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	Female Genital Mutilation: A Mothering Exclusive Report

The Debate on Female Genital Mutilation:
The Muslim World Comes to a Consensus

At a two day meeting held in Rabat, Morocco, and organized by the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO), ministers, politicians and religious leaders from 50 Muslim States addressed issues affecting children—and those wrongly associated with Islam—at the first Islamic Childhood Conference. These issues included marriage during childhood, other related gender-based violence, and Female Genital Mutilation, which is often justified with religious arguments, although there is no verse in the Koran that mentions the circumcision of women.

The Gambia is a member of both organizations, and is well known for challenging religious arguments regarding women’s rights issues. The personal status law of the Gambian Muslim woman is governed by the Shariah because the majority of the population are Muslim. However, the Gambia is a secular state. (The personal status law of the Muslim woman is the right to inheritance, divorce, custody of a child, marriage and other related issues).

The outcome of the Rabat meeting resulted to a ‘Rabat Declaration’ which places special emphasis on the issue of Female Genital Mutilation and other harmful traditional practices. The outcome of this meeting is significant for activists and advocates on children’s and women’s rights.