We have yet another story highlighting the horrific abuse faced by women in many Muslim countries. Egyptian member of parliament Elhamy Agina this month has reportedly encouraged women to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) to “reduce their sexual desires.” His rationale for this primitive abuse is particularly bizarre: women must mutilate themselves to lower sexual desires to match that of Egypt’s “sexually weak” men.
In most societies, Agina would be dismissed as a moronic clown, but Egypt continues to struggle with systemic abuse of women and girls, including child brides, arranged marriages, FGM, and honor killings. His twisted logic shows how dismissive leaders can be over the horrific pain and loss of victims of FGM.
Agina insisted “We are a population whose men suffer from sexual weakness, which is evident because Egypt is among the biggest consumers of sexual stimulants that only the weak will consume. If we stop FGM, we will need strong men and we don’t have men of that sort.”
The parliamentarian believes the solution is mutilation so FGM can “reduce[] a woman’s sexual appetite” and women “stand by their men.”
Article 242 of Egypt’s Penal Code criminalizes the circumcision of girls and the punishment for performing FGM is a prison sentence ranging from three months to two years or a fine of EGP 5,000. Yet, According to the 2015 Egypt Health Issues Survey (EHIS), around 9 in 10 women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM.
Reblogged this on Citizens, not serfs.
Oh No!
Female Genital Mutilation is a barbaric practice. My God, in severe cases the wedding night requires a knife. Sexual Intercourse is excruciatingly painful…forever…childbirth is even more dangerous because the stiff scar tissue tears. It’s a lifelong sentence that absolutely ruins any chance of a healthy intimacy between husband and wife, and it cannot be fixed. The poor little girls walk like they are trying to hold a ball between their knees for so long afterward. Mutilation is indeed an apt term. Do not believe the misinformation out there comparing it to male circumcision.
And what drives me bananas is that it is the women who perpetuate it, because they are convinced their daughters and granddaughters will never make a good match intact. Who the heck would want to get married in that state? Who would want to be intimate with their wife who would fear and loathe the act because of what was done to her perfect body?
We make Machiavellian bargains, desperate for some sort of semi positive relationship with any country in the brutal, anti-Western Middle East. We financially support countries that engage in all sorts of barbaric abuses of human rights, to get a tactical advantage.
And, of course, people are going to point out that FGM is not required by Islam, and that many Muslims do not practice it at all. But there is no denying that the Prophet discussed it many times, enjoining his followers to “cut lightly” to spare the woman as much as possible. I wish he’d said “do not cut at all.” Then there would be no doubt. This was a savage practice that pre-dated Islam, but was enfolded into it in many areas. The few Christians who also practice it do so in Muslim dominant countries.
The point is that any time I hear of any religion abusing people, I believe they should clean up their act. (See Yearning for Zion and various other cults.) Moderate Muslims do not behave this way, but the Old World is different. There, for many, Islam is like a kind of militant Puritanism. And it’s spreading. I wish more would clean up their act and become moderate. Take baby steps into the 21st Century. Stop looking at women like they are the enemy, or at least beneath the men, to be abused and controlled, all while claiming to put them on a pedestal. Stop murdering gay people. Beating women who want the independence and autonomy of men. I would feel the same horror at any religion that abuses people, and Islam does not get a pass when savagery like this is done in its name.
@squeek
SO glad to hear your voice. I’ve missed you lately dear friend
What I find bizarre, is that the whole FGM thing requires that men actually be able to find a clitoris. Which IIRC, is a pretty iffy proposition.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Oh yah, I want sharia law. Enough said.
Egypt must be having some major problems with their menfolk – too much exposure to internet porn maybe? Asserting that their male citizens have a low sex drive would not fly well in most patriarchal societies. That MP would be burned at the stake!
However, not ALL Muslims support female mutilation — or Sharia law for that matter. There are moderates like Khan, the mayor of London.
I have already explained the Muslim situation for years now. Muslims are not subject to the rules and laws that you speak of. They simply don’t apply to people of their cult. Sorry, but that’s the way it is. If you don’t like or approve of Islamic lifestyles, then you are an Islamophobe, a bigot, a racist, and a hater. What is really needed in the U.S.A. is to import more Muslims into all states so that Muslims represent at least 10% of the populations of each state, as far as I’m concerned.
I don’t understand the problem of men with different sexual needs being a government issue. Let’s be honest, taking away any pleasure a woman experiences doesn’t solve archaic traditions. Outlaw and punish abuses, don’t punish women for being born women.
