This slideshow contains explicit photographs in the later slides. You’ll be forewarned prior to these slides to exit the slideshow if needed.

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WARNING!
This slideshow contains explicit photographs
in the later slides. You’ll be forewarned prior
to these slides to exit the slideshow if needed.
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Inside a Female-Circumcision Ceremony
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/01/20/magazine/20080120_CIRCUMCISION_SLIDESHOW_index.html
Magazine
A Cutting Tradition: Female Circumcision in
Indonesia
by Stephanie Sinclair
http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=676 2

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Another barbaric act brought to you by “the religion of peace”. These photos were taken
in April 2006 at an annual “ceremony”, sponsored by the Assalaam Foundation, an Islamic
educational and social-services organization in Indonesia, where female circumcisions
take place in a prayer center or an emptied-out elementary-school classroom where
desks are pushed together and covered with sheets and a pillow to serve as makeshift
beds.
According to the NY Times,
“another barbaric act brought to you by “the religion of peace”. These photos were taken
in April 2006 at an annual “ceremony”, sponsored by the Assalaam Foundation, an Islamic
educational and social-services organization in Indonesia, where female circumcisions
take place in a prayer center or an emptied-out elementary-school classroom where
desks are pushed together and covered with sheets and a pillow to serve as makeshift
beds.”
The NY Times calls this horrific practice “a ceremony”, a tactic to dilute the barbaric
nature of Islam’s genital mutilation customs and its inherent misogyny. The NY Times has,
as David Gutmann says,
“avoided that Mother of All Pathologies – the Arab male’s denigration of his women. A
few critical references about honor killings and female genital mutilation and that’s about
it. Perhaps because the Deep Thinkers can’t blame Islamic misogyny on Bush, they won’t
touch it in any depth.” 3

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A Cutting Tradition: Female Circumcision in Indonesia
by Stephanie Sinclair
When a girl is taken - usually by her mother - to a free circumcision event held
each spring in Bandung, Indonesia, she is handed over to a small group of
women who, swiftly and yet with apparent affection, cut off a small piece of her
genitals. Sponsored by the Assalaam Foundation, an Islamic educational and
social-services organization, circumcisions take place in a prayer center or an
emptied-out elementary-school classroom where desks are pushed together and
covered with sheets and a pillow to serve as makeshift beds. The procedure
takes several minutes. There is little blood involved. Afterward, the girl’s genital
area is swabbed with the antiseptic Betadine. She is then helped back into her
underwear and returned to a waiting area, where she’s given a small, celebratory
gift - some fruit or a donated piece of clothing - and offered a cup of milk for
refreshment. She has now joined a quiet majority in Indonesia, where, according
to a 2003 study by the Population Council, an international research group, 96
percent of families surveyed reported that their daughters had undergone some
form of circumcision by the time they reached 14.
These photos were taken in April 2006, at the foundation’s annual mass
circumcision, which is free and open to the public and held during the lunar
month marking the birth of the prophet Muhammad
http://www.viiphoto.com/showstory.php?nID=676
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A young girl cries after being circumcised. While religion was the main reason for circumcisions, it is believed by
some locals that a girl who is not circumcised would have unclean genitals after she urinates which could lead to
cervical cancer. It is also believed if one prays with unclean genitals, their prayers won't be heard.
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A young girl screams during her circumcision. The families of 248 girls were given money to have their children
circumcised in a mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet Mohammed's birthday. The World
Health Organization has deemed the ritual unnecessary and condemns such practices.
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A young girl hesitates as she is readied for the procedure. The families of 248 girls were given money to have
their children circumcised in a mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.7

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A young girl sits with her mother after her circumcision. The families of 248 girls were given money to have their
children circumcised in a mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.8

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A young girl pulls her panties back up after the procedure. The practitioners used scissors to cut the hood and tip
of the clitoris. The World Health Organization has deemed the ritual unnecessary and condemns such practices.9

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A young girl cries during the procedure. While religion was the main reason for circumcisions, it is believed by
some locals that a girl who is not circumcised would have unclean genitals after she urinates which could lead to
cervical cancer. It is also believed if one prays with unclean genitals their prayers won't be heard.
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A young girl pulls her panties back up after the procedure. The practitioners used scissors to cut the hood and tip
of the clitoris. The World Health Organization has deemed the ritual unnecessary and condemns such practices.11

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A young girl watches as other girls are circumcised. The families of 248 girls were given money to have
their children circumcised in a mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet Mohammed's
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A young girl pulls her panties back up after the procedure. The practitioners used scissors to cut the hood and tip
of the clitoris. The World Health Organization has deemed the ritual unnecessary and condemns such practices.13

