Female Genital Mutilation Doc Arrested in Michigan Tries to Claim “Religious Removal” Defense

Well, this story just went from horrifying to a word more horrifying than horrifying of your choice. Personally, I think I’ll go with “traumatizing”.

Last week we reported on the arrest of Dr. Jumana Nagarwala of Livonia for 18 U.S.C. 116 — the statute that criminalizes female genital mutilation.

It is believed this is the first time charges have been brought under the statute in the history of the US. Prosecutors now say they believe this was done to at least five or six little girls, some as young as six years old. The girls’ statements are heartbreaking to say the least.

While the parents of one of the girls taken to Dr. Nagarwala claim it was for the “‘cleansing’ of extra skin,” the doctor is trying to claim the defense of “religious removal” (if that is even a real defense).

Fox 2 Detroit reports:

The defense argued, claiming no female genital mutilation took place, instead, a religious removal of a mucus membrane from the genitals which was wrapped up and given to the parents to bury — a practice they say is performed by a small sect of Indian-based Islam called Dawoodi Bohra.

What… the… f…

Well… one person’s “religious removal” is another person’s female genital mutilation, am I right?