If an approved person de-infibulates a patient in order for the patient to undergo another medical procedure or childbirth then under the Act that approved person cannot re-infibulate without contravening the Act.

If the patient is indeed re-infibulated after childbirth and while she is no longer under the care of the hospital, then the person/persons who carried out the re-infibulation will be subject to the full force of the law - allegedly...

(I say allegedly, since from 1985 there have been about 140 cases presented for consideration and none have been acted upon - except the present one.)

That the patient may give her approval to re-infibulate and indeed wants it to happen (due to some misguided notion or male pressure) is irrelevant. If she tries to re-infibulate herself, the Act bars anyone from giving her assistance (physical or counselling). She would be unlikely to attempt a sole DIY FGM since that would be considered as Self Harm and in that likely-hood attract social services and a psychiatric examination.

But the Act does need to be clarified with respect to cosmetic labiaplasty and classic FGM - unless it is the express purpose of the Act to also ban cosmetic labiaplasty.

And as Nicko says, get rid of that 'Girl equals woman' paragraph.

https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/law-and-o ... -3-customs

This episode of Law & Order U k features FGM. It may only be available in the U K (?) and for a limited time, and you need to register (free) and disable ad-blockers to watch it.

Quite interesting.

http://twocircles.net/2014apr12/indianorigin_doctor_britain_cleared_genital_mutilation_charge.html

London: A medical tribunal in Britain has cleared an Indian-origin doctor of allegedly performing female genital mutilation on a woman during a routine plastic surgery.

Sureshkumar Pandya, a general practitioner, who did a routine labiaplasty surgery on a 33-year-old woman in East London’s Regency Clinic in March 2012, has been accused of botching up the procedure and mutilating the genitals of the woman, identified only as A, in the process.

The panel found the anatomical result of the procedure could be said "to be equivalent to Female Genital Mutilation'(FGM)," but cleared Pandya of the charge as he did not intend to perform the operation on the woman, Daily Mail reported Friday.

The woman said that the surgery left her feeling "violated and butchered" with virtually the same effects as genital mutilation, the Manchester tribunal heard.

Chair Anthony Morgan said there has been insufficient evidence to prove that Pandya set out to remove all or virtually all of Patient A’s labia minora or vaginal lips.

Well, at least a charge had been brought...

I can't find any details of this man's qualifications but am, anyway, left wondering why anyone would entrust themselves to a GP for such an operation. Unless, of course, he was further qualified but mainly working as a GP.

Oeditor wrote:I can't find any details of this man's qualifications but am, anyway, left wondering why anyone would entrust themselves to a GP for such an operation. Unless, of course, he was further qualified but mainly working as a GP.

Lots of GPs do minor surgery now but I'm not sure you would class this as 'minor' surgery...

Edit. A thought. Since the FGM Act does not differentiate between FGM and labiaplasty, why was he not found guilty under the Act?

Interesting article on Somali FGM here.

It suggests that the best method of bringing the practice of FGM to a halt may be to encourage a progression to less extreme forms (with the goal being the acceptance of methods where no tissue at all is removed) rather than an outright ban. Just to clarify, however, it only advocates this in places like Somalia where FGM is a cultural norm and notes that total bans appear to have been very effective in places that do not have such a widespread norm.

It also finds that the primary reason most people cite for infibulation is not religious at all: it is to ensure the girl or young woman is marriageable.

Nicko wrote:It also finds that the primary reason most people cite for infibulation is not religious at all: it is to ensure the girl or young woman is marriageable.

So no man would have her if she was not infibulated.
Then one of the answers is to educate the men, then the 'need' for this barbaric practice would go away. These ill-educated men are the root cause of the problem - they don't know any other way except it is their 'right' to cause extreme pain to their new bride (as if the hymen is not enough...).

Edit. I suppose their 'logic' - if you can call it that - is if she is 'sewn-up' then her hymen will remain intact until her wedding night.

Alan B wrote:

Nicko wrote:It also finds that the primary reason most people cite for infibulation is not religious at all: it is to ensure the girl or young woman is marriageable.

So no man would have her if she was not infibulated.

Not what the guys interviewed seemed to be saying. On the contrary, they seemed to be recognising that infibulation posed serious risks to women's safety.

Though there was a case recounted where a woman was divorced by her new husband when he found out that she was not infibulated. The sample for the study could suffer from a bit of self-selection.

Alan B wrote:Then one of the answers is to educate the men, then the 'need' for this barbaric practice would go away. These ill-educated men are the root cause of the problem - they don't know any other way except it is their 'right' to cause extreme pain to their new bride (as if the hymen is not enough...).

