Fury as Italians back female mutilation

Health authorities in Florence triggered an outcry after they accepted a version of female circumcision.

A gynaecologist in the city is proposing to perform a "light" version of infibulation, the mutilation of the genitalia of young girls which is practised in many African countries.

Dr Omar Abdul Kadir, a gynaecologist who has been working in Florence for several years, claims that his operation satisfies the traditional demands for the operation from many African mothers, yet "causes neither pain nor damage". But the proposal, and its acceptance by the local health authority, has outraged Italians campaigning against female genital mutilation (FGM). Cristiana Scoppa, who works for Aidos, a Rome-based non-governmental organisation working in Third World countries on women's development, said that the operation would break Italian law.

"You can be prosecuted for cutting an organ that is healthy," she said. "If the damage is so big as to eliminate the organ, you can get 12 years in prison."

The plan for the operation to be performed in Florentine hospitals, though agreed by the city's health authority, must now go before the regional health authority's bio-ethics committee for ratification. The committee, to meet in March, would have to be agree before hospitals in Florence could carry out the procedure.

A councillor on Florence's health authority, Enrico Rossi, said: "The opinion [of the regional committee] is fundamental, but we must also involve women immigrants [in the decision-making process]. We are dealing with a delicate question which must be confronted without prejudice, and we must listen to all opinions."

Dr Kadir said that he had received support for "light mutilation " from immigrants from 10 African countries, who wrote in a joint statement: "It is not enough merely to say one is opposed to infibulation. While some of us have realised that this practice is useless, cruel and not prescribed by religion, others among us are too attached to their culture and do not accept that [the mutilation] has negative consequences for their daughters."

Aidos, which is working to combat the practice in many African countries, is incensed that it might be about to take root in Italy. Ms Scoppa said: "The reason for the operation is to control women's sexuality. But they don't say that is the reason, they say it is tradition. It's like the many Italian families who do not go to church but who send their children to be baptised because it has always been like that and the parents want to do that. It's the power of custom.

"But the custom can be changed. You will not get people to give up FGM unless you work on the demand for FGM. Working on the demand means working within the culture. But if you legitimise this in a hospital in Italy it legitimises the whole cultural belief system that is behind it."

She is also sceptical that Dr Kadir's proposed light mutilation would prevent girls being mutilated in the more thorough traditional fashion later on, with the removal of most of the genitals and the stitching up of the vulva. A small opening would be left.

Dr Kadir's procedure involves making a small hole in the girl's clitoris and drawing a drop of blood. He said: "We have proposed to make a small, pinhole-sized puncture in the clitoris of the child after applying a local anaesthetic, making a drop of blood appear. The little girl will then go home to celebrate this type of 'baptism'."