters' body. Because however the average Egyptian disagrees, cutting away the clitoris will not cut away the problems.
And in the end, is that not the reason they are still doing this?

Informal annotated bibliography
The article above for reporting on the deaths and the reactions,
My mother, a true feminist,
And en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting, for various facts and explaining the different types of cuts.

(oh, and by the way, I am really happy about the responses and the enthusiasm so far. I know that this topic isn't so widely covered and talked about, so it totally rocks my neo-feministic socks to see that you guys are taking this seriously and that you are handling it maturely. This is an issue that really gets me boiling and the fact that all of you were involved enough to even discuss it with me at lunch is so cool. Respect, yo!)

[keisuke]

First when I saw that clip during class I was really shocked but after reading this article I realized that there many things occuring in this world that many people dont know. Also many people would not talk about this during dinner time with their family but it is a important thing that some poeple should know about.
This article was first talking about this 13 years old girl who dies after the doctor cut her clitoris. As result of that the clinic was closed down for good. However, many people wanted to support circumcisions. On the other hand the governement wants to stop this since they thought it was really wrong. Also by researching about circumcisions it is not good for the women aswell. This thing is not only happening in Egypt it is also occuring in other part of the world, especially in Asian countries.

For my opinion I think they should stop this becuase it is not good for the women and people should know about this.

[hisu]

This article was about female mutilation still taking place Egypt and some other countries in the Middle East. The government has tried to stop this horrendous act by forcing laws against it, but people still keep doing it because old traditions like these are hard to put a stop too. I don¡¯t agree with this because it sounds so inhumane. We always talk about animal rights, but what about the rights of these poor children? They deserve to choose if they want to undergo this procedure. I don¡¯t see why it may help because it results in many divorces and bad relationships. I think that the government should take further steps to outlaw this procedure. They should enforce even more extreme rules if that can stop this act. Women should also be able to keep their rights.

[niranthara]

Before i read this article I only knew about male circumcision, but never before have i heard of small girls being mutilated because it preserves Honor and respect. I still have a hard time thinking about how the women are treated in the middle east, leave alone thinking about female circumcision.
Female circumcision is the process of having the clitoris of a small girl removed this process is done for a few reasons:
[1] Because they assume that it is beneficial.
[2] So that the girl is considered a part of the society and therefore is eligible to be married.
[3] So that she respects the man she will marry.
What people don't understand is that most girls are not only haunted by the memories of being circumcised but are also affected physically later on. This circumcision leads to death and other maternal issues. Even though people still practice this and follow it because it has been a part of their culture, it must be BANNED- Not only because it hurts small girls and gives men the chance to use them to their advantage (during sex), but because the world is developing and culture should be continued only if it makes sense in our time and age.
Many activists have been trying to prevent this from happening; and i believe that they are in the right direction. Trying to make the people who practice this understand that this process isn't the best for their children and that it should be banned. Spreading the word about the deaths and other illnesses cause by this process; And last but not least, teaching girls that they will be accepted by society whether or not they are circumcised.
To wards the end of the article I read about how religion is connected to this, but now i understand that THE ISLAMIC RELIGION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FEMALE CIRCUMCISION! i guess some people have just misunderstood the fact and other have forced themselves to follow the practice assuming that it is part of their religion.
To me female circumcision just sounds like another way of showing that women aren't allowed to have the same benefits that men can. Unfair!!!

[rmanu]

This article was about women mutilation still practiced in Egypt. Women mutilation is the process of removing the clitoris. The government should take action on people practicing this. This kind of horrible practice should be stopped.

The government should warn the hospitals who do this operation. The hospital should warn the people who want to do this operation and if they still insist, the hospital should inform the police for arresting them. The hospitals or clinics that do not obey the government should be closed and the government should cancel their license. Even the barbers should be warned by the government for doing this operation. The barbers who do not obey the government should be arrested.

The people who practice this should stop this because lot of women die and also the the women who do this operation might not reproduce this may affect the population. If women reproduce their baby might have some problems when it gets older. When the doctor or barber does the operation the women might gets some disease and will not die but the disease might affect the baby. The disease might also pass on. So women mutilation should be stopped!!!!

[sanjayvdasari]

Terrible, sickening, disgusting, barbaric. All of the people that have already read this must know what its about, so I wont spend your valuable time telling you what its about. These are about a few words that came to my mind after reading this article. I can’t believe that people actually do this. The supporting reasons that the people think are valid for such a stupid practice of female circumcision are ridiculous. How can people believe in this inhuman practice.
The fact that the girls and boys very parents force them to do this and don’t give them a choice, wacky, that’s what it is (sorry, don’t have enough vocab).
This process will leave a permanent scar on the children both mentally and physically. They’re entire life will be ruined.
I’m proud to see that there are some sensible people left in the village that do not support circumcision.
Everyone all around the world should take a stand against circumcision and swear never to forcibly carry out the practice without the consent of the patient.

