2002-05-05 16:13:37
Hello All, I am from India and a muslim, the first time I became aware of circumcision was when I was 5 years old. My cousin had to undergo his Khatna ( Circumcision ) which is cumpolsory for muslims and we attended his ceremony. Usually it is done by barbers and entire family and relatives attend to celebrate though women and uncircumcised children are not allowed to watch it being done.However after it was done on my cousin I went up to his room to see him and was horrified to see what it was about. Till that day I had no idea what the word Khatna actually meant. He was wearing a loose lungi ( sort of a silk cloth wrapped aroud waist ) and seemed to be in pain. I asked him why he was crying and he told me that it was because he had his khatna. I was totally ignorant so he undid his lungi and showed me! The penis was swollen and completely black & blue from the injury. I was horrified at the thought that this is done on purpose and the fact that we were supposed to be celebrate this as if it was an occassion of great joy! Until this I had always thought that all penises were intact and like mine and that thats how it was to be throughout life. But he explained that in islam when a boy is 8 - 10 years old and old enough to study koran then his penis must recieve khatna. He told me some days later that the pain of circumcision had gone but it still hurt to wear tight shorts whenever the penis rubbed against cloth because it was still sensitive at the tip. Some years later I also had to have my khatna despite protests and learnt first hand just how much it pains. I dont understand to this day why we have to undergo this suffering when it causes nothing but pain and lifelong harm in terms of lost sensitivity.
—Abdul