Russia’s MPH and GPO to deal with problem of female circumcision in Dagestan

The Russian Ministry of Public Health (MPH) has criticized the ritual of female circumcision widespread in Dagestan, and the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) has promised to check the legality of the practice of female circumcision in Northern Caucasus.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 15 the "Legal Initiative for Russia" (LIfR) posted on its website the outcomes of its study of the practice of female circumcision widespread in Dagestan. The report states that in Dagestan the practice of female genital mutilation, practiced with the support of the official clergy and considered by the republic's population as a religious duty. Rights defenders have proposed to criminalize the female circumcision and to organize a broad public debate of the issue.

The Russian MPH expresses its solidarity with the international medical community and opposes the practice of female circumcision. This has been announced today by Oleg Salagai, an official from the Russian MPH.

"At present, the international medical community states that the so-called female circumcision is a mutilating practice and is not of positive nature in anyway," said Oleg Salagai.

The MPH's official has also added that "in 2008, the World Health Assembly adopted the resolution on the need for complete elimination of the practice of female circumcision. In 2012, a similar resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly", the "Interfax" reports.

In her turn, singer Diana Gurtskaya, the chair of the Russian Public Chamber's Commission on support of family, children, and motherhood, has appealed to Yuri Chaika, Russian General Prosecutor, with a request to check the information on the practice of so-called female circumcision in some parts of Northern Caucasus, in particularly, in Dagestan, the newspaper "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" reports.

The appeal with a request to check the legality in Northern Caucasus of the practice of female circumcision will be considered by the Russian GPO, reports its press officer as quoted by the "Interfax".

Meanwhile, Ismail Berdiev, Chairman of the Muslim Coordination Centre of Northern Caucasus, has announced that he stands "in favour of circumcision of all women." "All the women should be subjected to circumcision to eliminate debauchery on the Earth and to decrease sexuality," said the Mufti. He has also noted that female circumcision is practiced in some villages in Dagestan. Ismail Berdiev has admitted that Islam does not prescribe circumcision of women. However, he states "the need to decrease female sexuality," the agency "Interfax" reports.

However, later, Ismail Berdiev has explained by joke his statement concerning female circumcision that got a public outcry. According to Ismail Berdiev, he has only mentioned that the practice of circumcision of young girl is widespread in some parts of Dagestan. "And then I has added a joke that if such a practice were widespread everywhere, then maybe it would decrease debauchery," said Ismail Berdiev as quoted by the RIA "Novosti".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.