This is a false perception. Female Genital Mutilation is not a part of the Islamic faith. It is in fact a cultural based practice. There are tribes that identify themselves as Islamic, but mix their own ancient beliefs in with the new. One result of this is FGM. As far as being practiced in the U.S., of course it likely is. Not by Muslims even, but the chance that some person somewhere in the U.S. is doing this is always possible. The statement of it being mandated in Egypt is completely new and unheard of to me. I know of no evidence pertaining to anything of the like. I know of no Egyptian female that has had FGM performed on her. Again, the chance that some Egyptian woman do is very likely. But mandated?
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Name : aysha, Gender : F, Age : 27, City : Ammon, State : ID Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, I'm reading a book on this subject at the moment, and apparently this disgusting practice occurs in many different religions - not just Islam. It happens most in Africa, in at least 28 countries on that continent but also in Asia, the Middle East, and immigrants to North America etc.
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Name : Carol, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Berkshire, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Social class : Middle class, Frankly, there is no hadith or Qur'anic verse saying anything about female circumcision. And I believe it would actually fall under the category of haraam (forbidden), because it is (as I understand it, please correct me if I'm wrong)a harmful and painful practice. Many muslims even believe that tattoos are forbidden, because they involve self-mutilation. In the Middle Eastern countries you speak of, most 'Islamic' leaders actually have little or no knowledge of their religion. It's a sad case of messed-up individuals using religion to triumph over uneducated people.
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Name : HYO25193, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 14, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, Female circumcision isn't a Muslim practice, it's a cultural one that vastly predates Islam. It's mainly practised in Africa (especially NE Africa but also in some communities in the west of the continent) and is seen as both a female initiation rite and a way of making women compliant and faithful. I do not in any way agree with it but I just felt I should point out, especially given the current climate of fear and misunderstanding about Muslims, that this is by no means a Muslim practice and is nowhere sanctioned in the Q'uran. Unfortunately it is practised in the UK (although illegal) and I would guess is also practised in the US and other countries where there is a large Somali/Southern Egyptian etc population. There are many campaigns to raise awareness of the issue and to try and stamp it out, many encouragingly based in the 'countries of origin'. I don't buy the excuse that some people give that it's a cultural tradition and we shouldn't interfere - for one thing most campaigners against it are natives of the countries it's practised in (and often vistims themselves) and secondly as a 'cultural tradition' my ancestors used to cut off people's heads and display them on the town gates - but we don't do that anymore!
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Name : Jill22156, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 31, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I'm a female muslim from the U.S., and I've lived in the U.S., Turkey, and China, all in areas with large muslim populations...I can tell you that in the states, you would have a very hard time finding a doctor willing to do a female circumcision; in Turkey, it is not practiced at all, and it's not the practice among Muslims in China, either. It's actually not a Muslim practice specifically, but dates back to pre-Islamic times in the Arabian peninsula and greater Middle East. Judgements on it are mentioned in some oral traditions ascribed to the Prophet Mohammed, so that's partly how we know it was around before Islam. It's also not 'mandatory' (ie it's not required by law), but is rather a social convention. To my understanding, it's also the practice among some Coptic Christians in Egypt, and other non-muslims in North Africa.
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Name : Annie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 27, City : Shanghai, State : NA Country : China, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I feel quite certain female circumcision is not 'mandatory' anywhere, that is, the child is routinely cut in the hospital directly and enforced by law. But many Middle East and African cultures accept female circumcision as a matter of course, although programs, such as supported by the UN, are making inroads. Female circumcision is almost certainly illegally practiced in the United States like it is in Europe by immigrants who have brought their culture with them. I have heard of no reasonable civilized argument that can promote this mutilation of female genitalia. But I can't understand male circumcision, either.
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Name : Tom24092, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 30, City : Arbor, State : NA Country : Sweden, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Female circumcision is not mandatory for females in Islam (as in the Quran or Hadith). Clitoridectomy or Infibulation is not so much a religious requirment as it is a cultural practice. Female genital mutilation predated Islam. It originated in Africa and remains today a mainly African cultural practice. Some points to note : It is widely practiced in countries where the predominant religion is Christianity: Examples are Ethiopia and Kenya. In multi-faith countries, it is often forced on girls whose families follow all faiths: Animism religions, Christianity, and Islam. For example, it is frequently practiced among both Muslims, Christians and Animists in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. 3 FGM was once practiced by Ethiopian Jews (a.k.a. Beta Israel; formerly known by the derogatory term 'Falashas'). 9, 16, 17,19 This practice was apparently discontinued some time ago. A pediatrician who works in the Beta Israel community claims that they no do not practice FGM in Israel. Also, their daughters who were born in Ethiopia were not mutilated. FGM has spread to countries in or near Africa (e.g. Egypt) which are Muslim. But FGM is rare or nonexistent in many other Muslim countries. Examples are Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey. Also, It is not done in the Maghreb countries of Northwest Africa. FGM is only occasionally found in Indonesia and other predominantly Muslim countries in Asia. It is true that sunna (circumcision) is compulsory for males, for females who desire to 'purify' themselves (I know twisted) sunna is performed thus : a needle is used to prick the clitoris and a bit of blood must pass. That's it.
