Cocktails & Popcorn: Equal Tiny Human Mutilation Protection Under The LARP - FGM v. Circumcision

This is pure, unadulterated art.

Art, in its rarest form inspires creation and growth, in the perfection of law.

This is an epic troll, to sway the courts, that there must be equal protection under the law.

If it is not acceptable to mutilate tiny female humans, well, then it is not acceptable to mutilate tiny male humans.

To my Dearies, in the perfection of your prayers to bring down the heavens, The Celestial Goddess of the Woodshed is humbled.

Godspeed.

Michigan nonprofit protests male circumcision on Woodward Avenue

Norm Cohen, founder of NOCIRC, holds signs out front of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. (Photo: OMAR ABDEL-BAQUI)

Amid recent national headlines regarding female circumcision, a Michigan nonprofit is rejecting a practice much less taboo in American society today: male circumcision.

A couple dozen people gathered Saturday for a protest hosted by NOCIRC of Michigan to march alongside a bustling Woodward Avenue near Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, educating the public on male circumcision — a practice the group's founder called "archaic," "barbaric," and "a mutilation."

Some passing drivers waved or gave a thumbs up, some honked, some yelled profanities and many stared at the men, women and children who protested, some of whom donned white bodysuits with a red stain on the crotch and held signs that read "ONLY QUACKS CUT HEALTHY CHILDREN," and "Cut a Girl, Go to Jail! Cut a Boy, Get Paid!"

Norm Cohen, founder of NOCIRC of Michigan, said there are many benefits to "staying intact."

First and foremost, "You get to have a whole penis. Most men want a whole penis," Cohen said.

More: Congress fights to save historic female genital mutilation case

More: Why did Twitter allow ad promoting female genital cutting?

The foreskin is the most sensitive part of the penis, he added, and is "mechanically extremely useful for sexual intercourse."

"We evolved as mammals with a foreskin. We don't have any extra parts — it's there for a reason," Cohen said. "This an ancient ritual that predates medicine. ... It's not done with consent. There is no other part of the body that is cut preemptively without a diagnosis."

Protesters and members of NOCIRC of Michigan stand in front of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. (Photo: OMAR ABDEL-BAQUI)

Michigan has male circumcision rates of about 85% of men, Cohen said. For comparison, about 71% of American males, 91% of Israeli males and 97% of Saudi Arabian males are circumcised, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Male circumcision was promoted in America by John Harvey Kellogg, founder of the Michigan-based cereal company bearing his last name, Cohen said. Kellogg advocated for circumcision as a way to avert masturbation.

Protester Nora Plank said she began to doubt the practice of circumcision when she birthed her son 30 years ago. A midwife gave her a brochure against circumcision and Plank decided to keep her son intact.

"Before that, I thought everyone in the world did it," she said.

Jerry Boor, a NOCIRC of Michigan board member, called circumcision a "human rights issue, regardless of faith." He pointed to the protesters in attendance who come from different religious backgrounds.

Progressive Jews are designing ceremonies that honor the tradition without harming boys, Cohen said.

"You can remain Jewish or Muslim and not do circumcision," he said.

Cohen said there should be as much outrage over male circumcision as there is for female circumcision.

More: Judge dismisses female genital mutilation charges in historic case

He said the female genital mutilation case out of Michigan last year "is less severe than any male circumcision." In that case, two Michigan doctors and six others were charged in the circumcision of nine minor girls, some of whom cried, bled and screamed during the procedure. A federal judge dismissed the landmark case in November 2018, declaring U.S. law barring the practice unconstitutional.


Protesters and members of NOCIRC of Michigan stand in front of Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019. (Photo: OMAR ABDEL-BAQUI)

The American Academy of Pediatrics, which in 2012 suggested circumcising males is beneficial, has a "conflict of interest" in doing so, Cohen said. The academy states male circumcision lowers the risk of contracting AIDS, lowers the risk of urinary tract infections and prevents foreskin infections.

"They make money off of the practice, Cohen said.

Cohen said he hopes that people driving by who heard NOCIRC's message for the first time further their research on male circumcision.

