Female genital mutilation

“Smockey” is a male rapper from Burkina Faso, and he’s dealing out some serious lyrics about the all-too-common practice of female genital mutilation. His latest song, “Tomber la Lame,” or “Drop the Blade,” is a plea for his fellow countrymen to stop FGM.

Usually when we think about female genital mutilation only one thing comes to mind: that it should be stopped. But a group of women from the Maasai tribe in Kenya feel strongly that the practice should continue.Usually when we think about female genital mutilation only one thing comes to mind: that it should be stopped. But a group of women from the Maasai tribe in Kenya feel strongly that the practice should continue.

A German doctor filed a criminal complaint against a Jewish mohel for performing ritual circumcisions in that country — a practice one court found to be illegal. Meanwhile, in the United States Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its position and recommended circumcision as a beneficial practice for infant boys.

In some African countries, female circumcision is a widely practiced tradition. But as more attention is shone on the practice, also known as female genital mutilation, it’s come with other consequences. An African reporter has gone into hiding after her report on the practice in Liberia was published.

Human Rights Watch is on the offensive, trying to combat female genital mutilation in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq.