Tag: Female Circumcision

Female Circumcision VS Female Genital Mutilation

The BBC published a report on genital mutilation in Singapore and why it exists.

Upon reading the article, my Chinese friend immediately asked me, eh, are you a victim of this genital mutilation too?

I had to give a graphic explanation to her that Genital Mutilation is different from Female circumcision (Sunat Perempuan).

The Western world (and our non-muslim friends) are quick to assume that female circumcision is harmful to a woman without considering the different types of circumcision and also taking into account the surgery.

With Islamophobia growing in the Western world, people tend to change the message of Islam in order to make the religion more acceptable to western beliefs. While this may make sense, it also sadly confuses our Muslim community who may not understand the issue well.

I am setting these two apart here so that you can understand the differences too.

Take a chill pill my circumcised friends and stop freaking out.

Your clitoris was not abused!.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

There are many types of genital mutilation but the cases that BBC cited involves something like this:

“She grew up in Somalia, where 98% of women and girls between 15 and 49 have had their genitals forcibly mutilated. When she was six, all of her labia were cut off and she was then stitched together, leaving a tiny hole she compares to the size of a matchstick. Her clitoris was also removed….” (Source)

The Western world is quick to assume that female circumcision is harmful to a woman without considering the different types of circumcision and also taking into account that any surgery.

The example above is definitely harmful and fits perfectly into the human rights narrative that FGM caused physical, emotional, and psychological damage to the person

What Muslims in Singapore do however is called Sunat perempuan (female circumcision)

Circumcision (Sunat Prempuan)

Sunat Prempuan involves a small nip of the clitoris. In Singapore, girls undergo this procedure a few weeks after birth and it is being conducted by a medical doctor.

By human rights definition, it is an act of (FGM) but it does not have the negative connotation that it brings such as ‘Child abuse’ and that girls are forcibly harmed because of cultural beliefs.

If you really have to define it, then Sunat Perempuan is a Type 1 circumcision.

This is the removal of the clitoral prepuce, which is very similar to the prepuce of a penis, which is removed during male circumcision. This is the most basic procedure of female circumcision and the only procedure that would be allowed in Islam. The other procedures, types 2 and 3, where the labia minora, labia majora and clitoris may be extracted, are considered forbidden as they carry with them too many possibilities of bodily harm.

FGM vs Sunat Perempuan

There is slight confusion regarding what is female genital mutilation (FGM) and what is female circumcision.

In truth, the two terms have been used interchangeably but carry with them two very different connotations by the speaker. “Female genital mutilation” is often used when the speaker is condemning or speaking out against female circumcision whereas “female circumcision” is mostly used when discussing the practice as a medical procedure. (told ya your clitoris is safe!)

Additionally for your background knowledge, According to major islamic school of thought (Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i and Ahmad ibn Hanbal) circumcision is highly recommended or even mandatory. (source)

In Singapore, MUIS has always held the position that any form of procedure which has been medically proven to bring harm, including circumcision should be avoided. This is based on the Islamic legal maxim which states that ” all forms of harm must be removed’ or ‘Do not inflict injury nor requite one injury with another”. MUIS continues to advise Muslims that professional medical advice should be sought prior to ant medical procedure including circumcision to ensure that it would not harm the individual

So there it is my friends.

Female Circumcision VS Female Genital Mutilation.

Hope this helps.

Source: https://thoughtsofrealsingaporeans.wordpress.com

November 23, 2016
BBC News Biased – Female Circumcision In Singapore Not Genital Mutilation Described By AWARE

Myself and my 3 girls have undergone female circumcision. My son was circumcised too.

For my girls, basically the SKIN tip of the clitoris, a tiny 1mm worth was clipped by the female Muslim paediatrician in a clinic. In fact I was the one holding my babies’ legs open cos whatever medical procedures concerning my children, I insist to be present and ensure it is carried out right. All 3 girls, same doctor.

