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In reply to the discussion: Circumcision is grievous bodily harm, German judges rule [View all]riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)FGM has many variations - from a very mild nick to the entire external genitalia cut off and sewn shut. Some of them are done by experienced "practitioners" who style themselves much the same way as a mohel. My experience is with abused women and rape victims at (what was) my local women's shelter in Wheaton IL, home to almost 200 evangelical missionary organizations and a major re-settlement location for foreign refugees in the US. (I moved 5 years ago after spending 25 years there volunteering).
I only say all of the above so you understand that I'm pretty familiar with the degrees of severity with which FGM presents itself.
The thing is, even a ritualistic nick to the clitoral hood is categorized in the US as FGM and banned by law. I actually agree with it being banned in entirety because you just can't inspect every last procedure, and there are some "practitioners" who will always take very severe measures. If its banned outright, chances are it can be stopped before any action is taken.
Which leads me to the discussion of male circumcision. I think those who want to keep the practice are standing on some shakey grounds.
1. We really don't know what kind of pain infants experience with this. We know how painful it is for those who are old enough to tell us about the pain which makes many people uncomfortable with performing such a painful act on an infant.
2. Its a primarily religious and cultural ritual which aren't very persuasive arguments.
3. Some infants have died from this. Granted, not many, but why expose any child to that risk without their consent, especially when they can decide to do it themselves when they are adults?
4. There are clearly those who feel they have been mutilated. You can't just wish them away and ask them to stop saying that.
You can check my post history, I've never posted on a circumcision thread before so I'm a newbie at this (which is perhaps why you and I are having such a pleasant conversation without any heightened tension). I'm also female with two daughters so I don't have any skin (heh) in this game. Full disclosure: my husband and I had already decided against circumcising our kids if they had been boys but as a European that's standard.