[nitika]

I personally feel that this practice is terrible and barbaric. Many people think that this practice will tame their daughters, so that they don't do any wild things, but that is not true. I think that it is the way in which you are brought up that matters, cercumcision is not the answer. I founf out that many women in India have gone through this process, and they say that they will never forget what has happened to them and are totally against it. They wish they could stop this practice but are scared since then they would not by accpeted by their muslim society, and by their family. They even said that when they have sex it hurts alot and that they can not enjoy it. It is a very bad thing to do, not only for sexual reasons but because you could even get many infections and die as they mentioned in this article. Many doctors are trying to explain that this causes many infections and that they should not do this but still people do not change their minds because they feel that god wants them to do this and that it is the right thing to do.
I read in a book that in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, the majority of men will not marry a woman if she has not undegone this process as they think that it tames her and prevents her from doing wild things, as women are meant to be elegant, quiet and innocent. They feel that this will make her more mature. It is not fair for the women. It shows that the men dominate the women. It makes women feel inferior. I even found out that mothers make their daughters undergo this process, because they feel that allah(god) said that it changes the woman and makes her a better person, and since their mothers, grand mothers and so on have done it they feel that if they do not undergo this this process then they will not be accepted by society, and feel that this is part of their culture and tradition. I do not think god would ever want anybody to do such an evil thing, because then why did god make a woman like that? They should just leave the women alone.
I think that it is really great that so many people are fighting to stop this barbaric procedure.
I even think that the men should accept, marry, and love girls who have not undergone this process. In this kind of society I think it mainly depends on the men becuase they are the heads of their family and have more power, so they will bring about a change much quicker than the women.
Lets all join together and fight against this barbaric practice and for the rights of women.

[asifhilal]

Voices Rise in Egypt to Shield Girls From an Old Tradition
By MICHAEL SLACKMAN

“You can only take the horse to water, you cannot make it drink.” You can only tell the people that female circumcision is harmful. You cannot force them. You want to know how harmful? After looking at wikipedia this is what i found. There are three main types. Type 1 being the least severe and type 3 being the most severe. Many people in Egypt get type 3 female circumcision. This involves removing most of the external gentalia, leaving a big wound (also nothing that was in the area before remains except a small hole. The girl’s legs are then tied up for up to six weeks. (Can you imagine being in one place for six weeks?) Also when the girls become pregnant, the women have to go through a procedure, which makes her again have her legs tied up. (It’s hard enough, without circumcision). Female circumcision is harmful for health. Parents can discipline their children, and make them be "calm" without circumcision. This practice should be stopped, and how can these people keep disagreeing?

Why do they do it?
I have listed some arguments that people who believe in female circumcision have spoken of. (Comes from wikipedia)


1) Maintenance of good health
2) Maintenance of cleanliness
3) Increase of matrimonial opportunities.
My counter-arguments

1) Good health?? It causes diseases
2) Cleanliness? - As I mentioned above- it causes diseases! Diseases are not clean!!
3) You can get matrimonial opportunities without circumcision.

We have to ask ourseleves certain questions. Why are they doing this? and how can it be stopped?

Well anyone reading this can assume that IT IS A BAD THING. As I mentioned above people have to keep warning people that this wrong. However, they might not listen. In the future people may begin to realize that it is not a good idea. I also disagree with Nitika’s statement of “They wish they could stop this practice but are scared since then they would not by accepted by their Muslim society, and by their family”. The reason they are doing it is because they think they are befitting. In fact some women make their daughters go through the procedure behind their family’s backs.

[jungkyu]

As like the others, I was quite shocked of the nations that has traditions of cutting off their daughter's clitoris. I didn't even know that there existed nations of having this disgusting, ignoble, barbaric traditions (in my aspect). This discriminates the womens rights, and neglects womens freedom. But as this is refered to traditions of the nations, the people never think that it is harmful, or causes disease, and even death like in the article. Because this practice is now fixed to this nation, it is shown how hard it will be to change it. The people think that they need this practice because it will make the girl calm down and make them stable. But I wonder why this have existed. Well, I think there are few religious reasons about it, but how did this have become unchangeable? How did this become so natural?

This current event has strong impact on the developing nations in the aspect of women's rights. To the people who live in Egypt, maybe, they will think that we people are wrong, but to look at this situation more objectively, it is absolutely discriminating the women's rights. By this kind of intention, we can know that Egypt and other countries which circumcises their daughter has a large problem with women's rights. It will be quite hard for the women to get their jobs. Therefore, it delays development.

[olivia]

what a very SHOCKING article

before i read this article, i already knew what female mutilation was, but i never new the real depth of this practise.
How can parents, or people really think that doing this procedure on woman will really tame her?
Has it really been scientifically proven that it works? i think not! Is this a cultural issue or an ignorant one?
Its so stupid! why why why why why?

