Female circumcision debate: A muslim surgeon's perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Female circumcision (FC), predominantly practiced in Africa, lacks scientific validation.
• Historical sociocultural justifications for FC are not scientifically supported.
• FC poses significant short- and long-term physical, psychological, and social health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze female circumcision (FC) from sociocultural, medical, ethical, and Islamic perspectives.
• To evaluate the health implications and ethical considerations of FC.
• To provide an Islamic scholarly viewpoint on the practice of FC.

Main Methods:

• Multifaceted analysis of FC, integrating sociocultural, medical, ethical, and religious viewpoints.
• Critical review of scientific literature and Islamic texts concerning FC.
• Expert opinion from a Muslim surgeon and contemporary Islamic scholars.

Main Results:

• Sociocultural justifications for FC are scientifically invalid.
• FC yields no health benefits and results in disastrous sexual health outcomes.
• FC violates core principles of biomedical ethics.
• Islamic texts do not support FC; relevant hadiths are considered weak by scholars.

Conclusions:

• Female circumcision (FC) is medically harmful and ethically unjustifiable.
• There is no sound religious basis in Islam for supporting FC.
• The practice of FC should be abandoned, distinguishing hoodectomy as a rare potential exception.