Explainer: Circumcision of Muslim women is still done in these countries, know how dreadful this practice is.

Muslim Women Circumcision: There has been a debate going on around the world on the practice of circumcision of Muslim women for a long time. In Islam, men are generally circumcised, but in some countries there is also a tradition of circumcising women. But now this practice is becoming scary for Muslim women. In India’s neighboring country Pakistan, many such women are coming forward who are not only narrating the pain they have suffered due to this practice, but are also opposing it. In English it is called ‘Female Genital Mutilation’ (FGM). According to reports, among conservative Muslims, women are considered ‘pure’ or ‘ready for marriage’ after circumcision.

Recently, Al Jazeera in one of its reports has mentioned an incident that happened two decades ago in Pakistan. According to him, an innocent seven year old girl was forcibly circumcised by her aunt. The consent of the girl’s mother was also involved in this work. But the girl, who is now a 27-year-old woman, has not forgotten that incident. He had shattered the trust of this woman named Mariam, on whom she trusted the most. That was his mother. The scars of that dreadful day are still present on Maryam’s body.

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How dangerous is female circumcision?
In female circumcision, their clitoris is cut and removed. Doctors say that circumcision can cause reproductive complications in women. The clitoris has the most nerve endings of any other organ in the human body and is the most sensitive organ in the female body. When it is removed the nervous system is cut. This causes loss of sensation. The tradition of deliberately cutting the genitals of women is colloquially called female circumcision. According to WHO, any process which damages or alters the genitals of women without any medical reason is included in the category of FGM. Many people claim that this practice benefits health, but this is a completely wrong and baseless fact.

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In how many countries is this practice prevalent?
But there are many countries around the world where even today women are being tortured in the name of religion and tradition. Female circumcision is also one of them. According to the report of Down to Earth website, this evil practice continues in more than 92 countries. This practice has been legally banned in 51 of these countries, which includes India. Despite the ban, there are many countries where circumcision of women is still common in the name of tradition. This tradition is common in African countries. There are many countries in the African continent where almost all women have to undergo circumcision. Somalia, Djibouti and Guinea are the main ones among these countries. Egypt had banned female circumcision in 2008, but even today such cases there are the highest in the world.

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This evil practice exists even in developed countries
Apart from this, female circumcision is most prevalent in Yemen, Iraq, Maldives and Indonesia. But this tradition continues even today in many developed countries of Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, Australia and North America. In the year 2020, UNICEF released figures according to which the genitals of about 20 crore girls and women around the world have been harmed.

When is circumcision done?
Girls are circumcised between the ages of infancy and 15 years. Generally, only the women of the family carry out this work. Circumcision causes not only physical but also mental harm to girls and women. Due to circumcision, women have to face problems like bleeding, fever, infection and mental trauma. In some cases they even die.

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Common thing among Dawoodi Bohra
A BBC report states that female circumcision is practiced among Muslims of the Bohra community in India. Maryam also belongs to the Dawoodi Bohra community of Pakistan. This is a sect of Shia Muslims, who are mostly settled in Gujarat. Circumcision is a common practice among them. According to an estimate, 75-85 percent of Dawoodi Bohra women in Pakistan undergo circumcision. The estimated population of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims in Pakistan is around one lakh people. Dawoodi Bohra women either get circumcised in their homes by elders without any anesthesia and without sterilized tools. There are very few women who get this procedure done by professional doctors in cities like Karachi.

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UN has declared human rights violation
The United Nations (UN) has termed this practice as a ‘violation of human rights’. To stop this and increase awareness about it, ‘International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM’ is celebrated on 6 February. Many countries of the world oppose it and leaders around the world have promised to eliminate it completely by 2030. But the reality is that in many countries a large number of girls and boys have to go through this pain.

Tags: Muslim Girls, Muslim religion, Muslim Woman