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→Islamic Doctrine & the Social Origins of FGM
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=Islamic Doctrine & the Social Origins of FGM= | =Islamic Doctrine & the Social Origins of FGM= | ||
This page addresses the question of why people, both today and throughout history, engage in Female Genital Mutilation. | This page addresses the question of why some people, both today and throughout history, engage in Female Genital Mutilation. | ||
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM for short) is commonly associated with Islam: recent data suggests that about 80% of FGM is carried out by Muslims<ref>https://fgmtruth.wordpress.com/what-percentage-of-global-fgm-are-moslems-responsible-for/</ref>, and that, considered globally, about 20% of Muslim females are subjected to the practice. It is tempting to conclude that Muslims engage in FGM because the Prophet Muhammad decreed favourably on the practice [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Female Genital Mutilation|in four hadiths]]. | Female Genital Mutilation (FGM for short) is commonly associated with Islam: recent data suggests that about 80% of FGM is carried out by Muslims<ref>https://fgmtruth.wordpress.com/what-percentage-of-global-fgm-are-moslems-responsible-for/</ref>, and that, considered globally, about 20% of Muslim females are subjected to the practice. It is tempting to conclude that Muslims engage in FGM because the Prophet Muhammad decreed favourably on the practice [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Female Genital Mutilation|in four hadiths]]. This conclusion is made all the more tempting by the fact that discussions as to whether or not FGM is Islamic are conducted as if the question were resolved simply by determining whether Muhammad decreed favourably (or otherwise) on FGM in the Sunnah and in the Qur'an. | ||
But | But social phenomena don't only happen because powerful men decree them. Social phenomena can happen because other social phenomena cause them. Pollution increased in the 19th Century England because the Industrial revolution happened. It is unlikely that many 19<sup>th</sup> century industrialists ''intended'' their factories to increase pollution. But their factories ''did'' increase pollution, and did so reliably and predictably. We rightly consider certain forms of pollution as being an inherent property of 19<sup>th</sup> Century industrialism, despite it being an unintended by-product. | ||
The political scientist Gerry Mackie, in his paper ''‘Ending Footbinding and Infibulation: A Convention Account'''<ref>http://webarchiv.ethz.ch/soms/teaching/OppFall09/MackieFootbinding.pdf</ref> identifies polygyny | Likewise, even if FGM were nowhere mentioned in the Sunnah, there is reason to think that Muslims would nevertheless be practicing FGM at a higher rate than non-Muslims, since Islam tends to reproduce the conditions that make FGM useful or necessary. | ||
The political scientist Gerry Mackie, in his paper ''‘Ending Footbinding and Infibulation: A Convention Account'''<ref>http://webarchiv.ethz.ch/soms/teaching/OppFall09/MackieFootbinding.pdf</ref> identifies polygyny as creating conditions in which (what he calls) Chastity Assurance Practices become useful, solving real problems faced by the parents of girls and other members of the community. Chastity Assurance practices are technologies, institutions and behaviours that act to preserve the sexual purity (whether actual or reputational) of girls and women. Examples of Chastity Assurance practices are footbinding, veiling, gender segregation, arranged marriages, child marriage, chaperoning, 'honour' culture, brideprice and, of course, FGM. | |||
Gerry Mackie's analysis of how polygyny gives rise to Chastity Practices, and also his explanation of how such practices become 'locked-in' - persisting long after the originating conditions have lapsed - makes no reference to the decrees of powerful men or prophets. Mackie's work demonstrates that FGM is not caused not only by Muhammad's decrees, but also by social factors - laws, traditions, institutions, systems, beliefs - that make FGM in some way 'useful' or 'necessary'. | Gerry Mackie's analysis of how polygyny gives rise to Chastity Practices, and also his explanation of how such practices become 'locked-in' - persisting long after the originating conditions have lapsed - makes no reference to the decrees of powerful men or prophets. Mackie's work demonstrates that FGM is not caused not only by Muhammad's decrees, but also by social factors - laws, traditions, institutions, systems, beliefs - that make FGM in some way 'useful' or 'necessary'. | ||
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What follows explores the idea that FGM exists for two reasons: | What follows explores the idea that FGM exists for two reasons: | ||
* it is a practice that solves certain problems caused by polygyny; | *it is a practice that solves certain problems caused by polygyny; | ||
* Muhammad, in inventing Islam, codified and sacralisied the norms, values, beliefs and institutions of Medina under his rule (and to a lesser extent of pre-Islamic Mecca and Judaism). This included the sacralisation of FGM and the causes of FGM - polygyny in particular. In doing this he ensured that FGM and its causes would persist long after they would normally have disappeared. | *Muhammad, in inventing Islam, codified and sacralisied the norms, values, beliefs and institutions of Medina under his rule (and to a lesser extent of pre-Islamic Mecca and Judaism). This included the sacralisation of FGM and the causes of FGM - polygyny in particular. In doing this he ensured that FGM and its causes would persist long after they would normally have disappeared. | ||
==Who Practices FGM? Statistics== | ==Who Practices FGM? Statistics== | ||
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== Islam as the sacralisation of polygyny and the consequences of polygyny == | ==Islam as the sacralisation of polygyny and the consequences of polygyny== | ||
==FGM: a Solution to Problems Caused by Islamic Doctrine== | ==FGM: a Solution to Problems Caused by Islamic Doctrine== | ||