Garowe (SD) – Some Puntland religious leaders held a press conference in Garowe today strongly opposing the recently approved Cabinet law banning female genital mutilation completely.

The clerics said the law banning female genital mutilation contradicts Article 9 of the Puntland constitution and Islamic law.

The clerics described the law as a project that has long been prevented from being implemented in the country and is detrimental to the Somali people, accusing the ministry that drafted the law of being bribed, according to the statement.

“This is a project. Past governments have rejected it. Today we need to focus our attention on it. I hope the Puntland parliament will reject the law, and I think the ministry that prepared it has been given incentives, but if they had been aware of the dangers of this anti-Islamic project, they would not have done so,” said one cleric.

“This law does not differentiate between Sunni circumcision and female genital mutilation, but it prohibits all forms of circumcision, so I say to the House of Representatives today is your test, and we will see where you stand,” said another Sheikh.

Last Thursday, June 10, during a meeting chaired by Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, the Puntland cabinet approved a law banning female genital mutilation by a majority vote.