Jihadists in Iraq have ordered that all women between the ages of 11 and 46 must undergo female genital mutilation, which could affect up to four million women and girls in the war-ravaged country, a UN official said Thursday.
The UN's second most senior official in Iraq, Jacqueline Badcock, said, "It is a fatwa (or religious edict) from ISIS, we learnt about it this morning. We have no precise numbers."
The Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), took over large swathes of the country last month and has begun imposing its extreme Salafist interpretation of Islam.
Badcock said that if you took UN population figures as a guide, around "four million girls and women could be affected".
Female genital mutilation is unusual in Iraq and is only practised in "certain isolated pockets of the country", she added.
She said only 20 families from the ancient Christian minority now remain in Mosul, the northern Iraq city which ISIS has taken as the capital of its Islamic state. Most have reportedly fled north into Kurdish-controlled territory.
Badcock said some Christians have converted to Islam, while others have opted to stay and pay the jiyza, the tax on non-Muslim's ISIS has imposed.
GMT 16:53 2018 Thursday ,06 December
Prominent Rwandan activist Diane Rwigara acquitted of 'insurrection'GMT 21:37 2018 Friday ,23 November
Bahrain's efforts to protect women's rights praisedGMT 14:39 2018 Tuesday ,30 October
Russia and China can overcome US sanctions pressureGMT 13:31 2018 Tuesday ,30 October
Women wrestlers take on tradition in south IraqGMT 14:19 2018 Friday ,12 October
Women's strides in Bahrain and UAE highlightedGMT 19:31 2018 Thursday ,11 October
Young Egyptian woman serves as minister for a dayGMT 19:46 2018 Wednesday ,10 October
Bahrain keen on promoting peace, security globallyGMT 19:06 2018 Wednesday ,10 October
South Korea reviews DPRK sanctions "Kang Kyung-wha"Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor