In these countries, even today Muslim women are circumcised, know how horrifying this practice is

Muslim Women Circumcision: In orthodox Muslims, women are considered 'pure' or 'ready for marriage' after circumcision. But there are many countries in the world where even today women are oppressed in the name of religion and tradition ... Read more.

Muslim Women Circumcision: For a long time, there has been a debate all over the world on the practice of circumcision of Muslim women. In Islam, men are usually circumcised, but in some countries, there is also a tradition of circumcising women. But now this practice is becoming horrifying for Muslim women. In India's neighboring country Pakistan, many such women are coming forward who are not only expressing the pain they have suffered due to this practice but are also opposing it. In English, it is called 'Female Genital Mutilation' (FGM). According to reports, among orthodox Muslims, women are considered 'pure' or 'ready for marriage' after circumcision. 

Recently, Al Jazeera in one of its reports mentioned an incident that happened two decades ago in Pakistan. According to it, an innocent girl of seven years was forcibly circumcised by her aunt. The consent of the girl's mother was also involved in this act. But that girl, who is now a woman of about 27 years, has not forgotten that incident. She had shattered the trust of this woman named Maryam, whom she trusted the most. That was her mother. The marks of that dreadful day are still present on Maryam's body. 

How dangerous is female circumcision?

In female circumcision, the clitoris is cut out. Doctors say that circumcision can cause reproductive complications in women. The clitoris has the most nerve endings than any other organ in the human body and is the most sensitive organ of the female body. When it is removed, the nerve endings are cut off. This causes loss of sensation.  The practice of intentionally cutting the female genitals is colloquially known as female circumcision. According to the WHO, any process that damages or changes the female genitals without any medical reason is put under the category of FGM. Many people claim that this practice is beneficial for health, but this is completely wrong and baseless.

In how many countries is this evil practice prevalent?

There are many countries around the world where even today women are being tortured in the name of religion and tradition. Female circumcision is also one of them. According to the report on Down to Earth website, this evil practice continues in more than 92 countries. This practice has been legally banned in 51 of these countries, which also includes India. Despite the ban, there are many countries where female circumcision is still common in the name of tradition. This practice is common in African countries. There are many countries in the African continent where almost all women have to undergo circumcision. Somalia, Djibouti and Guinea are the main countries among these. Egypt banned female circumcision in the year 2008, but even today such cases are the highest in the world. 

This bad practice is also prevalent in developed countries.

Apart from this, female circumcision is most prevalent in Yemen, Iraq, Maldives and Indonesia. But this tradition still continues in many developed countries of Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, Australia and North America. In the year 2020, UNICEF released data according to which the genitals of about 20 crore girls and women have been damaged worldwide.

When is circumcision done?

Girls are circumcised between infancy and 15 years of age. Generally, women of the family perform this task. Circumcision or getting circumcision done causes not only physical but also mental harm to girls and women. Due to circumcision, women have to face problems like bleeding, fever, infection and mental trauma. In some cases, they even die.

Common among Dawoodi Bohras

A BBC report states that female circumcision is done among Bohra Muslims in India. Maryam also belongs to the Dawoodi Bohra community of Pakistan. This is a sect of Shia Muslims, who are mostly settled in Gujarat. Circumcision is a common practice among them. According to an estimate, 75-85 percent of Dawoodi Bohra women in Pakistan get circumcised. The estimated population of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims in Pakistan is about one lakh people. Dawoodi Bohra women either get circumcised in their homes by elders without any anaesthesia and without sterilizing instruments. The number of such women is very less who get this process done by professional doctors in cities like Karachi.  

UN has declared it a violation of human rights

The United Nations (UN) has declared this practice as a 'violation of human rights'. To stop this and raise awareness about it, 'International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM' is celebrated on 6 February. Many countries of the world oppose it and world leaders have promised to end it completely by 2030. But the reality is that in many countries, a large number of girls and women have to go through this pain.

PC:News18