Excerpts from a book by Nawal El Saadawi: "The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in
the Arab World." She is an Egyptian novelist, MD and militant writer on Arab
women's problems and their struggle for liberation.
"I just wept, and called out to my mother for help. But the worst shock
of all was when I looked around and found her standing by my side. Yes. It
was her, I could not be mistaken, in flesh and blood, right in the midst of
these strangers, talking to them and smiling at them as though they had not
participated in slaughtering her daughter just a few minutes ago."
"Now we know where lies our tragedy. We were born of a special sex, the
female sex. We are destined in advance to taste of misery, and to have a
part of our body torn away by cold unfeeling, cruel hands. ..."
When I returned to school after having recovered from the operation, I
asked my classmates and friends about what had happened to me, only to
discover that all of them without exception, had been through the same
experience, no matter what social class they came from. ..." 1
Status of FGM in Egypt:
FGM is a social custom, not a religious practice in Egypt
as it is in other countries of Northern Africa. It is
usually performed on pre-pubescent girls, often without anesthetic or
precautions against infection.
In those countries where the mutilation is common, it is practiced by Muslims,
Christians, and followers of other religious groups.
Nawal El-Saadawi, a Muslim victim of infibulation, stated:
"The importance given to virginity and an intact hymen in these
societies is the reason why female circumcision still remains a very widespread
practice despite a growing tendency, especially in urban Egypt, to do away with
it as something outdated and harmful. Behind circumcision lies the belief that,
by removing parts of girls' external genitals organs, sexual desire is
minimized. " 2
A 2005 report
titled "Children in Islam: Their care, development and protection" issued
by UNICEF and the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and
Research at Al-Azhar University states:
"Islam and female circumcision: From an
Islamic perspective, the Quran says nothing relating explicitly or implicitly to
female circumcision. The use of the general term ‘Sunnah Circumcision’ is
nothing but a form of deceit to misguide people and give the impression that the
practice is Islamic. As for the traditions attributed to the Prophet, peace be
upon him, in this regard, past and present scholars have agreed that none of
these traditions are authentic and should not be attributed to the Prophet."
3
Sunna circumcision
involves cutting of only the outer part of the clitoris.
An older meta-study on "female sexual castration" presented in
1989-MAR showed that five surveys conducted between 1977 and 1985 estimated that
80.5% of Egyptian women in Cairo and Alexandria had undergone FGM. 4
During 2007-JUN, Ahmad 'Aliwa, a women's rights activist, described one
finding that shows the near universal practice of FGM in Egypt, noting:
"The Center for Social Studies conducted a survey which showed
that 85% of the prostitutes in Egypt were circumcised. There is no relation
between female circumcision and the girls' behavior." 5
A 2005 report by UNICEF suggested that 97% of
Egyptian women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have never been married have undergone some form of FGM or
circumcision. 6
A more recent study by the Egyptian government
found that 50.3% of girls aged 10 to 18 have been circumcised. 6
FGM debate in Egypt:
Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, head of the al-Azhar Islamic Institute, had stated
during the 1990s that the practice is un-Islamic. The Health Minister of Egypt, Ismail Sallam, announced
a ban on FGM in 1996-JUL. This was upheld by a junior administrative court in Cairo.
Sheik Youssef Badri, a Muslim fundamentalist, took the health minister to court. In
1997-JUN, an Egyptian court overturned the ban. Eight Muslim scholars and
doctors had testified that the ban exceeded the government's authority and violated the
legal rights of the medical profession. Sheik Youssef Badri commented:
"[Female]
circumcision is Islamic; the court has said that the ban violated religious law. There's
nothing which says circumcision is a crime, but the Egyptians came along and said that
Islam is a crime."
In 1997-JUL, the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel
interviewed Sheik Badri. He claimed that many Muslim women are pleased with this victory
of Islam over its enemies. When it was pointed out to him that parents in Morocco and
Algeria do not practice FGM, he replied that the clitoris in Egyptian girls was larger
than in those countries and had to be cut back to a normal size. He quoted a French study
which showed that circumcised girls are less likely to catch AIDS. [Author's note: This may
well be true; victims of FGM are probably less likely to be sexually active.] Badri
believes that the United States is spreading misinformation on the health risks of
FGM.
We have been unable to find any documentation to support Badri's assertion
about clitoris size.
The government appealed the case to Egypt's Supreme Administrative Court.
They ruled that the operation is not required by Islam, and that "female circumcision
is not a personal right according to the rules of Islamic Sharia (law)." Thus,
FGM is subject to Egyptian law. The government prohibited the procedure, even if it is done with the
agreement of the child and her parents. However, gynecologists are still allowed to
perform the
surgery if it is needed for health reasons.