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Tears are wiped from the face of nine-month-old Rima Apip after her circumcision. The practitioners used
scissors to cut the hood and tip of the clitoris. The World Health Organization has deemed the ritual unnecessary
and condemns such practices.
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Midwives wait for their next patients. While religion was the main reason for circumcisions, it is believed by some
locals that a girl who is not circumcised would have unclean genitals after she urinates which could lead to
cervical cancer. It is also believed if one prays with unclean genitals, their prayers won't be heard.
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With Koranic writing on the walls, the families of 248 girls bring their children to be circumcised in a
mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.
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A young girl is comforted after the procedure. While religion was the main reason for circumcisions, it is believed
by some locals that a girl who is not circumcised would have unclean genitals after she urinates which could lead
to cervical cancer. It is also believed if one prays with unclean genitals, their prayers won't be heard.
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A young girl is comforted by her mother after the procedure. The World Health Organization has deemed female
circumcision unnecessary and condemns such practices. 18

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A young girl sits quietly after the procedure. The families of 248 girls were given money to have their children
circumcised in a mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet Mohammed's birthday. 19

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A young girl is comforted by her mother at the event. The families of 248 girls were given money to
have their children circumcised in a mass circumcision celebration timed to honour the Prophet
Mohammed's birthday.
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Despite a 2006 government ban, female circumcision - even amongst babies –
continues in Indonesia. (Photo: Ester de Jong/IRIN)
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Dede Jafar playing with her ten
month old granddaughter. Dede
did not hesitate for a moment to
have her only granddaughter
circumcised. Female circumcision
is still widely practised in
Indonesia, even after the
government ban.
(Photo: Ester de Jong/IRIN)
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BOP 2009 Still Photo Winners
Photojournalist of the Year
2nd
Place Andrea Bruce
Sheelan's Circumcision
A seven-year-old girl is taken by her mother to be circumcised in
Kurdish Iraq, where more than 60 percent of women have undergone
the traditional and controversial procedure.
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A group of girls are gathered at a home in Iraqi Kurdistan where they are told there is a party. In
reality, their mothers have brought them to a midwife who will circumcise the girls. Female
circumcision is a rite of passage for most girls in Kurdistan. It is meant to “cleanse” them of
improper or sexual thoughts and actions. “Female Circumcision” Andrea Bruce
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Sheelan enters a room looking for the party her mother had promised. As a local woman closed the
door behind her, her mother told her to take off her underwear. 25

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Sheelan Anwar Omer, 7, enters a room looking for the party her mother had promised. As a local
woman closed the door behind her, her mother told her to take off her underwear. “I do this in the
name of Allah!” intoned the midwife before conducting the female circumcision.
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A midwife prepares the site where she will circumcise several young girls, starting with
Halla who is 8. “Female Circumcision”
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Neighborhood girls peek inside the house where Sheelan is circumcised.
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The midwife comforts Sheelan Anwar Omer, 7, after cutting part of her genitals in a circumcision using a new
razor. “This is the practice of the Kurdish people for as long as anyone can remember,” said the mother, Aisha
Hameed, 30, a housewife in this ethnically mixed town 150 miles north of Baghdad.
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In northern Iraq, a midwife slices part of Sheelan Anwar Omer’s, 7, genitals while performing a female
circumcision. Female circumcision is a rite of passage for most girls in Kurdistan. It is meant to “cleanse” them of
improper or sexual thoughts and actions. Maharoub Juwad Nawchas, the 40-year-old midwife, also delivered
Omer and is a trusted and valued member of the neighborhood.
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Sheelan continues to cry after her circumcision.
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Source: http://bop.nppa.org/2009/still_photography/winners/?cat=OPY&place=2nd&item=137215
Sheelan Anwar Omer, 7, continues to cry after a female circumcision was preformed on her. More than 60
percent of women in Kurdish areas of northern Iraq have been circumcised, according to a study conducted this
year. In at least one Kurdish territory, 95 percent of women have undergone the practice, which human rights
groups call female genital mutilation.
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Sheelan receives a bag of candy and soda from her mother after being circumcised.
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One of six young girls brought by their parents to be circumcised rests on the floor after the operation,
covering her genitals with her hands. She barely moved until someone brought her a blonde doll. 34

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Two girls were found to be too small for the operation. They stood watching the other girls who were
circumcised sob and recover. 35

