Ramadan and the Female Genital Mutilation

Ramadan and Female Genital Mutilation
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Ramadan and Female Genital Mutilation
A culture is a form of human expression spanning centuries. It is a universal human phenomenon marked by a greater spectrum of diversity. Culture represents broad features and knowledge about groups and the association of individuals that share given language, religion, sexuality, social habits, arts, cuisine, dressing, and music. It can also involve shared patterns reflecting behaviors, relationships, interactions, understanding, and cognitive constructs acquired via the socialization process. Thus, culture allows a group's growth through identity fostering advanced by social patterns unique to the group. 
This paper explores two cultural practices and perspectives, including Ramadan and female genital practice in Ethiopia. Ramadan is one of the renowned global religious ceremonies deeply entrenched in Islamic culture. Ramadan is considered the holy month of fasting, introspection, and prayer for Muslims, amongst the Islamic community. The month of Ramadan is acknowledged as the month during which Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran. It is a positive culture identified with an Islamic culture where it's the majority of Islamic followers observed the practice of Ramadan. Thus, the practice of Ramadan is considered progressive cultures aspect of Islam culture. While various cultural ways like Ramadan are considered progressive and positive, some practices are considered retrogressive, oppressive, and patriarchal. As in multiple parts of the globe, the bloody ritual continues despite official bans, criticism, and condemnations from various stakeholders and victims. Many girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation. Female genital mutilation is a bloody ritual entailing the removal and destruction of the external genitalia. Medical reasons do not occasion this procedure. Female genital mutation remains a common phenomenon in parts of Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It is globally acknowledged as a human rights violation and oppression. It is rooted in cultural efforts to govern and control female sexuality and acts as a critical feature defining patriarchal societies.
Ramadan
Video link: /watch?v=iDLnFoIs8I0
Documentary Video Name: Essence of Ramadan - In spirit and health Ramadan documentary
Time: 48.43 minutes
The video illustrates how beneficial the month of Ramadan. It is the month of spiritual training often capped by fasting and improved desire for doing good. However, the good virtues and behaviors that are adopted in Ramdan sound not end with this religious ceremony but should continue after that (Imam Hussein TV, 2018). Ramadan, in Islam, is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is the holy month of fasting, which begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. The Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year. Thus, Ramadan starts about 10–12 days earlier each year, thereby falling in each season throughout the 33-year cycle. The documentary paints the month of Ramadan to reflect on the spirit, human wellness, health, and introspection (Imam Hussein TV, 2018).
Muslim followers foster their spiritual practice during Ramadan. More often, people learn about humility and compassion—these higher virtues by reflecting upon poor people and who cannot afford to feed themselves. The video is anchored on the tenets of practice during Ramadan, such as fasting that are believed to foster spiritual and healthy nourishment. Ramadan provides an appropriate time for spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and strengthened devotion and worship. During this time, teachings regarding Islam take a centered stage as followers learn more, reflect on their lives, and replenish spiritual energies (Imam Hussein TV, 2018). Muslims put more effort into Islam's specific instructions, including fasting that begins at dawn and ends at sunset, abstaining from eating and drinking during this time, abstaining from sexual relations, and sinful speech and behavior during Ramadan. Ramadan is not much of atonement. It is a time for Muslims to embrace self-restraint, as espoused in ṣawm, which means "to refrain." Sawm is one of the five basic tenets of the Muslim religion. Although ṣawm is frequently perceived as the obligation to fast during Ramadan, it is deeply understood as religious duty involving refraining between dawn and dusk from food, drinking, and sexual activity. The Islamic faith forbids all forms of immoral behavior, such as unkind thoughts. Thus, falsehoods, misdeeds, and ill intentions are classified as destructive, just like eating or drinking.
Fasting is perceived to redirect the heart away from earthly activities. Thus, it purposefully cleanses the soul. It does this by relieving it from harmful impurities. Muslims perceive Ramadan as a ceremony to practice self-discipline, self-control, demonstrate sacrifice and empathy for the less fortunate. It encourages behaviors of generosity and charity. Fasting allows people to feel or experience how the less fortunate feel when they go for days without food.
The aim of fasting involves nurturing compassion towards poor people. However, exemptions to fasting include trave...