NHS hymen repairs
The other day, Vanessa Feltz brought up the issue of the NHS offering hymen repairs to women of certain ethnic origins who need to appear to be virgins on their wedding night. Apparently, according to recent news reports ([1], [2]), for some women failing to bleed on their wedding night can have lethal repercussions as it is automatically assumed that they had slept around. Naturally, among the callers were people linking this to "fundamentalism", although one caller said she had heard of the "hanging out the sheets" business through family connections in Greece.
The problem is that this has nothing to do with fundamentalism and everything to do with culture. The fact is that Islamic law does not allow for people to accuse a woman of any previous illicit sex just because she does not bleed, because there are other causes for a broken hymen, such as a lot of physical activity ([1], [2], [3]); some scholars say that this operation is forbidden. The issue of where this leaves rape victims is therefore irrelevant, because it does not indicate sexual activity, consensual or otherwise. My first thought on hearing this was that not only should it not be available on the NHS, the procedure should be banned altogether.
However, the Channel 4 report quotes a campaigner for Kurdish and Iranian women's rights saying that the operation, which was performed 24 times on the NHS from 2005 to 2006, should be available more widely as it would prevent many honour killings. North African grooms are also alleged to be demanding virginity certificates from their brides. In the latter case, surely a bit of Islamic education is the answer? I don't know what the women out there think, but I don't believe that indulging this ignorance is a good use of NHS funds.
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Indigo Jo on the availability of free hymen repair operations for Muslims in the United Kingdom.
Islam and the west- opinions of Kashmiri Nomad
Posted by: Kashmiri Nomad | November 18, 2007 2:04 PM
Assalamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullah
On the one hand, i agree completely that there is no need for this type of operation, as the state of the hymen is not an indicator of a woman's virginal status (and that's ignoring the whole issue of why so much importance is placed on this in the first place) & that the taxpayer should not be held ransom to such harmful cultural practices...
At the same time, you can't force people to think Islamically, and i don't think all the people affected would even be Muslim. So one has to recognise begrudgingly that in "emergency" cases, this type of operation can literally be life-saving... and thus may fall under the "lesser of two evils" category. Allahu 'alam.
An increase in Islamic awareness on the issue, as well as offering the operation on the NHS to high-risk groups, is not necessarily a conflicting strategy in the short-term, during the transition from an ignorant to an informed society. If more emphasis is placed on education, and of course harsh punishment for those who carry out such [dis]honour[able] killings, then eventually such operations will not be requested, insha'Allah.
Posted by: iMuslim | November 18, 2007 4:21 PM
Btw, i am commenting on the basis that some scholars have said the operation is permissible... of course, if it is not, then there really isn't any way out except education, education, education... and harsh punishment of the criminals, especially by the community to which they belong, who should essentially disown them. IMO, the fear of being ostracised would be more effective a deterrant than threat of punishment (in dunya or akhira), considering that the whole basis of [dis]honour[able] killings is that the woman has brought "shame" to the family, and "what will people think of us?" etc.
Posted by: iMuslim | November 18, 2007 4:33 PM
Asalaamu alaikum.
This is not a strictly Muslim issue by any means. This procedure is common in other non-Muslim areas that pride bridal virginity as well. It is also becoming very common amongst women, even Westerners, who simply want a "tightening up" at any stage in their relationship or prior to a new marriage even when it is known that they are not virgins.
The issue at hand is whether NHS should be paying for it, and to be honest, I think the argument that they should based on it "saving a girl's life" is fallacious. If they really believed this, the gov't would also be paying for FGM to save the honor of families. Well, I'm not British, but I'm pretty sure no one wants that - for FGM to be sanctioned and paid for so that girls can keep their families happy and get a good husband. Is this procedure so much different?
If scholars say it is forbidden then I'd go by that, but as far as I know some scholars have also said it is acceptable. I view it more as a cosmetic procedure that each individual woman must choose for herself whether it is worth it. Personally, I think cosmetic surgeries are lame, but I also understand that they make alot of women feel better about themselves and it's not my place to judge. So as to whether the procedure should even exist, I dislike it but I think it is a personal choice. Whether it should be paid for by NHS though, I think the argument for it is weak.
Education and consequences for men who abuse and harm the women in their families is far better deterrent from so-called "honor" killings than buying into the control they exert.
Posted by: Aaminah | November 20, 2007 12:40 PM
The hymen is actually located just over the entrance to the vagina would need to contain perforations so that menstrual blood can pass out of the body so this procedure defies understanding. This limk contains an which some may find offensive. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymen
Posted by: aicha | November 21, 2007 2:26 PM