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Girls rest together after being circumcised. A midwife came to a home where six girls were
prepared for circumcisions, but were told they were attending a party. One by one, the girls were
circumcised and led to this temporary recovery room.
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Midwife Maharoub Juwad Nawchas counts the money she earned for circumcising Sheelan and five other girls.
She charges 4,000 Iraqi dinars, or just under $3.50, for a circumcision. She learned from her mother, who used
to perform the procedure for free. She has circumcised about 30 girls a year for the past two decades.
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Sheelan Anwar Omer, 7, is carried home by her mother after her female circumcision. “This is the practice of the
Kurdish people for as long as anyone can remember,” said the mother, Aisha Hameed, 30, a housewife in this
ethnically mixed town 150 miles north of Baghdad. “We don’t know why we do it, but we will never stop because
Islam and our elders require it.”
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Magazine
Battling a Tradition
Photo: Shawn Baldwin for The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/09/19/world/middleeast/0914GIRLS_index.html
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At Tanta University in Egypt, the backdrop for speakers at a symposium in August read, "The Beginning of the End, No to Female
Circumcision." The Egyptian government, religious authorities and activists have united in an effort to end the tradition, which is so
common that a survey in 2005 found that 96 percent of Egyptian women had undergone it.
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Egyptian health care workers and nursing students held a moment of silence to honor a 13 year-old girl
who died in August during an operation to have her clitoris removed. After the death, Egyptian authorities
shut down the clinic, but an elder in the village in which the girl lived said, "Even if the state doesn't like it,
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Marie Assaad, an 84-year-old anthropologist, has been involved in the fight against genital cutting since the
1950s. "I never thought I would live to see this day," she said, referring to an article on the subject in a widely
circulated daily newspaper. Ms. Assaad helped to convince Suzanne Mubarak, the influential wife of Egypt's
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Young girls outside the shuttered clinic where a 13-year-old girl died in August during a genital
cutting operation. 43

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Men at a tea shop across the street from the clinic. One aspect of the government's attempts to end the
practice has been to produce a booklet explaining that the procedure is not called for in Islam. In
neighboring Saudi Arabia, the practice is viewed as abhorrent, a relic of pre-Islamic traditions.
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Egyptian actors perform the play "Think Twice," designed to raise awareness of social issues
including drug abuse, unemployment and genital cutting. In this scene, a family is considering
whether a young girl should undergo the operation.
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The play has been performed in villages across Egypt. Egypt's health ministry, which ordered a
nationwide ban in 1996, is making a new effort at enforcement. 46

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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
In Africa, female circumcision is widespread. In some areas the
practice is virtually universal, in others (such as Egypt and Kenya) it
affects about half of all girls. In Senegal and Tanzania 10 to 15
percent of girls are circumcised. Of the four different types of
operation, total infibulation - where only a tiny vaginal opening
remains - is the most severe. Despite the pain and anguish caused
by this genital mutilation few women are opposed to it, because it
lends them a higher status in their communities and is a prerequisite
for marriage and childbearing. It is estimated that two million girls
annually have their genitals wholly or partly removed. This is the
story of Seita Lengila (16).
Penina, a 13-year-old Maasai girl, sits on a sheepskin laid at the
door of her mother's hut. Her legs are held open by her aunts while
an elderly circumciser makes rapid cuts to her genitals. Without any
anesthesia and forbidden to cry out or show fear, the girl bites on a
cloth during the 10-minute operation until the circumciser is through.
Read more at this link…
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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
The night before her circumcision ritual, 16-year-old Seita
Lengila's head is shaven and she is painted with ceremonial red
ocher by girls from surrounding villages. 51

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The circumcision of Seita Lengila (16) is carried out with a
double-edged razor blade. Goat's fat is applied to help stem the
flow of blood.
A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
Seita Lengila (16) is held down by other women during the
circumcision operation, which is carried out with a double-edged
razor blade.
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Girl shuts her eye in pain while
FGM is being performed
Photo: Stephanie Welsh
A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Ste
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A girl sitting in a pool of her own blood after FGM
Photo: Stephanie Welsh
A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
When her circumcision is over, Seita Lengila (16), sits crying in
her house.
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Outside, some of her father's six wives and the circumciser sing
and dance.
A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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Outside, some of her father's six wives and the circumciser
sing and dance.
A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Stephanie Welsh
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After her circumcision, Seita
Lengila (16), comes
staggering out to the bush to
examine herself.
A Dangerous Rite of Passage by Ste
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Female Genital Mutilation --Philip Jol
Nuba Mountains, Sudan- June 2003: Held in place by several women, Dou, a young girl from
the Nuba Mountains is circumcised. Though illegal by law many girls under go the same
treatment to secure their future as a married woman. The worst possible form is the
Pharaonic Circumcision which Dou was treated for. After the clitoris and minora adjacent labia
are removed the vagina is closed with a thread leaving only a small opening for urine and
future menstruation blood. It will be Dou's future husband to open her again. 60

