Female circumcision occurring in Addu atoll, reveals AG

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Attorney General Husnu Suood has said the practice of female circumcision in the name of Islam has been revived in Addu atoll.

Speaking at a human rights function last night, Suood said although there have been significant successes in human rights in the past six years new problems and violations were emerging, “especially atrocities against women and children”.

Suood said “false scholars” were promoting anti-Islamic activities that also violated human rights principles.

“I will note one thing I learned in the past two weeks: religious scholars are going around to midwives giving fatwas that girls have to be circumcised. They’re giving fatwas saying it is religiously compulsory. According to my information, the circumcising of girls has started and is going on with a new spirit.”

He added it had to be stopped and “cannot be tolerated.”

“This is not something we can just stand by and watch. In the recent past, I would say this had ceased almost completely. But today in Addu atoll, the circumcision of girls is going on at some speed. I call upon the relevant authorities to stop this.”

Suood said one of violation the authorities have been alerted to was violence against women in the name of Islam.

“Violence against women and children in the name of Islam, or in the name of promoting Islam, is something we should be concerned about,” he said.

Suood said Islam is a religion that protects the dignity of human beings, and referred to the efforts to put an end to the practice of female infanticide during the early days of Islam.