The BBC reported in 2007 that:
"Egypt's first lady, Susanne Mubarak, has spoken out strongly against
female circumcision, saying that it is a flagrant example of continued
physical and psychological violence against children which must stop." 7
A girl dies under the knife:
Budour Ahmed Shaker, aged 11 or 12 (sources differ), died on 2007-JUN at a private
medical clinic in Minya province in Egypt. She allegedly died of an overdose of anesthetic during FGM. Her three sisters had already undergone
the "purification" operation. The operation cost 50 Egyptian pounds
($9.00 US). The doctor is reported as having tried to bribe the parents to
withdraw their complaint. The girl's father has allegedly sued the doctor. 6
Human rights groups complained both to the medical profession and the
government about the continued practice. The doctor has since been arrested.
7
Sponsored link:
Reactions of religious & political leaders to Budour's death:
When interviewed about FGM, Ali Gum'a, the Mufti of
Egypt (a.k.a. Gomaa), said:
"We've warned time and again that this thing... It has become clear to
us, in modern times, with all the medical information we have, that this is
inappropriate, and that it causes severe damage from the medical, social,
and human aspects. So we [decided] to refrain from performing this custom
and to prevent it. We've said this once, twice, three times, and ten
times... Not only now, but since 1954, we have been calling upon people to
abandon this ugly custom." 5
When the interviewer pressured the mufti by asking specifically whether Islam
prohibits or permits FGM, Ali Gum'a replied:
"This issue, with these characteristics, in our times – is prohibited. If
they want to know what the Mufti of Egypt has to say. I say this custom is
prohibited."
Mohamed Sayyed Tantawi, the Grand Sheikh of Cairo's al-Azhar mosque, has
repeated his assertion that the practice as un-Islamic. However, some other
Muslim clerics have supported
FGM.
UNICEF reports that:
"... Al-Azhar Supreme Council of Islamic Research, the highest religious
authority in Egypt, issued a statement saying FGM/C has no basis in core
Islamic law or any of its partial provisions and that it is harmful and
should not be practiced." 8
Coptic Pope Shenouda, the leader of Egypt's minority Christian community,
said that neither the Koran nor the Bible demand or mention female
circumcision. 9
Su'ad Saleh of Al-Azhar University commented:
"After the [statement by the Mufti] there is nothing left for me to say.
This is what I have been demanding from the Mufti and the religious scholars
– a categorical ruling on such issues. But when some of them say that this
is permitted 'when necessary,' and if a doctor performs it ... It was a
doctor who did this, and look at the result ... Society as a whole is
responsible for the death of this girl. This is tantamount to the custom of
burying girls alive, before the advent of Islam. It is like the burying the
girl in the physical and psychological sense."
Reactions to Budour's death:
According to France 24:
"The Egyptian doctors' syndicate has launched a probe into the girl's
death and warned doctors against performing the procedure either in homes or
medical facilities, citing 'detrimental health effects' on girls." 9
On 2007-JUN-28, the Egyptian Health Ministry
announced that it has removed the health exception from the 1996 law.
5 Female genital mutilation is now banned
throughout the country. A spokesperson said that any circumcision:
"... will be viewed as a violation of the law and all contraventions will be
punished." He noted that it is a "permanent ban".
The ministry decree states that it is "... prohibited for any doctors,
nurses, or any other person to carry out any cut of, flattening or modification
of any natural part of the female reproductive system." 10 That is confusing regulation. It
could be interpreted as forbidding various non-mutilating medical procedures,
tubal ligation, surgical removal of a hymen, and even performing an episiotomy
during childbirth. Also, since the clitoris is not part of the reproductive
system, the regulation would not restrict surgery on it.
A law
is apparently required to fully enforce the ban. It is expected to face a tough
debate in parliament. 9
UNICEF reports that:
"During the Third Regional Conference on Violence against Children, the
First Lady Suzanne Mubarak dedicated a minute of silence for the recent
child FGM/C victim. She announced the launch of a national campaign aimed at
drawing more attention to the harmful practice and accelerating efforts to
legally ban FGM/C. The First Lady also announced the amendment of the Child
Law 1996, which in addition to banning FGM/C also addresses other child
rights issues." 8
References used:
The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
"Egypt strengthens ban on genital mutilation
following girl's death," EITB 24, 2007-JUN-28, at:
http://www.eitb24.com/
"Children in Islam:
Their care, development and protection" UNICEF and the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and
Research of Al-Azhar University, 2005, at:
http://www.unicef.org/ This is a PDF file. You may require software to read it. Software can be obtained free from:
Mohamed Badawi, "Epidemiology of Female Sexual
Castration in Cairo, Egypt," Paper delivered at the First International
Symposium on Circumcision, Anaheim, California,1989-MAR-1 &. Online at:
http://www.nocirc.org/
"Death of Girl During Circumcision Stirs Debate in Egypt and Prompts a Fatwa
by Mufti of Egypt Banning this Practice," Transcript of program on Al-Mihwar TV,
2007-JUN-24, at:
http://www.memritv.org/
Ian Black, "Egypt bans female circumcision after
death of 12-year-old girl," Guardian Unlimited, 2007-JUN-30, at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