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Source: http://ladi-ladebofilms.net/in_the_name_of_tradition.htm
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[Ethiopia] FGM is practiced predominantly in Africa, 28 out of 53 countries carry out FGM although 16
countries have passed national laws prohibiting FGM.
These girls dance in the initiation ceremony that leads to their circumcision. If they refuse FGM they
will be discriminated against or ostracized from their community
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[Sierra Leone] All female member of the family of girls who will undergo FGM are
present at the ceremony. In Sierra Leone the majority of women practice FGM
through secrets societies.
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People gather around teenage girls from Uganda's Sebei tribe who have just undergone female
genital mutilation in Bukwa district, about 357 km (214 miles) northeast of Kampala (Photo: Reuters).64

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Worldwide Campaigns Against
FGM
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In-depth: Razor's Edge - The Controversy
of Female Genital Mutilation
Documentary: Razor's Edge: The Controversy of Female Genital Mutilation (16:48 min)
Download this in-depth report
3.2MB
Download Film and PDF file
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An Ethiopian girl in a meeting organised an NGO campaigning against FGM. She is worried
because she doesn’t know how she will get a husband if she refuses to be circumcised 67

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10-year commemoration of the first public abandonment of female genital mutilation in the
Senegalese village of Malicounda Bambara.
© Heba Aly/IRIN
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A young woman walks past a campaign banner against female genital mutilation (FGM) at the venue of an
International conference in Nairobi 2004. The IOM estimates that 100-140 million women and girls have
suffered from the traditional practice.
Photograph by: Simon Maina, AFP/Getty Images69

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STANDING UP AGAINST FGM 70

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FATIMA SIAD: A Top Model’s Mission
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Source: http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=25440
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Source: http://www.mangojuicer.com.au/fgm.php
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Source:
http://mashuavoiceforthevoiceless.blogspot.com/2009/12/urgent-please-save-girla-call-
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Campaign to stop excision in Burkina Faso
Inter-Parliamentary Union
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Source:
http://osmanart.homestead.com/artandmedicine6.html
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The Cut: A Documentary
“The Cut” is a short documentary about Mary (14 years old) and Alice (early 20’s) from
Kenya. Both are affected by the traditional rite of passage into womenhood: genital
cutting.
Mary and her community are preparing for her ceremonial cutting.
Alice is studying to be a social worker to work against female genital mutilation. As the
first in her community to refuse the practice, she has paid a high price for her choice to
break with tradition.
Alice tells of the different myths she encounters in the community around her, as to why
circumcision is practiced. Mary, on the other hand, has no voice. She just goes through
the preparations and rituals in silence.
Director: Linda May Kallestein
Photographer: Justo N. Casal
Editor: Trine Nordmark Børstad
Producer: Phantomfilm
Download the film for free: http://www.thecutdocumentary.org/
http://www.phantomfilm.no/thecut/Video/Thecut_english_high_H264.mov 519MB
http://www.phantomfilm.no/thecut/Video/Thecut_english_low_H264.mov 266MB
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This is one of a series of three
posters for Amnesty International's
campaign against female genital
mutilation (FGM). The three different
posters, each showing a different
coloured rose, with different stitching,
show the variations of FGM across
the world.
(text at the bottom of the
poster): Every year, two million girls
suffer the pain of genital mutilation –
a clear violation of their human
rights. No government should
continue to support this crime. Help
us to stop violence against women.
Give your support at
www.amnesty.se
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Some African women are forced to have their clitorises cut off and vaginas
sewn up to show that they are still chaste when they get married. Horrific
right? So why is it that western women are now paying ££££s for surgeons
to give them a "trim"? 88

