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Islamic Women

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WOMEN IN ISLAM AND THE MIDDLE EAST
CHAPTER SEVEN SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT
AN EARLY LEGAL COMPENDIUM
INTERNET CIRCUMCISION ARTICLES
HIDDEN FACES OF EVE

Instructions: Read Roded chapter 7 and the two readings entitled “Internet Circumcision articles” and “Hidden Face of Eve”. Decide if the chapters or articles are neutral, in support of, or in opposition to the practice of female circumcision. Fill out the first two lines stating the position defended (pro, con, neutral) and time period of the stance taken (modern or traditional). Then write at least 10 sentences stating the rationale behind it and details concerning it. Under the evidence section, give any supporting evidence mentioned in the reading wherein they use factual sources, studies, statistics, Quran verses, Hadith, or other kinds of evidential proof. Give the references or citations provided for this proof (do not just mention it- give the actual statistics and data with the source citations). Finish by stating your own opinion regarding the reading. There is no answer key for this assignment. Note: Roded 7 doesn’t really go into the topic in depth, but has a detailed view on the topic of purity on the whole. Include the entire topic in your summary of that chapter below.

1. Roded Chapter 7 a. Position defended: Pro b. Time period: traditional c. Rationale/details: Purity is very important. Many of the older women were considered to be unclean. During mensuration a woman was to wrap a cloth tight around her waist. Men could touch her above the cloth as they saw fit. Specific rituals were done for washings. Water was splashed over head’s three times. Roots of hair were washed. In 2.26 a man is permitted to have sexual relations with his wife during menstruation if he chooses to do so. If water was not available to clean oneself not considered impure. Women were not allowed to pray during menstruation. d. Evidence:Hadith; Roded Chapter 7 e. Opinion: Purity was a huge part of this culture. It was important to be clean and pure. Some of the ways women were treated because they were on their period is weird. Shouldn’t have to be treated as impure or be standoffish because of a natural part of life.

2. Wikipedia Excerpts (2 of them together) a. Position defended: Pro b. Time period: traditional c. Rationale/details: Without FGC doctors believed girls of all ages would engage in excessive masturbation. This was considered to be a form of self abuse. Any type of abuse was not allowed. It was common for young girls to get a hoodectomy. In a study, 87.5 % of women saw an improvement in sexual pleasure following a hoodectomy and 75% in a study done by Knowles. According to the Quran female genital cutting is not a commandment. It is cultural, traditional. Everyone was expected to do it because it made them clean. Desire for sex was decreased therefore kept women clean. d. Evidence:Traditional African Cleanleness, Study by Rathmann in 1959, Knowles, Quran; Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_on_female_genital_cutting e. Opinion: Yuck. Seems to be cruel. I can’t imagine having to do that to one of my daughters. How can they say they saw improvement in sexual pleasure after a hoodectomy. Did they know what sex was like before. Seems totally unbelievable to me.

3. Minaret.org (Female Genital Mutilation: An Islamic Perspective) a. Position defended:con b. Time period:modern c. Rationale/details: Islamic show revelation and reason to help with understanding of the Shariah. What is not prohibited by law is allowed. Tolerance is a strength not a weakness. There is no direct reference in the Quran for circumcision. Women were advised by the Prophet Muhammad to not cut severely. Islamic law tolerated such practices. They believed women that were circumcised enjoyed sexual activities better. It was important to the Prophet for women to be engaged in sex and it be desirable to them. d. Evidence:Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, #5251.
Minaret.org: http://www.minaret.org/fgm-pamphlet.htm e. Opinion: Mild forms of mutilation were allowed as long as there was no harm to the child. I don’t agree with this at all. However, if it was my religion and culture I would want to be allowed to follow my wishes.

4. Jannah.org (Is Female Circumcision Required) a. Position defended:con b. Time period:modern c. Rationale/details: Intresting that female circumcision is connected culturally rather than Islamic religion. The Hadeeth does not require female circumcision. It is acceptable for men. Very common for a man to be circumcised. The prophet would allow and did encourage the cutting of the foreskin. His goal was to allow women to have greater sexual satisfaction. No mutilation is allowed by Islam not even when they go to battle. It was considered a sin to mutilate another person’s body. d. Evidence:Quran, Hadeeth; (Makromah)." [5]
Jannah.org: http://www.jannah.org/genderequity/equityappendix.html e. Opinion: the banning of mutilation makes people just hide it when they do it. It was part of who they are and no one is going to stop them. This had to be painful for children. Especially, when a child had to have their legs tied for weeks at a time. So sad.

5. Islamtoday.org (Female Circumcision and Islam) a. Position defended:Pro b. Time period:traditional c. Rationale/details: Circumcision known as Pharaonic circumcision was practiced in ancient times. It was used to control women and ensure chastity. The prophet said circumcision is Sunnah for men and honorable for women. The prophet also told a women who was performing a circumcision on a young girl to be careful. Not cut too deeply. In the Hanafi School some scholars consider it to be Sunnah for women. Others say it is merely an honorable thing to do. d. Evidence:Prophet Muhummad;
Islamtoday.org: http://www.islamtoday.com/showme2.cfm?cat_id=2&sub_cat_id=822 e. Opinion: It is passed from generation to generation. Seems to be heavily culturally based. It is tolerated throughout. It is part of their custom that have been carried out for years and years. Because it is so engrained it would be hard to change peoples mind.

6. Hidden Face of Eve (Nawal Sadawi) a. Position defended:pro b. Time period:traditional c. Rationale/details: In Egypt they view the female circumcision as an obligation. Circumcision is a cultural practice. Religious custom but not a religious law. Allah knows all, he knows what is best for each individual. They just don’t go against that knowledge. Male circumcision is practiced. It is the natural way. It should never bring harm to another person. That would be considered unlawful. Medical professionals think circumcision is dangerous and harmful. d. Evidence:Shafi School, Allah; the Hidden Face of Eve: Circumcision of Girls, Chapter 6 e. Opinion: They are unwilling to see the detrimental effects this has on girls. It has to be psychological when they are young and then again as they have sexual relations. It is there way of thinking what is right and that is just how it’s going to be. I don’t think they know any different because they don’t live different. They won’t even listen to medical professionals about the dangers.

Finally, please view this video (hold down control button when you click on the link). How do the women interviewed view circumcision? What would you tell them if you had the chance? Do you think it would make any difference to their attitudes about it? Women in this video feel that circumcision is barbaric. I agree. They claim they have no feeling during sex and are unsatisfied. This goes against what the prophet wanted. His reasoning for doing it was so women would have more pleasure and sexual relations with their husbands would be desired and enjoyable. I was shocked to see that villagers think circumcision helps the girls to be calm. What a crock of crap! They feel it is a normal expected part of life. Not one person said they would not have their child circumcised. I could not do that to my daughters. I strongly feel that nothing anyone said would change their minds. It something that in engrained in them generation after generation. It’s just sad that women don’t make that choice for themselves it is made for them as a child.

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