Proof Schmoof

If the upshot is that there is less focus and hysteria surrounding (proof of) women's virginity, it is a day to celebrate.

Grand Mufti: Hymen not "rational" proof of virginity.

Egypt's Grand Mufti Aly Gomaa issued a fatwa declaring it religiously acceptable for a woman to have her hymen surgically reconstructed, according to The Daily Star Egypt. On the surface that might not seem grounds for celebration, but consider that in certain regions, an unmarried woman who loses her virginity might very well become the target of an "honor killing." Even better, though, is that Gomaa scoffed at the idea of considering a torn hymen as evidence that a woman has lost her virginity: "It is not rational for us to think that God has placed a sign to indicate the virginity of women without having a similar sign to indicate the virginity of men."

Apparently, Gomaa's fatwa has set off a firestorm throughout Egypt. But, he isn't without legitimate supporters. Shiekh Khaled El Gindy, a member of the Higher Council of Islamic Studies, backed Gomaa's stance (with a little added sass): "Any man who is concerned about his prospective wife's hymen should first provide a proof that he himself is virgin." Then, when a reporter asked El Gindy about the sanctity of a woman's virginity, he responded: "Islam does not care for the feelings of ignorant people, just as the law does not protect the idiots."

Indeed.

Comments

[dharma]

I love this, I wish we had someone says the same sorts of things here. Of course I wish here we would acknowledge that oral sex *IS* sex and innocence is no longer intact when it comes to sexual experience. 55 year old virgin my fat ass. (Yeah I'm having trouble letting go of Suze's dumb statement.)

[arse poetica]

Agreed, dharma! Sheesh. I should read more about this "innocence" concept and why it's such a big whoop-di-do. I'm curious. Is it prudishness (prudery?) on society's part -- Original Sin and all that? I'm thinking we would all be freer to just be who we are if we didn't fetishize everything (like "innocence") to death all the time. I need to read more on this. Hmmm.

And whatevs to that whole 55-yr-old virgin thing. Jeez. Why in the hell privilege the penis and/or hetero sex? I'm sure she was kidding, but still. It wasn't helpful.