A little progress
At long last. A major group of Islamic scholars have finally made a call to end female mutilation (called female circumcision) in the Islamic world.
Typically female circumcision involves surgically removing the clitoris of young girls. Fortunately, although the practice is widespread in parts of Africa and the Middle East, it is unknown elsewhere in the Islamic world. And in many cases it is not widespread, even in countries where the problem exists.
Nevertheless this barbaric practice is just one in a slew of crimes against women in many Islamic countries. It is designed to make women faithful they say, or to stop them from being promiscuous, but really it is yet another rule to subjugate women completely, denying them even sexual pleasure. Otherwise why not do something to men's penises? Why not limit our promiscuity then? I believe we are the more promiscuous sex overall.
I keep hearing calls from many of my left-wing friends for tolerance of Islam, and some left-wing media will portray Islam as hard done by. I'm all for the former, and don't always agree with the latter but can still go with the flow, but only if the Islam practiced is itself tolerant. Islam in many countries today is far from tolerant. I'd rather see more tolerance from the Islamic world. Give us a reason to believe.
Now it is true that there are many other groups in the world whose human-rights record is appalling, and many societies that victimize their women. My home of South Africa is the organized world's rape capital. Swaziland has bizarre sexist laws, as does Brazil. A form of female genocide is being practiced in parts of India and China, and so on. The world is a total f*cking mess. However a very strong case can be made for the Islamic world being on balance the worst offenders against women's rights. In that vein I welcome and support this call, and I humbly request more. Much more. Ultimately nothing short of equal rights for women is acceptable.
Typically female circumcision involves surgically removing the clitoris of young girls. Fortunately, although the practice is widespread in parts of Africa and the Middle East, it is unknown elsewhere in the Islamic world. And in many cases it is not widespread, even in countries where the problem exists.
Nevertheless this barbaric practice is just one in a slew of crimes against women in many Islamic countries. It is designed to make women faithful they say, or to stop them from being promiscuous, but really it is yet another rule to subjugate women completely, denying them even sexual pleasure. Otherwise why not do something to men's penises? Why not limit our promiscuity then? I believe we are the more promiscuous sex overall.
I keep hearing calls from many of my left-wing friends for tolerance of Islam, and some left-wing media will portray Islam as hard done by. I'm all for the former, and don't always agree with the latter but can still go with the flow, but only if the Islam practiced is itself tolerant. Islam in many countries today is far from tolerant. I'd rather see more tolerance from the Islamic world. Give us a reason to believe.
Now it is true that there are many other groups in the world whose human-rights record is appalling, and many societies that victimize their women. My home of South Africa is the organized world's rape capital. Swaziland has bizarre sexist laws, as does Brazil. A form of female genocide is being practiced in parts of India and China, and so on. The world is a total f*cking mess. However a very strong case can be made for the Islamic world being on balance the worst offenders against women's rights. In that vein I welcome and support this call, and I humbly request more. Much more. Ultimately nothing short of equal rights for women is acceptable.