Fatwa on female circumcision not to become mandatory for believers in Dagestan

Believers do not have to agree with a fatwa against female circumcision to be prepared by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Dagestan, and the recognition of the fatwa depends on the personal authority of the Mufti, Islamic experts emphasize. The problem of female circumcision is controversial in Muslim countries.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that activists condemned the ignorance of the problem regarding female circumcision in Dagestan, where every year, about 1240 girls under three years old fall victim to female genital mutilation procedures. In August, Zainulla-Khadji Ataev, the spokesman for the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims (SAM) of Dagestan, announced that the Muftiate was preparing a fatwa (an official explanation of the religious and legal issue) banning female circumcision.

The fatwa prepared by the SAM of Dagestan will be meaningful only for those believers who recognize the authority of current Mufti Akhmad Abdulaev, Islamic expert Igor Alekseev explains.

Even in Dagestan, not all believers will likely recognize the fatwa, notes Damir Mukhetdinov, Rector of the Moscow Islamic Institute. He described female circumcision as part of Muslim culture in general.

Female circumcision is still widespread in many countries, primarily in the most backward regions of Africa and Asia, Islamic expert Alexei Malashenko notes. According to him, the fatwa banning the female circumcision in Dagestan can play a positive role.