# Genital mutilation of young girls. But it's a religious thing! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 23, 2017, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057 "2017-04-23T11:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/101 "2017-04-28T18:11:33Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > All of you are assholes. Because I participated in this thread, or because of a particular opinion I posted? ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/102 "2017-04-28T18:25:02Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > The “hypothetical” clitoral hood cut is the type of cut the OP started over. Capiche? Ohhhh SNAP ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/103 "2017-04-28T22:04:04Z")
None of us know what was done, that part is getting lost. All we know is that the perpetrator said she did hardly anything to the girls’ genitals, and this was contradicted by their physical exams afterward. Story [here.](http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/wayne/2017/04/13/detroit-doctor-mutilated-genitals/100416124/) There seems to be no legal benefit to the doctor in minimizing what was actually done and I don’t know why she bothered, but her own words mean nothing. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/104 "2017-04-29T00:10:50Z")
It looks to me line she said she did nothing at all to the girls genitals. It’s certainly in her interest to say that. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/105 "2017-04-29T00:25:41Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > (Bolding mine) > Cite? > The WHO seems to disagree with you, unless if by “many” you mean approximately one tenth of the victims. [Cite](http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/). > Cite? > (bolding mine) > Given the prevalence of male circumcision among American and Muslim men, I find this hard to believe. > > Cite? > > Cite? > Cite? > Cite? > > EDIT: Don’t bother. I have one: > [http://www.path.org/files/FGM-The-Facts.htm](http://www.path.org/files/FGM-The-Facts.htm) > Certainly, if it’s done under non-sterile conditions with primitive tools and materials. However, comparing the risk of infection after massive female genital cutting in e.g. rural Somalia with a glass shard and using thorns to sew up the vagina afterwards, with male genital cutting done in a Western hospital under sterile conditions and with the access to modern antibiotics and then ascribing the difference to the sex of the child who is mutilated is pretty stupid. I didn’t have to look very hard for citations. The Wikipedia article > **[Female genital mutilation](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation)** > > Female genital mutilation (FGM) (also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision\[a\]) is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the vulva. The prevalence of FGM varies worldwide, but is majorly present in some countries of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and within their diasporas. As of 2024\[update\], UNICEF estimates that worldwide 230 million girls and women (144 million in Africa, 80 million in Asia, 6 million in Middle East... Says: Type Ia (circumcision)[39] involves removal of the clitoral hood only and is rarely performed alone.[e]The more common procedure is Type Ib (clitoridectomy), the complete or partial removal of the clitoral glans (the visible tip of the clitoris) and clitoral hood.[1][41] The circumciser pulls the clitoral glans with her thumb and index finger and cuts it off.[f] Note that “rarely performed alone”. The usual procedure is to remove most of the external part of the clitoris. The reference for that is [e] WHO, 1995: “[There is a] common tendency to describe Type I as removal of the prepuce, whereas this has not been documented as a traditional form of female genital mutilation. However, in some countries, medicalized female genital mutilation can include removal of the prepuce only (Type Ia) (Thabet and Thabet, 2003), but this form appears to be relatively rare (Satti et al, 2006). Almost all known forms of female genital mutilation that remove tissue from the clitoris also cut all or part of the clitoral glans itself.”[40] And that reference points to CITATION Close [40] WHO 2008, 25 Also see Nahid Toubia, “Female Circumcision as a Public Health Issue”, The New England Journal of Medicine, 331(11), 1994, 712–716.doi:10.1056/NEJM199409153311106 PMID 8058079 Carol R. Horowitz, J. Carey Jackson, Mamae Teklemariam, “Female Circumcision” (letters), The New England Journal of Medicine, 332, 19 January 1995, 188–190; Toubia’s reply. doi:10.1056/NEJM199501193320313 ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/106 "2017-04-29T00:58:25Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I didn’t have to look very hard for citations. I have a feeling you did, and that you weren’t very successful, which is why you ignored at least five of the cites 2square4u requested. Regarding Type 1a being rare, it’s irrelevant. The story in the OP says: > [@](#): > > Shannon Smith said in federal court in Michigan that her client removed the girls’ genital membrane as part of a custom practiced by the Dawoodi Bohra, a small sect of Indian Muslims of which Nagarwala is a part, the Detroit Free-Press reported. That description fits the clitoral hood and there are cites that claim that is the type of FGM the Dawoodi Bohra routinely perform such as this: > [@](#): > > Traditionally, in the Dawoodi Bohra community, khatna typically involves the removal of the clitoral hood, which according to the WHO is Type 1 genital cutting. 