Has Islamic State ordered FGM for all women and girls?
Islamic State, which controls of a third of Iraq, orders all girls and women in and around Mosul to undergo female genital mutilation, the UN says – but there are claims the edict is a hoax.
The UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator in Iraq, Jacqueline Badcock, said the fatwa issued by Islamic State, which has declared a caliphate state in northern Iraq, could affect four million women and girls.
This is not the will of Iraqi people, or the women of Iraq in these vulnerable areas covered by the terrorists. Jacqueline Badcock
“This is something very new for Iraq, particularly in this area, and is of grave concern and does need to be addressed,” she said.
“This is not the will of Iraqi people, or the women of Iraq in these vulnerable areas covered by the terrorists.”
However, the Independent has reported that the edict – which has been posted around social media – may be a hoax.
The newspaper quoted Shiraz Maher, a senior fellow at King’s College London specialising in the Middle East, as saying he thinks the edict is a hoax – possibly spread by Islamic State’s opponents.
FGM outcry
An international outcry has focused attention of the issue of FGM, also known as FGC (female genital cutting).
This week London hosted the first Girl Summit to tackle the issue of violence against girls – something former Foreign Secretary William Hague, alongside Hollywod A-lister Angelina Jolie, campaigned against.
This harmful and degrading practice is not based on any valid premise. Navi Pillay
It is estimated that an 103,000 women in England and Wales are at risk from female genital mutilation.
Worldwide the problem is generally associated with a number of sub-Saharan African countries, such as Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
According to the UNICEF, in the 29 countries with the highest prevalence rate, more than 125 million girls and women have been subjected to FGM.
Last week Navi Pillay, the human rights chief, called for concerted efforts to address the issue, saying the “harmful and degrading practice is not based on any valid premise”.
“When FGM is eradicated, communities are healthier,” she said. “Freed of the terrible pain and trauma that FGM creates, girls and women are more able to develop their talents and use their skills. Economic, social and political development can surge forward.”