"I love to hear from the mothers and fathers, who because of NOCIRC, decided to keep their boys intact," he said. "That really tells me we're making a difference. Those boys will probably never come to thank me, but I know that I, and the organization, have changed the world."

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Constitutional Crisis On The Horizon In Detroit - MIED, CPS & FGM

"Ahoy, Constitutional Crisis on the horizon in Detroit"

Well, I can not decide on which direction this is going.

Personally, I find it much easier to just follow the financial expenditures when examining those pesky matters when dealing in the industry of trafficking tiny humans, more specifically in this situation, FGM, or rather branding of chattel.

In this instance, I am going to present a few assumptions that we can start and try to ruleout:

1. There is an issue of real estate;
2. There is Medicaid fraud; or,
3. We are setting up for a Constitutional Crisis!

I am going with all of the above because this is about child welfare and the antiquities of selling tiny humans.

Besides, we all know abandoning a child in need under federal jurisdiction would be quite awkward if an anonymous source was to call and report the Michigan Easter District Attorney's Office to Child Protective Services for abuse and neglect.

Now, that is what I call a Constitutional Crisis in Detroit!

DACA anyone?

Feds abandon female genital mutilation appeal

Detroit — Federal prosecutors will not appeal a judge's order dismissing female genital mutilation charges in the first criminal case of its kind nationwide, concluding the law is weak and needs to be rewritten.

Dr. Jumana Nagarwala of Northville

The decision delivers a setback to international human-rights groups opposed to female genital mutilation that have closely followed a case that has raised awareness in the U.S. of a controversial procedure and prompted Michigan to enact new state laws criminalizing the procedure.

"Although the department has determined not to appeal the district court's decision, it recognizes the severity of the charged conduct, its lifelong impact on victims, and the importance of a federal prohibition on FGM committed on minors," Solicitor General Noel Francisco wrote in a letter to Congress on Wednesday.

The decision comes six months after U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman delivered a significant, but not fatal, blow to a novel criminal prosecution involving a team of Metro Detroit doctors accused of mutilating the genitalia of nine girls at a Livonia clinic since 2015.

Friedman concluded the law is unconstitutional and concluded Congress had no authority to enact a law criminalizing female genital mutilation.

“There is nothing commercial or economic about FGM,” Friedman wrote in a 28-page opinion. (Female genital mutilation) is not part of a larger market and it has no demonstrated effect on interstate commerce. The Commerce Clause does not permit Congress to regulate a crime of this nature.”

The Justice Department has submitted a legislative proposal to Congress that would, among other things, amend the federal law and make it a crime when a defendant or victim crosses state lines to undergo the procedure.

The case emerged in April 2017 when Dr. Jumana Nagarwala of Northville was arrested and accused of heading a conspiracy that lasted 12 years, involved seven other people and led to mutilating the genitalia of girls as part of a religious procedure practiced by some members of the Dawoodi Bohra, a Muslim sect from India that has a small community in Metro Detroit.

Prosecutors say the girls — four from Michigan, two from Minnesota and three from Illinois — underwent female genital mutilation, but defense lawyers say the procedure performed on the girls was benign and not female genital mutilation. They have accused the government of overreaching.

Prosecutors have alleged that two girls’ clitorises were completely removed, but the evidence of female genital mutilation involving all of the girls is lacking, Nagarwala lawyer Shannon Smith said.

"The defense is pleased to see the Justice Department has reached the same conclusion as Judge Friedman, however, the case will still be heading to trial on the remaining charges," Smith wrote in a text message to The News on Friday. "At trial the defense is confident a jury will agree that there was no female genital mutilation in this case and see that the prosecution relied on an unreliable medical expert in pursuing this case."

Women’s rights groups blasted the judge’s opinion, calling it a setback for women and girls.

“It’s a giant step backward in the protection of women’s and girls’ rights,” said Shelby Quast, the Americas director of equality for the rights organization Equality Now. “Especially when there is a global movement to eliminate this practice.”

The Justice Department's decision not to pursue and appeal drew an outcry on social media Thursday, including reaction from Hillary Clinton.

There is a federal law banning FGM. It is the Department of Justice’s responsibility to defend it.