65% of respondents, however, said they did not know what kind of cutting had been performed on them. > **[It scarred me for life: Dawoodi Bohra women speak out on the trauma of female...](https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/it-scarred-me-life-dawoodi-bohra-women-speak-out-trauma-female-genital-cutting-57050)** > > "I remember my mum whispering with my granny and aunties that time had come now. Then she mentioned to my dad who said do what's needed. She told me we wer It could be that we aren’t getting totally accurate information, but with the information we were provided, we are talking about Type 1a here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/107 "2017-04-29T01:33:48Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > It could be that we aren’t getting totally accurate information, but with the information we were provided, we are talking about Type 1a here. What reason do we have to disbelieve doctors that lie to young girls and perform illegal operations after hours, then tell the parents to lie to the authorities about what was going on? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/108 "2017-04-29T01:50:43Z")
^ Moron, it was a statement by the attorney, who would have advised her client to tell her everything, and what was claimed to have been done is consistent with what is practiced by the Dawoodi Bohra, which is the sect her client belonged to. I just said it is possible we aren’t getting totally accurate information, but as discussions go on this board, we go with what we have. ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/109 "2017-04-29T02:24:46Z")
The attorney maintained there was no cutting, and as we already know, she’s full of shit. How much cutting was done is anyone’s guess, but for prosecution purposes it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/110 "2017-04-29T02:37:15Z")
> [@Tee](#): > > The attorney maintained there was no cutting Just four posts ago, I cited a snippet from the article linked to in the OP where the attorney says there was cutting. The very first sentence in that article also has the attorney acknowledging it. Where are you getting your information? ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/111 "2017-04-29T03:10:30Z")
From the [Detroit Free Press.](http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2017/04/17/doctor-admits-genital-procedures-girls-denies-cutting/100574190/) > [@](#): > > In a stunning revelation in federal court today, an attorney for a Detroit area doctor charged with mutilating the genitals of young girls admitted that her client performed a procedure on the juveniles’ private parts, but maintained that it wasn’t cutting. > > Instead, the lawyer said Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, 44, of Northville, removed the membrane from the girls’ genitals as part of a religious practice that is tied to an international Indian-Muslim group that the doctor belongs to. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/112 "2017-04-29T03:41:20Z")
The only way I could see to remove a membrane without cutting would be worse–tearing it off. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/113 "2017-04-29T05:17:08Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > I have a feeling you did, and that you weren’t very successful, which is why you ignored at least five of the cites 2square4u requested. > > Regarding Type 1a being rare, it’s irrelevant. The story in the OP says: > > That description fits the clitoral hood and there are cites that claim that is the type of FGM the Dawoodi Bohra routinely perform such as this: > > [It scarred me for life: Dawoodi Bohra women speak out on the trauma of female genital cutting](http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/it-scarred-me-life-dawoodi-bohra-women-speak-out-trauma-female-genital-cutting-57050) > > It could be that we aren’t getting totally accurate information, but with the information we were provided, we are talking about Type 1a here. Lol, I did one Google search, picked the Wikipedia entry (result 2) and it documented that almost all female genital cutting involves removing the external parts of the clitoris. If I get a chance, I’ll find some cites for the other thread on male circumcision. But if you poke around, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding that stuff. I don’t believe we are talking about type 1a here, I think we are talking about shady people who give ever-changing stories. Perhaps the actual extent of cutting in this case will eventually be documented, but it certainly hasn’t been yet. If the girls had to wear pads, I’m guessing it was more than what you think it was. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/114 "2017-04-29T10:47:02Z")
> [@Tee](#): > > From the [Detroit Free Press.](http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2017/04/17/doctor-admits-genital-procedures-girls-denies-cutting/100574190/) So why do you say the attorney is full of shit? The attorney says there was a procedure performed that involved removal. The “no cutting” part probably refers to the clitoris being left intact. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Lol, I did one Google search, picked the Wikipedia entry (result 2) and it documented that almost all female genital cutting involves removing the external parts of the clitoris. I get that; not sure why you came back to repeat it. I explained why it’s not yet known to be relevant to this case. The Dawoodi Bohra routinely perform hood removal and that’s what the attorney for her client maintains happened. Pursuant to a search warrant, both girls were examined by a doctor. There’s no reason to yet believe the attorney is lying about what procedure was performed knowing that the judge is going to know exactly what it was. That would be one stupid attorney. > [@](#): > > If I get a chance, I’ll find some cites for the other thread on male circumcision. But if you poke around, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding that stuff. You didn’t provide cites in any other thread regarding the five other cites 2square4u requested from you. ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/115 "2017-04-29T13:46:13Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > So why do you say the attorney is full of shit? The attorney says there was a procedure performed that involved removal. The “no cutting” part probably refers to the clitoris being left intact. I say that because there is an existing doctor’s report that the girls had been surgically altered and it’s referred to [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/04/27/three-indicted-female-genital-mutilation-michigan/307021001/): > [@](#): > > A doctor’s findings, however, contradict that claim. A juvenile protection petition filed on behalf of the victims in Minnesota, along with federal court documents, cite scarring, a small tear, healing lacerations and what appears to be surgical removal of a portion of her genitalia. It doesn’t matter if the clitoris was left intact or not, so why grant or even bother with that distinction? ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/116 "2017-04-29T14:34:55Z")
> [@Tee](#): > > I say that because there is an existing doctor’s report that the girls had been surgically altered and it’s referred to [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/04/27/three-indicted-female-genital-mutilation-michigan/307021001/): So, you said that because of another article which you had not yet linked to? > [@](#): > > doesn’t matter if the clitoris was left intact or not, so why grant or even bother with that distinction? Of course it matters. Not all forced procedures on a child are equal. Why do you think it doesn’t matter? ---
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/117 "2017-04-29T17:15:29Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > So, you said that because of another article which you had not yet linked to? Oh I think the lies are pretty consistent throughout. It’s one of the charges against her. The membrane quote in the OP invited questions, my first being “wtf is the genital membrane.” > [@x-ray vision](#): > > Of course it matters. Not all forced procedures on a child are equal. Why do you think it doesn’t matter? I would not make that distinction. The feds aren’t going to. I can’t imagine why it matters here. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2017, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/118 "2017-04-29T17:24:04Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > The only way I could see to remove a membrane without cutting would be worse–tearing it off. AAAAHHH!!! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/119 "2017-04-30T15:51:39Z")
Answering the questions folks asked me that are relevant to female genital mutilation > [@Norse](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Most female “circumcisions” involve cutting off a large part of the clitoris. > > (Bolding mine) > Cite? citation previously given, but to repeat the money quote: [e] WHO, 1995: “[There is a] common tendency to describe Type I as removal of the prepuce, whereas this has not been documented as a traditional form of female genital mutilation. However, in some countries, medicalized female genital mutilation can include removal of the prepuce only (Type Ia) (Thabet and Thabet, 2003), but this form appears to be relatively rare (Satti et al, 2006). Almost all known forms of female genital mutilation that remove tissue from the clitoris also cut all or part of the clitoral glans itself.”[40] > [@Norse](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > Many also involve removing a chunk of the labia and sewing everything up so there’s barely room for urine to drip out. > > The WHO seems to disagree with you, unless if by “many” you mean approximately one tenth of the victims. [Cite](http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/topics/fgm/prevalence/en/). Thanks for providing the citation. Yes, 10% of all FGM is a very large number, and counts as “many”. I didn’t say “most”, nor did I intend to. As for what sort of FGM the OP talks about, we don’t know for sure. The doctor claims she just “wiped the genital membrane, and gave the gauze to the mother”. The lawyer admits something was cut, but the article doesn’t say how much. As to what sort of circumcision this particular ethnic group performs, it seems to vary. It sometimes is only a nick to the clitoral hood, especially in the US. It sometimes involves cutting off the clitoris. > **[Fighting female genital mutilation among India’s Bohra](https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/3/7/fighting-female-genital-mutilation-among-indias-bohra)** > > FGM: girl-children of Dawoodi Bohra sect are the only Muslim women in India systematically and forcefully mutilated. Masooma Ranalvi, a member of the Dawoodi Bohra community said > [@](#): > > “When I realised I was shattered. It was horrifying to realise that part of my clitoris was ripped out.” The author of this article (also a member of Dawoodi Bohras) wrote: > **[I underwent genital mutilation as a child—right here in the United States](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/04/genital-cutting-indian-doctor-women-khatna/)** > > A doctor in Michigan was just arrested for cutting little girls. She’s not the only