Imam Shaker Elsayed, leader of the Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque in Fairfax County, Virginia, has been recorded on video advocating for female genital mutilation right here in the United States of America. The sick reason for the procedure of female genital mutilation is that it supposedly prevents girls from becoming sexually promiscuous.
Imam Shake Shaker Elsayed states in the video, “and the honorable thing to do, if needed for the girls. This is something that a Muslim gynecologist can tell you if you need to or not. There used to be a lady who used to do this for women, or I mean young girls. And she is expected to cut only the tip of the sexual sensitive part in the girl so that she is not hypersexual. This is the purpose. Of course, if that lady or that surgeon cuts more than the tip, it causes serious harm in the sexual life of the child when she grows up.” This statement which is not based on any kind of fact or science asserts that the practice of female genital mutilation can be done safely when in reality the procedure causes irreparable damage that cannot be fixed. There is a reason why American doctors in hospitals and in private practice do not carry out this barbaric procedure.
The ‘lady’ that Imam Shaker Elsayed is referring to is Farida Attar, who was arrested and charged with several criminal counts, along with her husband Dr. Fakhruddin Attar. Prissy Holly from Freedom Daily reported on the arrest of the Attars several days ago. “Michigan has been on everyone’s Sharia radar lately after the huge scandal emerged recently about the two Michigan doctors who were caught forcing female children to undergo genital mutilation. Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, 53, and his wife, Farida Attar, 50, were arrested several weeks ago at their medical office in Livonia, Michigan, where they were charged with three federal criminal counts, including conspiracy, female genital mutilation and aiding and abetting. But unfortunately for the Muslim couple and the entire Muslim population of Michigan, things have gone from bad to worse after what lawmakers just passed overnight”. This case caused lawmakers in Michigan to draft and pass a law which hands down a prison sentence of 15 years for anyone, including parents, who participate and force young girls to have their genitals mutilated.
The arrest of the Attars took place back in April of this year, and the video of Imam Shaker Elsayed condoning female genital mutilation was Tweeted out on June 1, 2017. So, the Imam is well aware that the Attars who were under FBI surveillance before the arrest, have been charged criminally on the Federal level.
Shaker Elsayed, Imam of Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque in Fairfax County, VA, Endorses FGM: It Prevents Girls from Becoming Hypersexually Active pic.twitter.com/DoMtvQHz9G
— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) June 1, 2017
This Imam and others who support female genital mutilation have no basis in science or religion for doing so. It is a practice which started in Africa and the Middle East and has spread to the USA, under the guise of being a religious practice. Adding insult to injury for these poor girls subjected to FGM, the health benefits are nonexistent. Health risks of FGM include shock, death, depression, vaginal infections, and childbirth complications which can put newborn babies at risk of dying during birth.
Two weeks ago Michelle Krupa and India Hayes from CNN cited alarming statistics from the Center for Disease control, about the spread of FMG occurrences in the USA.
“Since 1990, the estimated number of girls and women in the US who have undergone or are at risk of the practice has more than tripled. The increase is due to rapid growth in the number of immigrants from countries where risk of FGM is greatest. These girls and women are concentrated in California, New York and Minnesota”.
The law passed in Michigan which requires a prison sentence of 15 years for FGM is a step in the right direction, but Federal law only allows for a maximum prison sentence of 5 years for FGM. According to 18 U.S. Code § 116 – Female genital mutilation, “Except as provided in subsection (b), whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.” Given that Imam Shaker Elsayed is openly advocating for the violation of U.S. law, he should be immediately questioned and detained by the FBI. More states need to follow Michigan’s example and implement lengthy prison sentences for those who participate in FGM, including those who know it is taking place and fail to report it to police. FGM is not based on fact, science, or religion, and the practice needs to be abolished.