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6 February is the International Day of Zero Tolerance of female
genital mutilation. This day is used to raise awareness of the issue
female genital mutilation, which affects 3 million girls every year.
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News aNd resources oN FGM
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UK Guardian-British girls undergo horror of genital multilation
UK Guardian-Female circumcision growing in Britain despite being illegal
UK Guardian-British girls undergo horror of genital mutilation despite tough law
Mail Online-The unspeakable practice of female circumcision that's destroying young wo
UK Guardian-Summer holiday circumcision: girls' bodies at risk
http://www.mgf.uab.es/docs/Rushwan_2000.pdf
Female Circumcision Threatens Girls in Germany | Germany
ABC News-Female Genital Cutting Affecting Young Girls In America
Female circumcision migrating to West: IOM
The Asia Magazine-Female Genital Mutilation – on the Rise in Indonesia
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Iraqi Kurdish cleric says female circumcision recommended by Islam
"Don't touch the Children : Female Circumcision in Malaysia
FGM: It happens in Malaysia too - The Malaysian Insider By Dina
Zaman February 03, 2011
Malaysiakini: Female circumcision a la M’sia
MalaysiaKini-Female genital mutilation: 'Don't touch the children‘
Female circumcision could cause infertility - Malaysian Babes
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Bird’s Eye View of Female Circumcision
Watch ETV Live
A disturbing "birds eye" view about the atrocities and human rights abuses that
revolve around female circumcision in many parts of Africa. Regrettably, cultural
mores have prolonged this inhumane...
Female genital mutilation in Kurdistan:
A midwife's tale
Over 20 years, Naksheen Moustafa has performed the controversial procedure on
more than 500 girls in her village of Rania, in northern Iraq. She explains how it is
carried out
Martin Chulov and Laurence Topham guardian.co.uk, Monday 5 July 2010
Play Video on
Vanguard Female Genital Cutting
Mariana van Zeller takes a look at the tradition of female circumcision in Africa.
She travels to rural villages in Sierra Leone with an activist who faces a tough
battle to put an end to the practice.
Length: 07:43 Posted: 4/28/2010
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YouTube-Horror of Female Cicumcision 8 Feb 08
AlJazeeraEnglish
Female genital mutilation is carried out for cultural and religious reasons. Women
across the world are affected by the practice which is widely recognised as a
violation of human rights.
Youtube-Annesty International-
Female Genital Cutting
Circoncision feminine En Egypte
by alpanery
Senegal: Beyond Tradition 9 mins 59 sec
Dialyma’s father had forbidden his mother to cut his daughter. The grandmother cut Dialyma
against her wishes. Now her father has joined a growing movement fighting to end female
genital mutilation. He says change must come from the grassroots.
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ESCAPE Intro Clip by Benjamin Lowy/Marvi Lacar
Stories of Female Genital Mutilation and Early Marriage in Kenya
ESCAPE Trailer from Benjamin Lowy/Marvi Lacar
Trailer for ESCAPE a documentary on Maasai girls who ran away
from Female Genital Mutilation and child marriage in Kenya
Ari Hires: Female Genital Mutilation in Egypt by PIT Journal
This presentation is part of the 2011 PIT Works in Progress Conference and
was presented on March 17, 2011. .
FGM in Kenya: A Human Rights Alert April 2011
Education sans Excision – Trailer by Lukas May April 2011
This is a Trailer for my documentary "Education sans Excision"
about the Project against Female Genital Cutting from Sister Fa in Senegal.
A disturbing 2010 study reveals that every year more than three million
African girls are at risk of experiencing Female Genital Mutilation. FGM,
traditionally known as circumcision, is used to describe a variety of
surgical procedures, ranging in severity, that are performed on the
genitals of women and girls in many parts of the world. Despite being
outlawed throughout Africa the practice continues, especially among
many of the continent’s rural tribes. Major Multimedia documents the
impact of FGM and forced early marriage on young girls in Kenya.
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Female Genital Mutilation
californiaimmigration.us
The Law Offices of Brian D. Lerner presents a video on Immigration Law
discussing the basics of female genital mutilation and when to present evidence.
How Did Female Genital Mutilation Start?
Left to Right in this video -
Rev. Dr. Bill Crowell, Moderator (President of the Board of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry)
Imad Enchassi, Islamic Society of Greater Oklahoma City
Sister Allison Moore, Board President of the Surayya Anne Foundation – the local Muslim
women’s shelter
Sister Sheryl Siddiqui, Director of Community Relations for the Islamic Society of Tulsa
This is part of a collaborative effort filmed in January 2011 entitled "The Islamic Agenda in
Oklahoma" by organizations in Tulsa, Oklahoma:
Alel (Little shell) - Female Genital Mutilation by Francesca Gentile
Kassida and Suad analyse why this tradition keeps going on. They both
condemn infibulation, but don’t condemn women who practice it. They
first want to understand why a woman would want to infibulate her daughter: it’s for her future,
otherwise she won’t get married and she will be refused by society.
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
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The Cutting Tradition –
Director: Nancy Durrel McKenna & John Howarth
Synopsis of the Film: The Cutting Tradition: Insights into female genital
mutilation, narrated by Meryl Streep 2009
It is estimated that up to 140 million women and girls have undergone some form of female
genital mutilation (FGM). FGM should not be viewed as an isolated practice. Its justification is
that it is an important initiation which reinforces virginity, chastity, purity, marriageability and
fidelity.
The Cutting Tradition: Insights into female genital mutilation, narrated by Meryl Streep, was
filmed in five countries: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UK, and highlights the
complex social, religious, cultural and economic issues which underpin the ongoing practice of
FGM.
The 47 minute documentary was produced by Nancy Durrell McKenna, Founder Director, of
SafeHands for Mothers for the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO)
and launched at its World Congress in Cape Town in October 2009
Desert Flower Trailer
Her story touched the hearts of millions: Waris Diries book "Desert Flower",
which recounts her incredible journey from an African nomad girl to an international top model,
became a worldwide bestseller with more than 11million sold copies. This is the inspiring story
of an extraordinary, proud and brave woman now adapted for the screen: a modern fairy tale
between dazzling glamour and archaic rituals, full of vitality, emotional depth and enormous
compassion and at the same time a gripping plea against the terrible and inhuman tradition of
female genital mutilation.
UNICEF (HD 720p)
This award-winning spot for Unicef tackles the difficult subject matter of
female genital mutilation, gearing minimalist storytelling for maximum
effect. Directed by Mike Huber 98

