# Do Muslim Males Get Circumcised? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663 "2017-11-15T03:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/1 "2017-11-15T03:18:06Z")
In the Old Testament, Abraham commands all the males in his house to be circumcised. This included young Ishmael who was still living in his house. As I understand it, the Muslims recognize Abraham as their patriarch. And, as such, I was wondering if they [the Muslims] still practice circumcision of the males to this very day, much like those of the Jewish faith? ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/2 "2017-11-15T03:26:10Z")
I should add I did a Google search, and there is conflicting information whether it is required. And, [this site](http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27) says “…the prophet Mohammed is reported to have stated that ‘circumcision is a sunnah [customary or traditional] for the men and a makrumah [meritorious] for the women’”. Ok, I am really puzzled here: Are they circumcising women, too? And, if so, how? I must have been absent from sex ed that day. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/3 "2017-11-15T03:31:27Z")
Don’t mean to be skeevy, but female circumcision is the removal of the clitoral tissue in a young woman. Probably around puberty. Some elder Woman in the family or village does it rather crudely. Eeekk! ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/4 "2017-11-15T03:32:03Z")
Er… Yes. Muslims are the largest group of people in the world who’ve been cut; followed by Americans; then Jews. Most the rest of us not part of these religions are just amazed. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/5 "2017-11-15T03:33:52Z")
And yes, many many Muslims do cut their women as well, but so do various African tribes. In Europe not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/6 "2017-11-15T06:13:26Z")
> [@Jinx](#): > > I should add I did a Google search, and there is conflicting information whether it is required. And, [this site](http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27) says “…the prophet Mohammed is reported to have stated that ‘circumcision is a sunnah [customary or traditional] for the men and a makrumah [meritorious] for the women’”. Ok, I am really puzzled here: Are they circumcising women, too? And, if so, how? I must have been absent from sex ed that day. How have you been a member of this board for almost 20 years and never heard of female circumcision? ---
**Author:** ![molten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ec9cab/32.png) [@molten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/molten)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/7 "2017-11-15T09:14:36Z")
The appropriate term is female genital mutilation as this causes many health problems. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/8 "2017-11-15T09:50:24Z")
FGM is illegal in the UK (and probably the EU) Some Mulsim families send their daughters back to the family in their country of origin to have it done. It is a totally barbarous practice and should be illegal in every civilised country. ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/9 "2017-11-15T10:34:35Z")
It’s illegal in the USA as well — federally, and separately in half the states; but immigrants will be immigrants. Not only religion commands them, but the ancestral voices of generations of imbeciles. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/10 "2017-11-15T11:18:11Z")
Is “female circumcision” removal of the clitoral hood or removal of the clitoris? Sorry, i’m scared to google. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/11 "2017-11-15T11:43:53Z")
> [@antechinus](#): > > Is “female circumcision” removal of the clitoral hood or removal of the clitoris? Sorry, i’m scared to google. the latter, sadly. it’s like if- on guys- instead of just removing the foreskin, they lopped the end of your todger off entirely. circumcision is unnecessary on guys but if done properly at least everything still works. FGM is barbaric. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/12 "2017-11-15T12:46:24Z")
> [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Er… Yes. Muslims are the largest group of people in the world who’ve been cut; followed by Americans; then Jews. > Most the rest of us not part of these religions are just amazed. American is a religion? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/13 "2017-11-15T13:08:49Z")
Back to the original question, yes, Muslim males are mostly circumcised (there may be local custom variations), and SOME communities practice FGM. In both cases these practices anteceded the religion itself. ---
**Author:** ![Dave.B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9f8e36/32.png) [@Dave.B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave.B)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/14 "2017-11-15T13:37:28Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > American is a religion? He never mentioned religion, he said “group of people”. Muslims are one group, Americans are another, Jews are yet another. You could add Police officers, people who are afraid of clowns, Sikhs, people with only one arm… etc. All are groups of people. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/15 "2017-11-15T13:57:03Z")
> [@antechinus](#): > > Is “female circumcision” removal of the clitoral hood or removal of the clitoris? Sorry, i’m scared to google. It depends. There are various forms of female circumcision. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/16 "2017-11-15T14:23:06Z")
FGM also covers infibulation, which basically seals off the vaginal opening (cut both sides, stitch them together, let them fuse together in healing). ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/17 "2017-11-15T14:28:14Z")
> [@Dave.B](#): > > He never mentioned religion, he said “group of people”. Muslims are one group, Americans are another, Jews are yet another. You could add Police officers, people who are afraid of clowns, Sikhs, people with only one arm… etc. All are groups of people. Of course, Muslims and Jews (and police officers, people afraid of clowns, Sikhs, people with one arm, etc) are also sub-groups of “American” (although not exclusively American, of course). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/18 "2017-11-15T14:32:19Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Back to the original question, yes, Muslim males are mostly circumcised (there may be local custom variations), and SOME communities practice FGM. In both cases these practices anteceded the religion itself. Do you have a cite for the case of males, per that last sentence. And **Captain Amazing** is correct about female circumcision. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/19 "2017-11-15T14:46:15Z")
> [@Dave.B](#): > > He never mentioned religion, he said “group of people”. > [@Evan\_Drake](#): > > Er… Yes. Muslims are the largest group of people in the world who’ve been cut; followed by Americans; then Jews. > Most the rest of us not part of **these religions** are just amazed. Bolded part sure does mention religion. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663/20 "2017-11-15T14:47:42Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Don’t mean to be skeevy, but female circumcision is the removal of the clitoral tissue in a young woman. Probably around puberty. Some elder Woman in the family or village > does it rather crudely. Eeekk! This isn’t quite correct. “Female circumcicion” is a loose term for a whole variety of practices, some of which are the horrific practices you mention (and it can get even worse, in a lot of northeast Africa), but it also includes much milder practices like a symbolic ‘nick’ which doesn’t affect sexual pleasure. My understanding is that in Malaysia (which is one of the most advanced Muslim countries, but also one that subscribes to the Shafi school which recommends female circumcision) they do the ‘symbolic superficial nick’ type thing. In certain parts of Africa, the really horrific types of FGM are much more common. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-muslim-males-get-circumcised/801663.md?page=2)