Detroit FGM/C case: Why two more arrests have left me feeling bittersweet
By: Anonymous Country: United Kingdom Age: 32 Today is a bittersweet day. The news of two more arrests linked to the first FGM case in the US has left me torn between elation and sadness; while a part of me feels like justice is being served to those who perform, aid and abet FGM, another part […]
#NIMBY Reactions to Detroit
By: Anonymous Age: 32 Country: United States (Please note #NIMBY – Not In My Backyard) For over ten years, I have been famously or infamously known for speaking up about a taboo practice within the Dawoodi Bohra community in my social circles. I discovered I was a victim of female genital mutilation or cutting during […]
Detroit arrest: It is time for Bohras to get serious about ending Female Genital Cutting
Sahiyo is shocked and truly saddened by the news that a Bohra doctor in Detroit, USA, has been arrested on charges of performing Female Genital Cutting (FGC) on minor girls in the community. While the allegations in this particular case are yet to be proven, we believe it is a serious breach of medical ethics […]
Telling one’s personal Khatna story can lead to another’s not continuing FGM/C too
By Alifya Sulemanji Country: United States In the past few years, we have seen an increase in the awareness of FGM/C in the Dawoodi Bohra community, and it has led to many discussions amongst community members. There is a large number of people who were hesitant about the procedure, and due to a lack of […]
Sahiyo participates in the End Violence Against Girls Summit on FGM/C
Sahiyo’s Mariya Taher and Insia Dariwala participated in the End Violence Against Girls: Summit on FGM/C in Washington, DC on December 2, at the U.S. Institute of Peace. For the first time ever, the United Nations has prioritized the elimination of FGC under the goal of achieving gender equality as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)—a 15-year plan to help […]
I was cut, but today I am proud to be standing up for myself
(First published on March 16, 2016) Name: Alifya Sulemanji Age: 42 Country: United States I, Alifya Sulemanji went through the atrocity of Female Genital Mutilation. It’s been 35 years but I haven’t forgotten that day of my life even today. One morning my mom told me we were going to visit my aunt who lives […]
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 […]
I wonder if I would have been a different person if I hadn’t been cut
by Anonymous Age: 26 Country: India / United States I was about 6 years old when I was taken to a clinic. One doctor and one nurse conducted the “surgery”. It took less than a minute to do it. I was told that there was a worm which the doctor was going to remove. The pain […]
I am grateful I was able to talk to a therapist about my khatna
(First published on January 6, 2016) by Anonymous Age: 30 Country: United States I was not more than seven years old when I recall going into a medical complex on a quiet Sunday afternoon accompanied by my mother and our family friend. My mother told me it was time for my “khatna” or circumcision. She explained […]
I don’t remember my khatna. But it feels like a violation
(First published on February 23, 2016) Zehra Patwa Age: 45 Country: 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 […]