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Article: Egyptian Court Overturns Decree That Banned Female Circumcision
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- June 25, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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An administrative court struck down a government ban on the
widely practiced ritual known as female circumcision today, dealing
a blow to human rights activists who have argued that the procedure
is cruel, unnecessary and damaging to women's sexual and
reproductive health.
The ruling was a victory for Islamic fundamentalists who
claim that female circumcision -- called female genital mutilation
by its critics -- protects women from what they consider the
consequences of excessive sexual desire as well as sexually
transmitted diseases and other maladies.
It also demonstrated the continued influence of Islamic
fundamentalists within Egyptian courts, whose conservative rulings
on ...