EGYPT'S HEALTH MINISTRY BANS FGM; FORMAL ANTI-FGM

UNCLAS CAIRO 002087 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SOCI PREL PGOV KWMN KISL EG SUBJECT: EGYPT'S HEALTH MINISTRY BANS FGM; FORMAL ANTI-FGM LEGISLATION PENDING REF: A. CAIRO 01948 ¶B. CAIRO 00345 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Following the June 23 issuance of a televised fatwa banning female genital mutilation (FGM) by Egypt's Mufti (Ref A),Health Minister Dr. Hatem Al-Gabaly issued a decree on June 28 banning the practice. Formal legislation affirming the Health Minister's decree is pending until the People's Assembly reconvenes in mid-November. At the same time, anti-FGM advocacy by First Lady Suzanne Mubarak has focused increased attention on the issue of FGM in Egypt. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) On June 28, Minister of Health Al-Gabaly issued a decree placing a permanent ban on the practice of FGM. The decree stated: "it is prohibited for any doctors, nurses, or any other person to carry out any cut of, flattening, or modification of any natural part of the female reproductive system, whether in government hospitals, non-government facilities, or any other places." This ban is not enforceable as law, which would require GOE efforts to move forward formal legislation banning FGM. In the last week, Al-Gabaly stated that the GOE is formulating anti-FGM legislation to criminalize the practice, which will be considered in the next session of the People's Assembly (currently adjourned, but which will begin a new session in mid-November). In the interim, the Health Ministry is reportedly organizing awareness campaigns regarding the dangers of FGM, which will include 13,000 "female leaders" from rural areas. ¶3. (U) First Lady Suzanne Mubarak's public anti-FGM campaign has increased political will necessary for the GOE to address the issue. Mrs. Mubarak has long campaigned against the practice of genital cutting and recently announced that the elimination of FGM in Egypt should be a national priority. At a June 26 meeting of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM),Mrs. Mubarak announced a slogan for a national anti-FGM campaign: "The Beginning of the End." She declared that FGM is a violation of girls' rights and advocated for action on religious, educational, and legislative levels in Egypt. On June 29, Mrs. Mubarak convened a senior-level meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Health and the Doctors' Syndicate to discuss combating FGM. ¶4. (U) As a follow-up to the Mufti's controversial televised June 23 fatwa (Ref A),Dar Al Iftaa (the Mufti's formal office) issued a July 3 statement asserting that FGM is "religiously forbidden" and it is "a harmful social practice that is not required by Islam." ¶5. (U) COMMENT: These developments, following the Mufti's unprecedented fatwa, are encouraging steps in Egypt's efforts to combat FGM. We will closely track GOE efforts to move forward formal legislation banning FGM. RICCIARDONE