Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Male Circumcision
By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam
2 December 2025
Recently, The Supreme Court agreed to examine a plea to ban practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision prevailing in Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and issued notice to Centre and ministry of law and justice seeking their response.
A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna & R Mahadevan issued notice on a PIL filed by NGO Chetna Welfare Society which alleged that the practice was not an essential part of Islam and it amounted to violation of rights of children who are forced to undergo FGM.
Well, FGM is a reprehensible ritual, practised by Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community. Bohras come under a Shia sub-sect, though there are Sunni Bohras as well. The Supreme Court may officially ban FGM but it's good to know that many modern and educated Dawoodi Bohras have already dispensed with this practice, defying their Syedna's decree. Islam, whether Shia or Sunni, doesn't approve of FGM. It was actually a North African tribal practice that remained even after the conversion to Islam in North African countries like Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan, among others. But now even in these countries, FGM is not strictly followed.
That said, circumcision, whether male (in which prepuce or foreskin is removed) or female (clitoris is removed) is an outdated practice. If it's an Abrahamic practice, then why don't Christians follow it? They're also Ahle-Kitab and Christianity is also an Abrahamic or Semitic faith. Only Jews and Muslim males undergo circumcision. Majority of the world's men belonging to innumerous religions are uncircumcised. Do they've any problems? If the prepuce is to be removed later, Nature would have created men sans foreskins. Some Hadees report that Muhammad was born without a foreskin (the medical term for being born without a foreskin is Aposthia). However, other traditions state that his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, performed the circumcision when Muhammad was seven days old. These varying accounts reflect different interpretations within Islamic tradition regarding the practice of circumcision.
Circumcision among men has much to do with the aspect of hygiene.
An uncircumcised penis usually requires some extra attentionto hygiene because bacteria, dead skin cells, and oil may cause smegma to build up under the foreskin.
Smegma is a thick, unpleasant build-up of dead skin cells that can have a very unpleasant odour. It could also lead to balanitis (foreskin inflammation), which can make pulling back your foreskin difficult or impossible (phimosis).
Phimosis and balanitis can both require medical attention if left untreated.
It’s important to note, however, that this pertains to adults only. Before the age of 10 years, it may be difficult to fully retract the foreskin. It should never be forcibly retracted, even for cleaning. A cut penis doesn’t require additional hygiene. Just make sure you wash it regularly when you bathe. However, without the foreskin, the glans may be more likely to get dry, chafed, or irritated. You can help prevent this by wearing loose-fitting underwear and avoiding tight pants.
Circumcision as a medical requirement is absolutely okay but as a religious practice, it needs rethinking. It should be optional, not (religiously) compulsory. No Abraham, Muhammad, Moses or Allah will ask you in your imaginary Afterlife or on the Day of Judgement (Roz-e-Hashra) as to why didn't you get your prepuce removed. They've far important things to do than to have a look at your 'headquarters' (to use a euphemism) and make an issue of it.
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A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian
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