Determining if Female Genital Mutilation is an Islamic Practice

Working Title of Paper: “Quote from a US/CA woman who has undergone FGM” : Determining if Female Genital Mutilation is an Islamic Practice & its Impacts on Muslim Women (or Communities) in North America Research Questions: ● Is FGM an Islamic Practice? ● Why (& how) women in Muslim communities in the US/CA are undergoing FGM Thesis Sentence: Using a combination of statistical, geographical, testimonial, and Quran passages, I will convey how FGM is not an Islamic practice, but one that predates the religion itself and how modern government regulation impacts the cultural practice. Additionally, I will analyse the prevalence of FGM in refugee communities in North America, and both why and how women in these communities are choosing to either relinquish FGM or continue the practice in a new, globalized, way. Brief Bio: ● Allison Brown is a sophomore at the University of Wyoming in the dual degree program pursuing Bachelors in International Studies and History, along with minors in Honors and Spanish. ● Past Research on Middle Eastern Religions and contemporary Western Religious Issues includes: ○ FGM in the Middle East/African countries ○ Free Will in religious texts, with a heavy focus on the Torah ○ LGBTQIA+ acceptance/affirmation in both Middle Eastern and Western Christianity, with touches on Judaism ○ Current issues with Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s religious affiliations and impartiality in the US Supreme Court Literature Survey/Bibliography: ○ I want to be sure that I am accurately finding the data and reportings of FGM in the different global regions, these numbers compiled from UNICEF I can work with in Excell and all of the countries’ own datasets are also linked as well, along with their methodologies and surveyed percentages. ○ I believe that this, albeit short, piece has been great for a general understand and the formulating of ideas for how/why FGM has been percieved as an Islamic practice and why it is not, and in fact predates Islam itself, also having a Medical opinion as well helps to build authority on the topic ● BOOK: “Female Genital Mutilation around The World” (downloaded as PDF) ○ Examines FGM with a global lense weighing all the elements of this paper, where it is practiced, the tradition/religion behind it, how it is evolving/declining with the times and globalization ● BOOK: John Hopkins Uni Press, Female Genital Cutting : Cultural Conflict in the Global Community (access online, and conclusion downloaded as PDF) ○ Similar to the past work mentioned, but different perspectives and arguments on the origins of FGM being labeled as a Muslim practice ● The Effectiveness of a Community-Based Education Program on Abandoning Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Senegal ○ Case study in Senegal specifically, but offers valuable insights into how FGM has spread and will continue to evolve in global society, and decline in the West as it continues to grow, specifically in African states ● BOOK: Fearful Symmetries : Essays and Testimonies Around Excision and Circumcision (downloaded testimonial chapter) ○ Academic source (so I am not only relying on articles/non-peer reviewed research) for direct testimonials and quotes from women who have undergone or experienced FGM BASIC outline: 1. INTRODUCTION: ● Author’s bio ○ Acknowledging my Western Bias ● Choice to use the term FGC ● Introductory Hook ○ Personal story/testament of a US/CA woman undergoing FGM ● Thesis ● Define the scope of the paper, etc. 2.) Different types of FGM? 2. Is FGM an Islamic Practice? ● Introductory paragraph for this portion of the paper ● Assumption of a Muslim problem, statistics of where FGM is practiced ○ UNICEF ○ How this geography does not limit GFM to ME/A ● The notion that FGM predates Islam ○ Entirely missing from the Quran ● Religious contentsion exists with Type Ia, “Sunnah cut” ○ Sunan Abu Dawud (41:5251) ■ “Don’t cut too deeply” ■ “A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband” ● “Better for marriage” ● Female Circumcisim is not FGM ○ Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (5:75) ■ “Circumcision is a law for men and a preservation of honor for women” ● Discredit FGM being female-circumcision ● Muslim women alone are not the only groups with rates of FGM ○ Ethiopia’s Chrisitan and Indigenous religions practice FGM ● Current Government Reactions/Legislation with FGM in the ME ● Current Government Reactions/Legislation with FGM in AFRICA ● Current Government Reactions/Legislation with FGM in the ASIA ● Dropping rates of FGM in the ME, AFRICA, and ASIA ● Concluding statements/paragraph for this portion of the paper ○ Why does it matter that FGM isn’t Islamic 3. Why (& how) women in Muslim communities in the US/CA are undergoing FGM ● Introduction to this portion of the paper ● Prevalence of women being cut in Muslim North American refugee communities ● Why are women still being cut in these communities? ○ Continuation of tradition? ● How are women being cut? ○ Illegally domestically ○ Being sent to their ME/A countries to undergo FGM and then return? ● FGM policies/legislation in US ● FGM policies/legislation in CA ● The future of FGM being practiced/common in these communities ○ The decline in numbers of refugee women making their daughters have FGM ● Concluding paragraph for this portion 4. CONCLUSION ● Moving away from FGC ○ Alternative traditions ● Brief review of why FGM isn’t a Muslim practice ● Brief review of FGM in the US/CA and its decline ● Why are these issues