Egypt on Thursday finally banned all female circumcision, the widely-practised removal of the clitoris which just days ago cost the life of a 12-year-old girl
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97 per cent, even Christians! That's horrible! It's abating that the barbarous custom has finally been banned. It has absolutely nothing to do with official Islam.
A woman who enjoys sex is more likely to make the men around her less sure of the paternity of her children. That makes him less sure of who's inheriting his goods and builds conflict between the men over the control of their women.
Make sex less pleasurable and the woman's religious or socially mandated duty and men get a sense of security in their paternity...
That's what 50% of "morality" revolves around in most cultures...
...and the other 50% deals with keeping my property mine and your property yours and protect our oppurtunity to enjoy it.
1. The custom and tradition of becoming a woman involves this "rite of passage" from childhood to adulthood (ensuring she is good marriage material);
Why good marriage material?
What does FGM accomplish?
It's a measure of control intended to...
2. A desire to control women's sexuality (virginity, morality and marriageability);
...which seems to be the root reason of the practice. In order to ensure it is carried out routinely, it needs to become...
3. A cultural practice that sometimes has a religious identification (a female's honor is a reflection on her entire family, and believing it is God's will);
...which becomes a reflection on her entire family becaue--as a sexual commodity--she is tamed. With FGM done and a demonstrated...
4. Social conformity to the community;[15]
...and therefore an acquisence to other forms of social and psychological controls like the restrictions to females being able to support themselves in general except for those few specialists for whom...
5. FGC is a primary source of income for many
( ... )
I know people will hate me for this but....omdreadsJune 29 2007, 00:03:02 UTC
I think this is terrible. I dont feel like I have a right to judge whether clitoridectomy is wrong in egypt (what happened to cultural relativity folks?). I know I wouldnt tolerate it in my culture, but, if this practice is so widespread and such a part of their culture, dont you think outlawing it will just send it underground? wouldnt it be much better to have doctors doing it?
Re: I know people will hate me for this but....omdreadsJune 29 2007, 04:32:06 UTC
you're saying because one girl died during a medical procedure, that doesnt mean the medical procedure is still much safer than having it done in an alley without sterile tools and a trained professional? I dont buy it
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Re: I know people will hate me for this but....anjak_jJune 29 2007, 16:11:45 UTC
you're saying because one girl died during a medical procedure, that doesnt mean the medical procedure is still much safer than having it done in an alley without sterile tools and a trained professional? I dont buy it.
I agree. One only has to draw parallels to abortion and the back alley ways in which that was and still is performed today in countries where there is no legal right to it, or where for social reasons, a woman cannot afford it.
While I don't agree with the practice and am glad Egypt has banned it - I don't agree with circumcision period unless it is the choice of the owner of the organ being circumcised - I'm not naive enough to believe that things aren't going to get worse for women before they get better.
yeah, it's nice to make the distinction between simply removing the hood or the labia (type 1 and 2) to the most extreme form, which you described, which is type 3.
There is another aspect. A 6 year old who has it done is a social woman. Ergo one can marry her off, the child abuse aspect is one that does not get enough press, the emphasis on the medical aspects ignores the fact that it is often a crucial part of becoming a social woman. While this ruling is very welcome the government of Egypt also needs to work on changing attitudes (and no I don't know how this could be done).
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...it's about the women and the control.
A woman who enjoys sex is more likely to make the men around her less sure of the paternity of her children. That makes him less sure of who's inheriting his goods and builds conflict between the men over the control of their women.
Make sex less pleasurable and the woman's religious or socially mandated duty and men get a sense of security in their paternity...
That's what 50% of "morality" revolves around in most cultures...
...and the other 50% deals with keeping my property mine and your property yours and protect our oppurtunity to enjoy it.
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Why good marriage material?
What does FGM accomplish?
It's a measure of control intended to...
2. A desire to control women's sexuality (virginity, morality and marriageability);
...which seems to be the root reason of the practice. In order to ensure it is carried out routinely, it needs to become...
3. A cultural practice that sometimes has a religious identification (a female's honor is a reflection on her entire family, and believing it is God's will);
...which becomes a reflection on her entire family becaue--as a sexual commodity--she is tamed. With FGM done and a demonstrated...
4. Social conformity to the community;[15]
...and therefore an acquisence to other forms of social and psychological controls like the restrictions to females being able to support themselves in general except for those few specialists for whom...
5. FGC is a primary source of income for many ( ... )
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Man I am so glad they are finally doing something about it.
Lets hope some of the other countries follow suit?
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I agree. One only has to draw parallels to abortion and the back alley ways in which that was and still is performed today in countries where there is no legal right to it, or where for social reasons, a woman cannot afford it.
While I don't agree with the practice and am glad Egypt has banned it - I don't agree with circumcision period unless it is the choice of the owner of the organ being circumcised - I'm not naive enough to believe that things aren't going to get worse for women before they get better.
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