''Turi" Among Selected Meranao Women Residing in lligan City

Abstract

This paper is a qualitative study about turi (female circumcision) among Meranao Muslim women in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte. To determine certain sources of explanation for pervasiveness of the practice, the study identifies terms used when referring to turi, and description of beliefs. The essence of turi is examined by identifying and describing the
methods used. Sixteen (16) key informants chosen through snowball sampling were interviewed from November 2006 to February 2007. Pag·lslam and turi are the Meranao terms which the informants use to refer to female circumcision. Most of them believe that turi is a form of baptism of a girl child into the Islamic faith. The origin of turi is traceable to the patriarchal stage of Ibrahim (or Abraham in • the Christian Holy Seri ptures). One implication of the findings on the study emerges from the shift in the terms used by the respondents, that is, from turi to pag·lslam. This modification implies that the concept of turi is evolving from ethno· traditional to religious.