They’re choosing instead to abandon the fight for the health and human rights of women and girls around the world.

If you agree that’s outrageous, let them know: 202-353-1555 https://t.co/ucx74UIFrC

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 11, 2019

The criminal case is is pending because Friedman left intact conspiracy and obstruction charges that could send Nagarwala and three others to federal prison for decades.

The case prompted a new law in Michigan criminalizing female genital mutilation.

In June 2017, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation that carried up to 15 years in prison for those convicted of mutilating female genitalia or transporting girls to other states for the procedure.

Twenty-three states do not have laws criminalizing female genital mutilation.

During a hearing last fall, Nagarwala lawyer Molly Sylvia Blythe said Congress lacked authority to enact a law criminalizing female genital mutilation in 1996. Congress lacked authority under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution because the procedure has nothing to do with interstate commerce, she said.

Prosecutors say prepubescent girls were cut at a Livonia clinic owned by Dr. Fakhruddin Attar. His wife, Dr. Farida Attar, also is charged in the case.

Female genital mutilation is an internationally recognized violation of human rights.

Some members of the Dawoodi Bohra community who have spoken against the procedure say the surgery is performed to suppress female sexuality, reduce sexual pleasure and curb promiscuity, according to court records.

The procedure is most common in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, along with migrants from those regions, says the World Health Organization.

There are four major types of female genital mutilation, including a partial or total removal of the clitoris.

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JUDICIARY: VAWA Reauthorization Hearing - Jolly Jerry Forgets Truth In Testimony, ICWA, TPR & Its Legacy - My Colored Commentary

U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond is the first elected official to state "Termination of Parental Rights" into the congressional record of Judiciary.

A quick overview on the history of VAWA.

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security will hold a hearing on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) which officially expired on September 30, 2018, but was briefly extended in continuing resolutions before expiring in December 2018. The hearing will examine the broad range of issues related to the harms inflicted upon women, men, and children in America through domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment, dating violence, and stalking, as well as Congress’ role in addressing these issues. The hearing will also explore the potentially devastating effect of not reauthorizing VAWA, and the tremendous impact a prolonged lack of funding could have on millions of survivors across the country.

Ratcliffe spoke in defense of Faith Based organizations being left out of the reauthorization of VAWA.  He raised the political partisanship in passing the extension.

No mention of CPS, foster care or adoption, but Julie Beck spoke about the Lesbian Powers of the LBQRSTUV Community in gender identity laws without broaching anything DNA database related.

She spoke about child sexual abuse.

Unfortunately, there was no one to properly expound upon the gender identity laws under chattel law, more intuitively known in the legal world as Ecclesiastical Law, which is being pushed through Public Private Partnerships in the rebranding of parental rights and the children's trust funds.

Fathers have been victims of VAWA in the layers of fraudulent billing in child support and child welfare programs, where there have been instances where a man identified as an aggressor strictly for the purposes of a mother obtaining services.

Yes, you have to check the box in order to access help.

Yes, the VAWA programs are crap, riddled with fraud, which brings a judicial determination to turn on the federal funding spigot for Targeted Case Management, Medicaid fraud.

Ramona Gonzales did speak of children being removed, without saying foster care, if there is a domestic violence situation which is why the national data of child abuse and neglect are corrupt.

Sarah Deer spoke of Native Tribes inability of prosecuting non tribal members or even crimes of child abuse and against women.

Odd how she never mentioned the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) or its history of how the tribal constitutions developed, who was behind it, and the tribal exile based upon the blood quantum rule, as opposed to the one-drop rule.

It is time to address, in formal hearings, ICWA and all the covert "military" operations, including drug, child trafficking and money laundering on the reservations.

Gohmert got raw by asking the LBQRSTUV Lesbian why women must have "women only spaces" by loosely comparing it to "blacks only spaces". She responded by saying, "if women could experience these women only spaces, they will see how wonderful it is."  I would suggest she spend time in a women's only prison or go help mothers who have had their children legally kidnapped get them back.

Gohmert just brought up female genital mutilation as a violence against women, carefully guiding to the fact that it happens to girls, not women.

