female circumcision

multiculturalism

is not always reflective of a lack of power and control, but in some instances, it gives local women a sense of control so that they can become socially relevant actors in a highly gendered world.

For critics, FC betokens a lack of power and control. But some instances of FC give local women a sense of control so that they can become socially relevant actors in a highly gendered world (Abusharaf 2001, Kratz 1994). (432)

is a practice whose recipients are often portrayed as ignorant, hapless, traumatized victims of a brutal patriarchy -- a characterization which denies to many African women the capacity for agency, decision making, and legitimate consciousness.

Western responses to FC today emerge typically from visceral reactions, not from informed knowledge as defined by the sensibilities and canons of anthropology (Gruenbaum 1996). Consequently, critics of FC portray circumcised women as ignorant, hapless, traumatized victims of a brutal patriarchy. This characterization denies to many African women the capacity for agency, decision making, and legitimate consciousness (Abusharaf 2001, Hayes 1975, Walley 1997). (432)

is an act which, by cutting off undesirable sexuality, allows women the inner psychological strength to manipulate their husbands who, in various islamic settings, lack any such control over their own sexuality.

By cutting off undesirable sexuality, FC allows women the inner psychological strength to manipulate their husbands who, in various Islamic settings, lack any such control over their own sexuality. FC violates no human rights, claimed the Sudanese women studied by Abusharaf (2001). To them, the rite was deeply meaningful, in part because they understood the human whose rights we are discussing in vastly (431) . . . different terms. (432)

is problematic in that it is impossible to categorize human beings according lo which cultural groups they belong lo because individuals may identify with more than one culture and thus have multiple and shifting identities.

Abu-Laban (2002) criticizes this model's essentialized understanding of culture and argues that it is impossible to categorize human beings according lo which cultural groups they belong lo because individuals may identify with more than one culture and thus have multiple and shifting identities.

AbusharafThinkers

Abusharaf