Egypt outlaws all female circumcision

[wicket]

:applause:

LINK

Egypt on Thursday finally banned all female circumcision, the widely-practised removal of the clitoris which just days ago cost the life of a 12-year-old girl.

Officially the practice, which affects both Muslim and Christian women in Egypt and goes back to the time of the pharoahs, was banned in 1997 but doctors were allowed to operate "in exceptional cases".

On Thursday, Health Minister Hatem al-Gabali decided to ban every doctor and member of the medical profession, in public or private establishments, from carrying out a clitoridectomy, a ministry press official told AFP.

Any circumcision "will be viewed as a violation of the law and all contraventions will be punished," said the official, adding that it was a "permanent ban".

A survey in 2000 said the practice was carried out on 97 percent of the country's women.

In the latest fatality, 12-year-old Bedur Ahmed Shaker was taken by her mother to a private clinic in Minya, a town on the Nile south of Cairo, for the operation. She died before she could be transferred to hospital.

Her mother accused the woman doctor of negligence, charging that her daughter's death was linked to the anaesthetic and not the removal of the clitoris, for which she had paid 50 pounds (nearly nine dollars). Police have arrested both women.

[StudentsMustUniteNow]

1. It'll still be practiced by the guys in the south n/t

[porphyrian]

2. Good for them. I hope it catches on. - n/t

[Swamp Rat]

3. IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME!!! n/t

!

[coffeenap]

4. Thanks for the story. It is good news. However, we need to understand that

this is not circumcision. It is genital mutilation. Circumcision allows normal genital function, this does not. (for those who aren't familiar with this "custom".)

[lynnertic]

5. Still occurs throughout Africa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_cutting#Prevalence

[Karenina]

7. Gotta start somewhere...

:bounce:

[Annces]

6. Good news n/t

[wicket]

8. kick

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