They were going to take a worm from my body
I, Alifya Sulemanji went through the atrocity of FGM. It’s been 35 years but I haven’t forgotten that day of my life even today. Today, I am happy and proud for standing up for myself.
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The Sahiyo Activist Retreat gave me insight on how to talk about FGM/C
By Alifya Sulemanji Age: 45 Country of Residence: United States I was looking forward to attending the second Sahiyo Activist Retreat as it is a great platform to meet more women who are standing up for the abandonment of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). I was happy to meet women from different parts of the United States. …
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Female Genital Cutting charges dismissed but our work continues: Global reactions to Michigan case news
By Sahiyo On November 20, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman dismissed the female genital cutting charges in the historic Michigan case involving girls from the Dawoodi Bohra sect, emphasizing that FGC should be regulated by states as a “local criminal activity.” Congress enacted the 22-year-old federal law banning FGC in 1996 — the law Judge …
Why I co-hosted a Sahiyo ‘Thaal pe Charcha’ lunch in New York
By Alifya Sulemanji I had been hearing about Thaal pe Charcha (TPC), an event organized by Sahiyo, on a regular basis in Bombay India and it seemed like a very interesting concept to me. I felt inspired to host one at my home and bring together New York Bohra women for such an event. I …
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My Reflections on Sahiyo’s Activist Retreat and my advocacy on ending FGM/C in the U.S.
By Alifya Sulemanji Sahiyo organized a retreat for FGM survivors and activists in January 2018. I attended the retreat because I am a survivor and I was interested in learning about different views, challenges and perspectives of other survivors and activists who were planning to attend as well. The retreat was very beneficial in many …
U.S. Muslim Leaders Stance on FGM/C (also known as Female Circumcision)
(Originally document can be found here. Republished with permission on 6/7/2017) We, Muslim organizations, FGM/C Survivors, Islamic scholars, and leaders, strongly condemn the remarks made in the video of Imam Shaker El Sayed where he clearly distinguishes between Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, and recommends the performance of female circumcision on young …
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Telling one’s personal Khatna story can lead to another’s not continuing FGM/C too
By Alifya Sulemanji Country: United States In the past few years, we have seen an increase in the awareness of FGM/C in the Dawoodi Bohra community, and it has led to many discussions amongst community members. There is a large number of people who were hesitant about the procedure, and due to a lack of …
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I was cut, but today I am proud to be standing up for myself
(First published on March 16, 2016) Name: Alifya Sulemanji Age: 42 Country: United States I, Alifya Sulemanji went through the atrocity of Female Genital Mutilation. It’s been 35 years but I haven’t forgotten that day of my life even today. One morning my mom told me we were going to visit my aunt who lives …
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FGM/C from an artist’s perspective: Art for cultural change
By Owanto How can art promote change? How can it transform the lives of millions of young women and girls? Art offers another platform to increase visibility and raise awareness about this global issue. More than 200 million girls and women alive today have been cut in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and …
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