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.

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.

Indigo Jo on the availability of free hymen repair operations for Muslims in the United Kingdom.

Islam and the west- opinions of Kashmiri Nomad