Upcoming webinar: Exploring the connections between religion and female genital cutting
By Sarah Boudreau, Programs Intern Event: Exploring the Connections Between Religion and Female Genital Cutting Date: Thursday, October 28, 2021 Time: 2pm EST Registration Link: https://bit.ly/ReligionAndFGC On October 28, 2021, Sahiyo will be hosting a webinar, ‘Exploring the Connection Between Religion and Female Genital Cutting’ (FGC). This harmful practice is often attributed to certain religions […]
Using purity as a means to control women through Christianity and female genital cutting
By Nicole Mitchell Many communities struggle to accept female sexuality even in today’s modern world. While it is common to see female sexuality in pop-culture, this doesn’t necessarily reflect a universal acceptance. Frequently, a woman’s value is tied to her “purity” or virginity. This prejudice manifests in obvious ways, such as female genital cutting (FGC), […]
Rejection of khatna must be a step in the liberation of Bohra women
By Zarina Patel Khatna, or female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) within the Dawoodi Bohra community, is not a distinct or unique ritual. It has a context and it is important that Bohra women (and men) understand that context if they are to free themselves holistically, not only from the ritual itself, but from all that promotes […]
Is the Dawoodi Bohra community truly as progressive as it claims to be?
By Saleha Country of Residence: CanadaAge: 45 Having lived in South-East Asia, and being exposed to multiple races and cultures, I grew up in a very open-minded family. As a child, my family and I occasionally went to the local Bohra mosque to socialize with others in the community. I loved going to the “masjid” […]
Female Genital Cutting (FGC): Is it an Islamic Practice? (Part 2)
By Debangana Chatterjee Though often being referred to as an Islamic practice, Female Genital Cutting (FGC) precedes both Islam and Christianity. It is believed to have originated in the Pharaonic era of Egypt. Elizabeth Boyle, author of Female Genital Cutting: Cultural Conflict in the Global Community, mentions in the book that before the advent of […]
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Work of the devil?
By: Koen Van den BrandeAge: 56 Country: India I rarely speak of the devil. In Germany they have a saying: Du sollst den Teufel nicht an die Wand mahlenLiterally this translates to ‘Don’t paint a picture of the devil on the wall’. Loosely translated it means that you should not invite evil by talking about […]
What Islam says about Female Genital Cutting and how far are these texts invincible? (Part 1)
By Debangana Chatterjee A journey through religious texts helps us to validate or disprove the claims that there are religious justifications for traditional cultural practices. A similar logic applies to the claims that Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is an Islamic practice. The Holy Quran and the hadiths, evolving from the deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, […]
Let there be no more victims like me
By AnonymousCountry: Sri Lanka I am a victim of Female Genital Cutting – some might want to call it circumcision, I call it Mutilation. Not quite the way that the proponents want to depict it as what always happens in Africa (infibulation) with horrific scars, but in the way, it happened to me in Sri […]
Not all damages are physical. Not everyone religious is morally ethical
Name: Xenobia (name changed) Age: 27Country: India Today, social media is raging with thoughts and opinions on empowering women, being pro-choice, violating someone’s privacy and their body, and the role of consent, among others. Some say rapists must undoubtedly be hung to death, while some talk about punishing molesters and eve-teasers as well, so that […]
Tracing the Origins of Female Genital Cutting: How It All started
By Debangana Chatterjee Though the exact reason for the origin of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is unknown due to the dearth of conclusive evidences, multiple theories revolve around how the practice began. FGC precedes both the start of Islam and Christianity and is practised predominantly because of cultural traditions. FGC is not limited to a […]