Reasons for Female Circumcision. Source- Human's Right Quarterly.
Human Right's Quarterly published by The John Hopkins Press written by Alison T.
Slack thoroughly explains female circumcision, its origins, myths, why it is
done, where it is done, people who believe in it and other interesting
information about it. However I will focus on a section of the literature piece
that provides reasons why we should think female circumcision is not bad after
all. The author provides three reasons to back up her argument for female
circumcision. They are: "sexual control of females, religion, myths, and
tradition."
Circumcision as a control
mechanism- According to the author, in Muslim countries, they believe is that female virginity is
precious so as a result circumcision should be done to females to destroy their
sexual pleasure and to help keep their virginity.
Circumcision
used to obey religion- According to the author, no religion addresses the issue
of circumcision however, the practices can be related to Islam. The practice is done to reduce the women’s
sexual contact before marriage because women should not have sex before marriage. The circumcision was used to keep the women
pure and reserve the virginity which is very important in the Islamic society.
Circumcision
as a myth- Women should be circumcised to increase the number of their
childbirth experience, and to ensure the cleanliness of the genital area. There is also a
myth that the clitoris is similar to the fore skin of the penis which justifies
the reason of the procedure. Some believe women getting circumcised increases
sexual pleasure for men. While some also believe that the clitoris can cause
harm to the baby during childbirth
Circumcision
and tradition- People who participate in female circumcision believe it is the
best way to preserve tradition and pass it down to their generations. They
believe it is used to represent their values, believes, ideas, and rules. They also believe it is symbol of adulthood in their culture.
The
above reasons were used as a justification for female circumcision. However,
the questions we should be asking ourselves are that are these reasons good
enough for the pain and horrific experience these women go through. Should
women get circumcised to increase the sexual pleasure of men? This reason shows
that women are not treated equally as men. It shows that women are not as important as men. I see where the author is coming from when they
wrote the reasons why women should get circumcised in the literature piece; however I do not agree with
some of the reasons at all because they illustrates how unfairly women are
treated. They show that women do no have a say for themselves. For example, it is very unfair for the society to think women should
get circumcised for men. If anything, I think it should be a personal choice. Someone
who cares about justice will ask, why sex is one of the criteria used to
determine the qualification of female genital mutation? They may also ask if it is fair to compare make circumcision to female circumcision?
The scholarly
source approaches the issue differently because it explains the idea from the perspective
of a group of people and more than one culture while the web source shares the
experience of a family and culture.
Source:
Slack, Alison T. "Female Circumcision: A Critical Appraisal." JSTOR. The John Hopkins University Press, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/761916?seq=9>.
Slack, Alison T. "Female Circumcision: A Critical Appraisal." JSTOR. The John Hopkins University Press, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/761916?seq=9>.
There are various reasons why female circumcision is done, which are control mechanism, religion, myth, and tradition. For example for control mechanism is way to control women from having sexual pleasure and from losing their virginity. However all these reasons this author provided don't seem to be that reasonable to do this, just like you said they should all have their own personal choice.I don't know much about male circumcision but i have heard it only happens once to them, which is unfair because these women experience it many times. For example, once they get married and their husband decides to have sex, he has to cut it open and once they are done he has to close it again. This is the something for giving birth and other things, which so painful for them compare to men.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Circumcision should be a personal choice, rather than societal. And people like the author, who agree with this procedure should do it. Go ahead, they believe in it and think it's a good thing so do it. But do not enforce it on other women.
ReplyDeleteI think the main reason for circumcision is virginity, which many societies put so much emphasis on. I believe virginity should be a choice, and I think you'll agree with me as well. It should not be enforced, just like the color of your hair or how you want to dress shouldn't be controlled by anybody else.
And certainly, should not be done for men. Women should do what they like, and not worry what anyone else wold think.
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ReplyDeleteI had a typo...
DeleteThis is so wrong on so many levels. And that the women do it to other women just because it was done to them? Then, I think of these women giving birth after they have been sewn up... it is going to hurt so much more and they never even had the pleasure in getting pregnant. The sad thing is that they feel this will not harm the women's health physically and emotionally, as well as spiritually. And that men do not see that it is also hurting the men - yet it is harming the whole society to hurt the women who raise the boys into men. When did men start this? And could they be that cruel to someone they love? Women have to raise up and change this forever and I am grateful to Shirin Neshat for her art and message. I did some research and Men should not be circumcised either because it is used to protect the penis. God does not make mistakes! And following right along with torturing women, a non-circumcised penis is more pleasurable to the women. This has been proven by doctors who study this. (Sorry I do not have the article here but google it.) Woman and their needs in that area of their body has always been an issue. In the Jewish faith, if a woman has a medical condition that keeps her monthly bleeding going... it is draining and hard to deal with physically but the emotional suffering comes from no being aloud into the Temple because she is unclean. So she is not able to have any part in Temple life... even from a medical condition that may have happened in childbirth... she is thought to be unclean and is treated like an untouchable. And often was thought to be cursed by God... how did women get to be so put down by men? Male dominance has ruined so much in nature, and the economy, the indigenous people, and so many other crimes. On every level... I need to see this change in my lifetime. Seriously. I would like to see the men survive without women. They can't - it was a woman who brought them into world with her mutilated, no pleasure vagina. How can they see it does not affect them? How could it not make her unhappy to be abused like that... and likely chronically depressed (who would not be?) with so many rules and covering herself.. and that is not a good thing to do to the one who is raising the kids... if you in fact care about the kids any more than the women. This world is waking up to emotional intelligence and it is going to raise up the ones who have been bullied... I see it happening and I am so grateful to this... it is time. Thanks for this info - it is good to know just how crazy it is. peace
ReplyDelete