I never gave much thought to tattoos at all until being diagnosed with breast cancer. In fact to speak candidly, I avidly dislike tattoos and it saddens me to see how prominent and popular large and colorful tattoos have become around the world. Do these men and women who have chosen to have such tattoos believe the tattoos make them more attractive? How many of them regret have such large tattoos on their bodies as they have gotten older?
Here in the Kingdom and actually throughout the Muslim world, many women will apply henna to their hands and sometimes their feet during weddings and special occasions. The henna will basically provide a temporary tattoo where the henna dye stains the hands and feet and will last for several days or up to a week before naturally fading away. Henna can be applied in such fashion to have beautiful designs on ones hand and feet.
However I did not realize that tattoos were in fact prohibited in Islam and viewed as haram until my recent surgery due to breast cancer. You might naturally be asking right now, what does breast cancer have to do with tattoos and islam? Let me explain. When a woman chooses to have a breast reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy, one option is to have the breast reconstructed (remade and reshaped) using tissue, muscle and skin from her body. But when a breast is remade as such, the first “product” is simply a breast which is hopefully comparable in size, shape and contour to the existing breast. Usually it does not have the nipple or areola area because in many cases that area might have cancerous cells. So a second surgery (minor) is an option at a later date for women who want to also have a nipple and areola reconstructed. This procedure is performed in the Kingdom but with one change – no tattoo. Skin grafts are taken from other parts of the body in order to reconstruct the nipple and areola but in order for the graft to match the other breast, the skin (nipple and areola area) is usually darkened via tattooing. Because tattooing is haram, this part, the tattooing, is omitted from the second surgery.
If you choose to do google searches on islam and tattoos, again there are so many pages on this subject. Overall, the pages are consistent in stating tattoos are forbidden in Islam. Islam views tattooing as changing, altering, mutating or interfering with ones body which is prohibited. (naturally that statement can lead to much debate on what is or is not construed as altering or mutating or interfering).
I’ve provided some of the links which go into more detail on Islam and the issue of tattoos for those who are interested:
Islam online covers the issue of tattoos and body piercing.
Filed under: culture, Dress, gender, Health, islam, Women Issues
Aboo Tattoo (Sinan) should be coming along to answer your questions, insha’Allah. lol
This is interesting about the reconstructive surgury and no tattooing. It’s odd because they do nonessential (vanity) plastic surgery here. Was that actually an official reason you were given or did someone give you that as their explanation?
I find this whole business of “altering/changing God’s creation” to be quite odd. According to one of the links you posted women can pierce their ears but not their nose. Because piercing your nose involves altering God’s creation (but ear piercing does not?) Or your not allowed to landscape your eyebrows because this is “altering the creation” (according to Islamonline) but removing other body hair is acceptable or required.
Islamonline also stated on one of the posted links that “changing the creation” to fix/reconstruct deformities such as a cleft palate would be permissible. Lacking an areola/nipple is technically considered a deformity, so wouldn’t the tattooing in this case fit within the proper boundaries of repair/reconstruction?
None of it really makes any sense to me. No offense to any of you.
“Aboo Tattoo (Sinan) should be coming along to answer your questions, insha’Allah. lol”
LOL, good one
Tattooing a nipple on a breast reconstruction is not ”altering” God’s creation, but ”restoring” God’s creation, so a very good thing to do.
What is ”altering” God’s creation is stuff like female circumcision. Why do people get upset about silly little things like cleaning up your eyebrow, while not wanting to encounter real evil like that?
And there is only one reason for humans to have earlobes: To dangle earrings from!
So it’s a design-oversight that they don’t come ready-pierced.
Another example of people going berserk about finnicky little details, probably because they are afraid or incapable of tackling the real issues, like actually doing good, or following the real rules of religion.
And I don’t care who I offend.
I have a tattoo.
But involuntarily.
I once wanted to kill a mosquito sucking my blood and I swiped it.
Forgetting that I was using an oldfashioned drawing pen at that moment filled with my best, blackest, lightproof, drawing ink.
