Quran Radio Station Calls for Female Genital Mutilation

On Friday, march 16th, I received a text message on my mobile “Good morning, Sorry 4 this dis-appetizer, but the Sheikh is legitimizing female's circumcision now on Alquraan alkarim radio”. I called the sender back for more information, and he told me that the sheikh hosted on Quran Radio that day said that circumcision is mandatory in Islam for man and women. The sheikh was hosted on the program “The Happy home” of the Jordanian Official Quran Radio. Listeners call in to ask for advice on matters that regard religion. When the sheikh replied to a listener’s question that female genital mutilation is mandatory in Islam, the radio show host accepted this position without doubting or challenging it. He simply moved on to another issue without minding the harm suffered by woman due to genital mutilation, nor the international conventions against this practice.[1]

I then called a friend who was on the team of a program about women’s rights and she told me some of the stories told by women about the cruelty that they suffered when being mutilated in the name of religion, tradition and virtue. She also told me that in two villages in Jordan all newborn females are mutilated. More information on this practice in Jordan she could not expose as her sources may be in danger if she did.

Using an official radio station to legitimize female genital mutilation is outrageous. When the sheikh said that it is mandatory in Islam, he showed his own ignorance the religion. The radio show host seems careless about the public listening and following what is aired by the station. The words of the expert received the authority without debate, due to his power they have in a society that follows them blindly most of them time. The fact is that the International Islamic Scientist Conference, held in Al Azhar Mosque in Nov. 2006, called to stop female genital mutilation, declaring the weakness of the Islamic sources on this issue. (The position supported by the conference is at http://www.target-human-rights.com/pressematerial/bilderOffset/arabOriginal.jpg).
The Jordanian radio, however, keeps calling to carry on this cruel and harmful practice that violates basic human morality and conventions and declarations about human rights, women’s rights and health.

It is not enough to declare that this female genital mutilation is wrong. To prevent it we need to take action. I call to demonstrate and protest demanding from the Minister of Islamic Affairs to ban the support for this practice, and not to let official radio stage to spread destructive and wrong information. The authorities should present the true facts about this practice and trop it directly. A number of countries in Africa have outlawed female genital mutilation. I also call to participate in a special campaign to stop FGM is Kurdistan where 60% of the women have been victims of this practice. (see http://www.stopfgmkurdistan.org/ar/index.htm)




[1] For the physiological, psychological and social damages caused to women by genital mutilation at: Facts Sheet No. 23: Harmful Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, UNHCR. http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu6/2/fs23.htm#i.
For an overview of the international conventions against Female Genital Mutilation see: http://www.iac-ciaf.com/legalprotection.htm