important, why do we care if FGM is Islamic or not and if it is practiced in refugee communities in the US/CA? ● Brief, closing, remarks on the future of FGM (ignore text taken from my short paper on FGM to build on/reconstruct past ideas) → Is FGM an Islamic practice? FGM is typically assumed by many as an “African or Middle Eastern problem”, which statistically has some value, but FGM practices are not limited to these regions and over the past two decades have seen in an increase both in Asian countries and more prevalence in Western countries as refugees continue to seek sanctuary. Data compiled by UNICEF (updated February 2020) lists states with prevalence percentages over 70% among documented (by government health systems) or self-reported cases in girls/women (estimated by UNICEF these percentages are expressed by thirty-eight percent or less of the populations): “Burkina Faso (76%, 2010), Djibouti (94%, 2012), Egypt (87%, 2015), Eritrea (83%, 2010), Gambia (76%, 2018), Guinea (95%, 2018), Mali (89%, 2018), Sierra Leone (86%, 2017), Somalia (98%, 2006), Sudan (87%, 2014)” 1. Countries such as Chad, Mauritania, Iraq, Senegal, and Yemen fall in the next category between the range of 14% to 67% prevalence.. However, formal declarations from the Islamic Research Council and other religious groups impact some Islamic countries and may explain why the following states have had no officially reported data since 2007-2011: “Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey” 2. Because of the lack of comprehensive and verified numbers from these countries, it can be projected that FGM occurs within the second category of prevalence mentioned above or less. Therefore, FGM is mainly practiced in these Northern African and Middle Eastern countries, again with the exception of outside refugee populations. An association that many are quick to make with the previous information, based on geography and state practiced religions, is that FGM is an Islamic issue. Examining FGM’s appearance in religious texts it is entirely missing from the Qu’ran. Furthermore, which some scholars note that “ceremonial cutting” pre-dates Islam i3t.se Nlfevertheless, Rouzi argues “Muslim religious authorities agree thaaltl types of mutilations are condemned and sinful. This applies in particular to FGM, which is considered a harmful traditional ritual and is clearly forbidden in Islam”4. This view of FGM using the text of the Qu’ran alone is the main reason that many Islamic groups that denounce the practice of FGM. However, some religious convention exists with Typ5eoIfaFGM, a minimal, external variation of FGM which has been characterized as the “Sunnah cut”. This form of FGM is practiced by the Sunnah with their religious notions that“ [they must live] in accordance with the specific words, habits, practices, and silent approvals of the Prophet Moha6m .m Thid es ”notion of the 1a form of FGM is derived from two different excerpts of Hadiths. The first from Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (5:75) states, “Circumcision is a law for men and a preservation of honor for women” 7 . The idea of FGM being a “female-circumcision” has been discredited due to it’s invasive and harmful procedures, unlike male-circumcision. However, the implications of FGM being the “preservation of honor for women” persists in many communities where FGM is practiced today. Women who do not undergo the cut are often displaced from their communities and even may be 8 the victims of acts of FGM-related aggression for their decisi .oTnhse second mention of FGM in a Hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud (41:5251), “A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: Do nsoetve cu retly as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husba9n. dT”his portion of the Hadith is why the Sunnah population suggests and is more likely to carry out less invasive cuts on women who have FGM practiced on them. This Hadith also has led to the cultural implications of men expecting women to have undergone FGM for their married life, which again can cause contention for women who have not undergone the cut in their communities. A trend can be seen with the Islamic religion and FGM in most practicing countries with high rates of prevalence, however, Muslim women alone are not the only groups with rates of FGM. Looking at Ethiopia as an example, “ [in Ethopia] FGM is prevalent in 92% of Muslim women and with a lower prevalence in other religions; 65.8% Protestants, 58.2% Catholics, and 55% Traditional Religions1”0. Most women who are Muslim have undergone FGM, however, so have many women who are not of the Islamic following. This again points to FGM pre-dating Islam and that FGM is more culturally prevalent than religiously so. Therefore, it can be concluded. That although some Sunnah and other Muslim groups may practice FGM (backed by Hadiths, minimally-invasive cuts only) it can be stated that FGM is not an Islamic requirement or publically enforced by Muslim governments. FGM is a cultural practice, albeit a harmful one, that is ingrained in different communities (Islamic or not) and continues to shape the way women live. Most Middle Eastern and Northern African countries with a high prevalence of FGM have outlawed the practice, and attitudes towards FGM are slowly, but continuing to change in impacted regions. FGM’s modern existence, unbacked by most Islamic groups and governments, is diminishing and offers the opportunity for other traditions to develop in communities to celebrate women in place of female genital mutilation.