As the pen was stuck in my leg for the whole half inch, that black stripe is there to stay….
Well…as long as Muslims are spreading the thighs of baby boys and “altering Gods creation”…Im not sure they have a leg to stand on…eh?
Aafke…I got one of those too…but mine came from the nasty boy sitting behind me in biology class in the 8th grade…he was being his usual creepy self and stuck the pen straight into my arm…bled like crazy…and i still have the blue colored scar to show for it….ouch. Boys drool chicks rule~!
I personally think tattoo’s are kind of trashy, when they’re not part of a cultural tradition (i.e. white people sporting body art–though woad is cultural for some celtic culture, though not in recent times).
However i also understand that body modification and adornment is a constant theme in every culture, it’s part of the human condition–from the subtle to the extreme.
I would never get a tattoo, but I adore henna! I often have henna freckles all over my hands due to applying it on other people.
I also find the entire “altering god’s creation,” justification for it to be haraam as highly hypocritical. Contradictions have been listed by others already, so I won’t repeat them.
Narrated Alqamah: Abdullah (bin Masud) said ” Allah curses those ladies who practise tatooing and those who get themselves tatooed, and those ladies who get their hair removed from their eyebrows and faces except the beard and moustache, and those who make artificial spaces between their teeth in order to look more beautiful whereby they change Allah’s creation”. His saying reached a lady from Banu Asad, called Umm Ya’qub, who came to Abdullah and said: “I have come to know that you have cursed such-and-such ladies?” He replied, “Why should I not curse these whom Allah;s Messenger (pbuh) has cursed and who are (cursed) in Allah’s book!” Umm Yaqub said ” I have read the whole Quran, but I did not find in it what you say “. He said “Verily, if you have read it, you have found it. Didn’t you read : “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammand (pbuh)) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it). (Quran V 59: 7). She said, “Yes, I did”, He said, “Verily Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) forbade such things” She said, “But I see your wife doing these things?” He said “Go and watch her”. She went and watched her but could not see anything in support to her statement. On that he said, “If my wife was as you thought, I wouldnt not keep her in my company ” (i.e I would divorce her).
Sahih Al-Bukhari Vol. 6 Hadith # 408,
Islam=Submission
Muslim= One Who Submits To The Will Of Allah
It’s our way people. We hear and we obey. Everything won’t always please you or make sense to you. This is Islam not Burger King, you can’t have everything your way. It’s really not that complicated.
So we have three SPECIFIC things that the Prophet forbade us from doing:
1. Tattooing
2. Plucking eyebrows
3. Putting artificial spaces between the teeth for beautification.
Islam is a complete way of life, it is a religion that encompasses all aspects of life and secures guidance and light for all mankind.
There is nothing petty or finnicky about following a Religion that spells out everything for us…yes even how to relieve and clean ourselves.
“Salman was once asked: Your prophet teaches you everything, even how to relieve yourselves?
Salman said: Certainly…. he forbade us from facing the Qiblah while doing so, from cleaning ourselves with our right hand, and from cleaning ourselves with less than three stones. We also should not use an impure substance or a bone to clean our selves” (Muslim, Abu Dawood and At-Tirmidhy)
As far as circumcision being allowed and it alters Allah’s creation, it is well known that circumcision is an act pertaining to the fitrah (pure human nature).
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “Five are the acts quite akin to fitrah: Circumcision, shaving the pubes, cutting the nails, plucking the hair under the armpits and clipping (or shaving) the moustache.” (Reported in all the six authentic collections of Hadith)
There is nothing hypocritical or contradictory about allowing one (circumcision) and not the other (tattooes). There are always exceptions to rules and Allah Knows Best
Oh dear… in Yemen we also use black henna and that one really stays on a long time and if you constantly renew the design as many married women do to keep looking fab for hubby…well…it kinda becomes permenent…you can retrace my designs quite easily-even the skin is slightly embossed looking…but this is years of usage not occasional party primping-
When in the States the designs have called attention even when so called “faded”…
Gotta go the Haraam Police is banging down my door!
