500,000 at Risk for Female Genital Mutation in the U.S.

According to a government report released Thursday, over 500,000 girls in the United States are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM). This disgusting practice consists of the partial (in some cases total) removal of a female’s external genitalia, and it is becoming more common in immigrant communities, especially Islamic communities in America. 

Like circumcision, FGM is aimed to decrease a woman’s ability to feel sexual pleasure. But unlike circumcision, there are no health advantages. FGM can lead to bleeding, severe pain, and other health issues. 

The Government Accountability Office estimates that the number of girls and women at risk of FGM in the United States has increased threefold since 1990, when the government reported 168,000 women at risk or already suffering. 

The obvious reason for this increase is the rise in immigration from countries in which FGM is regularly practiced according to cultural, social, or religious beliefs about sexual behavior. 

As I wrote earlier this week, certain aspects of Islam and Sharia Law directly contradict American culture and US law. If President Obama’s successor continues his effort to resettle more refugees, we can expect more women and girls in the US to be forced to undergo this horrific procedure. 

“Many Americans haven’t even heard of FGM or they think it’s some faraway problem,” says Nevada Senator Harry Reid. “Although it’s illegal, it does happen here, and we shouldn’t stand for it. There are a number of actions our government can take right now to address FGM.” 

According to federal law, the genital mutilation of girls under the age of 18 is punishable by up to five years in jail. Since 2013, it has also been considered a crime to transport girls out of the US for the purpose of FGM. 

The GAO insists that federal agencies could be doing more to prevent FGM and suggests that cultural norms and the uncomfortable nature of the topic leads to underreporting.

While the State Department allegedly “warns” immigrants about the legal consequences of FGM, it does not issue this warning to tourists, diplomats, foreign students, or temporary workers.

“As the GAO reports shows, the United States is clearly not doing enough to protect women and girls from this brutal human rights violation,” says Reid. “Federal agencies must step up to provide concrete plans to bring this practice to an end.”

Editor’s note: Somehow it seems to escape mainstream media that the Islamic religion is the primary source of  this particular cultural virus.