I understand that female circumcision is mandatory in many Middle East countries, especially Egypt. Is Muslim female circumcision practiced in the United States and other non-Muslim countries?
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Name : Jerry D, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 63, City : Marco Island, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Retired, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I think that female circumcision is actually more of an African than a Muslim thing, although since Northern Africa is predominantly Muslim the two have blurred together. It is, I believe, illegal in the USA.
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Name : JerryS, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 52, City : New Britain, State : CT Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, This is also practiced on women in Africa, but as far as I know, not in the United States.
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Name : Amelia-Berch, City : Denver, State : CO Country : United States, I would like to add to this question rather than respond, for two reasons. First, I think 'female circumcision' is a euphemism while the reality would be better stated as 'clitoral excision'. And secondly, male circumcision is done without the individual's consent only in the very young (babies) with the parents consent (I'm one of them). Otherwise the person's consent is required or encouraged in our western culture, while in many other cultures, it is a rite of passage into manhood. For women however, clitoral excision is also often a rite of passage but is mostly exercised without the consent of the individual. We, in Canada, have had at least two cases of clitoral excision in the legal system where the parents were incriminated for this act and their defense of cultural tradition was refused. So I dare ask: 'Is this a teaching of Islam?' or a 'tribal heritige' of older African cultures. I have read that this practice is a method to reduce a woman's libido and therefore insure her fidelity to her husband, at least in theory. I would appreciate a more authoritative answer. Thank You.
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Name : Paul N, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 57, City : Montreal, State : NA Country : Canada, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I have read alot about this subject. It is my understanding that female circumcision is still practiced around the world today. Even on some Muslim-Americans. Even though the procedure is illegal in the United States it is still being done in the US and if the family member can not find a doctor to do the procedure in the US the family will send the young girl off to the Middle East to have it done there. One of the reasons behind this is so the girls will have no desire to have sex before marriage,to stay pure. Also no desire to commit adultry after they are married.
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Name : Leah26109, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 23, City : Chattanooga, State : TN Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Yes, but in great secret because it illegal in this country and would be considered child abuse. It is not just the middle east; a number of cultures in various African countries practice it. It is considered a form of torture to a number of individuals in the first world. Many girls die during or after the procedure.
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Name : Jess30763, City : Tallahassee, State : FL Country : United States, Female circumcision is not condoned by Islam, though many 'Islamic' cultures condone the practice, and have justified it by saying it is a requirement of the religion. Western media will also blame Islam for the practice of female circumcision. Female circumcision is a throwback to pre-Islamic times, and because of the general misogynistic nature of the cultures, it has survived to this day. Male circumcision IS a requirement of Islam, (as well as of other religions, and this is generally taken care of at birth). I do not know of any Western doctor who would agree to perform such a function on a female, Muslim or not.
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Name : Debora, Gender : F, Religion : Muslim, Age : 40, City : Virginia Beach, State : VA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I don't know if many Muslims expect it to be done(I've heard many immigrants do but I'd doubt people who've lived here a long time which I doubt there are many of way back generations(maybe I'm wrong) who would practice it)but in the US and many other Western European countries it is highly illegal to perform the operation especially considering it's generally done on young girls
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Name : Ashley, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Pasco, State : WA Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, First of all, there is a difference betweent the Middle East and Islam. One cannot use the terms interchangeablly like you did. Most Muslims -to make my point- do not live in the Middle East. The term the 'Middle East' is in itself problematic since it is a Western-centric term alien to the region it covers. In Egypt, 20% of the population is Christian. These Christians are just as likely to practice female circumcision since it is a 'cultural' practice not a religous one. Most Muslims and or Christians in Egypt or elsewhere would look at the practice as highly unfavorable. In Islam, for instance, one duty of a man to his wife is to give her sexual pleasure. Obviously, if she has been deformed this is not possible.
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Name : Dave, Gender : M, Age : 25, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Researcher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, Female circumcision is more accurately labeled FMG or female genital mutilation. It is not mandatory in Egypt although it is sometimes practised there. It is more common in sub-Saharan Africa and although found in populations who practice Islam, it is not part of Muslim belief or practice. The world health organisation (WHO) is working very hard to eradicate FMG as it has serious implications for women's reproductive health, making childbirth more complicated and postpartum complications likely.
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Name : Fiona-MacVane, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 50, City : Bradford, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : Midwife & University lecturer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Its not compulsory at all, it's just a cultural custom in some parts of North Africa & the Middle East, but not anywhere else. So, we're talking about perhaps 15-20% of Muslims Worldwide- assuming they all do it & I doubt that.
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Name : Aa24996, Religion : Muslim, City : wales, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, I don't believe it's 'mandatory' in any middle eastern states but unfortunatley still practiced. It is illegal to perform this ritual in the US, there has been parents legally prosecuted for having their daughters circumsized.
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Name : Jeff-M, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 38, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Human Resources, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, First of all female genital mutilation(FGM)is practised in many african countries, however religion was not a factor for it, but it is based on a sick chauvinist tradition and sometimes criss crossed with religion in order to get away with, there is nothing in the Koran that supports FGM. Having said that, many countries differ the form they do it or how far they mutilate the women. In the middle east I don't know personally if they practise FGM at all and what form. In Canada FGM is banned and I am guessing the same for the united states
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Name : Sahara, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Muslim, Age : 37, City : Toronto, State : NA Country : Canada, Occupation : Accountant, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, There have been some reports of it happening in the Netherlands, one of our ministers even proposed it to be an allowed treatment in hospitals to make sure it would be executed hygienically. Numerous complaints however (never have I seen a country so united in something) stopped this from happening. What I read in newspapers here points towards the idea that immigrants return to their 'home'-countries briefly for holiday and have their daughters circumcised there.
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Name : Derk-Lindner, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 19, City : Amersfoort, State : NA Country : The Netherlands, Occupation : student, Although my background is not Muslim, I will share something that I learned in my Psychology class last year. It is illegal in the United States to perform female circumcision of any organized sort, including removing the clitoris and/or any other parts of the female sexual anatomy. HOWEVER, because of a somewhat large amount of Muslim immigrants to Seattle, I believe it was, hospitals were providing a service where they would make a small incision in the clitoral hood as a sort of symbolic female circumcision. I believe that the hospital was also prevented from doing that, once it was discovered. In many non-Muslim countries (including the US), it is considered a human rights issue and they often try to provide a place for immigrants who dislike the practice.
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Name : Amanda31478, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 18, City : Santa Rosa, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
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