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Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice involving the removal of all or parts of the female external genitalia. It has been documented in 28 African countries and in some countries in Asia and the Middle East, but due to increasing immigration from these countries to the western world, FGM has become a worldwide human rights and health issue. Contrary to the belief that it is a practice carried out by Muslims only, it is also practiced by Christians and a minority group of Ethiopian Jews. However, FGM is neither mentioned in the Torah, nor in the Gospels, and – like in Islam – bodily mutilation is condemned by both religions. In fact, FGM is a mix of mainly cultural and social factors which may put tremendous pressure on the members of the society in question.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), female genital mutilation (FGM), also referred to as “female circumcision” or “female cutting”, “comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” [1]. The WHO estimates that about 140 million girls and women worldwide are living with the consequences of FGM and that every year in Africa alone, about 3 million girls are at risk for genital mutilation [1]. FGM has been documented in 28 African countries and in some countries in Asia and the Middle East
Given the fact that some Sunni Muslims legitimate FGM by quoting a controversial hadith (a saying attributed to the Prophet Mohammed) in which the Prophet allegedly did not object to FGM provided cutting was not too severe [5] and [6] and that the least invasive type of FGM (partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce) is also called “Sunna Circumcision” [7], FGM is widely considered to be associated with Islam. However, during a conference held in Cairo/Egypt in 2006, Muslim scholars from various nations declared FGM to be un-islamic [8] and [9] and, in fact, the traditional cultural practice of FGM predates both Islam and Christianity. Herodotus wrote about FGM being practiced in Egypt as early as 500 BC [3], while the Greek geographer Strabo who visited Egypt in about 25 BC reported that one of the Egyptian customs was “to circumcise the males and excise the females” [10]. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, FGM is actually practiced by Muslim, Christian and Jewish groups. There are countries, such as Nigeria, Tanzania and Niger, where the prevalence of FGM is even greater among Christian groups [11]. In Egypt, FGM is also practiced on Coptic girls [12], while in Ethiopia, the Beta Israel or Falashas, a Jewish minority, subject their girls to genital mutilation [5].
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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...10570413000258
FGM does predate Islam. And it is not accepted as Islamic by all muslims. It is given cover by some because of a line in the Hadith- but is is not a muslim problem. It os much wider than that.
The appalling situation of the Christian populations in the middle east is somethig that is very worthy of discussion. I totally agree. And whilst there may not be a thread for it on here I can assure you it is a hot topic of conversation in UK news. But - what is happening to Christians does not negate or justify what is happening in Palestine.
The Jewish-Palestine situation is not about religion, though religion plays a part - it is about land and territory, politics and self-determination. It is not a continuation of Al-Quaeda and ISIS, it is not the crazy violent muslim extremists trying to create a kaliphate - it is a conflict between two peoples who both have claims on a patch of land. It is an ongoing and very specific political conflict.
The state of Islam in the world, the way women are treated, the way Christians are treated, and the spread of Islamic terrorism are interesting and deserving of their own concern but they are a sidestep in this conversation and a fairly common one whenever the problem of Palestine comes up. They are a way of muddying the waters and denying the absolute specificity of this particular conflict.