Razor's Edge - The Controversy of Female Genital Mutilation
According to a study conducted in a small rural village in Sierra Leone, 83 percent of women who had undergone FGM would require medical attention at some point in their lives for a condition resulting from the procedure.
- A study of one hospital in Alexandria (Egypt) found that 1,967 hospital days were used in one year to treat FGM-related ailments.
- The highest maternal and infant mortality rates are in FGM-practicing regions.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Dutch intellectual, Feminist Activist, Writer, and Politician): Why "Nicking" Muslim Girls is Wrong
In an interview with Tina Brown, editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast, Ayaan Hirsi Ali argues that "nicking" a purportedly moderate form of female genital cutting is no compromise.
Insanity: American Academy of Pediatrics "moderates" view on female genital mutilation
This decision -- to approve of the idea of a "ritualized nick" on a girl's genitalia -- is as pointless as it is dangerous. For those who insist on following prescribed degrees of mutilation, which are primarily enforced in Muslim countries, a token gesture will not be enough to keep them from traveling overseas or seeking a more severe form of the practice wherever they can. And the girl still suffers the trauma of a ritualized sexual assault - potentially twice, if, for example, the "nick" is the parents' ruse to throw health care providers off the trail of further intended damage, or if they simply change their minds... Read more