Richmond spoke on Termination of Parental Rights, as one of his first cases out of law school. No one has ever spoken upon this before.  He also mentioned CASA.  He made history.

Lieu spoke upon lack of resources for domestic violence survivors, homelessness, poverty, etc.  On a side note, your children can and will be removed, placed in foster care, under VAWA if you hail from "The Poors" (always said with clinched teeth).

How to stop discrimination and increase to access to domestic violence services for LBQRSTUV individuals: report fraud!

Yes, many Faith Based private contractors will not only turn their noses up at a LBQRSTUV individual seeking help, they will advocate termination of parental rights if there is a child involved.  Take for instance any christian child placing agency, perhaps, I shall use Bethany Christian Services, which is notorious for ignoring its foster children who are gay and ask for help from being raped.

Perhaps, we can go as far back as St. Vincent Sarah Fisher Residential Institution who never wanted to do anything when it came to little boys being raped by bigger boys, or men, because, homosexuality is frowned upon in self reporting to DHHS, which is why the typical form of help is to drug the pain away with Medicaid cost reimbursed services and  testing second generation antipsychotropic human subject lab rats for corporate sponsorship.

Heck, Faith Based child placing agencies will not even allow LBQRSTUV to adopt.

Grand Rapids does not allow LBQRSTUV youth into its homeless shelters, but I digress.

VAWA has turned into a Social Impact Bond experimental social services program and not a reparative response to the residuals of the peculiar institution, its original intent, a step to end human trafficking of women.

It seems Jolly Jerry of Judiciary forgot the Truth in Testimony, the bios, and legacy of VAWA, but then again, he was probably more focused on his impeachment proceedings because not everyone is allowed due process of the law, right?

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Michigan Child Sexual Branding Case Is Primed For SCOTUS

I do hope everyone understands that this case is going to go all the way to SCOTUS to enjoin with the other fast track of child welfare cases.

This Opinion and Order was based on the Necessary and Proper Clause:

The Necessary and Proper Clause Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution grants Congress the power [t]o make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

In short, Congress never outlawed branding, oops, I mean genital mutilation of kids.

As a matter of fact, Congress never outlawed the trafficking of tiny humans.

And that, boys and girls is why we are going to SCOTUS.

Happy National Adoption Month: TRUMP v. NAACP Petition For Certiorari To SCOTUS On Trafficking Tiny Humans - DACA, DAPA

Happy National Adoption Month: SCOTUS - DHS v. States Children's Trust Funds On Trafficking Tiny Humans - DACA, DAPA Privatization Policies Of Fraud

A trial is set for April 2019, mark your calendars and it is going to be down right, in your face, real, or it better be.B

Genital mutilation ban ruled unconstitutional; judge drops charges

Detroit — A federal judge Tuesday dismissed female genital mutilation charges against several doctors in the first criminal case of its kind nationwide, ruling the law is unconstitutional.

The opinion by U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman comes two weeks after defense lawyers mounted the first challenge to a 22-year-old genital mutilation law that went unused until April 2017.

That's when Dr. Jumana Nagarwala of Northville was arrested and accused of heading a conspiracy that lasted 12 years, involved seven other people and led to mutilating the genitalia of nine girls as part of a religious procedure practiced by some members of the Dawoodi Bohra, a Muslim sect from India that has a small community in Metro Detroit.

Friedman delivered a significant, but not fatal, blow to a novel criminal prosecution because the judge left intact conspiracy and obstruction charges that could send Nagarwala and three others to federal prison for decades.

The case is being closely followed by members of the sect and international human-rights groups opposed to female genital mutilation and has raised awareness in the U.S. of a controversial procedure and prompted Michigan to enact new state laws criminalizing female genital mutilation.

Friedman removed four defendants from the case — including three mothers accused of subjecting their daughters to female genital mutilation — while concluding Congress had no authority to enact a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, known as FGM.

“There is nothing commercial or economic about FGM,” Friedman wrote in a 28-page opinion. (Female genital mutilation) is not part of a larger market and it has no demonstrated effect on interstate commerce. The Commerce Clause does not permit Congress to regulate a crime of this nature.”

