Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Forward with democracy: Egypt to revive female genital mutilation in the name of Islam

(RT) Egyptian human rights groups and female activists are alarmed at renewed parliamentary calls to revive the practice of female circumcision. They appeal to the authorities to stop advocating what was officially banned in 2007.

­Recently a Salafi MP, a member of the second-largest party in the country’s parliament, Al Nour, which holds 28 per cent of seats, has urged to renew the practice saying notable Egyptian scholars justified it as part of the “prophetic” Sunnah [a holy work of Islam]. The politician has previously proposed a bill that would allow the practice, also known as female genital mutilation.

Egyptian media say MP al-Shaker remarked that former first lady Suzanne Mubarak was the driving force behind banning it and, as everyone is well aware, the Mubaraks are long since personae non grata in Egypt.

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