REREADING CIRCUMCISION AS AN IDENTITY MARKER (GN 17:9-14): CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES ON MALE GENITAL MUTILATION AMONGST XHOSA COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

During biblical times in the Near Eastern world, circumcision was a common practice. Reasons for conducting the operation varied. In biblical times, only males were circumcised. This essay attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What was the significance of circumcision in the ancient Near East? (2) Can one say with certainty that circumcision amongst Xhosa communities was influenced by the biblical text? This article commences by examining circumcision in the ancient Near East. The study will then explore the rise of circumcision in ancient Israel when Yahweh commanded Abraham to circumcise all males in his household as a sign of keeping the covenant with Yahweh (cf. Gn 17:9-14). Next, the ideology of excluding women from being circumcised during biblical times is discussed. Thereafter, circumcision conducted in our modern postbiblical world - contemporary perspectives on circumcision, also known as male genital mutilation (hereafter, MGM) - is examined in terms of the following four themes: (1) the role of culture amongst Xhosa communities in motivating MGM, (2) the emergence of female genital mutilation (hereafter, FGM) in Africa, (3) the theory that circumcision reduces transmission of HIV which causes AIDS, and (4) the theory that a circumcised penis enhances orgasm during sex. Next, MGM in South Africa is explained as a violation of human rights. Lastly, this research concludes with possible solutions towards mitigating fatalities of MGM amongst Xhosa communities in South Africa