As the threats against anti-FGM campaigners in The Gambia turns into jokes, and wrangling on female genital mutilation turns into healthy debate, more and more evidence is emerging that the deep-seated traditional practice we have, for far too long, been doing under the guise of Islamic religion is not ordained by Islam.

The world over, in particular in Africa where the practice is higher than anywhere in the world even when Islam was not born here, more and more people are turning their back on this degrading traditional practice that left unacceptable number of our women and children dead, while maiming many others.

Recently in Kenya, the Council of Imams and Ulamaa came out plain to condemn FGM. They said FGM is against the teaching of the Qur’an and vowed to fully support implementation of all FGM related laws.

As they put it: “There is no authentic or relevant Islamic evidence allowing FGM in all its forms and the practice is harmful and violates freedom, privacy, health and dignity of the Muslim woman.

They pointed out that the teachings of Holy Qur’an and practices of the prophet are against any practice that causes any form of harm to human beings and FGM interferes with the Muslim woman’s full realisation of her ‘ibadah’ (total worship of Allah).

Kenya is of course not the only country in Africa where Muslim leaders would unanimously come to the conclusion that the notion that FGM is an Islamic injunction is wrong and grossly misleading.

In neighbouring Senegal, in Egypt, just to name a few that are infact equally Muslim countries, if not more, Muslim leaders there did not only stop at dispelling the wrong concept, but went further to play key roles in criminalising the practice in those countries.

In Gambia, however, the Muslim elders are still reluctant to admit to the people that they have been misleading them.
There is overwhelmingly evidence that some of those religious leaders are no longer subjecting their girl child to the practice.
This is an indication that their silence and failure to come out to admit the truth is no longer about denial. After all, they have not proven to be better researchers. Rather, it is about pride. When will they swallow their pride?

They would often condemn today’s Gambian girls in their sermons and other forums for their non-religious behaviours and warn of possible burning of hell fire in the hereafter even when they could not save those girls from the hell on earth – FGM.