Truly the second sex- The Malaysian Insider
May 15, 2011 — A few weeks ago browsing through one of Marina Mahathir’s columns, I came across a reference to a fatwa enjoining Muslims in Malaysia to practise female circumcision. Incredulous, thinking in my ignorance that this was a barbaric custom practised primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, and that it had been outlawed everywhere else, I thought I would look it up on the e-fatwa website.
“Ruling On Female Genital Mutilation Decision: The 86th Muzakarah of the Fatwa Committee National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia held on 21st-23rd April 2009 has discussed on rulings on female genital mutilation. The Committee has decided that female circumcision is part of Islamic teachings and it should be observed by Muslims. However, as Islam also pays attention to the safety of its people, the circumcision can be exempted if the practice brings harm to the person. As far as the majority of the jurists’ views are concerned, the Committee has decided that female circumcision is obligatory (wajib). However, if it is harmful, it must be avoided.”
It also goes on to state that female circumcision is different from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to WHO though, “FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.” Internationally, the term FGM is used rather than female circumcision because of the equivalence to male circumcision the latter seems to imply, which is clearly not the case in either socio-cultural or medical terms.
Even in purely medical terms, the risks seem huge. WHO states “FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies. Immediate complications can include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis (bacterial infection), urine retention, open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue. Long-term consequences can include recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility and an increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths. WHO strongly urges health professionals not to perform such procedures.”
The types of FGM are varied and range from partial excision of the clitoris to wholesale mutilation of the genitilia. The concern of the international community can be gauged from the fact that the United Nations has declared February 6 as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Even from a religious perspective then, since clearly FGM causes physical and emotional harm the local fatwa can be seen to mean that all Malaysian Muslim women are actually exempted from this practice.
At a broader level, the issue offers a window into gender discrimination and the role of women in society. In an earlier article I had referred to the fact of child marriages being allowed in Malaysia in certain circumstances and more relevantly that in 2009 according to the health ministry, out of 479 children waiting to tie the knot, only two were boys. Also, 32 of them were below 10 years of age.
What seems surprising is the absence of any outcry over this kind of treatment of women in the context of the much touted push to become a developed nation by 2020. Developed nations the world over do not countenance such treatment towards half their population.
If anything, the world over women are demonstrating that given the opportunity they are actually the first sex. Their success is also our success. Let’s give their minds and bodies the respect we give to our own.
“Ruling On Female Genital Mutilation Decision: The 86th Muzakarah of the Fatwa Committee National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia held on 21st-23rd April 2009 has discussed on rulings on female genital mutilation. The Committee has decided that female circumcision is part of Islamic teachings and it should be observed by Muslims. However, as Islam also pays attention to the safety of its people, the circumcision can be exempted if the practice brings harm to the person. As far as the majority of the jurists’ views are concerned, the Committee has decided that female circumcision is obligatory (wajib). However, if it is harmful, it must be avoided.”
It also goes on to state that female circumcision is different from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to WHO though, “FGM is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. It is nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children. The practice also violates a person’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and the right to life when the procedure results in death.” Internationally, the term FGM is used rather than female circumcision because of the equivalence to male circumcision the latter seems to imply, which is clearly not the case in either socio-cultural or medical terms.
Even in purely medical terms, the risks seem huge. WHO states “FGM has no health benefits, and it harms girls and women in many ways. It involves removing and damaging healthy and normal female genital tissue, and interferes with the natural functions of girls’ and women’s bodies. Immediate complications can include severe pain, shock, haemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis (bacterial infection), urine retention, open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue. Long-term consequences can include recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections, cysts, infertility and an increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths. WHO strongly urges health professionals not to perform such procedures.”
The types of FGM are varied and range from partial excision of the clitoris to wholesale mutilation of the genitilia. The concern of the international community can be gauged from the fact that the United Nations has declared February 6 as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation.
Even from a religious perspective then, since clearly FGM causes physical and emotional harm the local fatwa can be seen to mean that all Malaysian Muslim women are actually exempted from this practice.
At a broader level, the issue offers a window into gender discrimination and the role of women in society. In an earlier article I had referred to the fact of child marriages being allowed in Malaysia in certain circumstances and more relevantly that in 2009 according to the health ministry, out of 479 children waiting to tie the knot, only two were boys. Also, 32 of them were below 10 years of age.
What seems surprising is the absence of any outcry over this kind of treatment of women in the context of the much touted push to become a developed nation by 2020. Developed nations the world over do not countenance such treatment towards half their population.
If anything, the world over women are demonstrating that given the opportunity they are actually the first sex. Their success is also our success. Let’s give their minds and bodies the respect we give to our own.
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