Doctors Reveal: Iraqi Women are Subjected to Court-Ordered Virginity Tests
- Posted on July 2, 2012 at 7:26am by
Sharona Schwartz
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Doctors in Baghdad revealed to AFP that they have been conducting virginity tests ordered by Iraqi courts on newly-married women whose husbands suspect they were not virgins before their wedding.
In many cases, the tests show that they were indeed virgins, which may not be much consolation after being subjected to the humiliating accusation and procedure. In a society where honor killings have occurred, the issue can be a matter of life or death for the women involved. Premarital sex is considered in devout Muslim communities to be a stain on the family honor.
An average of several virginity tests are performed per day at the Medical Legal Institute (MLI) in Baghdad, in a small windowless room with blue-tiled walls and a black table with leg stirrups at one end.
Other equipment includes a white scope on a wheeled stand and a bright white light, also on wheels, near the end of the table.
“Most of the cases we received after the first day of marriage,” said Dr Munjid al-Rezali, the director of the MLI.
“The husband claim that she is not a virgin, and then the family bring her here, through the courts, this all come through the courts, and we examine her,” Rezali said, speaking in English.
“It’s not uncommon, we are seeing a lot,” he added.
The tests include examination of the woman’s hymen, but the man involved may also come under scrutiny.
Ignorance and male dysfunction are sometimes to blame, the doctors suggest:
The man may be tested for impotency, Rezali said, noting that in some cases, a man with erectile dysfunction may pretend the woman was not a virgin to hide his shame.
The results of the tests go directly to the courts, and are not given by the MLI to the parties involved, Rezali said.
“They think that during the marriage, (the) first day of marriage, there should be blood… they think if there is no blood, there is no virginity,” said Dr Sami Dawood, a forensic doctor at the MLI who has been involved in the tests.
This belief, he said, indicates that sex education and knowledge is “very poor.”
Dr. Dawood told the French news agency that the tests take between 15 and 30 minutes and are supervised by three doctors, at least one a woman. He said these tests are conducted only when ordered by a court. If a woman is found not to be a virgin, her family must then compensate the groom’s family for bridal gifts and money spent on the engagement and wedding.
The controversy over virginity tests in the Arab world received wide attention during the anti-Mubarak demonstrations last year. As The Blaze reported then, female protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square said that they had been subjected to virginity tests while in police custody. Later, an Egyptian court ordered the country’s military rulers to put an end to the practice.
But then in March, an Egyptian military tribunal denied those tests were conducted, and acquitted an army doctor of a charge of public obscenity over the issue. He was accused by a female protester who said she was forced to undergo a virginity test while in custody.
(H/T: Al Arabiya)
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LemonCreek
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 6:40pmIm going out fighting, I might be vaporized, but Im going out fighting !
Report Post »SnowballDidIt
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 6:20pmImigration reform should fast track women wanting to emigrate from the middle east.
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 2:05pmthe beauty of sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia sharia
Report Post »nolefan2
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 10:31amI wonder if they do this in Dearborn, MI?
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:22pmIt really does get worse. Google or Bing “female genital mutilation in Egypt”.
Report Post »actualconservative
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 5:06pmThis is what democracy looks like! Chant it with me, now!!
Report Post »This is what democracy looks like!
Henry22
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 4:30pmComing to a Sharia town near you………….in our future………..
Report Post »walkintruth
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 2:28pmWhy not just put a chastity belt on them for crying out loud. They are not like cattle or possessions. Meanwhile, men can do what ever they please. I feel bad for the women that were raped and had no choice of losing their virginity. Then they are shamed for ever.
Report Post »stumpy68
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 6:43pmor stoned
Report Post »TEARS FOR AMERICA
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 12:07pmViolence against women in all forms and this administration keeps their mouths shut…disgusting…
Report Post »rickc34
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 12:27pmComing soon to America all thank to Obama.
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 11:43amWhen you hear people say “you can’t fix islam” , what they are trying to say is “you can’t fix stupid”.
