Bohra men must speak up to save their daughters from female circumcision
Name: YusufCountry: India The fatwa given during the Zikra majlis by Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin in favor of female genital cutting dug up the wound that exists in my heart which makes me write this post. Looking at parts from the audio clip leaked from the majlis, at one point, Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin says what translates […]
Respected Syedna, we are all disappointed by your views on female circumcision
Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin’s recent wa’az (sermon) in Mumbai has come as a disappointment. For almost three months now, Dawoodi Bohras who wish to see an end to female circumcision (khatna) had been hopeful. Starting with Sydney in February, many Bohra jamaats in different cities around the world have issued letters to their members, asking them to […]
Human Rights Day panel at New England School of Law
On March 10, 2016, Sahiyo Co-founder Mariya spoke at the New England School of Law for the event: Human Rights Day Panel: A Poignant Discussion on Female Genital Mutilation. Prior to the beginning of the event, the panel organizers played the Hindustani Times news report FGM: India’s Dark Secret to provide context that FGM/C is […]
Sahiyo at a unique Women’s Day event in Mumbai
On March 8, Sahiyo marked International Women’s Day by participating in a unique rally at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan. The event, called ‘Breaking Barriers, Claiming Spaces – Women Unite to Demand Equal Rights Within Religion’, was brought together women from multiple religious groups on a common platform. The organisers of the rally included the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila […]
Sahiyo Participates in “Challenges to Minority Women’s Rights and Development in Maharashtra” Roundtable.
On the 25-26th of March, Sahiyo co-founder, Shaheeda Kirtane attended a roundtable conference to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and to raise awareness about Dr. Ambedkar’s great contributions for welfare of society and especially women. In collaboration with the Minorities Development Department, Government of Maharashtra, and Tata Institute of Social Science, the two-day seminar […]
Today, I Call Myself A SURVIVOR Of FGM
By Zarine Hashim Age: 36 Country: Melbourne, Australia The memory of the fateful day is very clear in my mind. It was a Saturday, and like every Saturday, mom, my older sis and I were headed to our grandparent’s home to spend the day there. I always eagerly awaited the weekend, as we always had […]
They would call the “bhoot” if I didn’t stop screaming
(Trigger Warning: Below is the account of one woman’s experience with FGC. We thank her for being brave and sharing her story with us.) By Fatema Kabira Age: 19 Country: India Seven years old. I was seven years old when they forced me to have a part of my femininity cut off. I don’t […]
I Will Not Be Silent – Ban Khatna Globally
Zehra Patwa Age: 45 Current Country of Residence: United States In 2014, I saw a video that changed my life. My husband sat me down, told me that this was going to be upsetting and showed me a video. It was a documentary from Australia featuring my cousin’s wife recounting her experience of being cut […]
To cut or not to cut? 10 Bohra stories to set off a debate on khatna
By Chandni Shiyal, PhD Student, Mumbai University I first found out that female genital cutting is practiced among Dawoodi Bohras in India during my M.Phil research on FGM in Africa. I was shocked when my Bohra friends not only confirmed they had undergone the practice but also seemed absolutely fine with it. I began to […]
Come See A Pinch of Skin – A film by Priya Goswami
In 2012, Sahiyo Cofounder, Priya Goswami released the documentary, “A Pinch of Skin”, which has become a national award-winning documentary on female genital mutilation, in India. A Pinch Of Skin will be screening in Mumbai on 19th Feb at 7.30 PM at Liberty Cinemas. This screening is organised by Osianama (part of the Oisan’s Film Festival) […]