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UNICEF FGM (HD 720p)
This Unicef commercial tackles the difficult subject matter of female genital
mutilation. The spot has garnered numerous prestigious awards such as
the EDI, Art Directors Club of Switzerland as well as taking last years Mobius Award, winning
in Television and nominated for Best of Show.
Director: Mike Huber, Producer: Playground
Trailer: Djénéba's Story
Djénéba' from Bougounissaba village in Mali talks about what effect
female genital mutilation / cutting has had on her and her family and
how the mobile cinema and its charismatic leader Kadija changed her life.
This is a companion piece to the full 19 minute film 'The Last Cut' that delves deeper into the
cultural and health issues that surround FGM/C.
thelastcut.org
Stop FGM in 15 minutes
In 15 minutes we show the highlights of movies we made on the
prevention of Female Genital Mutilation in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and the Netherlands.
Everything Was Life by Ellie Land
This award winning animated documentary explores the practice of
Female Genital Mutilation.
Africa Rising – Trailer
Africa Rising is a powerful documentary portraying the indomitable
grassroots movement to end female genital mutilation. Traveling through
remote villages in Burkin
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NZ-What is FGM?
NZ-Where is FGM practiced?
NZ-Background to FGM
NZ-Beliefs and issues?
NZ-Complications of FGM
NZ-FGM in New Zealand
NZ-FGM Frequently Asked Questions
NZ-FGM Resources
NZ-FGM Links
NOCIRC-Answers to Your Questions about Female Circumcision.pdf 454KB
UNICEF-Female Genital Multilation/Cutting 2005
WHO Key Facts on Female genital mutilation
UNFPA-Global Consultation on FGM 2008.pdf 112 pages, 6.17MB
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A Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan
B Bahrain, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi
C Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Iv
D-E-F Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, E
G Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana,Greece, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau
I-K-L India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab J
M Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia,
Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique
N Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway
P-R-S Peru, Poland, Rwanda, Sao Tomé and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone,
T-U-Y-Z Togo, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uni
Worldwide Legilation & Other National P{rovisions on FGM
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So, what is Female Genital Multilation/Cutting
or Female Circumcision?
According to Wikipedia ,
“All procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external
female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-
medical reasons”The term is exclusively used to describe traditional
or religious procedures on a minor, which requires the parents'
consent because of the age of the girl.
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Why Female Genital Multilation practiced?
Unmutilated women have difficulty finding a marriage partner.
Men typically believed mutilated wives are more faithful.
The clitoris is dangerous and must be removed for health
reasons.
o It is a poisonous organ, that can cause a man to sicken or
die if contacted by a man's penis.
o Men can become impotent by contacting a clitoris,.
o A baby will be hydrocephalic (born with excess cranial
fluid) if its head contacts the clitoris during birth.
o Milk of the mother will become poisonous if her clitoris
touches the baby during childbirth.
Removing the clitoris and labia minora removes bad genital
odors.
FGM prevents vaginal cancer.
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Why Female Genital Multilation practiced?
 An unmodified clitoris can lead to masturbation or lesbianism.
 FGM prevents nervousness from developing in girls and
women.
 FGM prevents the face from turning yellow.
 FGM makes a woman's face more beautiful.
 If FGM is not done, older men may not be able to match their
wives' sex drive and may have to resort to illegal stimulating
drugs.
 An intact clitoris generates sexual arousal in women which can
cause neuroses if repressed.
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Long-term Complications of Female
Genital Multilation / Cutting
Scarring and hardening of the tissue
Difficulty with urinating and passing of
menstrual blood
Decrease or loss of sexual sensation
Painful intercourse
Difficult and painful childbirth
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Female Genital Mutilation predates Islam and Christianity. Though FGM is
practised by Not all Muslims do this, and a few of the peoples who do are not
Islamic. But in Somalia, where virtually every girl is excised, the practice is
always justified in the name of Islam. Uncircumcised girls will be possessed
by devils, fall into vice and perdition, and become whores. Imans never
discourage the practice: it keeps girls pure.
It should NOT be called female circumcision as though it's being compared
to male circumcision! It's female genital MUTILATION that can often lead to
the death of the female or at the very least disfigurement, complications
with having future children, and emotional scarring for life! It's horrible
sexual abuse and should be punished as such!
8/13/2007 7:46 PM LadyValkyrie37
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IsLaM oN FGM
&
FFM IN MaLaYsIa
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http://www.e-fatwa.gov.my/fatwa-kebangsaan/hukum-pemotongan-genitalia-wanita-fem
Hukum Pemotongan Genitalia Wanita (Female Genital Mutilation)
Ruling On Female Genital Mutilation
Decision:
The 86th Muzakarah (Conference) of the Fatwa Committee National Council of
Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia held on 21st-23rd April 2009 has discussed on
rulings on female genital mutilation. The Committee has decided that female
circumcision is part of Islamic teachings and it should be observed by
Muslims. However, as Islam also pays attention to the safety of its people, the
circumcision can be exempted if the practice brings harm to the person. As far as
the majority of the jurists’ views are concerned, the Committee has decided that
female circumcision is obligatory (wajib). However, if it is harmful, it must be
avoided.
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Abstract
This paper describes the practice of female circumcision among Muslims in Kelantan,
Malaysia. A convenience sample of 262 pregnant women admitted to the labour ward
of the University Hospital were examined clinically and later interviewed using a
questionnaire. Although all the women had undergone circumcision as infants, there
was no clinical evidence of injury to the clitoris or the labia and no physical sign of
excised tissue. In the interviews, the majority of women described the procedure as a
nicking of the tip of the clitoris or prepuce with a pen-knife or similar, only drawing a
drop of blood and causing brief pain. Almost all the women believed the practice was
customary and a religious requirement, and that women's sexual drives are reduced
and men's sexual pleasure enhanced by it. All of them considered the practice
desirable and could not see any harm in it. We decided to use the term 'female
circumcision' as we believe 'female genital mutilation' would be a misnomer in the
Malaysian context. We are concerned that if the issue is raised for religious and public
discussion, any suggestions to stop the practice would not gain sympathy because of
the implications and the meanings associated with 'mutilation'.
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Abdul Khan Rashid MBBS, MHSc
Associate Professor
Department of Public Health Medicine
Penang Medical College
Sapna S. Patil MBBS, MD
Department of Public Health Medicine
Penang Medical College
Anita S Valimalar
Medical student
AIMST University
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FGM in Malaysia
According to Waris Dirie, three percent of girls in Malaysia are
victims of FGM, making it one of the hot spots for this issue in
Asia. “I do not know whether this is due to immigration or other
factors, but I do know that Malaysia has a lot of work to do to
stop it! I would very much appreciate action by the government. It
is definitely necessary.”
TheStarOnline-Lifestyle-’it was awful, painful and wrong’-
20050911
TheStarOnline-Lifestyle-What is FGM? 20050911
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Abstract
The Practice Of Female Genital Mutilation Among The Rural Malays In North
Malaysia
Introduction
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a serious problem occurring very commonly in
the developing world and it has serious health implications. The purpose of this
study was to determine the practice of FGM among the Malays living in a rural
region of north Malaysia. Methods: The study is a descriptive survey supplemented
by qualitative information conducted in five villages in north Malaysia comprising
entirely of Muslim Malays. Results: 597 women who experienced FGM were
interviewed and they cited religion as the main reason for the practice. It was
commonly performed by a traditional practitioner of the art called ‘Mak Bidan’, but
the more recent FGM were done in clinics by doctors (P=0.000). All female adults
interviewed wanted the practice to go on (P=0.05). Comparatively the FGM
practiced in these villages was less traumatic than that practiced in most other
countries. In contrast with studies conducted elsewhere, the responders in this study
believed that FGM actually helps to increase the female libido. Conclusion: The
public and especially the ‘Mak Bidan’s’ need to be educated on the dangers of
female circumcision and the true requirements of circumcision in religion using an
advocacy and social movement approach. This is best done by those from the state
religious authority and it should be multisectoral, sustained and community led
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Islam - Female genital mutilation is a good thing
"..the most moderate opinion and the most likely one to be correct
is in favor of practicing circumcision in the moderate Islamic way
indicated in some of the Prophet's Hadiths - even though such
Hadiths are not confirmed to be authentic. It is reported that the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said to a midwife:
"Reduce the size of the clitoris but do not exceed the limit, for that
is better for her health and is preferred by husbands".
The Hadith indicates that circumcision is better for a woman's
health and it enhances her conjugal relation with her husband, the
Prophet's saying "do not exceed the limit" means do not totally
remove the clitoris."
http://mwillett.org/mind/femalecircumcision.htm
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where are FGM practIced?
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Malaysia is not excluded!
(Type 1 Female Genital Multilation)
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Source: http://mangojuicer.com.au/fgm.php
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Bloody Ritual: The cartography of female circumcision
DER SPIEGEL
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Source: http://stopmgf.altervista.org/cosa_sono_le_mgf.html 120

