FGM and the myth of modernity among Dawoodi Bohras
By: Anonymous Age: 33Country of birth: IndiaCountry of current residence: USA I am a male born into a Dawoodi Bohra family. My brother and I had remarkably normal upbringings in the United States. We were members of one of the more secular congregations in the in the US. My parents always pointed out to me […]
FGM/C is neither beneficial nor relevant to modern times. Let’s end it
By Ali Asghar Akhtar Country: Canada Age: 33 I recently came to know about something very prehistoric (I am not being overdramatic, it was truly shocking for me). We are living in a digital, global, mobilized world where everyday living dynamics are being challenged and improved. Changes in technology, social norms, cultures, historic traditions and […]
Sahiyo teams up with Feminist Challenge 2K17
During the week of February 6th, Sahiyo connected with Feminist Challenge to create a challenge around the topic of FGC. Feminist Challenge is an online newsletter created to encourage men to approach empathy with women by building their own personal testimonies of awkwardness, inconvenience, and pain. The belief behind this approach is that performance can […]
Why the khatna conversation needs men’s voices too
(First published on June 7, 2016) by Ammar Karimjee Age: 24 Country: Pakistan I found out when I was 19. I’d just heard about the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in an Anthropology class, and had dismissed it as something that simply happens in rural African villages. After class, I’d expressed […]
Dear daughter, I am sorry you were circumcised
(First published on May 24, 2016) A heartfelt letter from a Bohra father, who wished to remain unnamed, to his grown-up daughter. Read the Gujarati translation of this letter here. 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 […]
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 […]
A letter on khatna by a young Bohra man
by Anonymous Age: 28 Country: United States Hello All, Firstly, I would like to start by telling you how ashamed I feel of being so ignorant about the issue of female khatna and how honored I am to be a part of a family whose women are spearheading the fight against FGM. I am from an […]
Why this Bohra father is guilty about his daughter’s Khatna
(First published on May 5, 2016) Name: Yusuf Country: 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 […]
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 […]
The Role of Men in Ending FGM in the Bohra Community
