The likely explanation for this is that female genital mutilation has justification in Islamic law.
This story repeats the usual establishment media line: “People in countries where FGM is still common attempt to link it to religion, but the practice has nothing to do with any faith and predates both Christianity and Islam. It has also been denounced by religious leaders worldwide.”
That is only partially true, at best.
Yes, “people in countries where FGM is still common attempt to link it to religion”: “It is a religious thing. Do you want to change religion?” said one Egyptian in response to a campaign to eradicate female genital mutilation. “You only listen to what the West is saying.”
However, StepFeed, like all the rest of the establishment media, ignores the fact that actually FGM is mandated in Islamic law: “Circumcision is obligatory (for every male and female) (by cutting off the piece of skin on the glans of the penis of the male, but circumcision of the female is by cutting out the bazr ‘clitoris’ [this is called khufaadh ‘female circumcision’]).” — Umdat al-Salik e4.3, translated by Mark Durie, The Third Choice, p. 64
Why is it obligatory? Because Muhammad is held to have said so: “Abu al- Malih ibn Usama’s father relates that the Prophet said: ‘Circumcision is a law for men and a preservation of honour for women.’” — Ahmad Ibn Hanbal 5:75
“Narrated Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah: A woman used to perform circumcision in Medina. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: ‘Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.’” — Abu Dawud 41:5251
That hadith is classified as weak, but this one is classified as sahih (reliable): “Aishah narrated: ‘When the circumcised meets the circumcised, then indeed Ghusl is required. Myself and Allah’s Messenger did that, so we performed Ghusl.’” — Jami` at-Tirmidhi 108
If Muhammad had the genitals of his favorite wife, Aisha, mutilated, that is a strong endorsement of the practice from the man who is an “excellent example” (Qur’an 33:21) for Muslims.
Why does it matter whether or not FGM is Islamic? Because the practice will never be eradicated if its root causes are not confronted. As long as those Muslims continue to believe that Allah and Muhammad want it done, for some that will override all other considerations.
“Women approve of FGM more than men in Egypt, survey reveals,” by Leyal Khalife, StepFeed, March 20, 2020:
Female genital mutilation (FGM), which is defined as a “partial or total removal of external genitalia, or any other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons” by the World Health Organization (WHO), is extremely common in Egypt.
According to a 2014 survey, 92 percent of Egyptian women aged between 15 and 49 have been circumcised. The procedure – which has killed young girls in Egypt – can lead to worrisome side effects including severe physical pain, bleeding, and the risk of wound infections. The practice has also been revealed to cause a delay in women’s sexual response cycle.
Yet, people in Egypt don’t seem to be concerned over the practice nor do they seem to acknowledge its effects. In a recently conducted survey by research firm Arab Barometer, around 2,400 citizens in Egypt and Iraq each were asked if they generally approve of female circumcision. As it has been explained by Arab Barometer, the participants who took part in the survey were asked about the topic in a less direct way. FGM appeared in a list of options of taboo subjects that respondents were asked to choose from.
The survey revealed that the number of individuals who “approve” of female circumcision in Egypt totaled 32 percent, more than double of those in Iraq (13 percent).
The horrific practice is illegal yet common in the country. Those who engage in the procedure – or enforce it on their daughters – claim that it “protects” a girl’s purity because it can “diminish sexual pleasure.”
The country first outlawed FGM in 2008 and further deemed it a felony in 2016 following the case of a 17-year-old teen who bled to death after undergoing the procedure. Before the law was updated, the practice was classified as a misdemeanor and carried a penalty of three months to a maximum of three years in prison. However, stricter laws aimed at curbing the phenomenon haven’t stopped some parents from trying to find other ways to have it administered. Just last month, a 12-year-old girl died during the operation. The deceased victim, Nada Hassan Abdel-Maqsoud, was taken to a retired doctor who performed the surgery on her in a private clinic located in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut. Her parents, uncle, and aunt accompanied her to the medical center where she later died of “surgery complications.” Her family members have since been arrested.
Despite all measures taken by the government, Egypt continues to register one of the highest FGM rates in the world. According to a 2016 survey by UNICEF, “87 percent of girls and women between the ages of 15 and 49” have been genitally cut….
According to the survey, the percentage of individuals who reported approval of FGM was higher among females (51 percent) and lower among males (14 percent).
You would think that women would support the protection of other women – and their daughters – from such a vile procedure but it seems as though the concept of “female pleasure” is still very much a taboo topic in the country as is the case in many other Arab countries. The protection of “family honor” seems to be more important than guarding a woman’s agency and bodily choices….
It’s so bad that one Egyptian lawmaker, Elhamy Agina, once claimed that Egyptian men are “sexually weak” and that women needed the procedure to reduce their “sexual appetite.”…
It is also estimated that 3 million girls are at risk of FGM every year, with the majority being under 15 years of age. People in countries where FGM is still common attempt to link it to religion, but the practice has nothing to do with any faith and predates both Christianity and Islam. It has also been denounced by religious leaders worldwide.