Radio Netherlands Worldwide

I agree entirely that the erroneous term 'circumcision' should never be used for this practice. Another form of 'sanitizing' is referring to it as an African practice. I worked in Africa as a doctor for 3 years and saw many of these unfortunate women. Most of the ones I saw was while working at a hospital in North Ghana right on the border with Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) and, without exception, all the women came from tribes practicing Islam.
I note that the woman quoted in the article has the name 'Fatima' suggesting that she comes from an 'Islamic' African family.
In my experience, this is not an African practice but an Islamic one and must be recognized as such.
The obstetric complications of this practice are horrific often leading to incontinence of both faeces and urine from prolonged low obstruction and tearing. I found it difficult to understand how any woman could inflict it on her daughter - except, of course, under huge societal pressure!