At the weekend, in Turkey, my hubby Hasan went to his cousin’s circumcision party, known as Sünnet.
It was an occasion of much merriment involving family and friends, food and dancing in the boy’s village.
In Muslim faith boys are circumcised and it symbolises their introduction to the Islamic faith and as a sign of belonging. The ritual can be done as early as up to 7 days of age or as late as the beginning of puberty, in Turkey the boys tend to be around the age of 6 or 7.
The boys are dressed up in a traditional costume and can be driven through their town or village accompanied by their family and friends beeping horns and banging drums.
The procedure is done by a doctor with local anaesthetic or sometimes none at all.
When researching for this post I became puzzled about the reasons behind this practice. Circumcision is not mentioned in the Qur’an and it teaches that Islam forbids the disfiguring of the body.
However the prophet Mohammed said, (according to his recordings in the Sunnah), that circumcision was akin to Fitrah, the natural cleanliness of man, which is essential in a Muslim male.
Whatever the religious reasons for it, it’s argued by some that being circumcised can bring health benefits such as the prevention of urinary tract infections, reduces the risks of sexually transmitted diseases and penile cancer.
I often wonder when I read about these customs in my husband’s land and culture, what I would do if we had a son together.
Would I consent to him having an unnecessary and potentially painful surgical procedure in the name of a religion I don’t share?
What do you think?
Carole Gardiner
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