Somali women in western exile: Reassessing female circumcision in the light of Islamic teachings

Abstract

What happens to the practice of female circumcision among Muslims who live in Western countries and who come from countries where the tradition still exists? This article examines the practice of female circumcision among Somalis living in Sweden, and reviews the role of Islam in this context. It will be argued that this practice is now being abandoned by Swedish Somalis, principally on the basis of a reassessment of the religious imperative, for what used to be considered a religious duty in Somalia is, in the exile situation, being re-evaluated and re-interpreted as a violation of fundamental Islamic teachings. The inevitable reflection in exile upon the practice of female circumcision led the Somalis in this study to ask themselves and each other about the religious foundation of the custom, resulting in a total repudiation of pharaonic circumcision among almost all of them. When it comes to what is called the sunnah type of circumcision, there were several opinions on the matter. Most Swedish Somalis seem to have reached the conclusion that sunnah circumcision is acceptable if no harm is inflicted on the girl, but the practice itself is not necessary. In exile the ‘naturalness’ of the practice of female circumcision becomes questionable. Two strong motives for female circumcision in Somalia lose their significance: the earlier fear of social criticism for deviation and the demand for circumcision of girls for marriage-ability. In Sweden, young Somali girls would be the ones deviating from their peers if they were circumcised, and their mothers depend upon the hope that they one day can marry Somalis who have grown up in Western countries and have a new view of female circumcision. We could also see a general support for the enactment of Swedish law against female circumcision, even though some critics react against the cultural imperialism inherent in a law directed towards a specific group of immigrants. Indeed many informants expressed a deep fear of Swedish social authorities and were well aware of the right of the society to take over the custody of their children by force. However, the most important reason stated for individuals’ decisions to abandon this ancient Somali traditional practice focused on religious aspects, as will be discussed below.