Female genital mutilation

Just did research on this in my Anthro class.

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/pub...al-quarterly/kenya/fgm-maasai-women-speak-out

One of the best articles I've read on fgm.

In the Maasai community, circumcision is a rite of passage. It is a clear step between childhood and adulthood. Once a woman undergoes circumcision, she is ready for marriage. Maasai believe that the practice helps reduce immorality among girls because they are not allowed to engage in conjugal duties before they undergo circumcision. Boys are circumcised for similar reasons.

The Maasai believe that circumcision further helps improve people’s morality because it reduces sexual urge, preventing cases of girls engaging in sex before marriage and giving birth out of wedlock. The Maasai do not perform the practice to harm people, but rather out of love and care for their people, because they are truly concerned about their people’s morality.
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I'm certainly against it, but it's definitely interesting to see a whole other perspective on it.
 
So you think giving women a lifetime of pain, the likelihood she will only have discomfort and no enjoyment from sex, and possibly the need to undergo surgery just so she can take a wee normally is ok?
 
Of course I think it's awful, but from an etic perspective, it's almost as if it's better for the mothers to circumsise their daughters. Being that these are mostly male dominated societies, if the girls aren't circumsised, they're shunned and left to support themselves and it creates extra strain on the family. The mothers are only trying to create easier lives for their daughters. It's hard to argue against that. Of course it'd be ideal if they just got rid of FGM altogether, but it's part of their culture.
 
spudbynight said:
Did you miss Castiel's post?

This has nothing to do with religion - it is a cultural matter.
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Did you read my post before replying to it?

A rhetorical question, since you wouldn't have made that reply if you did.

But I'll reply to your post anyway:

i) Religion is a big factor in many cases of genital mutilation. Islam isn't the only religion. Not everyone is female. I shouldn't have to point those two things out.

ii) Islam is a factor in female genital mutilation. Yes, it existed before Islam. Yes, many Muslims nowadays interpret their religion to not require it. No, that doesn't not mean that it isn't a factor. Some Muslims interpret their religion as encouraging or requiring it. Some of those Muslims were or are in positions of some authority.

To say that genital mutilation has nothing to do with religion is utter cobblers. It's not even clutching at straws. It's clutching at hallucinations of straws.
 
Angilion said:
Did you read my post before replying to it?

A rhetorical question, since you wouldn't have made that reply if you did.

But I'll reply to your post anyway:

i) Religion is a big factor in many cases of genital mutilation. Islam isn't the only religion. Not everyone is female. I shouldn't have to point those two things out.

ii) Islam is a factor in female genital mutilation. Yes, it existed before Islam. Yes, many Muslims nowadays interpret their religion to not require it. No, that doesn't not mean that it isn't a factor. Some Muslims interpret their religion as encouraging or requiring it. Some of those Muslims were or are in positions of some authority.

To say that genital mutilation has nothing to do with religion is utter cobblers. It's not even clutching at straws. It's clutching at hallucinations of straws.
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I read your post in full and I refute it. You are blaming Religion and I wholly disagree with you.

Circumcision of boys is required under Jewish law. This is for reasons of hygiene. There is actually a medical benefit to this which is why it is so prevalent in the US. I agree that you can achieve the same benefit by, erm, washing. I disagree with male circumcision but I think it is flawed to compare it with female genital mutilation as discussed on this thread.

Female genital mutilation is not required in Judaism, Islam or Christianity. The majority of women who undergo this are African Muslim but not because they are Muslim.
 
You may refute it, but most Jews believe that it is a requirement of their religion that they be circumcised.

I don't think anyone cares whether it's for hygiene reasons; we care that young boys are having part of their ***** cut off without them being asked! I'd be furious! I know religious people love to involve everyone without checking, getting children as young as possible, but it doesn't give them the right to change a child's body without them knowing what's happening, or why.
 
Castiel said:
FGM is not a religious observance in any of the three Abrahamic religions....it predates all of them by some centuries.

Judaism expressly forbids it, Christianity doesn't say anything about it and Islam, the most often accused religion has issued several Fatwa condemning and prohibiting the practice. All to no avail, as this seems to be ingrained in some societies regardless of what even their own elders and Govts say or do.

It is easy to blame religion, but sometimes such practices predate such beliefs so it is difficult even for the religions of such societies to impose a prohibition on them.

The thing we should really be worried about and campaigning about is the fact that the UK do not enforce the laws against this with more alacrity. (or any in fact). The authorities are effectively condoning the practice by not applying the law against it.

In any case, I pretty much agree with Naffa, regardless of the religious and cultural practice of male circumcision, none of it is necessary unless there is a proven medical need to the individual or as part of World Health Organisation recommendations regarding HIV. And there is no need for FGM whatsoever as there are no health issues that require it afaik.
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Castiel to the defence of religion yet again.

You cant deny that the people who are doing it are religious :confused:

Angilion said:
To say that genital mutilation has nothing to do with religion is utter cobblers. It's not even clutching at straws. It's clutching at hallucinations of straws.
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Exactly. What is this "its their culture nonsense?" I bet my life that no athiests or agnostics have carried this out.
 
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spudbynight said:
I am religious and I post on these forums. By your logic then, posting on here is a religious act?
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No, I wouldn't have thought that you post here because of your religion, but then again I dont know, why do you post here?

My point is simple, they would not be mutilating girls private areas if they were not religious. Just like the Taliban would not be trying to kill school girls if they were not religious and what were the last words of the 9/11 hijackers?

Of course people do bad things all the time, but some otherwise morally normal people are corrupted by the poison that is religion.
 
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