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| Europe |
| UK Enacts Law to Prosecute Moslems Who Take Daughters Abroad for Female Circumcision |
| 2004-04-09 |
| People who take their daughters abroad to undergo genital mutilation could be jailed for up to 14 years from today. The Female Genital Mutilation Act, which came into force recently, reinforces existing legislation and closes a loophole by making it unlawful to take girls abroad for genital mutilation whether or not it is legal elsewhere. The maximum sentence has been increased from 5 to 14 years in jail. It is estimated that 74,000 women in the UK have undergone the procedure. A further 7,000 girls under the age of 16 are at risk. Women who have undergone some forms of genital mutilation are twice as likely to die in childbirth as those who have not. They are also four times more likely to give birth to a stillborn child. Home Secretary David Blanket said no cultural, medical or other reason can justify a practice that causes so much pain and suffering. "Regardless of cultural background, it is completely unacceptable and should be illegal wherever it takes place," he said. The Government is backing the legislation with £30,000 of funding. The investment will support an information campaign amongst the practising communities. An estimated 135 million of the world’s girls and women have undergone genital mutilation. It has been illegal in the UK since 1985. Ann Clywd MP introduced the Female Genital Mutilation Bill as a private member’s bill in December 2002, which the Government gave its strong backing. |
| Posted by:Mike Sylwester |
| #3 .com, in case you're unclear on the subject, I've repeatedly mentioned how the Moslem community has some way to go in making even more vocal pronouncements against terrorism. This in no ways means that they do not voice such criticisms, as you seem to think (which was the point I tried to get through to you), just that there will be significant backlash arising from any failure to increase their future protests. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-04-10 10:32:21 PM |
| #2 "Until it is unanimously decried by all Moslems..." I thought there was an outcry of moderation by Muslims and you were their champion. Why just the other day you provided so much text to that effect that I was so tempted to throw away several years of first-hand knowledge that had led me to a different conclusion. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-04-10 2:34:31 AM |
| #1 Home Secretary David Blanket said no cultural, medical or other reason can justify a practice that causes so much pain and suffering. "Regardless of cultural background, it is completely unacceptable and should be illegal wherever it takes place," he said. About effing time. Until it is unanimously decried by all Moslems, Islam will remain properly marginalized by any support of genital mutilation. All children subjected to this travesty should be separated from their birth parents instantly and forever. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-04-10 1:59:51 AM |