Female genital mutilationBetween religion and tradition

Abstract

The problem of female genital mutilation by which the external genitalia of girls are cut has always been an endemic problem in Egypt despite the lack of data. Existing studies reveal that such practice existed in Egypt since ancient times. However, feminist calls to combat it began since the 1990s. This fact led to a public debate until its abolition in 2008. With the January 2011 Revolution, Egyptian society went into shock, when calls were made to revive the illegal practice of female genital mutilation. With the rise of patriarchal Islamists to power, efforts were made to revive the practice of female circumcision that had been outlawed in Egypt since 2008. Female genital mutilation has always been painted as a religious act, the fact that helped to increase the sense against Islam on the issue of women's rights. Therefore, in this thesis I advance through a hypothesis: female genital mutilation is not related to Islam, but the misinterpretation of religion by patriarchal societies is responsible for women being exposed to such practice. Therefore, the objective of investigating FGM is primarily to address fundamental issues related to practice and try to refute misconceptions about female genital mutilation and Islam. After investigating the rights granted to women by Islam by reading the verses of the Qur'an and religious opinions on various topics, including the issue of female genital mutilation, I came up with a result that is the subordination of women and their position meant that patriarchal thoughts are socially constructed