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WARNING!
The following slides contain explicit photographs. If
you do not wish to continue, please exit now by
hitting the “Esc” button of your keyboard.
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Different types of Female Genital Multilation according to WHO
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Type I: Includes the excision of the prepuce with or without
the excision of parts or all of the clitoris.
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Type II: Excision of the clitoris together with parts or all of
the labia minora.
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Type III: Excision or ablation of the external genitalia,
accompanied sometimes with stitching or narrowing of
the vaginal opening.
Type IV: Any procedure that affects the genitalia,
including piercing, pricking, and/or stretching of the clitoris
or labia
(No picture)
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Female Genital Mutilation is a very brutal, and unpleasant experience in a
young African girls life. The entire procedure is done without any
anesthesia or numbing medicine. The young girl is awake and can feel
everything that is being done to her. The naked girl is strapped down or is
held down by women "nurses" to a stool, and the "doctor" then pierces
and slices the clitoris. As the doctor begins cutting the clitoris, she/he will
take their fingernail and dig a hole the length of the clitoris so they are able
to pull the organs out. The doctor cuts the clitoris off with any type of
utensil available. This is usually a knife that is not sterile. These utensils are
often crude and filthy. Examples of utensils include broken glass, a tin lid,
scissors or a razor blade. To remove all of the clitoris, they then cut off the
clitoris until they get to the bone. The most important step follows the
removal of the clitoris. The doctors knife scrapes the inside of the large lips
and the final surgical step is completed. Finally, the doctor closes the
wounded area with a long acacia thorn. By now the patient is screaming
with horror or in shock from the pain.
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A woman about to perform FGM
Razor and thorns used for FGM. Sometimes any objects on hand in any condition are used.128

