User:Flynnjed/Sandbox: Difference between revisions

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{{Quote|[https://unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/De-linking%20FGM%20from%20Islam%20final%20report.pdf 'Delinking Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting from Islam'] by Ibrahim Lethome Asmani & Maryam Sheikh Abdi (2008)|'Shafi’i view it as wajib (obligatory) for both females and males'}}

'Reliance of the Traveller' by by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri (1302–1367) is the Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law according to Shafi'i School. {{Quote|''Reliance of the Traveler'' [''Umdat al-Salik''], Section e4.3 on Circumcision|'''Obligatory (on every male and female) is circumcision.''' (And it is the cutting-off of the skin [''qat' al-jaldah''] on the glans of the male member and, '''as for the circumcision of the female, that is the cutting-off of the clitoris')}}Nuh Ha Mim Keller's 1991 translation of Reliance of the Traveller is bowdlerised to make its content more acceptable to Western eyes and translates the word 'bazr' ( بَظْرٌ ) as 'clitorial prepuce' instead of simply 'clitoris' (see section [[#Defining Bazr|Defining Bazr)]].

'Reliance of the Traveller' by by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri (1302–1367) is the Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law according to Shafi'i School. {{Quote|''Reliance of the Traveler'' [''Umdat al-Salik''], Section e4.3 on Circumcision|'''Obligatory (on every male and female) is circumcision.''' (And it is the cutting-off of the skin [''qat' al-jaldah''] on the glans of the male member and, '''as for the circumcision of the female, that is the cutting-off of the clitoris')}}'''Nuh Ha Mim Keller's 1991 translation of Reliance of the Traveller is bowdlerised to make its content more acceptable to Western eyes and translates the word 'bazr' ( بَظْرٌ ) as 'clitorial prepuce' instead of simply 'clitoris' (see section [[#Defining Bazr|Defining Bazr)]].'''

===Hanbali Madhab===

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*'''FGM''' - which reduces a girl's capacity for sexual pleasure both physically (through the removal of the clitoris and labia) and mentally (through the effects of trauma). Infibulation also seals the girl's vaginal opening with a covering of skin, the penetration of which is extremely painful and which leads to severe hemorrhaging that is difficult to conceal.

Polygynous societies are extremely ''hypergynous'' (hypergyny is the urge for women to marry into higher strata of society). It is considered preferable to be the n<sup>th</sup> wife of a powerful polygynous man than the only wife of a poor man (indeed, in polygynous societies, having only one wife is considered somewhat shameful). This is because 1/ in monogamous societies, high-status man become unavailable (as husbands) once married, whereas in polygynous societies a married high-status man remains available 2/ polygynous societies are traditional and the only acceptable role for a girl to aspire to is to make a 'good' marriage. A woman can only aspire to a better life by marrying into wealth 3/ marriage to high status men is highly advantageous to the bride's family, who will benefit from having a high-status male as a relative.

Polygynous societies are extremely ''hypergynous'' (hypergyny is the urge for women to marry into higher strata of society). It is considered preferable to be the n<sup>th</sup> wife of a powerful polygynous man than the only wife of a poor man (indeed, in polygynous societies, having only one wife is considered somewhat shameful). This is because 1/ in polygynous societies marriages invariably involve the payment of a brideprice by the groom (or his family) to the bride (or her family), the brideprice from a rich man will be higher than from a poor man 2/ in monogamous societies, high-status man become unavailable (as husbands) once married, whereas in polygynous societies a married high-status man remains available 3/ polygynous societies are traditional and the only acceptable role for a girl to aspire to is to make a 'good' marriage. A woman can only aspire to a better life by marrying into wealth 4/ marriage to high status men is highly advantageous to the bride's family, who will benefit from the bride-price and from having a high-status male as a relative.

To marry high status polygynous men the society's girls must meet their expectations and requirements. She, and her family must persuade the polygynous man that their daughter is 'pure', chaste and will be faithful to him. They demonstrate this by adopting (or having their daughter adopt) the Chastity Assurance practices required by that man, whether it be FGM or other practices in the above list.

The intensely hypergynous nature of polygynous societies means that the marriage practices of high-status polygynous men cascade down through the ranks of society, and are rapidly adopted by all families. Only the daughters of the poorest families, who can not afford to engage in such practices, are spared. These girls and their families are stigmatised as 'impure', contaminating and guaranteed to be unchaste if anyone should be unfortunate enough to marry them. They are 'untouchables' and suffer from intense discrimination and persecution. Thus the avoidance of stigma becomes an added incentive for families to conform to the community's Chastity Assurance practices.

The intensely hypergynous nature of polygynous societies means that the marriage practices of high-status polygynous men cascade down through the ranks of society, and are rapidly adopted by all families.

In polygynous societies, there are very few polygynous high-status men and many lower-ranking potential brides. This creates a marriage market which heavily favours high-ranking men. Low-ranking families therefore need to compete with each other and ''persuade'' higher-ranking men to marry their daughters. Because ''all'' low-ranking families want to marry-off their daughters to high-ranking males it is not sufficient to simply ''adopt'' the elite’s marriage-practices, the daughter has to be made to stand out from the crowd of other candidates hoping to make a hypergynous match.

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In a process analagous to sexual selection in Nature, female modesty takes on a ''competitive'' value rather than an ''intrinsic'' one and this provokes a form of ‘inflation’ of modesty practices and attitudes: ''“one wrong word about my sister and I will kill you”…”the smaller the foot, the better the family”….”the more extreme the cutting the better the girl’s reputation”…”the more savagely a family punishes its daughters’ immodesty, the better the family”…''

Marrying-off a low-ranking daughter to a high-ranking polygynous male is the ‘carrot’ which leads parents, families and communities to adopt the ‘modesty’ practices of the elite. But there are also ‘sticks’ that serve to enforce conformity to these practices.

These girls and their families are stigmatised as 'impure', contaminating and guaranteed to be unchaste if anyone should be unfortunate enough to marry them. They are 'untouchables' and suffer from intense discrimination and persecution.

FGM becomes a symbol, a proxy, for chastity and fidelity. And to defy the practice is to declare one’s infidelity, even if a girl’s actual intentions, character and actions are chaste and faithful. Uncut girls are considered as ‘immodest’, little better than prostitutes, girls that no self-respecting man would have anything to do with, let alone marry her. Only the daughters of the poorest families, who can not afford to engage in such practices, remain unmutilated. Uncut girls are teased and persecuted at school, and their families are ostracised by the community. Their example serves as public demonstrations of the ignominy that results from not following modesty practices. The avoidance of stigma becomes an added incentive for families to have their daughters mutilated.

==Islamic Doctrine that creates social conditions favourable to FGM==

User:Flynnjed/Sandbox: Difference between revisions

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