The Scottish government wants to help courts protect anyone at risk of female genital mutilation

A law to tackle female genital mutilation is racially motivated because it excludes intimate piercings and cosmetic surgery, black and Muslim campaigners have claimed.

Proposals to seize passports and detain anyone suspected of the practice have angered Africans and Muslims in Scotland who fear that they are being racially profiled.

Genital mutilation has been carried out for more than 5,000 years in different cultures and religions and still occurs in 30 countries, including Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. It is usually conducted on young girls and ranges from removing all or part of the clitoris and labia, which are considered “unclean” in some cultures, to sealing the vagina to maintain virginity or fidelity. It can also cover practices considered less harmful such as pricking or scraping