Ummadam,
“Muslim= One Who Submits To The Will Of Allah”
That is a perfect definition of a Muslim. However, it seems that we are extending the definition to include submitting to the interpretation of Islam by clerics and scholars. It is reasonable to ask why tattooing as part of medical reconstruction is prohibited, when the intent of forbidding tattoos was different. It is also reasonable to ask whether the ruling against plucking eye brows was an overreach by scholars or is there a clear evidence of that prohibition.
Also, there is a constant confusion of Sunnah versus requirement of the religion. Following the behaviors of the prophet is Sunnah and is not required unless otherwise directly defined as a requirement.
Same goes for Makrooh (not preferred). The ruling for these is that a Muslim should avoid them, but they are not a sin if committed.
Again, no one argues the definition of a Muslim, but submitting to Allah is different than accepting interpretations without requiring evidence.
The official policies of government hospitals (and possibly private) here in Saudi Arabia is no tattooing.
Bedu- I find that a bit interesting considering they are doing a breast reconstruction. To reconstruct after injury, illness or what have you is permitted. So why omit the one part? I had a friend who had her breast reconstructed on Aramco, wonder if they too omitted that one part (considering Aramco is a whole other world within Saudi). Hmmm how to ask.. is your nipple tattooed? And I’m wondering if you can’t use henna or another dye to achieve a similiar color if only temporarily.
I really think that this crosses the line of rediculousness. Of course tattoos are forbidden in Islam, but we are not talking about getting a butterfly on your ankle to be cute, we are talking about real stuff here. Why is it that it’s cool to get breast implants here, or a nose job, or any plastic sugery for that matter…but it’s forbidden to have a tattoo for medical reasons?
Carol, I’m not sure what your options are, but perhaps you could check around and find a hospital that would do it for you. I know the salon on the ladies’ floor of the Kingdom mall does tattooing for makeup (yeah on the face) so there has to be somewhere that does it for your case as well.
Well, I am taking things step by step starting with this final (and thankfully minor) surgery. I’ll see exactly how things look and then determine whether I think further investigation is merited or not.
I also found it perplexing that tummy tucks, nose jobs and other procedures are considered “okay” and performed but tattooing the skin area around a breast is haram.
Ummadam
“There is nothing hypocritical or contradictory about allowing one (circumcision) and not the other (tattooes). There are always exceptions to rules and Allah Knows Best”
Yeah, it is hypocritical. When you set a blanket standard and make exceptions to it, it is hypocritical and contradictory. You can just say you believe whatever you’re fed, but it doesn’t make it any less hypocritical.
Bedu,
I don’t understand why those things are acceptable and tattoo’ing a breast for reconstruction isn’t. Perhaps if men got breast cancer at the same rate as women the ruling would change.
Maya, if it was a man’s problem it would change faster than you can say halal!!!!!
@Saudi In Us, I was not referring to the tatoo for reconstructive surgury. That one is baffling me as well. I’m not referring to anything that comes from opinions, that is why I cited the hadeeth. to say that these were not scholarly opnions…these were actually from the Prophet.
@Carol, that may be the official rule in the Kingdom but I’m wondering if that is really the REASON or if that is just talk. I find it strange that the reason they give is that tatooing is haram yet they will reconstruct the breast and other things. Maybe it’s a budget cut or lack of experience or maybe somebody feels it’s unnnessaceery but I don’t get the cuz it’s not allowed in Islam. Those are two different issues.
O and people. I am about as middle road as you get. I do not blindly follow. I will take the easiest route if their are alternatives. However , I feel that it is clear what comes from Quran and Sunnah and I will put that before my own desires. I think think this is where some of the complaints about Islam comes from…many would rather follow there own desires and instead of jusy admitting that they will seek out flaws in the religion. The religion is flawless. The problem is when people stray from it.
I agree with Aafke…wait till a procedure is more of a necessity to a man and rulings will change in his favor!
What is the difference between a permanent tattoo and henna? I understand the obvious difference of longevity.
But it seems to me that both are ‘altering God’s creation.’
