"My mom had to pay extra for a new razor."

The Honor Diaries is a must see documentary about violent crimes against women world wide.

About 15 minutes in, the documentary directs its attention toward a topic that I am (obviously) very passionate about, Female Genital Mutilation.
They bring up so many valid points, I feel that I will not adequately address them all (which is why you should see the documentary for yourself), but I would like to bring up some of them and also voice my opinion, because after all, this is my blog.
I realize that I am not as experienced, exposed or knowledgable about the topic as many women are, but I do bring what I believe is a unique sense of curiosity and passion to the table.

The quote that I entitled this post is one that really stood out to me during this part of the documentary.
A young girl was talking about her experience of being "circumcised" as a child.
She talks of her mother exchanging money with the woman responsible for doing the procedure and she says that her mother had to pay extra money for the woman to use a unused razor for the cutting.
Not only are the women being stripped of their dignity by having all or some of their external genitalia removed or sewn shut, but also they are at risk for excessive bleeding, ripping, infections and tetanus or aids from rusty or used razors.
ALL for what?!
So that women remain "pure" until marriage? So that women do not cheat on their husbands? So that women look less manly? So that women are "honorable"?
No. None of this makes sense to me.

Many people argue that female "circumcision" is similar to male circumcision but I whole heartedly disagree.
Male circumcision can have positive medical benefits and does not limit male sexuality, whereas female circumcision has no medical benefits, can be very dangerous and is meant to limit the sexuality of the female.

At about 17 minutes into the documentary, a Muslim man said, "[Female] Circumcision is the reason why Muslim women are virtuous, while Western women run off to their sexual appetite in any place with any man."

I thought that FGM was a regional problem, but I did not realize the extent to which it is directly relates to religion and culture.
FGM is widely practiced in Muslim dominated areas and although female genital cutting is not found in the Koran, it has been adopted into these societies and is "going everywhere in the world that the Muslim Brotherhood go."

According to the documentary, about 6,000 girls are cut EVERYDAY.
"It is a plague. It is an epidemic."

And yes, it is on the shoulders of mothers and mother-in-laws to get women in their family cut because the men sneak out of this responsibility-- but while women are perpetrating the practice, "it is still a game of survival".
Women that choose not to have their daughter's cut know that there are consequences in their culture for this choice.

There is a "power patriarchy control" where women are made to preserve the patriarchy in these societies and are controlled by their father, then brothers, then husband, and then sons.

"Embedded patriarchy... The power and policies are such a lethal combination."

You can weaken and control someone by taking away their power to make decisions, take away their autonomy and take away their ability to choose what is wrong and right.