On July 7, 2016, we at Sahiyo hosted our first Twitter chat on Female Genital Cutting (FGC) from our Twitter handle, @sahiyo2016.
The need for an online debate on this subject evolved for various reasons. For the past several months, Dawoodi Bohras on social media have been increasingly vocal about their varied views on female khatna. Then in May, a 17-year-old girl died in Egypt because of excessive bleeding caused by circumcision – a tragic reminder of the dangers of FGC even among cultures not known to practice severe forms of cutting. Finally, the controversy over khatna intensified in June, when prestigious news magazine The Economist published a shocking, irresponsible editorial advocating for the allowance of milder, medicalised forms of FGC.
Bohras, who predominantly practice Type 1 FGC – removal of the clitoral hood – were clearly divided on this issue and the time seemed ripe to have a debate on khatna on a platform as public and democratic as Twitter.
We used the hashtag #NoMoreKhatna for the Twitter chat, inviting anyone and everyone to participate – and overall, we can say that the chat was a success. A large number of individuals and prominent organisations joined in to make their voices heard, and we are thankful to all of them.
Most importantly, the chat included the voices of several Dawoodi Bohras who believe khatna must be practiced. Many of them took the trouble of creating new Twitter accounts to participate in this discussion, and their voices helped to showcase the challenges involved in changing social norms around khatna.
We began the chat with a set of basic questions: What is FGC? What are its types? What have you experienced or heard about Bohra khatna? What are the health consequences of FGC? The responses that emerged also led to other discussions.
Q.2 There are four types of FGM, if I’m not mistaken. One is the removal of the clit, two is removal of clit and Labia minora #NoMoreKhatna
— Point of View (@povmumbai) July 7, 2016
@povmumbai III is infibulation: closing the wound by stitches, leaving a tiny opening. IV is all other kinds #NoMoreKhatna
— Hannah Wettig (@Hannah_Car) July 7, 2016
@povmumbai Type 1 might be a nick or partial or complete removal of clitoris. Circumcision or Khatna #NoMoreKhatna https://t.co/UL0yXDss8H
— Priya Goswami (@priyagoswami) July 7, 2016
@sahiyo2016 FGM has many harms but no known Health benefit #NoMoreKhatna @mariyataher83
— #MenENDFGM (@TonyMwebia) July 7, 2016
@AarefaJohari @sahiyo2016 I don’t know, it really isn’t something that affects me. I don’t like all this fuss about it. #NoMoreKhatna
— Mariya Karimi (@mariyakarimi150) July 7, 2016
@AarefaJohari @arwawriteup @sahiyo2016 and this is mine – Khatna is not FGM. clitoris not cut. No one forced into it. #NoMoreKhatna
— Nisreen Siamwala (@NisreenSiamwala) July 7, 2016
Married to a Bohra. No khatna for our girl, whenever we have her. Mutual decision & the right one. #NoMoreKhatna @AarefaJohari @sahiyo2016
— Humaira Ansari (@ansarihumaira) July 7, 2016
We asked participants about the reasons given for the practice of FGC, and multiple points were brought up.
“You have become pious”, said my granny, after I stood up all by myself with a broken trust lying on the floor.. @sahiyo2016 #NoMoreKhatna
— Saleha Paatwala (@Salehapw1) July 7, 2016
FGM is also an expression of the control of female sexuality that we see in so many other spheres of women’s lives.#NoMoreKhatna
— Why Loiter? (@whyloiter) July 7, 2016
@sahiyo2016 #NoMoreKhatna Q8 – I was told, it makes you devout & avoids promiscuity. We have no right to explore our sexuality (They say)
— Saleha Paatwala (@Salehapw1) July 7, 2016
@Salehapw1 @sahiyo2016 Yeah, our survey also had “prevent promiscuity” as one of the reasons given to us #NoMoreKhatna
— Shaheeda TK (@Shaheedatk) July 7, 2016
A doctor said, “it was essentially a matter of “cleanliness”—nothing more and nothing less.” #NoMoreKhatna https://t.co/FsCwaWyEgL
— Ila Ananya (@IlaAnanya) July 7, 2016
@AarefaJohari @NisreenSiamwala @Salehapw1 @sahiyo2016 Taharat is main reason. Cleanliness. Increases orgasm
— Ume&commonsense (@MerchantUmaima) July 7, 2016
.@MerchantUmaima @NisreenSiamwala @sahiyo2016 For cleanliness use soap&water. For orgasms, leave genitals natural as God gave! #NoMoreKhatna
— Aarefa Johari (@AarefaJohari) July 7, 2016
Unsurprisingly, the question of whether milder forms of FGC should be allowed – whether the practice should be treated as a medical procedure – sparked animated debate on the Twitter chat.
@kirtaneg @Shaheedatk @mariyakarimi150 @AarefaJohari @arwawriteup not only vaccines any medical procedure is a risk. Yet we do
— Ume&commonsense (@MerchantUmaima) July 7, 2016
@theladiesfinger @sahiyo2016 We wouldn’t allow for milder forms of robbery or assault. #NoMoreKhatna
— alisha bhagat (@AlishaBhagat) July 7, 2016
@AarefaJohari @NisreenSiamwala @Salehapw1 @sahiyo2016
R u unaware of incest and molestation. Worse crimes go unpunished— Ume&commonsense (@MerchantUmaima) July 7, 2016
Should we stop protesting street harassment because gangrapes are worse? That’s illogical. #NoMoreKhatna https://t.co/1uRIdt0320
— Aarefa Johari (@AarefaJohari) July 7, 2016
@sahiyo2016 #NoMoreKhatna Q3 – Sahiyo did a survey of 400 women and learned in some instances more is taken off. No form should be allowed.
— Mariya Taher (@mariyataher83) July 7, 2016
Another controversial aspect of the debate, of course, is the matter of a child’s consent and whether parents have the right to decide whether their daughter should be cut.
@sahiyo2016 @TheEconomist A big No! No one is supposed to cut any part without that persons’ consent. #NoMoreKhatna
— Saleha Paatwala (@Salehapw1) July 7, 2016
@AarefaJohari @NisreenSiamwala @arwawriteup @sahiyo2016 I got my daughters ears pierced thrice. Infected. But I did it
— Ume&commonsense (@MerchantUmaima) July 7, 2016
@sahiyo2016 Most definitely not. Children’s bodies are not their parent’s property. They should have the right to choose. #NoMoreKhatna
— Point of View (@povmumbai) July 7, 2016
While these tweets are just excerpts from a much larger Twitter discussion held on July 7, you can read more about how the chat went by going through Sahiyo’s Twitter handle (@sahiyo2016) and the hashtag #NoMoreKhatna.
The chat helped us understand the challenges that lie ahead for all the women and men working to bring an end to khatna: even though any form of female genital cutting is non-consensual and a violation of a child’s universal human rights, the practice is steeped in faith and religion and there is a danger of khatna becoming medicalised in the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Fortunately, the Twitter discussion did not end after the two hours scheduled for the chat – it is encouraging to see that the debate continues even today!
To see the entire Twitter conversation on Storify, click here – https://storify.com/sahiyo2015/getting-started
STOP INSULTING GOD!!!
God created so many billions of species that have survived and thrived for millions of years, and we as ignorant and arrogant humans have to mutilate and destroy what was perfectly made. Please mention to your religious leaders and politicians to stop insulting god and abusing human rights. If any part of the human anatomy was bad, dirty, evil, etc, etc, why would god create it in the first place? Female circumcision is harmful to the mental and physical health of its victims. If scientific evidence doesn’t reach a person’s mind, let’s start a very basic conversation to tell people to stop insulting god and his perfect creation.