Click to view high-resolution map. Credit: UNICEF, available here
It’s a terrible fact. And somehow, despite international media campaigns, activist organizations, and UN resolutions, it’s a fact that has escaped the notice of many Christians in other areas of the world.
In Africa, many Christians circumcise their girls.
In some places, female circumcision is more prevalent among Christians than it is among Muslims. 29 countries were tracked as problem areas in the most recent UNICEF report on FGM, and of those countries, 14 have more Christians than Muslims.
The practice is also present among Muslims in Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Middle East, but its extent among Christians there is more difficult to determine.**
The diversity of this practice is extensive:
- Age – Many girls are old enough to remember the event for the rest of their lives. Some are as old as 15, while some are infants.
- Justifications – These include hygiene, health, morality, tradition, and avoiding cultural stigma. More on this below.
- Forms – In Africa, relatively minor forms (less damaging than modern male circumcision) are practiced in the north. Destructive infibulation (stitching closed) is practiced in the south. Several forms exist in between. The more minor forms are most common.
The WHO identifies four general categories of female genital mutilation, with multiple subcategories. Its descriptions follow:
Type I — Partial or total removal of the clitoris and/or the prepuce (clitoridectomy).
Type II — Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (excision).
Type III — Narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris (infibulation).
Type IV — All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for non-medical purposes, for example: pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterization.
Female circumcision in the United States
As our blog is based in the USA, our readership is made up mostly of Americans. Many of you will be surprised to hear that female genital mutilation was once an option in the United States. Indeed, until 1977, Type I FGM was covered by the major insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield.**
Some women born in the USA of the mid-20th century have publicly shared the stories of their mutilation, such as Patricia Robinett’s The Rape of Innocence in 2006. These women still must cope with the permanent consequences of having a God-designed part of their anatomy removed for bogus reasons.
But this practice never took hold in the USA as firmly as male circumcision – which became popular around the same time and for the same reasons. The American Christian public mistakenly thought that modern male circumcision was the same as the biblical mark, but we rightly saw no parallel between female cutting and Scripture, and so hesitated to adopt it.
FGM in U.S. hospitals finally stopped entirely in 1991 and became federally illegal in 1996. A statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2010 suggested that a form of Type IV FGM should be allowed in the United States, but the statement was quickly retracted after the ensuing public outcry.
So far in the U.S., there has only been one conviction under the federal law banning FGM. But the Population Reference Bureau estimates that 500,000 girls in the United States – mostly girls of Central African origin – have had the procedure performed or are at risk of it being performed.
As immigration from Central Africa continues, the number of American girls at risk is expected to rise. After all, the practice remains a cultural staple in much of Africa, even in areas where the population is now mostly Christian.
Why do Christians do this?
In Central Africa, uncircumcised women may be socially ostracized. As pro-FGM Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta said, “it is impossible for a member of the tribe to imagine an initiation without clitordectomy.” Like male circumcision in the Philippines, female circumcision in Central Africa is a ticket of admission to society.
In these cultures, an uncircumcised young woman is excluded. She is seen as dirty, a girl whom potential husbands will immediately reject.
Female cutting entered the Christian community in Africa from the surrounding culture, as modern male circumcision did in the United States. But this doesn’t mean FGM will be easy to uproot from Christian groups. In some places, female cutting has even been moving out of the fields and into sterilized hospital settings.
Many people in Africa believe that female circumcision is cleaner. They believe it lowers risk of HIV and other infections (claims supported by some medical studies). Some believe it makes women more chaste. Some actually believe it is a religious requirement, or at least an important cultural tradition. And some say, “shouldn’t a girl look like her mother?”
With such cultural forces behind FGM – with so many deep-seated myths to dispel – our fight to spread correct information and respect for the wisdom of God’s design will be difficult.
Hope for Change
Thankfully, the world as a whole has turned against FGM in recent years. Christians in Africa and around the world should be the ones to lead this fight. Circumcision is an attack on God’s design, showing disrespect for His creative wisdom and lack of care for His little images.
We who believe the Gospel must not sit idly by as girls made in God's image are mutilated. #NoFGMClick To TweetWe who believe in the life-transforming and world-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ must not sit idly by as little girls made in the image of God have pieces cut off of them – especially when it is Christians who do so, blinded though they may be by culture and convention.
You can help right now by spreading the word. Start by sharing this article or related articles. Mention the issue in conversation. Follow and support groups like Little Images and others who are writing and working against the practice. Soon enough, this information will begin reaching more African Christians, missionaries, mission agencies, traveling Christians, Christian authors, and Christian preachers. Together, we can stand up for this generation of African girls, and by the grace of God, things will change.
There are many other pressing issues in this world. But Christians unknowingly disregarding the wisdom of the Creator and thus mutilating and harming their own children? Sounds like a priority to me.
- 2016 Report: Little Images reaches thousands - January 2, 2017
- The most widespread abuse in the American Church - October 26, 2016
- Why are Christians cutting their baby girls? - October 6, 2015
Christian Nurse says
Thank you for this article. The reasoning for FGM and MGM sounds similar (cleanliness, matching their parent, health reasons), which makes them so culturally acceptable- difficult to change people’s thinking. But God created our bodies, male and female, perfectly! It’s a slap in His face to mutilate them!
Anthony Small says
Why? Because some people are too bigoted to realize cutting off parts of their own children, male or female, is not a family choice. It should be a personal choice, which is in fact defended by the bible.
