20
Jun
2013
By Calvin at 13:36 GMT, 12 years ago
Many of you will not have seen this interview between the BBC’s correspondent, Aleem Maqbool, and Sheikh Yussef al-Badri, one of Egypt's biggest advocates for what he refers to as female circumcision. I refer to it as Female Genital Mutilation or Grievous Bodily Harm and sadly Infanticide or Manslaughter on some occasions.
Many Muslim and Christian people, particularly in north-east and west Africa, practice this despicable act and I have run two stories about this issue already this year (See links below)
Sheikh Yussef al-Badri who has petitioned Egypt’s courts to make the practice legal again said during the interview that his god Allah orders circumcision, which begs the question why his god gave them something to circumcise in the first place. Although the practice was outlawed in Egypt in 2008 it has been estimated that 70% of women in rural areas still undergo this terrifying and painful procedure.
The cleric went on to say that ‘circumcision’ “Makes the girl control her common sense about sex” and that “she [then] can’t feel in need for man.”
When Aleem Maqbool pointed out that man might also be in need as well his response was “Oh Allah! Control this with marriage.” Well surely, the same can be said for women too, so why the different treatment for women?
Related stories:
26 March 2013 Teachers’ efforts to tackle female genital mutilation hampered http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/b/336/crime-prevention-news/2013/mar/26/teachers-efforts-to-tackle-female-genital-mutilation-hampered/
7 February 2013 Crime Minister speaks out against Female Genital Mutilation http://thecrimepreventionwebsite.com/b/272/crime-prevention-news/2013/feb/07/crime-minister-speaks-out-against-female-genital-mutilation/
Original source BBC News item: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22975400