Female circumcision in Spore is NOT genital mutilation as described by AWARE. The clitoris is NOT deformed or reduced. The labia is NOT cut NOT sewn shut. Everything looks normal and pretty down there huhu. And as a paramedic, midwife trained and also doula in Spore, I have SEEN many Sporean/foreigner private parts, circumcised and not. The difference, if any, is negligible.

I also assure you, my libido and sexual abilities are healthy and not deficient in any manner due to circumcision. If any other person has suffered, perhaps it WAS wrongly done or that person has mental/emotional issues concerning sex/has suffered a form of sexual abuse. Which I don’t hv. Neither have my girls.

In Islam, female circumcision is NOT mandatory. I chose to do it for the benefit of my children. So do your research and make your own decision concerning your children. AWARE is an org I neither endorse nor respect after their recent fiasco of accusing a person of promoting family violence without proper investigation.

I urge BBC to interview midwives and doctors in KKWCH, NUH, SGH and other hospitals with gynae/obstetric facilities. Do a proper investigation of ‘female genital mutilation’ among the Malays before naming it as such. Before you produce a baseless crappy article submitted from AWARE.

Be AWARE of these ‘Muslims’ and the ‘liberal’ ideology spread and accepted due to the lack of religious knowledge in our community. Go back to your basics and learn your religion from MUIS and PERGAS teachers. And Allah knows best.

Source: Dil MY

November 22, 2016
Why Female Genital Mutilation Still Exists In Modern Singapore

Female genital mutilation is carried out by communities around the world. But though it is not commonly associated with modern, cosmopolitan Singapore, it is quietly happening all the time, as the BBC’s Yvette Tan writes.

Zarifah Anuar didn’t find out she had been circumcised as a child until she was 23.

She was just two weeks old when her mother handed her over to her bidan, a traditional midwife, to have part of her clitoris cut.

Years later, a colleague asked her if she had undergone the procedure.

“I answered very confidently that I would know if I had,” said Zarifah. “‘You should ask your mother’, she told me.”

So she did.

“What was a previously casual and happy mood turned sour and antagonistic very quickly”, said Zarifah.

“‘Did I cry? Was I asleep? Did I wake up?’ I asked my mother. She didn’t answer and told me the conversation was over.”

The WHO estimates more than 200 million women and girls worldwide have been cut, varying from a partial nick to a complete removal of the clitoris or sewing-up of the labia.

Most Singaporeans have little idea of the procedure’s existence in the city-state, but it is observed, typically among Malay Muslims, who make up some 13% of the total resident population.

Sunat Perempuan, as it is known in Malay, is usually carried out on girls before the age of two, who normally have the tip of the clitoris cut, with a tiny piece of skin sometimes removed.

“Many of my Indian Muslim friends didn’t have the procedure done on them, and were shocked that such practices still exist within the Malay community,” said Filzah Sumartono, who found out she had undergone the procedure as a baby when she was in her teens.

Singapore has no legal ruling against FGM, but many Muslims take guidance from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), a statutory board that provides advice on religious matters to Muslims.

Ibrahim Sawifi of MUIS has said the body “does not condone any procedures which bring harm to the individual”, adding that the council has “always held the position that FGM should be avoided”.

But many Malay Muslims, especially amongst the older generations, believe the procedure reduces a woman’s libido and decreases the risk of extramarital sexual affairs.

Others believe it is a compulsory part of Islamic law, though it is not listed as mandatory in the Koran.

“I had it done, my daughter had it done, and I would definitely like my granddaughter to do it too,” said a 45-year-old Muslim Malay woman the BBC spoke to. “It’s something compulsory for us to do in Islam.”

“If performed, one gets extra merit but if not performed, it is not considered sinful or going against the precepts of Islam,” said Dr Maznah Mohamad of the Department of Malay Studies at the National University of Singapore.

“But people are still afraid of going against Islam if they don’t subject their young daughter to it.”

Yet it is not the procedure itself that many find fault with, but rather the lack of consent that it signifies.