Onesimus Nimley says
While it is TRUE that FGM should be frowned on but there should be more frowns n high hatre placed homosexuality which abominable in the sight of God.
littleimages says
Hello, thanks for writing. The bulk of the Scriptures tells us how we ourselves as Christians should live.
No matter how bad or good the people of the world are living, shouldn’t the way we Christians treat our own children be more important to us? Shouldn’t we take care to judge our own conduct before the conduct of others? (Matthew 7:3-5).
What do you think?
Onesimus Nimley says
This act is far,far better than homosexual especially when our lil boys are being lewd with money just to see them to their graves.
Møh Zûltãñ Jr. says
W
Iris Winn Leonard says
Onesimus Nimley’s comments make me sick.
Jessica Hopkins says
Yes thank you Iris Winn Leonard he must be a homo or he wouldnt be acting so defensive.
Karen Kennedy says
I would like to see a world where NO infant has his or her genitals mutilated.
“Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.” Galatians 5:2-3
Elsie Wilson says
Lies! True Christians do not mutilate baby girls…lying is a SIN!
littleimages says
Christians do many things that are sinful. Unfortunately, this includes FGM, something that has come into the Christian church in Africa from the culture around. It is quite common there.
We agree with you – true Christians should not mutilate baby girls (or baby boys), and that’s why we want to work to educate those who do and by God’s grace encourage them not to. This is an insult to God’s image, but it is one usually done out of ignorance, both in Africa and the USA.
Christian says
True Christians don’t mutilate baby boys either.
Pete says
Well, they don’t if they are in line with biblical and historical Christian teaching and practice. Christians throughout history and the world reject male circumcision with very few exceptions. I think you’ll find Little Images stands against that too if you do a little browsing through our blog.
But most of the minority who practices circumcision (female or male) believes it to be allowed or even sanctioned by God, healthy, beneficial, safe, etc. Education to dispel these myths is the key.
littleimages says
(Note to readers: Elsie posted the following reply comment via Facebook. See the post itself at fb.com/littleimgs. For some reason, our system didn’t catch it when transferring comments to the blog here.)
Pete – I took the time to read entire article – African Societal attitudes seem to be the determining factor re: FGM. Shocking to hear that supposed believers in Jesus are involved. Praying for this monstrous ritual to end forever… Thankyou for revealing this horror.
Christian says
To suggest Christians never sin is a lie. You are thus a lying sinner, Elsie, and maybe you should take a look at yourself before you speak ill of others the way you did. The fact that you singled out baby girls suggests you think true Christians can still mutilate baby boys, which cannot be farther from the truth.
Pete says
Please note Elsie’s second comment, posted under the Little Images name above. She was overreacting to the headline before reading the article, which I have certainly been guilty of before. In the end, she thanked us for the article. I don’t know what Elsie would say regarding baby boys. See my comment above.
Aaron Meade says
Circumcision of any child is sickening.
littleimages says
Oh, we agree with you. Check out our other articles, which are more often than not about modern male “circumcision.”
Aletha Lewis Yancy says
Amen
Katherine Blankenship says
Thanks for posting!
Onesimus Nimley says
Yes,it makes you sick cause you are not cognizant with the pains young b0ys are going through in my locale with the western culture introduction of homosexual to Africa.
Jonathan Smith says
Why? The proximity and influence of Islam.
The same reason that slavery was resurrected in Europe – Islam’s nearly 800-year influence on Spain. The Protestant “Reformation” further legitimized slavery through private interpretation of the Scriptures.
Likewise, there are probably goofball Protestant pastors that claim to be able to justify genital mutilation from the Bible.
These are the sad consequences of succumbing to the larger culture of the world and rejecting the legitimate authority of the Catholic Church.
littleimages says
Definitely points worth further discussion. But despite much Catholic teaching against mutilation, in practice the Catholic church has unfortunately often done nothing to fight genital mutilation in cultures that practice it. Indeed, they have often supported it (in the Philippines, for instance). This has been a major point of inconsistency between Church teaching and Catholic practice abroad.
Tammy Lee McDermott says
http://www.thewholenetwork.org
Aimee Griffith says
So sad. I will pray these people will be presented with the Gospel and repent.
Owojela Odey says
See http://www.owojela.blogspot.com
Diego Håmze Costa says
N
Jenn Riedy says
What about the Christians who cut boys?
Karen Kelly Glennon says
The forced genital cutting of any child is a human rights violation. Thank you for speaking out for boys and girls. Have you addressed the issue of the intersexed?
littleimages says
Not yet. Thanks for bringing it up – that’s definitely planned for a future post.
Mary Sinclair says
It’s a disgusting, filthy thing to do to a little child, with lifelong repercussions. We need to be proactive and intentional about putting a stop to this, no matter who is doing it.
Erik says
Why are Americans cutting their baby boys?
Marisa Lauren says
How wonderful that you have such a balanced view of child genital cutting! We should fight on behalf of both boys and girls! Amen!
Victoria Anniig says
FGM is illegal in the U.S.
Shelly Griska says
And yet Christians readily cut little boys.
Lea Smulin says
Why are they cutting all their babies?!?!?!? Boys and girls!!!!!!
Anonymous says
Stop the cuttings!
Anonymous says
Heartbreaking 💔
Anonymous says
Yes, God is Love! There is no requirement for initiation by torture.
Anonymous says
God made no mistakes in the design of boys and girls. Christians should be the FIRST in line defending the bodies of every single baby from any non-emergency cutting. <3