 "Muslim women are still circumcised in these countries, know how terrible this practice is")
Muslim Women Circumcision: For a long time there has been a debate around the world about the practice of circumcision of Muslim women. Male circumcision is generally practiced in Islam, but some countries also have a tradition of female circumcision. But now this practice is becoming scary for Muslim women. In India’s neighboring country Pakistan, many such women are coming forward who are not only describing the pain caused by this practice, but are also opposing it. In English it is called ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ (FGM). According to reports, women are considered ‘pure’ or ‘ready for marriage’ among conservative Muslims after circumcision.
Recently Al Jazeera in one of its reports mentioned an incident that happened two decades ago in Pakistan. According to him, an innocent seven-year-old girl was forcibly circumcised by her aunt. The act also involved the consent of the girl’s mother. But the girl, who is now a 27-year-old woman, has not forgotten the incident. He had broken the trust of this woman named Maryam, whom he trusted the most. It was his mother. The scars of that terrible day are still present on Maryam’s body.
How dangerous is female circumcision?
In female circumcision, their clitoris is cut off and removed. Doctors say circumcision can cause reproductive complications in women. The clitoris has the most nerve endings of any part of the human body and is the most sensitive part in the female body. When it is removed, the nervous system is severed. Due to this the sensation goes away. The practice of deliberately cutting off female genitalia is colloquially known as female circumcision. According to the WHO any procedure that damages or alters female genitalia without a medical reason is classified as FGM. Many people claim that this practice benefits health, but this is completely wrong and baseless fact.
In how many countries is this practice prevalent?
But there are many countries in the world where even today atrocities are being committed on women in the name of religion and tradition. Female circumcision is also one of them. According to the Down to Earth website, this evil continues in more than 92 countries. This practice has been legally banned in 51 countries including India. Despite the ban, there are many countries where female circumcision is still common in the name of tradition. This tradition is common in African countries. There are many countries in the African continent where almost all female circumcision is required. Chief among these countries are Somalia, Djibouti and Guinea. Egypt banned female genital mutilation in 2008, but remains one of the most common in the world today.
This practice also exists in developed countries
Apart from this, female circumcision is most prevalent in Yemen, Iraq, Maldives and Indonesia. But this tradition continues today in many developed countries in Asia, Middle East, Latin America, Europe, Australia and North America. In the year 2020, UNICEF has released statistics, according to which around 200 million girls and women around the world have suffered genital mutilation.
When is circumcision performed?
Girls are circumcised between childhood and 15 years of age. Usually this work is done by the women of the family. FGM not only harms girls and women physically but also mentally. Females face problems like bleeding, fever, infection and mental trauma due to circumcision. In some cases they even die.
Common in Dawoodi Bohra
A BBC report states that female circumcision is practiced among Muslims of the Bohra community in India. Maryam also belongs to the Dawoodi Bohra community of Pakistan. It is a sect of Shia Muslims, who mostly inhabit Gujarat. Circumcision is a common practice among them. According to an estimate, 75-85 percent of Dawoodi Bohra women are circumcised in Pakistan. The estimated population of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims in Pakistan is around one lakh. Dawoodi Bohra women are either circumcised in their homes by elders without any anesthesia and sterile instruments. There are very few women who get this procedure done by professional doctors in cities like Karachi.
The United Nations declared it a violation of human rights
The United Nations (UN) has termed this practice as a ‘violation of human rights’. To stop it and raise awareness about it, February 6 is the ‘International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM’. is celebrated Many countries around the world oppose it and leaders around the world have pledged to end it completely by 2030. But the reality is that a large number of girls and boys in many countries have to go through this pain.