A U.S. Attorney's Office spokeswoman said officials are reviewing the judge's order and will soon decide whether to appeal.

“My honest reaction is ‘oh my God,’” Nagarwala’s lawyer, Shannon Smith, said Tuesday. “We are unbelievably happy. The impact is huge. It eliminates four defendants from the indictment, and it severely punctures major holes in the government’s case.”

Shannon, precious, you do understand this not something you should be celebrating, right?  The mothers were probably victims of this sexual ritual so I understand why they are released from the case. As for the other aspect, please, you have an ethical code of conduct to adhere, so I would not be gloating in front of the camera when talking about "puncturing major holes in the government's case".  I would strongly encourage you to brush up on the religious history of this practice because that is going to be the focus. Oh, and you will not be using that religious discrimination defense because it will just make your client look like it is running a sex cult for kids.  Got it? 

Women’s rights groups decried the judge’s opinion, calling it a setback for women and girls.

“It’s a giant step backward in the protection of women’s and girls’ rights,” said Shelby Quast, the Americas director of equality for the rights organization Equality Now. “Especially when there is a global movement to eliminate this practice.”

The case prompted a new law in Michigan criminalizing female genital mutilation.

In June 2017, Gov. Rick Snyder signed new laws that carried up to 15 years in prison for those convicted of mutilating female genitalia or transporting girls to other states for the procedure.

The judge's opinion angered state Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

“I’m angry that the federal judge dismissed this horrific case that affected upwards of a hundred girls who were brutally victimized and attacked against their will," Jones said in a statement. “This is why it was so important for Michigan to act. We set a precedent that female genital mutilation will not be tolerated here. ... I hope other states will follow suit.”

Twenty-three states do not have laws criminalizing female genital mutilation, Quast said.

“Parents are aware of where there are laws against it and where there are not,” she said. “And they will take advantage of that.”

During a hearing this month, Nagarwala lawyer Molly Sylvia Blythe said Congress lacked authority to enact a law criminalizing female genital mutilation in 1996. Congress lacked authority under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution because the procedure has nothing to do with interstate commerce, she said.

Read: Defense tries to toss genital mutilation charges

Prosecutors countered, arguing the crime does involve interstate commerce. Christian Levesque, a trial attorney with the Justice Department's Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section, noted the procedure involves parents using cellphones to arrange the procedure and transport children across state lines who undergo surgeries utilizing medical tools in state-licensed clinics.

Read: Feds level new charges in genital mutilation case

The defense motion was the latest attempt to dismiss charges filed by federal prosecutors. In January, Friedman dismissed the most serious count against Nagarwala and co-defendant Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, a sex charge punishable by up to life in federal prison.

Prosecutors say prepubescent girls were cut at Attar's clinic in Livonia, which was managed by his wife, Dr. Farida Attar, who also is charged in the case.

A trial is set for April 2019.

"It is a victory for everyone when a court requires the government to adhere to the mandates of our Constitution," Fakhruddin Attar's lawyer, Mary Chartier, wrote in an email. "We’re thrilled with the court’s well-reasoned and thoughtful opinion. And we’re committed to fighting for as long as it takes to prove Dr. Attar is innocent."

Female genital mutilation is an internationally recognized violation of human rights.

Some members of the Dawoodi Bohra community who have spoken against the procedure say the surgery is performed to suppress female sexuality, reduce sexual pleasure and curb promiscuity, according to court records.

The procedure is most common in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, along with migrants from those regions, says the World Health Organization.

There are four major types of female genital mutilation, including a partial or total removal of the clitoris.

Prosecutors have alleged that two girls’ clitorises were completely removed, but the evidence is lacking for at least one girl, Smith said.

The judge’s opinion drops charges against three mothers. They are:

• Farida Arif of Oakland County, who was charged with participating in the conspiracy and having her daughter undergo female genital mutilation.
• Two mothers from Minnesota, Haseena Halfal and Zainab Hariyanawala, who were charged last year with female genital mutilation and conspiracy to commit female genital mutilation. The allegations involve their daughters, who were 7 at the time of the procedure.

