One women's rights issue that she does not hesitate to discuss internationally is the subject of female genital mutilation. As mentioned earlier, Saadawi herself had undergone such a practice at a young age, upon her mother's persuasion, even before she started menstruating. This act marked her not only physically but also mentally. Even though her physical injuries have healed, the psychological trauma this caused many girls lingers and affects how they view themselves; an inner feeling of shame and guilt would follow young girls as they grew up. While many Muslim adults justify this practice as something the Prophet Muhammad ordered, as many hadiths show, the Quran itself appears to oppose such a practice. In the Quran, it is