Home > The Dark Fruit of Islam
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) can be viewed not as a mere cultural tradition, but as a theological tool used to physically enforce a specific view of female "purity" and "subjugation." The Shafi'i school—one of the four major Sunni schools—is often the focus of polemical critique due to its stance on obligation.
1. Source of Sin: While the Gospel places the source of sin within the human heart (requiring internal transformation), these practices suggest that "sin" is an external, physical threat posed by the woman that must be "cut," "scarred," or "eliminated" to protect the spiritual purity of the male and the community.
2. Legal Loopheartedness: Jurisprudential loopholes—such as the exemption of parents from the death penalty for killing their children or the classification of FGM as "obligatory" or "honorable"—provide a religious "sanction" that makes secular eradication of these crimes difficult.
3. The Body as Property: These acts treat the female body as a vessel for family reputation (Ghayrah) rather than a "Temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cori
FGM remains a crisis affecting over 230 million women and girls globally. While many countries have banned it, the practice continues in the following regions:
Where FGM is banned, roughly 59 out of 94 countries where the practice has been documented have specific laws criminalizing FGM.