The order Tuesday also dismissed charges against Tahera Shafiq, 49, of Farmington Hills. She was accused of participating in the procedure involving the Minnesota girls.

“She’s done, for the time being,” Shafiq’s lawyer, Jerome Sabbota, said. “It’s wonderful. She can go about her life. These are deeply religious people, and a lot of people don’t understand that.”

Nagarwala is still facing a 30-year conspiracy charge and an obstruction count that could send her and the Attars to prison for 20 years.

Fatema Dahodwala of West Bloomfield Township, a mother of one of the alleged victims, also is charged with obstruction. Prosecutors allege Dahodwala, Nagarwala and the Attars conspired to hinder the investigation.

Worldwide, an estimated 140 million women and girls have undergone the procedure, according to the World Health Organization. More than 3 million girls in Africa undergo the procedure each year.

The procedure has been illegal in the U.S. since 1996, and there are no medical benefits for girls and women, according to the World Health Organization.

Friedman heard arguments two months after prosecutors filed new charges in the case. The new charges brought to a total of nine girls from three states who prosecutors say underwent the illegal procedure at Attar's medical clinic in Livonia since 2015.

Locally, most members of the sect belong to the Anjuman-e-Najmi mosque in Farmington Hills.

The indictment filed in September refers to three girls prosecutors say underwent a procedure performed by Nagarwala at the Burhani Medical Clinic on Farmington Road in Livonia in 2015. The three girls are from Illinois and were born in 2007 and 2008.

The clinic was shuttered last year.

Farida Attar was accused in the indictment of giving one girl Valium that was ground up in liquid Tylenol.

Prosecutors say the girls — four from Michigan, two from Minnesota and three from Illinois — underwent female genital mutilation, but defense lawyers say the procedure performed on the girls was benign and not female genital mutilation. They accuse the government of overreaching.

The order Wednesday could prompt Congress to tweak the federal law, said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor and former federal prosecutor.

"Congress can solve this by going back and re-enacting the law," Henning said. “The problem is the law cannot be applied to conduct that happened before.”

US v Nagarwala Dismissal Order 11-20-18 by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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AHA Foundation Submits Brief To Stop Branding & Sellling Little Girls, CAIR Looks The Other Way

Ayaan Hirsi Ali of the AHA Foundation.

Well, this is odd.

Where is CAIR and Dawud Walid?

Priorities, I guess.

Anyway, here is a real leader, as opposed to a fake leader, to speak out against human trafficking, or rather the branding of subjugated chattel for future sexual servitude and her name is Ayaan Hirsi Ali of the AHA Foundation.

I have previously asked Dawud if he was going to help stop slavery, but I shall assume he had other things more important on his schedule with Graham Fuller and Al-Waleed Bin Talal, which has prevented him from acting, like Public Private Partnerships in predictive modeling crap for social policies to make the lives better for the little girls who get branded and sold and how to maximize revenue with all that land that was acquired by all those mosques.

But hey, what do I know?

Mutilated brides fetch higher price, group claims

Detroit — Grooms pay more money for brides who have undergone female genital mutilation, a religious practice central to a rare criminal case involving a small Muslim sect from India, according to a victims' rights group.

The claim was included in a brief filed in federal courtMonday by the nonprofit New York-based AHA Foundation, which is trying to bolster a criminal case pending in federal court against eight people accused of participating in a conspiracy to cut prepubescent girls.

The brief is intended to support the government's contention that female genital mutilation is inextricably linked to commerce — making it a federal crime — because doctors who perform the illegal procedure are often paid and the procedure increases the "bride price" of mutilated girls.

"FGM is also linked to commerce in one further insidious way: as a means of increasing the money received by victims’ families upon marriage," foundation lawyer Mark Franke wrote. "This is not an incidental feature. In many communities, custom dictates that the parents of the bride receive a “bride price,” i.e., a payment in exchange for their daughters, upon marriage."

Defense lawyers have asked U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman to dismiss key charges, arguing that a law banning female genital mutilation is unconstitutional.

