Female Genital Mutilation--Why the Practice is not Morally Wrong
Almost everyone who has heard of the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is without some form of opinion of the custom, which affects 100 million women in 26 African countries, and elsewhere in the world. It has been declared a gross violation of the human rights of woman and female children. However, at the same time some argue that the procedures are part of time-honored cultural ritual that marks the individuals as a full member of their society.
Female Genital Mutilation is believed to have started in Egypt 2,000 years ago and spread from there. Only a few years ago, FGM was considered a cultural tradition, but now the United Nations has labeled it as a violation of human rights. Khalid Adem, residing in Georgia, allegedly cut his daughter's clitoris with scissors while another man held her down.
He was arrested, but has yet to be indicted and is free on bond. (Katz, Unknown date). It is illegal to perform female genital mutilation in many countries, including the United States, Canada, France, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, Egypt, Kenya, and Senegal. This procedure is usually done in the home or somewhere other than a medical setting. Often, it is performed by a family member or by a local "circumciser," using knives, razor blades, or other tools that may not be sterilized before use. One would have to ask, do we have the right to question ones religion and how they practice it even if they live in the United States. Everyone has a right to worship his or her own God but not practice a religious custom that is not morally correct in our society. Is this morally correct?
Female genital mutilation is carried out mostly as a custom...
Female Genital Mutilation--Why the Practice is not Morally Wrong
My response to the question asked by the author- do we have the right to question other's religious or traditional beliefs? is that YES we do have the right to condem in its entirety bad or wrong practices that have negative impact (health in this case) on the life on any human being.
I disagree with the author referring to male circumcision as mutilation because, circumcision has very good health benefits for example prevention of penile cancer. Just because we must respect religious or cultural believes of people doesnot mean that we must fold our hands and allow bad practices continue without protest.
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