The concept of <a title="Female genital mutilation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation" target="_blank">female genital mutilation</a> (female circumcision) is back on the news with heavy opposition from various female activists worldwide.
<p style="text-align: center">[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0NuCMKaRpY[/youtube]</p>
It's unbelievable that, in some countries in Africa as well as in some Muslim states, every woman's forced to undergo the removal of her clitoris (<a title="Clitoridectomy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clitoridectomy" target="_blank">clitoridectomy</a>). This is absurd!
<blockquote><a title="Mona Eltahawy" href="http://twitter.com/monaeltahawy" target="_blank">Mona Eltahawy</a> <a title="Mona Eltahawy" href="http://twitter.com/monaeltahawy" target="_blank">@monaeltahawy</a>
For the millionth time: the clitoris is the ONLY body part whose sole purpose is pleasure. <a title="#FGM" href="http://twitter.com/search/#FGM" target="_blank">#FGM</a>
3:38 PM - 29 Mar 12</blockquote>
Why would any one think that cutting off part or all the erectile tissue in a woman's genitalia designed to have most sexual pleasure would make her any better? Well as stupid as it may sound, the common answers for this form of barbarism (often compared to rape) are
<ul>
	<li><em>purification (tuhur)</em> seen as <em>"equivalent to half of faith"</em> (Islam),
<blockquote>"The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Liliah (Praise be to Allah) fill up what is between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light, and charity is proof (of one's faith) and endurance is a brightness and the Holy Qur'an is a proof on your behalf or against you. All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves." -- <a title="Sahih Muslim - Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah) - Chapter No: 2 - Hadith" href="http://ahadith.co.uk/chapter.php?cid=71" target="_blank">Hadith no: 432</a></blockquote>
</li>
	<li><em>beautification</em> (making something beautiful that's already beautiful; in reality, taking its beauty away) for someone's sick interpretation of beauty,</li>
	<li><em>removal of sexual pleasure</em> to make her faithful (not allow her to consider another partner) by reducing her to a mere object (property) or because sex is thought as dirty,</li>
	<li><em>control</em> since every woman's considered property and dependent to the sole will of her husband (owner, master),</li>
	<li>and whatever other nonsense some sick mind would come up with.</li>
</ul>
As much as I hate making any negative remarks on any religion and/or faith system, the following is my sole opinion on this matter and not any form of disrespect to the Muslim faith.
<ol>
	<li>Female circumcision is unnecessary and brutal.</li>
	<li>It's got not correlation with the (<em>tuhur</em>) ritual of cleanliness and purification.</li>
</ol>
View <a title="File:Type_IV_circumcision.jpg" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Type_IV_circumcision.jpg" target="_blank">picture taken after procedure</a> (very graphic, not for everyone, <em><span style="text-decoration: underline">not for children</span></em>).