Mentally ill women in Palestinian hospitals receive hysterectomies

Malaysia Sun Thursday 30th September, 2010

Muslim women in Palestinian hospitals are supposedly being given hysterectomies to protect their families from shame.

Israel News has reported that a Palestinian radio station has interviewed parents of women in mental hospitals, who have said they would prefer to have hysterectomies performed on their mentally ill girls in order to prevent them from becoming impregnated.

The procedure has supposedly been sanctioned by the Palestinian Authority.

A radio station belonging to the Ma'an news agency was told the situation had occurred because parents had become concerned their ill daughters could be sexually assaulted while in the wards.

One parent said: "We prefer to cut out their wombs."

Palestinian law usually prohibits the severing of body parts from any person's body without that person's consent.

Female Palestinian MP Dr Sahar Al Qawasmi told interviewers that the procedure protects a girl's family from the shame and embarrassment incurred in Muslim society by having a mentally ill family member.

She said: "If we must cut out the girl's womb, why do we not chop off body parts from disabled boys? The hysterectomy makes her the victim of a rape as well as of punishment, and the lack of punishment for her assailant."