Muslim Brides Becoming Virgins Again with Hymen Replacement Operations on the NHS
MAIL ONLINE: Increasing numbers of Muslim brides are having taxpayer-funded ‘virginity repair’ operations before marriage.

There were 116 hymen replacement operations carried out on the NHS between 2005 and 2009. The total for 2009 was 30, up 25 per cent from 24 in 2005.

The health service figures echo a trend reported by private clinics, which are seeing a huge surge in demand for the procedure from Muslim women paying up to £4,000.

One Harley Street clinic said that demand for its half-hour procedure had tripled in recent months.

Doctors say patients are under pressure from future husbands or relatives who insist that they should be virgins on their wedding night.

Critics, including moderate Muslim groups, have condemned the trend as a sign of the spread of Islamic fundamentalism in the West.

During the hymenoplasty procedure – viewed by some as invasive and degrading – the hymen is stitched or reconstructed so that it will tear again and bleed on the woman’s wedding night.

In some cases, the vaginal lining can be used to create a false hymen. A blood capsule can then be inserted into the lining to ensure realistic blood flow when the membrane is broken. >>> Claire Ellicott | Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Devil’s in the Lipstick!
Muslim women in Kota Baru, Malaysia, are forbidden to wear bright lipstick
CNN/Asia: Authorities in a northern Malaysian city have forbidden Muslim women from wearing bright lipstick and noisy high-heeled shoes, saying the directive is intended to prevent sexual assaults and "illicit sex."

The national news agency, Bernama, said the directive was issued by the municipal council of Kota Baru and is aimed toward Muslim women working in restaurants and other businesses in the city. It said the ban will safeguard the morals and dignity of the women as well as thwart rape.

"It states that Muslim women are forbidden to wear thick make-up, like bright colored lipstick and high-heeled shoes that gave a tapping sound," the news agency said.

"For those who insist on wearing high heel shoes, they can do so but with rubber heels." Malaysian City Bans Lipstick for Muslim Women >>> | June 24, 2008

THE GUARDIAN:
Malaysian City Tells Women to Drop Lipstick and High Heels >>> By Ian MacKinnon, south east Asia correspondent | June 24, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers

Hymenoplasty: The New and Growing Trend Among Muslim Women in Europe to 'Restore' Their Virginity
INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE: PARIS - The surgery in the private clinic off the Champs-Élysées involved one semicircular cut, 10 self-dissolving stitches and a discounted fee of $2,900.

But for the patient, a 23-year-old French student of Moroccan descent from Montpellier, the 30-minute procedure represented the key to a new life: the illusion of virginity.

Like an increasing number of other Muslim women in Europe, she had a "hymenoplasty," a restoration of her hymen, the thin vaginal membrane that normally breaks during the first act of intercourse.

"In my culture, not to be a virgin is to be dirt," said the student, perched on a hospital bed as she awaited surgery Thursday. "Right now, virginity is more important to me than life."

As Europe's Muslim population grows, many young Muslim women find themselves caught between the freedoms that European society affords and the deep-rooted traditions of their parents' and grandparents' generations.

Gynecologists report that in the past few years, more Muslim women are asking for certificates of virginity before marriage.

That trend in turn has created a demand among cosmetic surgeons for hymen replacements, which, if done properly, they say, will not be detected and will produce tell-tale vaginal bleeding on the wedding night. The service is widely advertised on the Internet; there are medical tourism packages to countries like Tunisia where the procedure is less expensive.

"If you're a Muslim woman growing up in more open societies in Europe, you can easily end up having sex before marriage," said Hicham Mouallem, a doctor in London who performs the surgery. "So if you're looking to marry a Muslim and don't want to have problems, you'll try to recapture your virginity." For Muslim Women in Europe, a Medical Road Back to Virginity >>> By Elaine Sciolino and Souad Mekhennet | June 10, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US)

About Hair and Things: Verily, Allah Knows Best!
KHALEEJ TIMES: I RECEIVED several e-mails in regards to my column last week. Specifically, some readers wanted to know more about hair removal in the light of the Holy Quran and Sunnah. There are several things that both men and women can and cannot do when it comes to removing the hair.

For women, it is permissible to remove hair from the face with the exception of the eyebrows. However, if the eyebrows are so long and bushy that they interfere with the eyesight then they can be trimmed. In the case of women who have a “uni-brow”, which means that the two eyebrows are connected in the middle, the part of the eyebrow that is connected right above the nose can be removed since it is not considered to be part of the eyebrow. Also, hair that grows abnormally on women (like beards and moustaches) falls under the category of permissible hair to remove. In Islam, women are forbidden from looking like men and vice versa.

As for men, it is not acceptable to remove hair from any part of the face. However, the moustache can be trimmed. Men are also forbidden from trimming or plucking the eyebrows. And it is part of the Sunnah for men to grow the beard long and trim the moustache short.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“Cut the moustache and let the beard grow; be different from the mushrikeen.” (Bukhari,Muslim)

The mistake that many Muslim men make is to remove hair from their cheeks. It is a regular part of a haircut for men to ask the barber to use a method of hair removal called ‘threading’ to remove the hair from this area. It is forbidden to remove it because the hair on the cheeks is considered to be part of the beard.

Both men and women are instructed to remove the hair from the genitalia and armpit areas at least every 40 days The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Ten (actions) are part of the fitrah [natural inclinations of man]: trimming the moustache, letting the beard grow, using the miswak (tooth-stick), rinsing the nose with water, clipping the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the armpit hairs, shaving the pubes and washing oneself with water after relieving one’s self.” How to Get About in Those Hairy Situations
 >>> By Sumayyah Meehan

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Simply Amazing! - Dutch Women Revert to Islam

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

Muslims Just Will Not Integrate and Learn to Understand Freedom

Photo courtesy of the Daily Express

DAILY EXPRESS: THIS was the extraordinary scene on the streets of Britain yesterday as burka-clad protesters demanded the release of four extremists.

Swarming outside the OId Bailey, the Muslim hate mob poured scorn on the nation that guarantees their freedoms.

The woman - mostly young and dressed from head to toe in black - held placards accusing the British Government of terrorism and telling our police to "go to hell".

In their midst a WPC ignored their insults while standing ready to protect them from any counter-demonstration.

The disgraceful scenes came as four men were jailed for offences including soliciting murder and stirring up racial hatred at a demo against a cartoon of Mohammed. Outrageous (more) By John Twomey

Mark Alexander