one. > [@](#): > > There’s also little consensus about how the actual procedure is supposed to work; it’s often up to the interpretation of whoever is wielding the blade. In some cases, like mine, a “pinch of skin” from the clitoral hood is cut away, leaving no lasting physical trauma. Sometimes the entire clitoris is removed, or surrounding tissue is also damaged. Last year, writer Mariya Karimjee went on This American Life to tell the story of her cutting, which was performed in Pakistan and left her unable to have sex without unendurable pain. This woman (Tasneem Raja, also a member of Dawoodi Bohras) seems to agree that the severity of the procedure done in her community varies, and is often more than just cutting the clitoral hood. She also says the doctor in the story in the OP is lying: > [@](#): > > RAJA: Dr. Nagarwala says she didn’t cut these girls, that she just wiped them and that she gave the gauze to their parents to bury, you know, according to Bohra accustoms. But that’s not what the girls told investigators. One girl said she screamed in pain and she could barely walk afterward, and a medical examination shows that both of the girl’s bodies have been altered. You know, when I heard Dr. Nagarwala say this I was frankly shocked and a bit appalled. Nearly all of my Bohra female friends and I had this practice done to us when we were children. And none of us was wiped. We were cut. We bled, sometimes for days. And some of us were left with lifelong physical damage. Finally, men who have been circumcised are mostly content, and pretty much all report that they enjoy sex. This survey of the effect of FGM on Dawoodi Bohra women says their experience is not so benign: > **[Dawoodi Bohra women say ‘no’ to female genital mutilation](https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/Dawoodi-Bohra-women-say-%E2%80%98no%E2%80%99-to-female-genital-mutilation/article17206136.ece)** > > A recent survey shows 81% want the practice to be discontinued > [@](#): > > A recent survey shows 81% want the practice to be discontinued > > An online survey on female genital mutilation (FGM) conducted on 385 women of the Dawoodi Bohra community has revealed that a large number of them want the practice to be discontinued. A total of 98% respondents said they were subjected to the practice known as khatna or khafd, which involves cutting the tip of the clitoris. > … > Of the 385 women, 108 answered a question on whether FGM impacted their life positively or negatively. Ninety four participants or 87% said their sexual life had been impacted negatively. As many as 149 of 309 respondents said the practice left an emotional impact on their adult life. The survey also revealed popular beliefs behind why the practice is prevalent. A total of 56% believed it was carried out for religious purposes, 45% thought that it was to decrease sexual arousal, 42% felt that it was to maintain traditions, and 27% said it was to ensure hygiene and cleanliness. A spokesperson for the community complains that the sample surveyed is skewed because of how the participants were identified: > [@](#): > > A spokesperson for the community, however, said the survey was not advertised in mainstream Bohra circles. “By excluding the overwhelming majority of the Bohras, the sample is skewed and unrepresentative. The opinions it has gathered are of people connected with the pollsters in one way or the other. It is therefore unsurprising that the survey says what Sahiyo wants to hear.” But I think it rather unlikely that you’d find results like that among men circumcised as infants, without a great deal of effort put into finding unhappy men. Again, I think if they were just nicking the foreskin of baby girls, almost no one would know or care. The reason it’s a big deal is because little girls are being traumatized and even in this community that seems to practice a relatively minor form of FGM, a large number end up with significant damage to the clitoris. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057/120 "2017-04-30T16:00:34Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > …I get that; not sure why you came back to repeat it. I explained why it’s not yet known to be relevant to this case. The Dawoodi Bohra routinely perform hood removal and that’s what the attorney for her client maintains happened. Pursuant to a search warrant, both girls were examined by a doctor. There’s no reason to yet believe the attorney is lying about what procedure was performed knowing that the judge is going to know exactly what it was. That would be one stupid attorney. As best as I can tell, all the attorney has said is that there was cutting, disagreeing with the doctor who claimed otherwise. Due to the nature of US law, we may not learn the extent of the cutting, but I hope you can see from the citations I provided above that there’s an excellent chance those girls lost part of their clitorises. > [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > You didn’t provide cites in any other thread regarding the five other cites 2square4u requested from you. No, I think I said something about “when I had time”, and SURPRISE! I hadn’t had time. I had only had time for the trivially easy one – almost no FGM involves as little damage as the most extreme male circumcisions. (which is why it’s really not comparable.) I’m about to go answer the other questions now. Check back [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=824972](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=824972) in an hour or so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/genital-mutilation-of-young-girls-but-its-a-religious-thing/785057.md?page=7)