aysha
This is a cultural practice and is not guided by religion. I say this because there once was the belief that Islamic people practiced this. While it is true there are some ‘fringe’ groups that identify themselves as Islamic and practice Female Genital Mutilation, it is not a mandated Islamic practice. It can be and usually is, used to control the female as a wife. One idea is that she gets no pleasure from sexual intercourse, and therefor will not cheat on her husband. The torture becomes even worse when she is ripped open by her husband or childbirth. She is then ‘sewn up’ to become small again, and more pleasurable to her husband. There is a famouse model, her name is Warus. She is a survivor of FGM and tells her whole story with complete frankness. The entire story is very compelling. For her, a sharp rock was used to cut. There was no aniseptic used, nor any dulling of sensation in the area. The rock cut off the clit, and she was put in a tent to recover. Infection is very likely, and many complications can arise, as with all medical procedures. There is no reverse or fixing this type of procedure once performed.