Following are excerpts from a lecture by Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi, which aired on Qatar TV on October 28, 2006.

Sheik Yousuf Al-Qaradhawi: Female masturbation is more risky than male masturbation. Male masturbation is not as risky. Sometimes women insert finger, and some women insert objects that may be risky, especially since the hymen is very sensitive, and any playing with it may tear it. This might expose the woman to accusations. She may tell them this or that, but they will not believe her. They will think she must have had forbidden relations with some guys. This way, a person exposes himself to accusations of fornication, a woman might be accused of fornication. She will bring disgrace upon herself and her family. This will be a disaster, and some relatives might kill her. Some people do not stop at the boundaries of religious law. Driven by jealousy and rage, they might commit a crime and kill the girl. Obviously, killing her is forbidden and is a grave sin. Even if she did fornicate, she does not deserve to be killed. At most, she should be flogged, if she confesses four times, or if there were witnesses. Therefore, I do not advise the girls ever to resort to this. A girl must be patient. The thing that tempts such girls, I am sad to say, is that they teach one another. One says to the other: "I did this and that," or "I saw a film, in which they did this and that. " Some TV channels, especially European ones, show outrageous sexual things, which are unacceptable by our standards, our moral values, and religious law. These things are rejected. These scandalous, nude films... A girl might learn things from these people. A Muslim girl must commit herself to what her God decreed. She must take care of herself, fast, pray, be God fearing, keep herself busy. She can read a useful book, prepare her homework, join a charity, and spend her time doing things that are useful to her in this world and the world to come, instead of thinking about satisfying her urges, especially in a manner forbidden by religious law.