Public discussions often confuse ancient cultural practices with religious norms, especially when these practices sono radicate in remote tribal contexts. Infibulation, one of the most severe forms of female genital mutilation, is among the clearest examples of this misunderstanding. It is essential to reaffirm that this practice has no foundation in Islam and finds no justification in either the Qur’an or in the authentic teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. The communities that still apply it do so not for religious reasons but because of cultural traditions that long predate Islam and are deeply rooted in specific regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
The Qur’an contains no reference to infibulation or any form of mutilation. On the contrary, it affirms principles that exclude the possibility of inflicting harm on the human body and that call for the preservation of physical integrity. The verse that warns believers not to cast themselves into destruction and the passage that states that God does not love those who commit harm have been interpreted by scholars throughout the centuries as clear guidance against practices that compromise health and dignity. This interpretation is fully supported by the authenticated teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. In one of his most authoritative statements, he declared that there should be no harm and no reciprocation of harm, a principle that constitutes a universal legal maxim. Since infibulation causes permanent physical and psychological injury, it cannot in any way be considered compatible with Islamic ethics.
To understand the origins of infibulation, one must look to history and anthropology. Research shows that the practice emerged in ancient Nubia and in parts of Egypt thousands of years before the rise of both Islam and Christianity. It was associated with tribal beliefs concerning purity, control of female sexuality, lineage, and family honor. Over the centuries these customs spread through certain areas of the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, surviving independently of the religions later adopted by the populations. This explains why infibulation is found today among Muslim, Christian and even animist communities, without implying any religious basis for the practice.
From a medical standpoint, infibulation involves the partial or near total closure of the external genital area through a procedure that leaves only a small opening. A detailed anatomical description is unnecessary to understand the seriousness of its impact on health. The consequences include pain, infections, difficulties in marital life, complications during childbirth, psychological suffering and the complete absence of any medical benefit. The World Health Organization and other international bodies classify it as a form of gender-based violence that has no legitimate cultural or spiritual justification.
The persistence of the practice is largely due to social pressure. In many communities it is considered a requirement for marriage, a sign of moral purity or a duty towards the family. Fear of exclusion, intergenerational transmission of incorrect beliefs and the weight of local custom play a decisive role in its continuation. These motivations do not stem from any revealed religion but from ancient traditions that have survived through the centuries.
The European Muslims League firmly reiterates that infibulation has no place in Islam and stands in clear contradiction with the fundamental principles of the religion concerning the dignity of women, the protection of the body and the safeguarding of health. The EML calls on religious leaders, institutions, scholars and local communities to cooperate in spreading accurate knowledge, promoting health education and supporting families and villages in overcoming harmful customs born from cultural misunderstandings. Protecting the integrity of women is a shared responsibility that unites believers and non-believers and represents a moral commitment that must be expressed through concrete actions in defense of life, wellbeing and human dignity.