Yep. Causing pain to their new bride. That's definitely what the men surveyed were interested in.[/sarcasm]

It seems I neglected to provide a link to Fuambai Ahmadu's own website before. It appears she has undergone Type II, not III.

It should be explained to the young men that before they can have sex with an infibulated woman, their penis must be slimmed down to size. I have a rotary pencil sharpener they can have.

Nicko wrote:Interesting article on Somali FGM here.

Interesting article, but it does have its limitations as the authors admit.

Abstract wrote:Against this background, this paper explores the attitudes of Somalis living in Hargeisa and Galkayo districts to the practice of FC. Methods. A purposive sampling of 24 Somalis, including activists and practitioners, men and women, was conducted in Somalia.

5. Discussions and Conclusions wrote:This study has some limitations. The results of the study reflect the perceptions of a limited number of participants in the study, and not necessarily those of the entire Somali population in Somalia. The failure to generalize the findings of this study to the Somali community in Somalia is a general limitation of the qualitative methods used. Most of the views and opinions were repeatedly expressed among different individuals, and the result is consistent with our earlier quantitative results in Hargeisa, thereby increasing our confidence in the validity of the findings.

But what is interesting is the assumptions made by the Somali religious authorities that the Sunna (Type I) method is 'Islam approved' but the Egyptian and Saudi religious authorities say it has nothing to do with Islam.

5. Discussions and Conclusions wrote:Generally speaking, supporters of Sunna circumcision use a single Hadith as a justification for their argument. The hadith says, “Do not cut too severely, as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.” However, many religious scholars regarded this passage as having little credibility or authenticity. Even so, the Koran clearly rejects an alteration of the human body from the way God has created it. Female circumcision is therefore a controversial topic within Muslim circles; still, the important point to note is that Islam safeguards women’s rights to sexual enjoyment and health, and if female circumcision violated those rights it would automatically be considered as being forbidden.

(So why doesn't some Islamic cleric issue a Hadith countermanding that Hadith - or can they do that?)

4.6.2. Uncooperative Opinion Leaders wrote: After people understood the health problems of FC, they asked religious leaders about the position of Islam on FC, and they were told to use the Sunna circumcision. We invited some Somali religious leaders to Saudi Arabia, where they were told that FC has nothing to do with Islam. When we came back home, they insisted that the Sunna should not be stopped. People said that if we abandoned Pharaonic circumcision, then let us keep doing the Sunna. (56-year-old female activist)

We invited highly academic religious leaders from Alazar[sic] University in Egypt to come here, and they supported the total abandonment of FC. Somali religious leaders did not accept that by saying that the Sunna form should continue. (47-year-old female activist)

It would seem that the Somali religious leaders are using Islam to continue an age-old tradition probably dating even before Islam.

Alan B wrote:It would seem that the Somali religious leaders are using Islam to continue an age-old tradition probably dating even before Islam.

I'd say that is pretty accurate.

It's a situation people here are likely familiar with: customs being shielded from critical scrutiny by their religious association.

What we really have to ask ourselves is what is the most effective way to end this practice. The reason I brought this article up is it illustrates why women in places like Somalia - who know, first hand, what infibulation means - might think it a rational choice to have their daughters infibulated, and why an abolitionist approach might be counterproductive.

I would say the longer-term solution is to create opportunities that mean women's survival is not dependent upon marriage. That's going to mean economic development, it's going to mean widely available education, it's going to mean a stable society. That's not something you can get in Somalia with a snap of your fingers. Although it is possible, it's going to take time.

In the shorter-term, a "harm reduction" policy seems likely to get less-horrible results. That is encouraging the move to less mutilation is the policy most likely to reduce the suffering of women in places like Somalia where infibulation is widespread. Advocating no mutilation will get you ignored and lied to if you're a Westerner and lynched if you're a Somali. Move to the "Sunni Cut" - which is very loosely defined - and you're on the way to breaking down this norm.

The knock-on effect in our own countries - just to take a parochial view - should be obvious.

Nicko wrote:It also finds that the primary reason most people cite for infibulation is not religious at all: it is to ensure the girl or young woman is marriageable.

And yet it concludes

There are a number of assumptions for the potential of this strategy in abolishing FC in Somalia. First, the “the pinch of the clitoral hood” may break the religious argument surrounding the practice, which is the most important argument for the continuation of FC among Somalis, and it may neutralize the religious leaders’ opposition to total abandonment.

then

it will break the link between marriageability and FC, which is the second main reason for perpetuating FC in Somalia

Although I don't think this is news, it was discussed in the TV programme that was the subject of the other FGM thread.

HomerJay wrote:

Nicko wrote:It also finds that the primary reason most people cite for infibulation is not religious at all: it is to ensure the girl or young woman is marriageable.

