Kerala govt orders probe into reports of female genital mutilation in Kozhikode

Two doctors at a medical clinic in Kozhikode (Calicut) admitted that they perform the procedure of “sunnath”, or circumcision, on both boys and girls.

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After reports of female genital mutilation being practiced in Kozhikode, the state government has directed Kozhikode district medical officer (DMO) to conduct an inquiry.

A recent report on an investigation by Sahiyo, a women’s organisation, had revealed that the ritual of cutting parts of the female genitalia, is being practiced by some communities in Kozhikode of Kerala.

As per the report, two doctors at a medical clinic in Kozhikode (Calicut) admitted that they perform the procedure of “sunnath”, or circumcision, on both boys and girls. They claimed that women from several local Muslim sects are increasingly coming to their clinic to have sunnath performed on themselves, their daughters and even their daughters-in-law.

The government move came after Muslim Youth League workers locked up the clinic on Monday.

Health minister KK Shylaja alerted the directorate of health services, which in turn directed DMO to probe into the report, as per The Deccan Chronicle.

As per the Sahiyo report, doctors in the clinic had said that in the female circumcision ritual, they cut the prepuce of the clitoris, also known as the clitoral hood, because it is allegedly “good for married life”. They also mentioned that “some husbands insist on it”.

The report also says that many women believe that doing this is good for sexual pleasure and insist on doing it.

However, religious leaders have said that such clinics operate only for financial gain and there were also attempts to tarnish the image of the religion.

“It is up to the religious heads to comment whether the act is Islamic or not and they have done it. But as a political party, we suspect there are attempts to tarnish the name of the religion by linking it with the circumcision among males. The business motives behind the clinics should be probed, instead of linking it with the community," Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) Abdul Majeed Faizy told DC.