“Article 242 of Egypt’s Penal Code criminalizes the circumcision of girls…Yet, According to the 2015 Egypt Health Issues Survey (EHIS), around 9 in 10 women aged 15-49 have undergone FGM.”
And so a MOP encourages the violation of the law. Not too far different in principle than our own political class. Laws are apparently suggestions for governing society and if you have a better idea then just do it.
American tax dollars should only fund foreign regimes moving toward greater individual freedoms, we should cut off all U.S. dollars for these types of leaders moving in the opposite direction.
Don’t forget, we funded Middle Eastern despots that then scapegoated the United States for their mismanagement – that scapegoating by despots partly led to the 9/11 attacks.
Jill Stein makes the same suggestion.
Why do US citizens continue to send tax dollars to fund the regime in Washington DC, as that cesspool on the Potomac continues to move America away from individual freedoms as well? We should cut off all U.S. dollars for those types of leaders moving in the opposite direction.
Why do US citizens continue to send tax dollars to fund the regime in Washington DC, as that cesspool on the Potomac continues to move America away from individual freedoms as well? We should cut off all U.S. dollars for those types of leaders moving in the opposite direction.
Hear, hear!
Arren
ery
asteless
Not to so different from pretending that an old Argentinian virgin in a dress holds the keys to the moral kingdom with which the world should align.
Religion is tyranny, expressed in a variety of forms. Sexual repression and loathing chief among them.
Reblogged this on Matthews' Blog.
Insane society.
Yes, David it is a weak society ruled by abusive men. The problem is that their beliefs are based on the Old Testament and all the idiotic rules are caused by the interpretation by the Imam of what the prophets wrote for a rural society that did not know how either to read or write. So behind all the beliefs reigns ignorance. I do not believe that the educated muslin easily accepts those rules or follow any of them. However because the law of the land is the same than the religious law, governments in those countries appreciate the power and control over the people those beliefs give to them. It is a big salad with ingredients than can be delicious for some but fatal for the less educated people. Western society went through a similar process many centuries ago.
Well it’s nice to know what’s wrong with them! As usually women should be punished to make up for the short comings…., no pun intended, of men!
Agree! It’s also, in my opinion, why islam was invented for a man’s ego. Islam prophet mohammed needed to invent a religion that not only rejects women, but beats them, scorns them, robs them of their God given sexual genitals, rapes them, subjugated them and gave themselves permission to marry little girls at the age of 9.
He obviously had a female issue because there were lots of women queens like Artemisa I Circa 480 Queen and Admiral Artemisia I of Caria-Harlikarnassos and Kos (Turkey), 465-circa 440 Politically Influential Queen Amestris of Persia (Iran), Unnamed Persian Lady 424-405 Joint-Ruler Queen Parysatis of Persia (Iran), round 401 Joint Ruler Queen Epyaxa of Cilicia (Turkey), Circa 353-50 Queen Artemisia II of Caria, Rodhos and Harlikarnassos (Turkey),
345-332 Queen Candace of Meroe (Sudan), and most revered 344-30 Regent Queen Cleopatra of Macedonia of Epirus (Greece), 340-35 and 334-20 Queen Ada I of Caria (Turkey) and Sister of Alexander the Great, Married to Alexander of Epirus. In 309 she was murdered. Alexander the Great killed armies of muslims.
The prophet mohammed’s ego and self grandiose personality disorder couldn’t handle woman leaders or males that kicked their butts. So he set out to force his made up religion on them, by building an army with his older rich widow wife’s money. He hated strong woman leaders and tried to defeat strong male leaders with psychological warfare, stating all men of other countries and religions were less in Gods eyes to him and appointed himself as a prophet whose beliefs continue to murder innocent Christians, women and children to this day.
Genital mutilation again, is another means to an end, to control females. They secretly feel a woman’s cliterous or vagina, a giver of life to procreate with God, was their biggest threat. Their religion is as barbaric as their acts.
And which religion is not made up by men?
That’s a good point. What I find interesting is islam’s live by or die by the sword lifestyle of their religious beliefs, in contrast with pro-atheist of modern day.
Both hate Christians, but for different reasons. Yet these Athiests will defend islamist terrorists for beheading people for being Christian. Even though they would behead Athiests for being non-muslims.
There have been periods throughout history of how twisted man and religion can be.
I personally choose not to go to church but am dedicated to nightly prayers.
The Agina Monologues