Big Think

Timothy Monicken on January 18, 2008, 4:58 PM

This may be a bit "off-topic," but there is a related reason for my inquiry (I must admit to ignorance here. Please forgive it.): I recall that while I was "down-under" – in Australia (over twenty years ago) the Turkish immigrant population came under attack for their practice of mutilating the female newborn genitalia… from what I'd gathered, this was done, not for hygienic reasons but some canonized tradition from the Muslim sect to which they belonged. It turned out that the Koran supposedly had no specific passage that mandated this practice and that it was seen (rightfully so?)by the "Aussies" as a violation of the human right of self-determination, whereby the infant could not speak for herself and determine her own path.
My question is this: How wide spread is the practice in the Muslim world, and if it is still around, how "entrenched" is the cultural behavior?
Clearly, the Muslim world MUST see how this violates the very essence of "consent" or self-determination… at least in the eyes of western society.

Timothy Monicken on January 18, 2008, 9:58 PM

This may be a bit “off-topic,” but there is a related reason for my inquiry (I must admit to ignorance here. Please forgive it.): I recall that while I was “down-under” – in Australia (over twenty years ago) the Turkish immigrant population came under attack for their practice of mutilating the female newborn genitalia… from what I’d gathered, this was done, not for hygienic reasons but some canonized tradition from the Muslim sect to which they belonged. It turned out that the Koran supposedly had no specific passage that mandated this practice and that it was seen (rightfully so?)by the “Aussies” as a violation of the human right of self-determination, whereby the infant could not speak for herself and determine her own path.
My question is this: How wide spread is the practice in the Muslim world, and if it is still around, how “entrenched” is the cultural behavior?
Clearly, the Muslim world MUST see how this violates the very essence of “consent” or self-determination… at least in the eyes of western society.