Militants reportedly mandated circumcision of women in Iraq

The militia movement Islamic State (EI) has ordered that all women between the early teens and up to 49 years in the areas it controls in Iraq are subjected to genital mutilation, as revealed Tuesday responsible for humanitarian aid UN in that country, Jaqueline Badcock. ” This is a statement we have been informed this morning,” she has said in a teleconference from Erbil.

“We are concerned that up to four million women and girls may be affected ” by this imposition, delivered through a fatwa, told a group of journalists in Geneva.

Badcock said his office has also received reports that in conflict zones in Iraq are experiencing sexual abuse, forced marriages besides the order that women are subjected to genital mutilation. ” This is a fatwa of EI, it is not the wish of the people of Iraq or Iraqi women in these vulnerable areas where terrorists are present,” he pointed out.

The number two of the UN in Iraq did not say what punishment women can get  to reject it because “it ‘s something we just know and do not have more details.”

However, she believed that millions can be victims of this practice ” if we consider that only in the city of Mosul there are two million people and extrapolate that at least half are women and, indeed, may be more because there are many women heads family there. “

Circumcision or female genital mutilation has not been common practice in Iraq had been banned even in times of late dictator Saddam Hussein, with very few and specific communities where it still occurs, particularly in the autonomous region of Kurdistan.

Moreover, Badcock confirmed the persecution of Christian families in Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq and the Islamic State group controls since June 10 – where are fleeing to areas further north or Kurdistan region, where they are well received in Christian communities.

The UN estimated five million the number of people who are trapped in various conflict zones and the presence of the extremist group, which makes it very difficult to access the cooperating organization.

She said the organization does not have any contact with representatives of the Islamic State, in addition to controlling Mosul and fight in other areas of north-central Iraq, is also present in Syria.

Another cause for the UN  alarm is that the fighting has forced many farmers in this fertile area of Iraq to abandon their tasks, while power cuts prevents grinding essential types of grains in the Iraqi diet.

“The situation is very critical for harvest and it is anticipated there will be problems of food security,” said Badcock, who also reported that ” several armed groups are attacking point of water supply and electricity, increasing the vulnerability of many communities.”

” Our plan is to deliver food to ensure that there is no famine,” she added

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Posted by Maleeha Tareen on Jul 26 2014. Filed under Middle East. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.