I think it is incrediblly sad that these kids dont even know what they are getting into, that these parents are pottentially mentally scaring these girls who dont even know the consequences of this procedure that is happening in Egypt, Africa and even India.
One of the worlds leading supermodel, who origionally comes from Africa had this pricedure done, and she descibed it as " an absolutly disgusting way treat woman" She said that she remembers every detail of what happened to her, and is still trying to defeat these memories.

Also the fact that a girl dies from this procedure, points how dangerouse it really is

Even though the Egyption goverment has made a law against it, it is still going to be practised, these people seem to be to ignorant to know what is right. They are endangering thier child, so why do they still do this?

These men also need to get over this superiority thing over women because it seems they are taking it a wee bit far. As far as everbody knows, this practise NEEDS to be stopped, for the sake and justice of these woman!

[kwangsampark]

This article is about this cultural procedure taken place in Egypt. People in these regions think that it is a right thing to do, the procedure should be done for the honor and for the child's sake. However, it has been stated that it may bring diseases and if worse bring death. Therefore the government is taking actions, prohibiting, making laws to ban the procedure, a cultural habit from keeping going on. But laws are made to be broken. Even though the government is taking actions, it is not working. They already have the thought that it is a duty to circumcise their daughters, for their honor and to block them from doing things that are impulse. As the parents said in the small interview we saw on Friday, their daughter might marry behind their backs.

Well I can kind of understand the reason (getting married behind parents back). But I was pretty shocked. I was shocked about the practice done in several countries, but countries not giving the rights for women came into my eyes the most. Today in Saudi Arabia and some other countries, they won't let women drive the car or vote etc. This is what I think. Women have the rights to choose, and do things they want. It is not just concerned with rights of the women, the practice itself doesn't give them any benefits, it will just bring them loss. I know that the cultural, traditional practices should be done, but this is the kind that should be banned. People, as the article said they are mentally hurt because of the practice. As a result, not just the government of that particular country but the whole world should think about what is right and wrong, what will be beneficial and the most important of all: the rights of the women.

[maimoona]

This was a very shocking article for me to read because I am a Muslim.

This is about female mutilation, which is been practiced in Egypt and parts of North Africa. I already know about this, but never really went in depth and realized some of the consequences of this…


I think that this practice is very brutal and barbaric to continue. Please stop this.
It is actually good that the government is trying to stop this in Egypt but if the people are going to not stop this then the government seriously need to take action upon this…

This event was practiced in the old days; they did not know if they had to or not but now, I think they have knowledge and should really stop this chaos. I don’t understand why people think they have to continue this even after a 13 year old girl died due to this… its pathetic

After saying (in the article) that a 13 year old died, why people should still follow this practice, they know that this is really bad and should not be practiced again. I don’t understand why they should still follow this, even after the government said they don’t have to and the Ministry of Religious Affairs also issued a booklet explaining why the practice was not called for in Islam. Egypt’s grand mufti, Ali Gomaa, declared it haram, or prohibited by Islam.

• Why do they do this (even thou I am a Muslim, I still don’t understand why)?
• What does this have to do with keeping your child healthy?

[zachghaderi]

Its stuff like this, that really gets me mad. You know? It makes me want to go slap some people around. Though, it really shows how extreme some societies are, even today. And it’s all to protect and follow “tradition” and “culture”. It really shows how some genders really control the other. So sad…

They said that it was to keep their daughters almost “tame” and keep honor to the family name. If you have to go to the extremities of circumcising your daughter to keep honor to the family name, then you must really be a horrible parent. It’s not like you can’t install moral values in you child at a young age so that they know better than that.

This is a disgusting practice that needs to be abolished… forever.

SDMF,
Zach \m/>.<\m/

[tamsin]

This ARTICLE IS APPALING!!!!

how can they do this to girls??? mother nature didnt give women these things for nothing!!!!
it is a sad fact that peope still in egypt muttilate there girls gentitals. That thinking by doing this is going to calm them down and keeps them out of harms way. this is not true at all.

this practice has being going on for centureies and yet they still think that this is the right thing to do!!! but why? young girls have died by getting this procedure done. women have lost all rights to be a women. they cant enoy the necisities of life. what shoked me was the 96% of women in egypt have had this prcedure done.

what finally made me smile about this article is that about 100 villages on egypt have taken out this practise form there culture. this is great news. these people are finally understanding the real truth about female mutilation. the most truoble that hesalth centers have been trying to get throgh to the people who belive in circumcision is that they are halming there daughter emensly, not helping her. How can they cut such a mig part of a girl out? its liek cutting off the tail of a cat. everything in the human body is there for a reason. and if you take that out, its just very unatural.


i think its fianlly time to take control of this situaton,
If people who are against this practise still go out to the villages and help them understand that this is wrong, mabe we will see the end of the practice.