There is a Quran alone movement within Islam that rejects making male circumcision a religious requirement due to the fact it is not mentioned in the Qur’an. Advocates of this view point to several Qur’anic verses that indicate the perfection of creation (Quran 32:7, 82:7–8, 95:4), as well as common perceptions that circumcision is necessary for reasons of hygiene. Muslim activists include Canadian Dr. Arif Bhimji, Libyan judge Mustafa Kamal al-Mahdawi, and the Egyptian feminist Dr. Nawal El Saadawi, who links it with her own struggle against female genital mutilation. Some Quranists claim circumcision is haram, claiming that suras such as 4:119 forbids altering one’s body, and suras such as 95:4 which says man was created perfectly.
Muslim intactivists?
I know I’ve mentioned Jews who are opposed to circumcision numerous times on this blog, but what about Muslims — the other major group that practices childhood circumcision as a religious rite? They are certainly a populous group, so I’m wondering if anyone is aware of any vocal opposition to circumcision from people who identify as Muslim.
Sudanese couples tend to bond quite strongly, by and large, in spite of the trauma the woman undergoes. Most women give the appearance of being very proud of their husbands. They often express great satisfaction with their marriages and their lives. Nonetheless, when they are asked whether they would have preferred to have been men, rather than women, they say without any exception that if only Allah had willed it, they would very much have preferred to have been created men.
There is no question that, but for the “freedom of religion” claim, holding down a baby boy and cutting off part of his penis constitutes a forcible physical and sexual assault, with visible and permanent consequences. Defending this practice by relying on a literal interpretation of a religious text ignores the fact that democratic law—while tolerating diverse beliefs—must protect those who cannot protect themselves. To label, or even suggest, that those who would protect babies from harm are anti-Semitic (or anti-Muslim) is a tactic of pure intimidation.
Georganne Chapin, Intact America Blog
