The Muslim Brotherhood and the fatwas of female circumcision: Judgment according to the situation, timing and interest of the group

Hussam Al-Haddad

Coinciding with the International Day for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), corresponding to February 6 of each year, the Global Fatwa Index (GFI) affiliated to the Egyptian Fatwa House affirmed that this issue still constitutes a dispute within Islamic societies and outside them between a supporter who sees it as a duty to preserve the woman’s chastity and purity, while the opponents see its danger because of the severe psychological and physical effects it leaves on the right of women to the point of deformation.

The index added that although most of the official fatwa rhetoric in the world tended to prohibit it, along with medical opinions that support this opinion, the extremist currents still carry the banner of support, which made this process obligatory for women to conform to their strict vision with extremist customs.

The index indicated that fatwas on “female circumcision” constituted 10% of the total fatwas related to women worldwide, warning of the danger of this surgery, especially that in 2020 alone, there are more than 4 million girls all over the world exposed to the risks of practicing female circumcision, according to the latest statistics of global organizations and institutions.

Salafi jihadism: Those who advocate the prohibition of female genital mutilation are false advocates.

Year after year, the fatwas of the Salafi movement are still witnesses to their violations against women, as the indicator pointed out that the fatwas of circumcision at the current party constituted (20%) of its fatwas related to women, including what is republished from time to time, including what is new or in response to fatwas of official institutions, such as the House of Fatwa or Al-Azhar.

The index pointed to examples of those fatwas calling for female circumcision and its permissibility and not being nullified or prohibited, and mentioned another Salafi fatwa saying that female circumcision is “legal and does not lead to death”.

It stressed that circumcision in Islamic law does not in any way lead to death, and if death occurs during the circumcision process, it is caused by medical negligence. The problem is not with circumcision but with medical negligence.

The Global Fatwa Index continued to list salafic fatwas authorizing female circumcision, explaining that the Salafi preacher Abu Ishaq Al-Huwaini said that “the fatwa prohibiting circumcision is not legal but political,” stressing that “female circumcision is a duty.”

Brotherhood and female circumcision

The Fatwa Index shed light on the fatwas issued by the Brotherhood, and confirmed that they constitute 7% of the total fatwas for women in general at the group, indicating that they, as usual, issue their rulings in this matter according to the timing, need and interest of the group out of the public interest.

The index added that the group’s accession to power in Egypt in 2012, in addition to occupying seats in Parliament at the time, led to the stumbling of a law banning female circumcision, not only this; but brotherhood medical convoys, especially in villages and hamlets, went out, especially to conduct that surgery that was prohibited by Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta and Al-Azhar. Moreover, modern medicine has proven extremely harmful to the physical and psychological health of the girl.

The index indicated that the ISIS organization not only obligated young girls to be circumcised; rather, it issued a fatwa requiring circumcision of all women between the ages of 11 and 46 years in Iraq, when the organization succeeded in controlling areas and extending its influence over them.

The index analyzed the fatwas of official religious institutions in Egypt about female circumcision, as it confirmed that the prohibition of that is now the subject of consensus and agreement between scholars, and therefore a law was issued to prevent it, and stipulated that the punishment be increased for those who perform female circumcision, by imprisonment for a period of no less than 5 years and not exceeding 7 years, according to the last amendment to this punishment in 2016.

The index also confirmed that these religious institutions have completely resolved the issue after studying and referring to the specialized doctors.