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HomeEditorialTime to save womanhood in Islam - Part-2

Time to save womanhood in Islam – Part-2

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Stop blindly claiming that Khatna is the same as “Western” clitoral unhooding, we must understand that clitoral unhooding is not performed on unconsenting minor girls. It is chosen by some adult, sexually active women only if they have problems such as too much prepuce tissue coming in the way of orgasms. The clitoral-hood serves an important purpose in every woman, it guards the clitoris from over-stimulation, scuffs and injury, and it naturally retracts during sexual arousal to allow exposure to the clitoris. It does not need to be cut in order to expose the clitoris. We must understand the natural functions of our body parts before artificially altering them with a blade that to with an unprofessional woman having no medical background.

And finally, if you think that the purpose behind Khatna is taharat, then remember physical hygiene can be maintained very well with soap and water, and the key to achieving “spiritual” or “religious” purity lies not in a person’s genitals, but in their thoughts, words and deeds. There are hundreds of spiritual women across the globe from various religions. I don’t think they are chopping off clitoris.  It’s a cruel practice, as it is performed on minor girls who are not in a position to give consent for performing such acts. Imagine the hot knife slicing your clitoris. Imagine young girl shrieking in pain. Imagine the mother who is holding their daughters, and seeing her in blood pool with pain for days and months. The cruel practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has to be stopped in India. Young girls aged six and seven are regularly being cut right here. Mumbai abounds with inexpert midwives who continue to scar young girls from the Bohra community. They have to undergo pain and are felicitated and respected just because of the bled that they hold in their hand.

I inquired with my driver Zujer, a Bohra Muslim about this practice. He surprised me by replying back, if a female is born in our religion she has to go through this. Our religious perching says so. I asked him, you never feel bad when your daughter shriek in pain? He said, “It’s done by Janana (female) and we males don’t become part of it. Our only duty is to eat, render dua (blessing) and keep calm. This is for the girl’s betterment”. I was speechless, but when it comes to religion you really can’t argue on humanitarian grounds as this hurts their religious sentiments. FGM remained a well-kept secret, a taboo, a subject never to be discussed. When I asked such awkward question to a male member of community, he was not very comfortable.

With changing time, few women victims at the hands of the Bohra tradition are choosing to speak out and create awareness. Masooma Ranalvi, a Delhi-based issuer – who has put her name to an online, petition against the practice along with seventeen other women – has decided it’s time to come out in the open. The pain has become a trigger and the passion to save other girls from being cut have made her and the others fearless. Masooma who was also cut when she was 6 years old said it’s been 42 years now.  For a long time, Masooma did not understand what had happened to her or why she had been cut. The realisation that she had been so betrayed shattered her. The reasons why khatna is so common in the community shocked her.

The abuse leaves women physically, psychologically and sexually damaged. It takes a long time for a child to be okay. It is something that has affected many Bohra girls like Zohara; it affected the kind of work they do. The mutilation affects marriages. Couples are finally admitting to it but only in one-on-one confidential meetings. One reason why khatna continues is because the Syneda, or the Bohra high priest, refuses to engage on the issue either with the women or the media.

The United Nations has declared female genital mutilation a human rights violation but there is no ban in India. Young girls are still being taken to midwives and to doctors in Bohra-run hospitals. Slowly, the issue is becoming less taboo.

Immediate complications of Female genital mutilation includes severe pain, shock, haemorrhage, tetanus or infection, urine retention, ulceration of the genital region and injury to adjacent tissue, wound infection, urinary infection, fever and septicemia. Haemorrhage and infection can be severe enough to cause death.

Long term consequences include complications during child birth, anaemia, the formation of cysts and abscesses, keloid scar formation, damage to the urethra resulting in urinary incontinence, dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse), sexual dysfunction, hypersensitivity of the genital area and increased risk of HIV transmission, as well as psychological effects.

Infibulation or type three female genital mutilation may cause complete vaginal obstruction resulting in the accumulation of menstrual flow in the vagina and uterus. Infibulation creates a physical barrier to sexual intercourse and childbirth. An infibulated woman therefore has to undergo gradual dilation of the vaginal opening before sexual intercourse can take place. Often, infibulated women are cut open on the first night of marriage (By the husband or circumciser) to enable the husband to be intimate with his wife.

If not on religious ground, if not on humanitarian ground, if not on gender ground at least on medical and health grounds this revolution should go wide spread and judiciary should take up the issue with same aggression it has taken Triple Talaq. In future the womanhood in Islam needs to be protected.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

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Vaidehi Taman
Vaidehi Tamanhttps://authorvaidehi.com
Vaidehi Taman an Accredited Journalist from Maharashtra is bestowed with three Honourary Doctorate in Journalism. Vaidehi has been an active journalist for the past 21 years, and is also the founding editor of an English daily tabloid – Afternoon Voice, a Marathi web portal – Mumbai Manoos, and The Democracy digital video news portal is her brain child. Vaidehi has three books in her name, "Sikhism vs Sickism", "Life Beyond Complications" and "Vedanti". She is an EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker, OSCP offensive securities, Certified Security Analyst and Licensed Penetration Tester that caters to her freelance jobs.
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