A doctor named Jumana Nagarwala has shocked her Michigan community by being accused of performing female genital mutilation on two seven-year-old girls. According to WXYZ Detroit, "Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is considered the complete removal or partial removal of the clitoris, known as a clitoridectomy. FGM is internationally recognized as a violation of the human rights of women and girls." An estimated two hundred million women and girls are alive today who have suffered through FGM, as it's commonly practiced in Africa, Asia and the Middle East... Typically, not Michigan.
Why on earth would Dr. Nagarwala do this to a little girl? The Freedom Center's Daniel Greenfield notes that an FBI agent reported in a criminal complaint that female genital mutilation is practiced by “some members of a particular religious and cultural community” to which Nagarwala belongs, although the media are studiously avoiding mentioning which one (guess). One purpose of the surgery, the agent pointed out, was to “curb the sexuality of girls and women by making sex painful.” If there's anything that feminists should be outraged about, it's this.
The complaint filed against the Michigan doctor reveals some girls were brought from out of state, including one 7-year-old girl who was brought by her family from Minnesota. She told investigators she'd been taken to Detroit for a "special girls trip" and that they'd gone to the doctor "to get the germs out."
Another little girl said that she screamed so loudly because she felt the excruciating pain all the way down to her feet. The doctor told her to tell anyone who asked that she had gotten a shot. When 7 Action News went to her home, a man in the house told the reporter through the door that he had no comment.
The World Health Organization reports that this mutilation "can cause severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later cysts, infections, as well as complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths." According to their website, immediate complications can include:
severe pain
excessive bleeding (haemorrhage)
genital tissue swelling
fever
infections e.g., tetanus
urinary problems
wound healing problems
injury to surrounding genital tissue
shock
death.
And longer-term consequences can include:
urinary problems (painful urination, urinary tract infections);
vaginal problems (discharge, itching, bacterial vaginosis and other infections);
menstrual problems (painful menstruations, difficulty in passing menstrual blood, etc.);
scar tissue and keloid;
sexual problems (pain during intercourse, decreased satisfaction, etc.);
increased risk of childbirth complications (difficult delivery, excessive bleeding, caesarean section, need to resuscitate the baby, etc.) and newborn deaths;
need for later surgeries: for example, the FGM procedure that seals or narrows a vaginal opening (type 3) needs to be cut open later to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth (deinfibulation). Sometimes genital tissue is stitched again several times, including after childbirth, hence the woman goes through repeated opening and closing procedures, further increasing both immediate and long-term risks;
psychological problems (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, etc.);
health complications of female genital mutilation.
There may be more victims. The FBI has a tip line for anyone who had more info on the illegal practices of FGM or Dr. Nagarwala: 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5984) or file an e-tip at FBI.gov/FGM
h/t Instapundit
