After being charged with genital mutilation on two 7 year old girls, Dr. Jumala Nagarwala, a 44-year-old emergency room physician, now claims that it was her religious duty!
She denies mutilating the girls, saying instead that she performed a religious procedure, that did not involve cutting!
After a medical check-up there is clear evidence that the girls were cut!
"There is no religion that promotes FGM and if there is, what kind of religion is this? It's a poor excuse in order to control a woman's sexuality. This woman and all people who claim FGM to be their religious or cultural duty are a real threat to our community. It's terribly wrong. It's against EVERYTHING that God ever created!"- Waris Dirie
Over 500 000 girls and women living in the USA are affected by FGM and the numbers are increasing.
Dr. Nagawala's case is the first to be brought in the USA under a federal law criminalizing the practice. Currently 24 U.S. states have additional laws against FGM.
There are laws against FGM but it's still practiced all over the world.
Governments, religious leaders and everyone of us have to STOP this crime against humanity. Laws are not enough, it needs the willingess to act!
Waris Dirie and her Desert Flower Foundation issued a Manifesto which now, ten years later, is more relevant than ever!
Support us and stop FGM NOW!
We demand:
... everyone in the world to recognise genital mutilation as a problem common to all countries and one we can no longer shut our eyes to;
... every religious community to take a clear stand against the practice of genital mutilation;
... every FGM victim needing help to get the help she needs;
... all governments to issue regulations to protect girls from genital mutilation;
... all governments to pass legislation enabling perpetrators and their accomplices to be brought to justice;
... it to be mandatory for every incident that comes to light of mutilation of a minor to be reported for prosecution;
... all countries to regard genital mutilation as equal to political persecution and as grounds for asylum;
... everyone to be enlightenend about the status of genital mutilation: not culture, but torture;
... all genital mutilation victims at last to be treated with sensitivity and respect;
... all health workers to become well-informed about FGM and to know how to help victims,
... all victims, where it is their wish, to have free access to surgery to counteract the damage and to receive psychological counselling;
... genital mutilation to be a subject that people can and will openly discuss;
... all the groups working to combat FGM to come together and agree on their policy and strategies;
... all organizations working to combat FGM to have sufficient funding to be able to function efficiently;
... everyone to put into action my dream of an end to genital mutilation.
