Nipping The Bud: Female Genital Mutilation In Bohra Community
Trigger warning: The following article contains graphic information on mutilation, genital mutilation, and violation of bodily autonomy, which can induce anxiety. It does not seek to hurt religious or communal sentiments.
A dilapidated and dark building is often far from abandoned. In Mumbai’s Bohra Mohalla, a place like that is used for khatna/female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM has been declared by the United Nations as a human rights violation and has no medical benefit whatsoever. FGM results in the cutting off of outer genitalia, often the clitoral head for non-medical or religious/traditional reasons. The questions remain, how a practice like this still exists and is deemed necessary by elders of the community?
The Pariah Factor
The Dawoodi Bohra community has been practising female circumcision in complete secrecy, there has never been any public discussion on it. To them it is an inalienable part of their culture, an act of ‘religious purity’. They have interpreted male and female circumcision necessary for hygiene/taharat from Da’im al-Islam (a 10th-century book on jurisprudence). Little girls of six to seven years of age are taken for circumcision by their mother or an elder woman of their family. This cruel and malevolent practice is thickly concentrated in the community out of fear of being shunned from it. Parents who don’t circumcise their daughters are practically outcasts for the entire community.
Missing the Bull's Eye of Logic
Khatna includes cutting off of the clitoral head which is called haram ki boti/immoral lump of flesh by people from the Bohra community. They strongly believe that removing it will ‘curb a girl’s sexual desires’ and also ‘avoid extramarital affairs’ post marriage. While some cite the above reasons, many state that it is required for hygiene. Medically, it is absolute balderdash as the plain water is more than enough to maintain vaginal and clitoral hygiene. Only recently the practice has come under the scanner and before that, it was strongly defended by almost every member of the Bohra community.
Everything that's Wrong
Subjecting minor girls to extreme measures just to repress sexual desires at an age when they should not even be sexualized is the first thing that’s wrong with the practice. The Bohra community strongly defends their practice and draws a parallel with clitoral unhooding prevalent in the West. It is wrong for all the reasons as the latter is performed with consent and for medical reasons. Thus, this analogy is a round peg in a square hole. FGM is often known to give ways to more problems than being a solution to a non-existing problem. It is often performed by an untrained midwife, with non-sterile tools and an unhygienic environment. It results in long-term physical and psychological consequences like severe pain, prolonged bleeding, infection, loss of trust, severe anxiety and depression with age, and even death.
Deeming the process necessary for religious purposes is even more absurd and no religious scripture requires it. It does not increase pleasure for a woman and contrary to that it reduces pleasure during intercourse.
Elimination of FGM
Female circumcision has been labeled as a human rights violation by the UN but there is no effective ban in India for the cruel practice. Victims of FGM have started a vocal fight against the practice and demanded a law in place to criminalize and stop FGM in India. These women are now doctors, lawyers, journalists, and activists working actively to stop other young girls from falling prey to the knife in the name of the community and religion. Sahiyo is a non-profit organization that works incessantly to stop FGM from being practiced by the Bohra community.
Priya Goswami’s documentary ‘A Pinch of Skin’ explores the prevalence and continuous practice of Khatna. Slowly and steadily women who were cut in their childhood are coming forward with their stories of horror. People belonging to the Bohra community are pledging that their daughters won’t go through the same. Slowly and steadily this practice will be wiped off the map of the community. This practice entrenched in society is rooted in gender inequality and will be uprooted when gender equality surfaces by breaching the patriarchy of yesteryears. This asserts and reimposes the need for gender equality, to stop horrific practices against women and young girls.
FGM is not limited to India or other third world countries, it takes place in every corner of the world including first world countries where human rights are upheld with more severity. It is a hidden practice, done with secrecy, under the authority of caregivers, in the lure of better health and ensuring ‘chastity’ and ‘purity’ for young girls who do not even know the meaning of the words.
Illustration by: Vijaya Srivastava
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