Religion and FGM Disscussion: A Moral and Social Evaluation (Essay Sample)

Religion and FGM:
A Moral and Social Evaluation
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Institution
Religion and FGM: A Moral and Social Evaluation
Religion and social activities are closely linked. Sometimes, religious views help us to have a better insight into the multidimensional aspects of the life and social culture. But in most cases, religious thoughts and ideas serve as the potential hindrances to various practical and morally suitable discourses and actions. The issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is such a matter of discourse that is hindered by strict religious thoughts.
Religions play a great role in the development of the cultural virtues and self-actualization. But when it comes to the moral discourse of various socially suitable issues, religion plays the role of a strong barrier. It has been observed that religion and religious leaders, especially in African countries, convey such beliefs that obstruct the activation of gender equality CITATION Abu11 \l 1033 (Abusharaf, 2011). Every religion is generally obsessed with some views that oppose the naturalness of sexuality. Pre-marital sexual relationship of the women is often regarded as an extremely condemnable act and sometimes as a sin too CITATION Man04 \l 1033 (Manning & Zuckerman, 2004). Therefore, the religious institutions have implemented some rituals and religious practices that ensure the marriageability of the women. FGM is such a practice but it fails to prove its validity on the grounds of morality, reasoning, and practicality. All the processes of FGM are related to extreme pain and various kinds of negative health effects. The women have to go through unexplainable pain during the FGM and it is not all morally acceptable. Religious institutions are subjected to ensure the best possible outcomes for all. But the traditional and invalid religious beliefs are rooted so strongly that sometimes even the women themselves initiate this painful operation CITATION Abu11 \l 1033 (Abusharaf, 2011). The social institutions, the government authorities, and the NGOs around the world are trying hard to eradicate this immoral function. But the religion stands as a great barrier. It has always advocated that the male population is superior to the women. This is the reason why women were not granted power, administration, and freedom for so many centuries. This is happening till now. The twisted sense of religious purity, chastity, and the holiness has led the religious authorities to defend the act of FGM by conveying some unethical and totally immoral views CITATION Abu11 \l 1033 (Abusharaf, 2011). In a balanced society, both the men and the women have to be given equal importance and priority. There is no logical and moral explanation behind exercising such an act that results in immense physical pain and mental torture for the women. Moreover, there are really terrifying consequences waiting for those women who do not want to undertake this ritual in a religiously shaped society. This may lead to the social exclusion of the families of those women. Again, it is extremely immoral to exclude a woman or her family from the structure of a society simply because she denied to go through such illogical practice CITATION Man04 \l 1033 (Manning & Zuckerman, 2004). But the advocates of the religious beliefs convey the idea that denial of FGM means that the woman is not spiritually pure and that she is unmarriageable. This is extremely unacceptable because every person has a personal right to get married and enjoy the happiness of the after-marriage life and therefore, the restrictive regulations on the marriage of the women who deny undergoing FGM are totally obscure, immoral, invalid, unsocial, and illegal CITATION Mar10 \l 1033 (Nussbaum, 2010). Furthermore, no religious text has ever mentioned that the women have to go through such a painful and terrifying practice in order to prove her purity. It is the religious leaders who present the religious texts in a twisted manner so that the superior...