વહાલી દીકરી, હું દિલગીર છું તારી ખતના થઇ
વહાલી દીકરી, હું દિલગીર છું તારી ખતના થઇ – એક બોહરા પિતા ની દિલ ની વ્યથા વહાલી દીકરી, ઘણા વર્ષો પહેલા મેં એક ભૂલ કરી. તારી મમ્મીએ આવીને મને કહ્યુ કે હું અપની દીકરી ની ખતના કરાવ છું. મને આ પ્રક્રિયા વિષે કાંઈજ ખબર ન હતી. મેં એમ માની લીધું કે તારી મમ્મીનેજ આ બાબતે […]
‘My mom regrets that she allowed khatna to be performed on me’
Age: 34 Country: USA I was six years old when my mom explained to me that I had to undergo the procedure of khatna – that a small surgery would happen on my private parts. I simply understood that it was one of the many rituals that I, as a Muslim girl, would experience. So […]
My father did not allow khatna to happen to me
By: Aiman Age: 26 Country: United States I am a 26-year-old Indian female born and raised in the United States. I come from a Dawoodi Bohra family. I only recently found out about khatna, or female genital cutting, when my cousin exposed me to the issue. It came as a shock to […]
I will not let my younger daughter be cut, says a Bohra father
By: Hozefa Anik Age: 40 Country: India The first time I heard about khatna was some 15-16 years ago, when I was working in Doha, Qatar. I was told that it is a practice prevalent in parts of Egypt, mainly in the villages located in the Nile river basin. The soil of the basin was supposed […]
Dear daughter, I am sorry you were circumcised
A heartfelt letter from a Bohra father, who wished to remain unnamed, to his grown-up daughter: Dear Daughter, Many years ago, I made a mistake. Your mother came to me and said “I’m going to have our daughter circumcised”. I knew nothing about this procedure, assuming that your mother knew best. My ignorance is no […]