By Yusef Taylor and Edward F. Dalliah
The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) held a press conference early today 14th March 2024 to issue a “Fatwa” on the practice of female circumcision in The Gambia at their headquarters at Kanifing MDI Road. Fatwa is “a ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a recognized authority”. The purpose of the press conference was to provide clarification on female circumcision from a Sharia perspective.
National Dialogue on FGM and Islam
Over the weekend of 9th March 2024, a National Dialogue on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Islam was held at Kairaba Beach Hotel which resulted in international Islamic Scholars recommending the practice to remain banned. Egyptian Islamic Scholar, Prof Dr Gamal Serour from the International Islamic Center for Populations Studies and Research of Al-Azhar University in Egypt outrightly stated that “FGM is not Islamic”.
During the National Dialogue held over the weekend, a Medical Doctor Babanding Daffeh highlighted that he attended to a young girl who died after undergoing FGM in The Gambia. Imam Bassirou Drammeh of the Gambia Supreme Islamic Council KM Representative is not in support of the practice and cited an example where a lady survived FGM but remained at risk of death whenever she was about to deliver as she observed twice.
Imam Baba Leigh, a Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was also invited to speak at the National Dialogue and urged Scholars to debate respectfully but does not endorse FGM/C as an obligatory Islamic practice.
GSIC Female Circumcision Clarification
In attendance at the press conference was Hon Almameh Gibba of Foni Kansala who tabled the Bill for the repeal of the FGM Ban and Imam Abdoulie Fatty who is a Saudi trained Cleric and a former Imam of the State House during the term of former President Yahya Jammeh.
Hon Gibba is a close ally of former President Jammeh who promulgated the FGM Ban in 2015 which imposes penalties of up to D50,000 or three years in prison or both. In the instance the practice leads to death which happened to three girls in Sierra Leone earlier this year, The Gambian law dictates life imprisonment. However, if this law is repealed this would be removed from The Gambia’s criminal books.
Although Imam Fatty has always supported the practice, he was not as vocal during the previous regime as he is today about FGM being an obligatory Islamic practice. The press conference held today sought to clarify that FGM is different from female circumcision and an obligatory Islamic practice.
During the press conference an announcement was issued stating that “the GSIC would like to clarify that female circumcision is not a merely inherited custom as falsely claimed by those who are clueless about Islamic law. Rather, it is one of the virtues of Islam and among the Sunnah practices dictated by the Messenger of Allah, Peace be Upon Him, who said: “Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra,” of which he mentioned circumcision”.
“The legitimacy of female circumcision has been proven in several established hadiths on the authority of the Prophet: peace be upon him. Therefore, Muslim jurists agreed on its legality. Some jurists have even argued that female circumcision is obligatory, whereas others have considered it a recommended act of Sunnah,” stated the GSIC statement which failed to cite any Quranic or Islamic texts.
OIC Secretariat Calls for an End to FGM
A statement issued on behalf of the OIC General Secretariat back in March 2013 noted that “at this time and age, the women in some countries are faced with such an archaic cultural practice as female genital mutilation. FGM is still practised in some societies under the cloak of religious, cultural and tribal practices. As the OIC Secretary General reiterated just last month here at the United Nations, “We can no longer allow ignorance surrounding women’s rights, and FGM to be perpetuated by traditions and rituals disguised as religious teachings. This inhumane practice has survived for over centuries, and must be stopped.”
Statistics on FGM in The Gambia
According to the 2019-20 Gambia Demographic and Health Survey, nearly 5 in 10 girls aged 0-14 in The Gambia have undergone FGM/C. The practice is more prevalent in Basse where 79% of girls have undergone the practice and less prevalent in Banjul where only 25% of girls have undergone the practice. For women aged 15 to 59 more than 7 in 10 women have undergone FGM/C. With regards to prevalence, 97% of women in this age bracket from Basse are reported to have undergone the cut, while the lowest is 42% prevalence in the age bracket amongst women from Kerewan.
According to the Gambia Bureau of Statistics, only Mali has a higher prevalence of FGM/C than the Gambia standing at 46% of girls aged 0-14. In Sierra Leone where the practice is not illegal campaigners against the practice are advocating for an FGM Ban and urging the Gambia not to repeal the FGM Ban.
The second reading of the Women’s Amendment Bill, 2024 which seeks to repeal the FGM Ban will be heard in Parliament on Monday 18th March 2024. During the sitting, Parliamentarians will debate the objects, reasons and merits of the Bill. The Gambia is currently observing the Holy month of Ramadan which is a period of fasting and prayers for Muslims. Meanwhile, Christians are also observing Lent which is also a period of fasting and prayers.