Custom in Somalia: The Circumcision

¶ … Custom in Somalia: The Circumcision (femal Genital Mutilation) of Girls

Each nation has its traditions that have been kept throughout history with people in the present giving much importance to cultural values. While some customs are somewhat interesting and entertaining, there are also others that tend to shock through the bizarre occurrences that they engage. Some cultures in Africa frequently involve the circumcision of women. Surprisingly, the performance is still very common.

Circumcision as a custom has been present ever since the early ages when boys and girls had been circumcised for several reasons. Presumably, circumcision had been a religious practice and it has been thought that it also healed the body of some imaginary diseases. (Warsameh, Abdurrahman). The difference between the circumcision of girls and that of boys is that the two types are seen differently by people. Most people regard the circumcision of boys as a perfectly normal act. However, the female circumcision is regarded as a dreadful act performed by persons that are most probably insane. The reason for the difference between the two acts is the fact that the circumcision on the female genitalia has had a long-term emotional impact on the individual. In contrast, men that have been circumcised at an early age do not show signs of distress in their adult lives.

Largely, to circumcise a woman virtually means to mutilate her genitals, regardless to the method used to do such a thing. Female circumcision usually occurs in tribal societies where tribe members consider that every woman should be circumcised in order for her to lead a healthy and purified life.

The circumcision of women is a practice frequently met in several parts of Africa and in some Islamic circles. In the case of Muslim tradition, the performance is believed to have a religious base. However, most Muslim teachers reject the thought that female mutilation originates from the Islam. Moreover, they claim that Muslims generally promote the sexual pleasure between men and women. To mutilate a woman by circumcising her would mean to deny her the feelings that persons have during sexual intercourse. According to Islamic writings, the Prophet Mohammed has witness a woman performing circumcision and he told her that the genitalia should not be altered. The Qur'an says that all bodily modification that people do are a product of Satan's influence, which corrupts people to torture themselves. (Conversant Life)

According to Jean L. Fourcroy, in Somalia the practice of female circumcision is very common. (Fourcroy 1999) There are a lot of Somalis that are also Muslims, but it is known among them that the practice of Female Circumcision goes back more than a millennium and a half ago before the Islam has been established. (Conversant Life)

The actual female circumcision practice implies having most of the external genital parts removed. Somali girls are circumcised at an early age, usually before reaching five years old. The "doctor" that performs the operation often family members, but the practice is also done in numerous hospitals from Somalia. "In 1995, it was estimated that 98% of Somali women had undergone female genital mutilation." (Fourcroy) From what the figures tell, the practice is embraced by most Somalis as even the medics perform female circumcision in Somalia.

Somalis believe that the circumcision is beneficial for girls because if makes them more sacred. In the Somali society a women that has not been circumcised is considered to be unworthy of living. After having been circumcised, girls have a natural chastity belt which is meant to stay that way until they are married. (Fourcroy)

The Somalis have kept the tradition of circumcising women for centuries now despite the fact that the act has proved as being dangerous in several occasions. There were often cases in which women died shortly after being circumcised because of various complications. Death is not the only harm that female circumcision can cause. Women can be affected by experiencing several other misfortunes, from becoming sterile to other horrible medical problems.

The health complications of female genital mutilation are both immediate and delayed and are referred to as the "three feminine sorrows": the sorrows on the day of mutilation or circumcision, the wedding night when the opening must be cut and the birth of the baby when the opening must be enlarged." (Fourcroy)

Most Somali women suffer throughout their lives and they abstain from protesting against circumcision because they believe that it is a vital part of their lives and of Somali tradition.

The women that are circumcised from an early age don't go through physical pains only. One of the most horrible parts of the practice of circumcision is that their own families harm them. Across their lives the women are traumatized by the event and they feel that their relatives had deceived them.

Older Somalis believe that the practice is perfectly normal and they see no reason for why it should be stopped. It is usual in Somalia for a father to happily accept his daughter to be mutilated for her own presumed well-being. The general belief is that if the girl is not circumcised when the time comes the whole community would suffer as a result.

Somalis are regarded by the rest of the world as being a peace-loving community, where freedom reigns. Unlike the rest of the world, their people have not changed much across times. Thus, most cultural values and traditions have been kept. However, there are many Somalis that have left their usual traditions for more modern practices. One can often see a Somalis that owns a business or another that is highly literate and teaches at a university. (Mohamed Diriye 2001)

Yet, despite having evolved and adopted more contemporary habits, most Somalis have been firm on keeping the female circumcision tradition. Because female circumcision is prohibited in most countries, the people that want their daughters circumcised need to return to Somalia in order to do so.