IHEU and World Population Foundation made the following statement at the Conference on Female Genital Mutilation at the Palais des Nations, Geneva on 6 February 2007:

We wish to bring to the attention of today’s meeting the important decision issued by a conference of leading Islamic scholars at Al-Azhar University on 22-23 November 2006.

The decision outlaws female genital mutilation for all Muslims.

The conference, organized by the German human rights group Target, pronounced the custom of FGM as “punishable aggression” and “a crime against humanity”.

This decision, considered binding on all Muslims, will have enormous implications in the fight against FGM.

Until this decision, Islamic leaders had satisfied themselves with statements such as “FGM is a cultural practice” and “FGM has nothing to do with Islam” without condemning it explicitly. Now however, the practice has been deemed a crime and the decision, having been made by the leading authorities in Sunni Islam, is binding on all Muslims.

The conference was held under the patronage of the Grand Mufti Mufti of Egypt, Prof. Dr. Ali Goma’a. The other scholars attending the conference were:
the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar: Prof Dr. Mohamed Sayedantawi; the Minister of Religion of Egypt: Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Hamdi Zakzouk; Sheikh Yusuf Qaradawi from Qatar; Sheikh Hissein Hassan Abkar from Chad; Imam Mahammadou Diallo from Mali; Imam Bal El Bechir from Mauritania; Sheikh Mohamed Darassa from Ethiopia, and Imam Tarafa Baghrajati from Austria.

We urge all concerned governments, international organizations, the press and NGOs to publicize this crucial decision.