Perhaps Switzerland will see a drop in Muslim immigration as a result of this law. America should do the same.
The horror of this bloody, painful procedure to remove the ability of a Muslim girl to experience any sexual pleasure is on the rise in the West as Muslim immigration increases. Cutting the clitoris of a woman is an Islamic precept that removes the ability to experience sexual pleasure (thereby making a woman less apt to cheat, or enjoy life, for that matter). There is absolutely no health benefit. It is a misogyny. And don't think it doesn't affect American society. Just last year the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement recommending that doctors perform this "ritual nick" (we exposed it on the net and it was withdrawn after the ensuing public outcry). Many Muslims in America support clitoridectomies and justify them as religious freedom. In one state in which anti-FGM legislation is currently working its way through the legislative process, one legislator reports receiving a phone call from a Muslim constituent urging her to oppose the legislation as ‘a conspiracy against the Muslim community’” (more here).
"Law tightened on female genital mutilation" Swiss info.ch
A change to the Swiss penal code on female genital mutilation comes into force on Sunday which aims to prevent Swiss-based families from having their daughters circumcised, whether in Switzerland or abroad.
“Thanks to the new provision in our criminal law, mutilation of female genitals can be prosecuted and punished by a Swiss judge, even in cases where the offence has taken place abroad and even when not punishable under that country’s law,” Andrea Candrian, vice head of the Federal Justice Office’s international criminal law unit, told swissinfo.ch.
Under the new legislation, any person who carries out an act of mutilation can be held responsible and punished.
“In addition, persons who have assisted in such a crime or contributed in another way can be prosecuted as well. For example – if a girl’s family has organised a mutilation – then not only the circumciser but also the family members involved can be prosecuted,” Candrian explained.
While the goal is not to target instances of FGM carried out in other countries, the legislation should help deter parents from forcing their daughters to undergo the painful and debilitating procedure.
The degree of mutilation (see box at right) along with the personal circumstances of the perpetrators will determine the severity of the sentence, which could involve up to ten years in prison or substantial fines.
Already in 2008, a Zurich court found a couple from Somalia guilty of causing bodily injury to their daughter in the first case of genital mutilation to come before judges in Switzerland. The circumcision had occurred inside the family’s canton Zurich home when the girl was two years old. The prosecution believed that a Somalian midwife had performed the cutting, but this could not be proven.Unmistakable signal“The new article is a clear and unmistakable signal that Switzerland does not tolerate this violation of human rights. FGM is a violation of human rights and a severe violation of children’s rights, which explicitly guarantee the right of physical integrity,” Katrin Piazza, spokeswoman for the Swiss National Committee of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) told swissinfo.ch.
In 2010, Unicef Switzerland collected some 20,000 signatures calling for stronger measures against FGM. The Swiss parliament asked the government to amend the law in 2011, which the government agreed to do in 2012.
Unicef estimates that within Switzerland, 7,000 women and girls have undergone FGM or are at risk of being circumcised in the near future. That figure is based on surveys carried out in 2001 and 2004; the results of a new survey will be released in autumn 2012.
“It’s difficult to collect the data, and most victims don’t dare to talk about their mutilation or even their present suffering. Unicef Switzerland is going to collect the new survey data by working with gynaecologists, midwives and social workers – and if possible, members of concerned communities,” Piazza said.
According to Unicef, the number of affected females might actually be higher because of the large number of migrants from countries like Eritrea, where the practice of female circumcision is common.
Switzerland is not the only nation tackling FGM through legislation. According to Candrian, “Switzerland is among countries such as Sweden and Britain which have introduced a specific provision against genital mutilation. Other nations such as France and Germany cover the offence under general provisions of their national law.”