I noticed in some of the comments about plucking eyebrows and nose piercings… what about things like dyeing hair? If the Qur’an does not explicitly forbid it (like the three things Ummadam pointed out…or henna(?)), does that mean it is acceptable?
“Do these men and women who have chosen to have such tattoos believe the tattoos make them more attractive?”
It is obviously the case that people who get tattoos find them to be attractive in some way, or they wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Are you saying that it is not their place to decide what their own opinion of attractive is?
Henna only stains the top layer of the skin and as the skin exfoliates, it wears off.
Tattoo’s penetrate the deepest layers of the skin and never fade. Henna doesn’t penetrate, it lays on top of the skin.
Henna is also sunnah.
Hi Blair and welcome to the blog. There are some folks who I have learned chose to have tattoos to cover up disfigurement or blemishes and there are certainly a large majority who if not believing a tattoo makes tehm more attractive likely believe it makes them “more cool.”
No; I’m not saying it is not people’s choice to decide for themselves but I am saying that I am not one enamored by tattoos.
Well, it seems my presence has been requested. I am not sure if that is a compliment or not, who knows?
Anyway, as anyone who has read my blog for any period of time, or has seen my pictures on facebook and flickr knows, I have a lot of tattoos.
When I mean a lot, I mean A LOT. I am basically sleeved on my arms, have some on my chest, and my back is covered.
I got all of these pre-Islam, of course. It is personal preference. I started getting them at age 16 and did so because I liked the art work, it was a part of my culture, and it was also something that kids did in the punk rock scene that I was a part of.
I guess we could argue about types of tattoos, quality and the like, but to those who dont like tattoos there is nothing one can say to change their minds. I dont have women showing their breasts, nor did I get my tattoo work done by the drug dealer next door.
Most of my tattoo work is based on Irish themes, lots of celtic knotwork and Irish republican themes; that and designs of horses. I spent a lot of money on them, so they dont look like jail house art.
I lived, worked and traveled in Europe so most of my work was done there. I got tattoos in many of the countries I traveled to, Ireland, Scotland, England, Germany, Denmark. They mark a progression of my thoughts as a person and my experiences.
Do I personally like tattoos? You bet. However, as a Muslim I realise they are forbidden. When you get down to it, they are openly banned in Judaism, and many conservative Christians think they are forbidden as well. There are counties in the Bible Belt here in the USA where tattooing is illegal.
Part of any real religious person, as opposed to those who want people to think they are religious, is following what you think are God’s laws, whether you understand them, or as a person, agree with them.
As believers we submit to the will of God whether we agree with or understand His will.
When I converted I had this issue. I talked to a sheik in England. I sat with him wearing long sleeve shirts at the time. I explained to him that I had tattoos. He said I could get them removed. I explained to him he didnt understand the extent of my tattoos. I then showed him one arm.
He sad that when I converted I would be forgiven, but I could not get any more and to cover them when I can.
As to the Hajj issue, Everlast, the white rap artist did Hajj and he has a large amount of tattoos. He said he never got any issues for it, as a matter of fact, it caused many people to be even more impressed with his conversion.
As a Muslim I have gotten over the issues others have with my tattoos. To be honest I am not a fan of the Muslim community all that much anyways and I have kind of found that my tattoos seperate the judgemental idiots from those who have an open mind and are willing to be genuine friends.
If I could go back and not get them I would, but I cannot, so I dont dwell over it. Would I like the $10,000 or so I spent on them? You bet, that money would buy a lot of diapers. But it would make no sense to sit and dwell on the things I cannot change. For me it means wearing long sleeve shirts even though it is 110 degrees outside because the tattoos would look funny in a building full of engineers and scientists.
My biggest worry now is how do I explain to my two little boys that they cannot get tattoos when Daddy has them. They always point out my tattoos and love to sit and stare at “Daddy’s pictures”.
For me that is more important than any self righteous person whose hidden sins are, in all likelyood, much greater than my very visable ones.
God and I? “We cool”.
Abu Sinan,
Thank you very much for your post and explanations. When I think of tattoos I guess I get the vision of the many marines and other military personnel I’ve seen who will have tattoos with their unit symbols, tattoos of women with large breasts and other such things and that just turned me off!
While I still do not like tattoos I can accept and understand your view of tattoos being like art and willl agree that some indeed can be tasteful (just not on me!).
Yeah….good luck when explaining to the boys! Reminds me of when my son was in his teens and wanted to know why I would not let him bungie jump while I went sky diving….
Abu Sinan, I bet Carol will love your reply. I did! As for explaining to the children, my dh and I always tell our children that they are being raised different than we were and that we did things in our past that were not Islamic.
I actually understand you covering the tatoos for professional reasons more than Islamic. Well then again you have images and other things that may symbolize unislamic things. If it were just say a rose…like a friend of mine has (and who covers hers with a bandaid) then I don’t see the point. It’s already there and you are forgiven for what you did before Islam. Oh and removing them looks worse. Does it actually remove or is it a cover up? cuz what I’ve seen looks more like the ‘Mutawwa’s’ took a black marker to it.
Anyway, reading your comment made me think of this movie I heard about where the star had a blue print of the jail tatooed on his whole body so he could break out of prison.
ummadam…that would be Prison Break…lol.
My sis has a large sun tatoo on her lower back done when she was much younger shapely teen…now older and somewhat larger…its not quite as beautiful as it use to be…lol…she regrets having it done now…but still loves the one on her ankle…those are still the same shape as her teen years…lucky her.
I’ll share my personal experience… when I first met my husband (before marriage) I was sporting a small smiling kitty cat on my right shoulder. He never said a word until when we saw each other next and it was gone. In a surprised and shy tone he asked “did you have your tattoo removed?” I looked at him startled by the question and told him “It came off naturally; it was done with henna since I dislike tattoos.” And only later after we were planning our marriage did he share that while he knew he liked me, seeing what he believed to be a tattoo on my shoulder gave him great pause on whether he wished to get to know me better then or not. His relief was so profound when he learned it had been only temporary henna.
I’m a Christian who is moving to KSA in the next few weeks. I just had my first (and only) tattoo engraved last week. My parents accepted my decision, but I had objections from some Christian friends. They centered around altering my body, and were in spite of many having undergone some of the other physical alterations mentioned above.
Re: tattooing myself as a Christian, God commanded the Israelites in Leviticus to not tattoo themselves….. the book of Revelations says that Jesus had ‘King of Kings and Lord of Lords’ written on his thigh….and the Bible also notes that God has engraved the Israelite’s names on the palms of his hands.
I have wanted a tattoo as a public symbol of my faith and my nationality for a long time. It’s taken me years to settle on a design, but I’m really happy with the outcome.
Umm Adam,
Yeah, my wife and SIL think I look like the Prison Break guys.
Even though the kids are young, 2 and 3, I still let them know when they look at “Daddy’s Pictures” that they shouldnt do it.
Sayf loves horses, like dad, hopefully he avoids the tattoo thing.
My wife, never in her life, imagined being with a white guy, let alone one with tattoos. Her family knows I have tattoos, but I always wear long sleeve shirts around them.
My mother in law says my wife and I were meant for each other because she has two earrings in each ear and I have tattoos. We are “mejaneen” (crazy).
Tattoos, when they are removed, often look much worse than the tattoos themselves. They often look blured, like burns, scars, ect.
I have so many getting them removed isnt an option. A couple of them would have issues with Islam, one being a cross, more a design done for my support of Irish republicanism than anything else.
Anyway, we joke about covering them up with Islamic art, but using a haram method to do Islamic art would be self defeating.
Carol..are you telling us you shoulder was exposed to your husband before he was your husband…gasp horror shock! What a scandalous Ramadan revelation.
Coolred38, my thought exactely!
I had to read that twice: I thought: ”Husband,’… ok” and then: ”just met???? And she’s walking around with bare shoulders????????”
Ok, so it wasn’t a real tattoo, but showing off your shoulders!!???!!!???
Like, every time??????????
Abandoned woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Abu Sinan: there you have it: many people always claim their tattoos commemorate the path they walk in life: Your’s defenitely do! All that’s missing are some nice quran-verses! Oops, not halal!
and it all happened in Pakistan no less…. I guess it was one of those times you just “had to be there…”
Speaking of removing Tattoos….. enjoy this clip..
http://gprime.net/video.php/tattooremover
LOOL. That was so funny. thanks nader
“I agree with Aafke…wait till a procedure is more of a necessity to a man and rulings will change in his favor!”
But of course! That’s why viagra is so readily available in the UAE: little blue pills just beside the register in many pharamacies.
That is a great video! It really emphasizes what might have looked so “cool” when a young teen leaves a very different impression when matured and a responsible parent!
Abu Dhabi, Your comment made me think of one of the Tash ma Tash Ramadan specials this year! (I know…it’s no longer called Tash ma Tash but that is what stays with me) …. one of the characters got married and at one point he’s taken out of his home on a stretcher for having taking too much viagra! In typical Tash ma Tash fashion a point was being made about some of the practices here….
Woehahahaaaaa!
ROTFL!!!
Loved that video.
I once saw a couple of older ladies, older bikerchicks, with old ugly washed out wrinkly tattoos on their arms: must have gotten them in the seventies or so, YUK!!!!! The best deterrent for not getting tattoos ever!
My aunt use to brag that she had all the tattoos she ever wanted without ever once suffering the needle…of course she was referring to her varicose veins….assorted scars from childbirths etc…and one interesting road rash scar obtained from her early hell raising years on a motorbike…lol.
Apart from being prohibited in Islam, I disgust tattoos and dislike those who have it!!
I am sad knowing about all the tough time you were having. In Islam we say that when inflicted with calamity, inshalla it cleanses your sins
Thanks, HS. I pray I don’t encounter any more calamities though! (smile)
I love my tattoo, even though it’s twice it’s original size (as am I), and I want more. That being said.. (from wikipedia:)
“The Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan, traditionally wore facial tattoos. Today one can find Berbers of Tamazgha and Maori of New Zealand with facial tattoos. Tattooing was widespread among Polynesian peoples and among certain tribal groups in the Philippines, Borneo, Mentawai Islands, Africa, North America, South America, Mesoamerica, Europe, Japan, Cambodia, New Zealand and Micronesia. Despite some taboos surrounding tattooing, the art continues to be popular in many parts of the world.”
I refuse to bow to any busybody religion (any) that discounts the cultures and traditions (hello, abaya?) of everyone else in the world, in some arrogant effort to prove they have monopoly on what’s “right”. It’s like born again christians spewing that the other 80% of the world is going to hell because they don’t believe in Jesus. ridiculous. And female “circumcision” (i.e. mutilation) is evil, no matter who says it’s not.
Besides, who care what you’ve done to alter your body when you’re forced to shroud yourself like a ghoul wherever anyone can see you, anyway? makes no sense.
okay. my votes been cast.
)
Thanks for your candid comment, Andrea!
Got here belatedly from the off topic question on the Salukis thread but now I am glad I got to read this interesting post and comments. Some brief thoughts:
I understand there are times when mastectomy requires removal of the nipple because of cancer involvement, but I thought most often these days the surgery is done in such a way as to preserve the nipple and areolar area because they are hard to reconstruct, and psychologically the reconstruction is so important. Is that the case, when medically feasible in Saudi?
When removed, the nipple and areola can be reconstructed as mentionned, and this is best done a relatively short time after full settling of the reconstructed breast. No mention of medical or aesthetic time limit onthe reconstructive tattooing, however. Just a thought.
Many older Arab Muslim women in Morocco have facial tattoos, on forehead, and chin, in abstract patterns. So many haram grannies! Not to mention all the haram eyebrows in the Muslim world!
Re: gender and medical procedures (in my mind and by Canadian insurance guidelines reconstructive tattooing like reconstructive surgery is a medical procedure)–one of my male psychiatry professors used to say that the treatment of choice for pedophiles and rapists would be orchidectomy if men didn’t dominate the surgical profession. (that’s castration by testicle removal, in surgicalese–now you have to have their cooperation to have them take castrating hormones).
