Islamic cleric endorses female genital mutilations in India?

Mumbai: A Dawoodi Bohra community's spiritual leader has allegedly encouraged the act of khatna (female genital mutilations) in India during his recent sermon at the Saifee Mosque in Bhendi Bazaar.

As per a report in The Times of India, during his sermon on the occasion of 51st death anniversary of Syedna Taher Saifuddin, Syedna Muffadal Saifuddin said "The act has to happen! If it is a man, then it is right, it can be openly done, but if it is a woman then it must be done discreetly, but then the act has to be done. Please understand what I am trying to talk about..."

"We should keep our things strong, stay firm. Even the big sovereign states, whatever it is they say, if it makes any difference to our things, then we are not prepared to understand!" he says and then adds,” he was quoted as saying from a four-minute audio clip.

"The Syedna was reading from a script which is usually the routine on such an occasion but all of a sudden he went off and started talking in a cryptic fashion. It was confusing at first. Then we gradually realized that he was talking about female circumcision when he used words like amal (act), mamlakat (states) and that the act must be carried out discreetly for women and openly for men. It was very disturbing for me and my wife," A Mumbai resident was quoted by TOI as saying.

However, a close friend of Syedna's family has denied such allegations.