Report Post »Steve28
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 11:07amI guess if a woman asked if a man she was to marry was also a vigin she would be stoned to death. Gotta love that religion of love, tolerance and peace. Please note the sarcasm.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 11:02amBoy, this really makes sense. Bring the women AFTER she was married and then claim she is not a virgin. Boy howdy, now there is some logic.
Report Post »fatsomann
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 2:07pmDidn’t make sense to me either.
Report Post »oneshiner
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 11:26pmI think it was Jesus who told the crowd: “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” We must do everything we can to stop this from happening in America.
Report Post »First off, not very many gals in America would pass this test and have to face the music. hmmmmmm hmmmmmmm.
4xeverything
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 11:09am@ONESHINER
You’re right. Not many girls would pass the exam but not because they are all necessarily sexually active but, because American girls are very active in sports, use tampons, ride horses and bikes. The list of hymen rupturing activities is a very long one.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 11:00amWelcome to the wonderful world or Sharia! Rose-Ellen I’m quite sure you will be able to enlighten us on how degradation of women makes a better world, even for us infidels.
Report Post »I Love Howie Carr
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 10:32amum…. how can they tell if she is a virgin? there’s never any details about that. plus presumably she would have sex on her wedding night so she’s not a virgin anymore anyway, right? none of this makes sense to me
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 2:06pmBingo, welcome to Sharia.
Report Post »Suzanne D
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 2:53pmWhy would you need details to understand this? Do you know what a hymen is? Do you know it is torn when subjected to trauma, such as a first penetrative sexual encounter? Do you need details on how to recognize torn membranous tissue? My goodness, it sounds like you need some sex education too!
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:20pmSuzanne D
Report Post »It was a matter of the timing of the “test” not the obvious results. While we’re there, there are many ways to disrupt the integrity of the hymen without sex.
dmerwin
Posted on July 3, 2012 at 12:21pmDeafening silence from Rose-Ellen.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 10:25amHAHA Time to go into the chastity belt business?
Report Post »Tandem2011
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 8:51amRemember: There is no sexual equality in the teachings of the Koran. Men can control women with near impunity. Honor-killings should be a clear reminder of that. What woman in her right mind would freely join Islam? They have to grow up in it or naively marry into it to become Muslim. If God’s word is truly in the Koran regarding women, then He is a Misogynistic Pig! The rational and just mind has to reject Islam for its insulting sexism.
Report Post »321481
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 8:46amIt cost us allot in American lives and money to free these people. But once again, we learn the hard way, like dogs returning to their vomit, they don’t want to be free. They embrace these obressive muslim social acts. It is in their heart, we can not change that, but Christ can.
Report Post »bravjim
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 9:27amThat is the mistake that we make when we assume that every nation and every people can and should be free. This is just one more demonstration of why we must continue to learn from our founding fathers in relations to policy.
Jefferson stated, “And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.
Gouvernor Morris stated, “Religion is the only solid base of morals and that morals are the only possible support of free governments”.
Ben Franlin stated, “Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters…I have lived sir a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see that God governs in the affairs of men.”
These are just a few qoutes, but they emphasize a principle that we as a nation ignored when it came to freeing Iraq. Virtue and morality are the indispensable support of liberty. We did not understand our enemies, believing all the lies about the Muslim faith being a peaceful religion, ignoring the facts right before our eyes that the very nature of Islam is oppressive and authoritarian, the polar opposite of freedom.
Report Post »dmerwin
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 2:10pmbravjim
Report Post »Excellent analysis and history lesson. Even the founders expressed doubt that we could keep the country truly free and we are the only country in history to come so far (chronologically) and have a successful Republic. After 236 years Obama has done more in his term to change that.
Tandem2011
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 8:42amYou cannot change two thousand years of male insecurity, dominance and hypocrisy in Iraq after just 10 years of Western interference there. Isn‘t that true also of Obama who can’t produce ANY positive change in America after 4 years in office?
Report Post »brntout
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 8:09amI wonder, how many leave still a virgin,or are they recruited to be one of 72?
Report Post »fatsomann
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 2:08pmThat idea of heaven for some sounds like hell to me.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on July 2, 2012 at 7:35amBoy, that sounds like fun.
NOT!!!
Report Post »