All that said, I am speechless at the thought of an unmarried, pseudo-tattooed, bare except for a kitty cat, smiling no less, female shouldergoing about in Pakistan!!!!
Glad your care and recovery seem to be so excellent, American Bedu!
PS so nonplussed I mistyped “shoulder going”!
Chiara – naturally if possible, doctors will try to salvage the nipple and aerola if having performed a mastectomy so it can be “reattached” during reconstruction surgery. However in some cases as I understand it is not an option if the cancer had been too evasive and there remained any risk that cancer could recur due to cells from within the nipple and aerola.
Glad you enjoyed the post. And yes…back in my “wild” days I did indeed sport a kitty on the shoulder for a few days! (LOL)
Thanks for confirming my impression of the high standards and currency of Saudi specialist practise. I did a brief search of islamic ethics and tattoos and cannot find anything. Sometimes Muslims, even knowledgeable ones are unaware of Islamic medical ethics recommendations, eg. in vitro fertilization is acceptable if the sperm is the legal husband’s; abortion is acceptable in a variety of circumstances and dependant on sect, etc.
Looks like a good topic for an Islamic medical ethics scholar–or to put on my topics list! Since that would take time, without wishing to be indiscreet and in no way needing an answer, I hope you are not in need of a tattoo, or can find a non-Saudi islamic ruling in favor, or a willingness elsewhere to perform “reconstructive tattooing”.
You’re welcome Chiara!
Ah ha! For anyone who wants to know (my enquiring mind did!):
Dr. El-Ali happily tattooing areolas and nipples in Birmingham, England, and providing excellent results and reports:
Tattooing of the nipple-areola complex: review of outcome in 40 patients
K. El-Ali, M. Dalal and C.C. Kat
West Midlands Regional Unit for Burns, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, UK
Received 8 October 2004; accepted 24 January 2006. Available online 12 June 2006.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7XNJ-4K5HWWX-4&_user=994540&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050024&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=994540&md5=3588019e1eb2ba95068683e8f7cd4f8e#implicit0
Other surgeons with Arab but less Islamic sounding names are also doing so (seems like mainly in England) but this was the best report I found.
Dr. Jian Farhadi (Iranian?, Shia?) of Basel is also an advocate:
Reconstruction of the nipple-areola complex: an update
Jian Farhadi, , Giedra K. Maksvytyte, Dirk J. Schaefer, Gerhard Pierer and Oliver Scheufler
Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland
Received 12 January 2005; accepted 25 August 2005. Available online 23 November 2005.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B7XNJ-4HR654H-7&_user=994540&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2006&_alid=850462101&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=mlkt&_cdi=29700&_sort=v&_st=17&_docanchor=&_ct=58&_acct=C000050024&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=994540&md5=f5722342b0b816d41a40a2a141f5e7ef
On the other hand, the Islamic bioethics scholars remain deafeningly silent!
and, those who do this particular practice are doing it outside of the Arab world too.
Indeed! I couldn’t even find any doing it in the Arab world in French (the other main language of colonization), not even in Casablanca–a centre for Plastic Surgery tourism, with luxury packages and highly qualified surgeons. They advertise hymen repair/restoration/reduction but nothing so shocking as reconstructive tattooing.
On the other hand I now know where to go to get a total body job (suctions, implants, lifts everywhere), total face job (same), and “intimate” surgical revision of the private parts (labia minora, labia majora, temporary or permanent “imperceptible” creation/recreation of a hymen) by:
a man
http://www.chirurgieesthetiqueaumaroc.com/
or a woman
http://www.maroc-esthetique-chirurgie.com
or both
http://www.chirurgie-esthetique-maroc.com/
Hymen repair/ Islamic ethics should be a hot topic!
A surgeon in Canada does them as a treatment for suicidally depressed, unmarried, deflowered and abandonned, Muslim women immigrants, with great success surgically and psychiatrically (or so he claims).
Thanks for the research and suggestion. I agree – it would indeed be a very hot topic!