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AnSionnachRua  ·  4590 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: "Genital mutilation is no joke"
Female "circumcision" is commonly called "female genital mutilation" for this reason. I tend to shy away from political word changes (because it tends to just be a euphemism treadmill), but I do prefer FGM over "circumcision".

Barbaric parts of the world...

A tension exists here. On the one hand, we look at other parts of the world, see what they do, and say that it is simply "their" way; they have their own cultural and social meanings, and we have no right to tell them otherwise. On the other hand, sometimes what they do is just wrong to us. FGM is one such thing. It's wrapped up in their cultural meanings, but for the rest of us it is indeed a barbaric practice.

Anyway, male circumcision is a different kettle of fish, I suppose (since FGM is used to control women's sexual behaviour, and causes sex to not be physically pleasing). As a European, I'm quite glad to be intact.