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File photo of a traditional surgeon holding razor blades before carrying out female
genital mutilation on teenage girls from the Sebei tribe in Uganda. — Reuters pic
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FGM is carried out with knives, scissors,
scalpels, pieces of glass or razor blades
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In some African countries, 90 per cent of women over the age of 15 have had genital
surgery (Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation/Facebook) 131

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Various Female
Genital Multilation
Tools
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Type III
Female Genital
Multilation:
Excision or ablation of the
external genitalia,
accompanied sometimes
with stitching or narrowing
of the vaginal opening
(Infibulation)
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Infibulation
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Infibulation
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Infibulation
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De-fibulation
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Defibulation
8-year-old Somali woman requesting
defibulation prior to marriage: (A) perineal
region; (B) close-up of the introitus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P
MC1497147/
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Girl being held
down for FGM
while she
screams for help
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Girl pleading to the camera while FGM is being
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In some African countries, 90 per cent of women over the
age of 15 have had genital surgery (Campaign Against
Female Genital Mutilation/Facebook)
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Girls prepare for FGM 2. A girl healing after
the injuries
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Girl tied up after FGM
Girl being forced to undergo FGM
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Genital mutilation of girl
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Anaesthetic and antiseptics are not
generally used. Mortality is high.
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A Future Without Female Genital Mutiilation 148

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Female Genital Mutilation FGM common in Iraq's
Kirkuk: Study shows
http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2012/4/state
6091.htm
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FGM complications during birth where
thousands die and millions reopened during
birth
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Infibulation most common in East Africa,
They get away and it is accepted as culture
or religion,
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Vagina keloids after FGM!!
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153
Compiled from various sources on the internet
All rights to the photographs belong to the original authors