Reconstructed hymens are forbidden, Saudi religious scholars say

Nov 5, 2009, 12:04 GMT

Riyadh - Saudi religious scholars remain firm in their position that hymen-reconstruction surgery was 'haram,' or religiously forbidden, contradicting Egyptian clerics, the Saudi daily Okaz reported Thursday.

'It is not permissible to repair a hymen broken as a result of immoral acts, in order to stop acts of immorality and deception,' the International Islamic Jurisprudence Academy, an affiliate of the Jeddah-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference, ruled.

'It is permissible to repair a hymen that has been broken by accident, rape or compulsion,' the scholars clarified in a 2007 ruling that Abdel-Salam al-Abadi, secretary general of the academy, said he would not review, in remarks published Thursday.

The academy also said the procedure should ideally be carried out by female doctors, and that they should first verify that the woman was not pregnant.

The issue has come up following controversy in Egypt over a Chinese-made fake hymen that women can use to simulate bleeding on their wedding nights.

Scholars and conservative politicians called for a ban on imports of the product, saying it helps women fake their virginity and encourages illicit sexual relations.

Ali Gomaa, Egypt's Mufti, or supreme governmental religious authority, has ruled that hymen-reconstruction surgery is 'halal,' or religiously acceptable, and that women are not obligated to tell their husbands they have had the surgery.

  'The academy cannot prevent anyone from issuing a fatwa, such as those issued by the Egyptian Mufti or the Saudi cleric Salman al-Ouda,' al-Abadi said. 'It is their point of view, and they probably issued it based on a certain case.'

  Fatwas are opinions on religious matters from Islamic scholars versed in the Quran and Islamic jurisprudence. They carry authority only among those who respect the particular scholar's opinion.

  Sex before marriage is forbidden in Islam. In conservative quarters of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, families inspect brides to make sure their hymens are intact.