Largest UK Muslim organization declares female circumcision un-Islamic

Britain’s largest Muslim organization has spoken out against female genital mutilation (FGM), for the first time explicitly condemning the practice as un-Islamic and against the teachings of the religion, the Guardian newspaper reported Monday.

“Some people who practice FGM believe it to be an Islamic practice. This is NOT true. FGM is NOT a Muslim requirement,” the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) wrote on a leaflet that will be distributed to 500 mosques and community centers associated with the group.

FGM – also sometimes called female circumcision – refers to procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external genitalia, or other injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

MCB argued that one of the basic principles of Islam is “do not harm yourself or others,” and that the practice risks bringing the religion into “disrepute.”

“FGM is not an Islamic requirement. There is no reference to it in the holy Quran that states girls must be circumcised. Nor is there any authentic reference to this in the Sunnah, the sayings or traditions of our prophet. FGM is bringing the religion of Islam into disrepute,” MCB said in the flyer.

FGM affects 125 million girls and women around the globe, but is carried out largely in Africa and Middle East, according to the WHO. It is “recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women,” and can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, infections, infertility and diminished sexual sensation, according to the WHO.

“It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women,” the WHO has said.

“We can end this practice and ensure it is no longer linked to the religion of Islam or the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad,” Shuja Shafi, secretary general of the MCB, has said in a press release.

The MCB flyer also informs Muslims that there are legal consequences for carrying out FGM in the United Kingdom. Practitioners could face up to 14 years in prison, it warns.

“FGM is practiced contrary to the teachings of Islam and is prohibited in the U.K. and most [European Union] countries. Many girls could be saved from their cruel fate, if there was more awareness among the community of the consequences of FGM,” Yunes Teinaz, Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development (FORWARD) trustee, said in a press release.