“We start trying to control women’s bodies at infancy. It’s the first sign to a child that her body is not hers, it’s the community’s,” said Filzah, who is a project co-ordinator at gender equality rights group Aware.

“An infant at two weeks wouldn’t know anything at all. How could she possibly consent to anything?” adds Zarifah.

According to her, all the Malay Muslim girls in Singapore she knows have undergone this procedure. All of them were unaware of it until they asked their parents

“Parents should be responsible for keeping their children safe, this goes completely against that. There is a part of me that regrets asking, because I now know just how much my body is not mine,” she said.

But not everyone agrees.

“There are many things parents do without the consent of the child, out of love and their best interests.” said 28-year-old civil servant Siti*, who also underwent the procedure as a baby.

“What parent would intentionally put their child through harm?”

“I have no knowledge of how different things would feel with or without [the procedure] but I can feel what needs to be felt,” Siti added. “It doesn’t make me less of a woman.”

What all the women can agree on, is that more awareness is needed on the subject.

“The community itself is divided,” said Siti.

“MUIS must create a conversation regarding this topic to help the community move forward and equip young parents with the knowledge they need to make an informed decision.”

“The Muslim Malay community needs to talk about the issue an understand and accept that it is against the human rights of girls,” said Zarifah. “I refuse to accept that this conversation is over.”

*Names have been changed

Source: www.bbc.com

November 22, 2016
AWARE Makes a Stand Against Female Circumcision in Islam

Photo Credit: AFP

Does Female Circumcision happen in Singapore?

Yes. In Singapore’s Muslim community, female circumcision involves nicking the prepuce, the skin covering the clitoris. It is markedly different from the more severe forms of genital mutilation. The procedure is usually done on babies or prepubescent children. Circumcisions in Singapore are done by female doctors at a handful of Muslim clinics. Anesthesia is generally not used. – source

Although a relatively common procedure, many young women are unaware that they have undergone this ritual or what it entails.

What is the religious basis for this procedure?

The practice is encouraged by some religious leaders however many historians say that there is no religious basis for this practice

According to the majority of ulama, circumcision is compulsory for men and women. It should be done early in life, preferably when still an infant, to avoid complications, prolong pain and embarrassment if done later in life. Any good Muslimah doctor can perform circumcision for women. It is just a cutting off the thin membrane on the top most part of the clitoris.

Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

Those practices originated 1,400 years ago, before the birth of the Prophet Mohammed, says Noor Aisha Binte Abdul Rahman, a professor at the National University of Singapore. But the custom has no religious basis and there are no guidelines except that it should not bring harm to believers, says Zhulkeflee Haji Ismail, manager of Singapore’s Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association. “Some people just follow customs without knowing what they’re about,” the scholar says. “Traditions die hard.” – source

Read more on AWARE’s stand against Female Circumcision in Singapore.

Authored by AWARE SINGAPORE

EDITORS’ NOTE

Seems like everyone is else wrong and they (AWARE) are the only ones right. Now, they are questioning MUIS and the Muslims regarding female circumcision. NOT female genital mutilation.

Circumcision or sunat in Malay is performed on both male and female Muslims. A growing number of non-Muslims parents also choose to have such procedure performed on their children too, most cited reason being hygiene purposes.

For female circumcision on Muslims, Singapore’s practice is slightly different from what we see elsewhere in the world. Doctors normally make a small nip as significance only. They do not remove any part of the clitoris. This procedure will be done on infant girls. They recover faster and generally would not remember a thing about it. Go to a reputable or well-recommended doctor too.

Many Muslims in Singapore are more modern and understand the possible consequences. They still do it to respect their Islamic beliefs and traditions, but in a different manner.

If you feel that upbringing is more important than cutting the clitoris to ‘tame’ the girls, then do speak to your family about it. We do know of some families who do not practice it anymore as they believe that how a woman behaves is largely dependent on how the family brought her up and not through sunat.

May 19, 2014