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Name : Jasmine, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Ceylonese, Religion : Secular Humanist, Age : 24, City : Singapore, State : NA Country : Singapore, Occupation : Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, Female circumcision is not mandatory anywhere in the world. In fact, it is now illegal in most of the middle-east. Despite this, it does continue in much of the Nile Valley and into Africa. It is not required in Islam and most Islamic Scholars consider it prohibited, although some recommend it. It is unheard of in many Muslim countries, such as Morroco, Turkey, Iran, Bangladesh, Malaysia, etc. It is also extremely rare in Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries in Western Asia. As for its practice by non-Muslims, it is (or WAS, as it is in decline) practiced (as it is a CULTURAL practice) by Christian Arabs in the Nile Valley (e.g. Egypt) and by many, but certainly not all, African tribes in Sub-saharan Africa (both Muslim and Non-Muslim, for example Kenya, Uganda, Congo. Its practice seems to be decreasing everywhere with increased education and it is increasingly only a rural phenomenon, as educated people in the cities reject it. From what I understand, it was used in western countries by doctors as a cure for nymphomania, but that has not happened for quite some time.
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Name : Leo S., Gender : M, Age : 37, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, I currently live in Egypt and I was shocked to find out that this was once a widly practiced custom. However, it is not mandatory and there has been a wide movement in recent years to educate parents in regard to this mutilation. Usually the ones that still practice this are from small towns and villages where education is lacking.
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Name : Janice A., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Mormon, Age : 42, City : Mansoura, State : NA Country : Egypt, Occupation : Import-Export, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, I am a Muslim, and to my knowledge, no one in my family or otherwise has received a female circumcision. In some African tribes this is a ritual, but nowhere in Islam does it mention the above-said topic.
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Name : Mariam, Gender : F, Religion : Muslim, City : Arlington, State : VA Country : United States, Female circumcision has nothing to do with Islam - it existed long before Islam and is not practiced in most Muslim countries. It's mainly in East African (especially Somalian, and some Sudanese) and seems to be cultural. There is nothing in the Quran that says females must be circumcised - like I say, it's cultural, like male circumcision. I don't know about the U.S. but I know that it is occasionally done (although illegal) in the UK among the Somali community and others from NE Africa. But please, don't think it's a 'Muslim thing' because it really isn't. I'm not a Muslim myself but do have Muslim friends and live in a Muslim area (South Asian) and it hurts them when people slur them with this kind of thing by mistakenly thinking it's something all Muslims do.
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Name : Jill24447, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 30, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, You are making the frequent incorrect assumption that this mutilating operation is associated with Islam. It is primarily a social practice, not a religious one. Female genital mutilation predated Islam. It originated in Africa and remains today a mainly African cultural practice. It is actually more widely practiced in countries where the predominant religion is Christianity: Examples are Ethiopia and Kenya. In multi-faith countries, it is often forced on girls whose families follow all faiths: Animism religions, Christianity, and Islam. For example, it is frequently practiced among both Muslims, Christians and Animists in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sierra Leone, and Sudan. It is also practiced by Ethiopian Jews. It has spread to a few countries in or near Africa (e.g. Egypt) which are mostly Muslim. In Egypt, it was mostly a consequence of immigration from Sudan that started as far as pharoaonic times. Nowadays it is mainly limited to the Egyptian Nubians which are a large poor minority in Egypt. Of note, it is a crime punished by 10 years of firm prison and large fine. Note that it is nonexistent in many other Muslim countries. Examples are Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and all the Maghreb countries of Northwest Africa. It is also very rare in Indonesia, Malaysia and other predominately Muslim countries in Asia. I hope this clears the common misperception that the practice is a religious one. That belief has led to unjustified religious intolerance against Muslims.
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Name : Elliot N., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 39, City : Beverly Hills, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Physician, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, It is a common misconception that female circumcision/genital mutilation is a practice required by Islamic law. Quite to the contrary, Islam frowns very much upon this practice - reason being that in the sections of the Qur'an where sexual relations between husband and wife are discussed, it is made clear that a man must make it his priority to (completely) satisfy his wife before he himself is satisfied. This is, to me, a very beautiful thing for the Qur'an to state, and it clearly would go against any such butchering of the female body that would thereby forever prevent her from attaining any sort of intimate release. The practice of female genital mutilation came about mostly in tribal (not necessarily Islamic) countries, to ensure that a woman could not have sex with anyone but her husband, and also to crush her sexual appetite so there would be no question of her purity or fidelity. This practice spread, though it is still not widely accepted... While it is practiced in some areas of Egypt, it is by no means 'popular' or mandatory. It is not practiced in the United States at all.
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Name : Jen H., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 19, City : Clark, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : med student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, I do not believe female circumcision is mandatory in most Middle Eastern countries, in fact, it's unheard of in Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. It's also unheard of in Turkey, which is a 98% muslim country. The practice is illegal in Britain, the United States and many European countries (see http://www.crlp.org/pub_fac_fgmicpd.html). I also want to clarify: Female circumcision is a cultural practice, as opposed to a Muslim practice. It is NOT a requirement of the religion. On the other hand, male circumcision IS required by the Islamic religion. This topic is highly debated within different factions of Islam.In my experience (I am friends with Muslims from many different countries), this is a rare practice in Islam, certainly not the standard. But it is unfortunately prevalent in Egypt (though now illegal) and many African nations.
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Name : Christine, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Muslim, Age : 31, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : writer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, What is often referred to as 'female circumcision' is actually genital mutilation. It is not common in Western countries, but cases are still found. It leaves the woman virtually unable to enjoy sexual intercourse and usually makes it a painful and frightening experience.
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Name : J-McLain, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 46, City : Middleburg, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Religion Professor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 
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