With all due respect, Massad completely beats about the bush – while it is true that boys and girls ALIKE are denied the choice of genital mutilation, the effects of that procedure on them is radically DIFFERENT. While boys who have undergone circumcision can continue to enjoy healthy sexual relationships in their adult (i hope) lives, girls who underwent genital mutilation will always suffer. Sex will always mean pain, and one can not underestimate the constraints that puts not just on women as an individual group, but on the very fabric of marriage, and thus on society at large.

Massad completely misses the elephant in the room. He then goes on to disrespect those who dared argue against his [illogical] arguments. It is incredibly shameful when an academic starts using politician’s tricks. Shameful and disappointing.

well, I don’t see anywhere in the video a point where Massad denied the radical difference between the both. he also didn’t disrespect those who dared argue against his arguments. He does not compare medical and sexual differences, he argues from a Colonial and western imperialist side of the issue and the impact of that. Franky i don’t see your point. When you argue something you need to have citations, resources, and exact quotations, specially when arguing with an academic.

@ anon – that is precisely what I meant by him avoiding the elephant in the room: he is criticising how the West speaks about female genital mutilation only and ignores that circumcised boys do not have a choice too, but he himself ignores/brushes aside why the former is a more severe phenomenon.

Edward Said, himself a post-colonialist thinker on Orientalism, while highlighting how the West objectified the orient whether in literature art and otherwise, never made excuses about the issues he thought needed raising WITHIN Arabic societies.

Oh and he disrespected Reem who wrote the article discussing his lecture – I do not see the need to quote as the video is posted right above. Isn’t the point of a lecture initiating debate?

I really don’t get your point Deena, and just to clarify circumcised boys also have diminished sensation and sexual pleasure. So its more similar than different, but like you highlight its culturally acceptable so you are hard pressed to argue against it.
Although i do see how he just brushed off her arguments. either way meh ….

@bambam: You have a point too, circumcision lessens sensation in men as well and women. However, it does not preclude the possibility of having an orgasm in men. They continue to have and enjoy sex. On the other hand, female circumcision robs girls off their orgasms so they are never able to enjoy sex the way men are. That is great injustice to them.