And yet it concludes

There are a number of assumptions for the potential of this strategy in abolishing FC in Somalia. First, the “the pinch of the clitoral hood” may break the religious argument surrounding the practice, which is the most important argument for the continuation of FC among Somalis, and it may neutralize the religious leaders’ opposition to total abandonment.

then

it will break the link between marriageability and FC, which is the second main reason for perpetuating FC in Somalia

Although I don't think this is news, it was discussed in the TV programme that was the subject of the other FGM thread.

As I said, a progressive approach to FGM in countries where it is currently the norm may well get us to "zero FGMs" faster and with less resistance than trying to get to zero in one step. Break the link with religion, and people can actually criticise the practice without looking like a heretic. Break the link with marriageability - probably best done by educating as to the increased risks of sterility and labour complications - and you remove the incentive for women to have bits carved off their daughters.

As I also said, the knock-on effect for our societies should be obvious. By which I meant, our problem of ethnic communities that may continue to practice FGM is entirely a function of immigration from cultures where FGM is the norm.

Nicko wrote: Move to the "Sunni Cut" - which is very loosely defined - and you're on the way to breaking down this norm.

But in the article you cited it specifically says NOT to mention the Sunna Cut because that will strengthen the tie to the religious aspect.

(Sunni is a branch of Islam, Sunna means the stories of the life of Mo, used when the Quran ain't quite enough).

From Nicko's article link:

1. Background wrote:The term “Sunna,” literally means “tradition” in Arabic. For Somalis though, the word “Sunna” means any tradition of the Prophet Mohamed that his followers preserve. As a result, many Somalis may opt for this form, subsequently becoming resistant to abandoning any practice that carries the name “Sunna”

It seems to be a peculiarly Somali interpretation...

This Islam is just as messed-up as Christianity.

Alan B wrote:From Nicko's article link:

1. Background wrote:The term “Sunna,” literally means “tradition” in Arabic. For Somalis though, the word “Sunna” means any tradition of the Prophet Mohamed that his followers preserve. As a result, many Somalis may opt for this form, subsequently becoming resistant to abandoning any practice that carries the name “Sunna”

It seems to be a peculiarly Somali interpretation...

Not at all, it's the usual interpretation.

You have the Quran, the Sunna and the Hadith.

They're the cornerstones of fuckwittery.

Why all this shrinking from detecting, reporting and charging? We can do nothing about what happens in Somalia but it is fucking illegal here and has been for years. Young boys have been subjected to groping by school doctors for yonks, to determine whether their testicles have descended. Why shouldn't girls be given a once-over likewise? Then any found to have been mutilated can be reported and their parents or guardians prosecuted the next week for having either caused or aided and abetted the mutilation? What's so difficult about that?

Guardian

FGM: first suspects to be charged appear in court

Dr Dhanuson Dharmasena

Two men have appeared in court for the first female genital mutilation (FGM) prosecution in the UK. Dr Dhanuson Dharmasena, 31, from Whittington hospital, north London, and Hasan Mohamed, 40, who is not a medical professional, face the first charges brought under the Female Genital Mutilation Act (2003) in the landmark case.

Dharmasena is accused of carrying out the procedure on a woman after she had given birth in November 2012. It is alleged that he repaired the FGM that had previously been carried out on the patient, after being encouraged and helped by Mohamed.

Lawyers defending both men told Westminster magistrates court that the pair would plead not guilty. Dharmasena, wearing a grey suit, spoke only to confirm his name and address. Mohamed, wearing a grey hooded top and a scarf around his neck, gave his name. His address was not read out in court. Both men were granted unconditional bail and are next due to appear at Southwark crown court on 2 May.

Ottawa Citizen
I wasn't aware of this. I thought that FGM, whether initiating or repairing, was illegal in the, er, developed world.
Apparently in Canada this UK case would not have been brought.

A doctor in Britain faces up to 14 years in prison under that country’s Female Mutilation Act for allegedly performing an operation that is condoned in Canada by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists as part of a “culturally competent” approach to medical care.
In the first-ever prosecution under the British law, Dr. Dhanuson Dharmasena of London’s Whittington Hospital has been accused of leading the operation while Hasan Mohamed is charged with aiding and abetting him. They are to appear in a London court on Tuesday.
The procedure involved is known as reinfibulation, in which the vagina of a woman previously subjected to infibulation, the most serious form of female genital mutilation (FGM), is sewn up again after she has given birth, leaving a smaller opening.

Dr. Beverley Chalmers of the University of Ottawa believes that Canadian doctors should not be permitted to perform any form of genital mutilation that is not clinically necessary.