The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) issued a fatwa clarifying that female circumcision is not a merely inherited custom as falsely claimed
by those who are clueless about Islamic law. The GSIC stressed that it is one of the virtues of Islam and among the Sunnah practices dictated by the Messenger of Allah, Peace be Upon Him, who
said: “Five practices are characteristics of the Fitra,” of which he mentioned circumcision.
“The legitimacy of female circumcision has been proven in several established hadiths on the authority of the Prophet; peace be upon him. Therefore, Muslim jurists agreed on its legality. Some jurists have even argued that female circumcision is obligatory, whereas others have considered it a recommended act of Sunnah. It was not reported by any of the
reliable Muslim scholars denying the legality of female circumcision in the manner
prescribed by the Messenger of Allah; peace be upon him. ”
The fatwa signed Shaykh Essa Foday Darboe pointed out that the noble Sharia
never recognizes anything that causes harm to people, be it health or physical.
“The GSIC wishes to point out that the legal form of female circumcision involves cutting
off only a tiny upper part of the clitoris without removing it or touching any part of the
labia, which runs contrary to what is known as (FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION) and
does not entail the removal of the genital organ, or what is known as Pharaonic
circumcision. ”
According to the council,Muslim Jurists have agreed that this type is illegal because of the harm it
inflicts on women.
“The GSIC calls on the government of The Gambia to
reconsider the law criminalizing female circumcision and to hold anyone who practices
such accountable because, as Muslims, religion is the most precious thing we have in this
The GSIC would also like to clarify that Allah has decreed female circumcision, and it,
therefore, condemns quarters and individuals who denounce the practice and calls on the
authorities to hold them accountable.”
