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FGM campaign targets Sheikhs, Madrassa teachers
Dr Rashid Ali Omar - he says Islam neither condones the shedding of innocent blood nor the perpetuation of harmful practices like FGM.
What you need to know:
- The Anti-FGM Board has embarked on a campaign to end cases of FGM in the North Eastern region.
- It targets Sheikhs, Madrassa teachers, cultural leaders, the local administration, women groups and opinion leaders who hold a lot of influence in their respective communities.
The Anti-FGM Board has embarked on a campaign to end cases of FGM in the North Eastern region.
Wajir, Mandera and Garissa are among counties with the highest FGM prevalence in the country with surveys putting the prevalence at 94 per cent.
The campaign seeks to sensitise locals on the consequences of FGM, a deeply rooted practice in the region.
It targets Sheikhs, Madrassa teachers, cultural leaders, the local administration including chiefs and their assistants, women groups and the opinion leaders who will be sensitized on the negative effects of FGM, the Prohibition of FGM Act, 2011 and the presidential directive to end FGM by 2022.
These individuals are perceived to hold a lot of influence in their respective communities. The board seeks to convert them into anti-FGM champions who will spearhead the fight against the cut.
Dr Rashid Ali Omar, a retired Deputy Chief Kadhi of Kenya, and now an independent director of the Anti-FGM Board led a team and chaired a series of the anti-FGM meetings in Wajir last week.
“I urge you to abandon the retrogressive cultural practice and promote the dignity of girls and women by adopting their education as opposed to mutilation, which has numerous consequences,” said Dr Rashid.
Innocent blood
He clarified that Islam neither condones the shedding of innocent blood nor the perpetuation of harmful practices.
“We should not hide under religion to circumvent the law and perpetuate a harmful and illegal practice. In Islam, there is no middle ground. There is no backing for FGM in Islam,” he said.
During the dialogues, Fatuma Dahir, a renowned Madrassa educator and a FGM survivor in Wajir County narrated to the women the traumatic experiences women face as a result of FGM.
She emphasized that Isla does not support the practise and it should, therefore, be abolished.
The community acknowledged that more sensitization was necessary to hammer the anti-FGM message home, particularly to mothers and girls.
There is a proposal to have Wajir County host the national event to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM on February 6, 2022.
