This thesis reviews the practice of female circumcision in Islamic Africa. I chose this geographical location for my study because of the high incidence of female circumcision in Africa. The majority of female circumcision in Africa is practiced in cultures that follow the religion of Islam. The general consensus of contemporary literature in this field of study argues that female circumcision has no religious basis for the practice. This is based on the fact that the Quran contains no explicit, or implicit, command for the practice. I disagree with this approach and believe my thesis fills a gap that exists in current literature. I argue that there are two main perspectives within Islam which I define as Quranic Islam and traditional Islam. Quranic Islam is defined in this thesis as the Muslim faith that accepts only the Quran as the basis and sole authority for its beliefs and practices. Traditional Islam is defined as the Muslim faith that accepts the Quran, and extra-Quranic sources - such as, but not limited to, the Haddith, Sharia, Sunna, and fatwas - as the basis for its belief structure. I argue that the basis for accepting the practice of female circumcision as a religious rite in Islamic Africa is found in traditional Islam. / thesis (MA(Religion))--University of South Australia, 2001.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/173432 |
| Date | January 2001 |
| Creators | Wiggins, Des |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | © 2001 Des Wiggins |
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