Infibulation is the most extreme form of female circumcision. It
plays an important role in the Islamic societies of northeastern
Africa. Until now, the social significance and function of this
practice has been poorly understood. This has been no less true of
Western commentators who have condemned the practice than of
relevant governments that have attempted to curb it. In
Infibulation, Esther K. Hicks analyzes female circumcision as a
cultural trait embedded in a historically traditional milieu and
shows why it cannot be treated in isolation as a single issue
destined for elimination. In its brief history it has been
recognized as a pioneering piece of research with enormous
consequences.
As Hicks demonstrates, much of the popular resistance to
official efforts to eradicate infibulation has actually come from
women. Circumcision constitutes a rite of passage for female
children. It initiates them into womanhood and makes them eligible
for marriage. Often, this is the only positive status position
available to women in traditional Islamic societies. Hicks points
out that although female circumcision predates the introduction of
Islam into the region, the religious culture has successfully
codified infibulation into the structural nexus of marriage,
family, and social honor at all socioeconomic levels.
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