"I believe the court will find the arguments have no merit and do not apply to our case in any way," said Shannon Smith, an attorney for one of the defendants, Northville Dr. Jumana Nagarwala. "I will give them credit for creativity; however, some of the claims are so ridiculous it’s hard to believe they were presented to a court." 

So far, eight people have been charged with participating in a conspiracy that prosecutors say lasted 12 years and led to mutilating the genitalia of girls as part of a religious procedure practiced by some members of the Dawoodi Bohra.

Locally, most members of the sect belong to the Anjuman-e-Najmi mosque in Farmington Hills.

Dr. Jumana Nagarwala and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar 

Those charged include Nagarwala, a licensed emergency room physician who prosecutors say performed female genital mutilation, and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, a licensed internal medicine physician accused of hosting the procedures at his Livonia medical office.

His wife, Farida Attar, and Tahera Shafiq of Farmington Hills helped Nagarwala during the procedures, according to the federal indictment. Two mothers from Minnesota — Haseena Halfal and Zainab Hariyanawala —and two from Oakland County — Farida Arif and Fatema Dahodwala — are all  parents of minor girls who arranged for the procedure to be performed by Nagarwala, according to the government.

A new indictment issued earlier this month alleges nine girls from three states underwent the illegal procedure at the Livonia medical clinic since 2015. One girl was drugged, according to the indictment.

Defense lawyers say the procedure performed on the girls was benign and not female genital mutilation. They accuse the government of overreaching.

There are four major types of female genital mutilation, including a partial or total removal of the clitoris.

Prosecutors have alleged that two girls’ clitorises were completely removed but the evidence is lacking for at least one girl, Smith said.

"The primary purpose of FGM is to control a woman’s sexuality by removing her ability to enjoy sexual intercourse," Franke wrote. "... that lack of enjoyment is meant to increase the victim’s chastity and virtue — in other words, to keep her faithful to her husband. FGM thus robs victims of their bodily integrity, autonomy and self-determination. In other words, it turns them into slaves."

The case is being closely followed in India, where the Dawoodi Bohra are based, and by international human rights groups opposed to female genital mutilation, a federal crime since 1996.

One defense argument is that Congress lacked authority to enact the female genital mutilation law under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution because the procedure has nothing to do with interstate commerce.

Prosecutors argue Congress can regulate female genital mutilation because it is a service.

"Like child pornography and marijuana, an interstate market exists for FGM that Congress has sought to regulate and eradicate," prosecutors wrote in a court filing. "Congress made clear its intent for the United States to contribute to international efforts to stop the harmful practice of FGM generally and ensure it does not occur within the United States."

I wonder when CAIR is going to submit their brief in support of the U.S., or would that be one of those "women" things to deal with selling tiny humans?

The Aha Foundation Amicus Brief in the UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN SOUTHERN D... by Beverly Tran on Scribd

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Detroit Female Genital Mutilation & NXIVM Cases: Sounds Like Plausible Child Trafficking Cases

NXIVM female "around the genitals" mutilation

That is a whole heap of cases, but I find the entire approach to the prosecution of the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) case to be legally arcane.

Here you have a situation where legal guardians of minor females who procured medical services of a licensed professional, probably through the internet, through a website advertising for medical services other than genital mutilation, transported their children across state lines, where licensed medical professionals were performing undocumented medical procedures, for the purposes of manipulating the sexual functioning of the children.

What about the financials?

The act, itself, sounds very much like a ritual in the trafficking of tiny humans, and makes me even more curious about the social norms of this particular religious sect.

Is not the Southern District of New York currently prosecuting the NXIVM case of " sexually grooming" and "branded" young girls for future subjugated roles in life?

Is not genital mutilation a form of branding, for the exact same future sexual subjugational purposes?

Sounds fungible to me.

Is it not possible FGM is considered for those who participate in its execution derive sexual pleasure from the act, making it a sexual act?

There is a really salient line between sexual erotica and religious ecstasy for some, who sincerely believe they are doing the work of god, when it comes to children.

Now, what about infant male circumcision?

The Jewish tradition performs this similar ritual, so how come the lack of equal justice?

Sometimes that "branding" is labeled in a predictive modeling database.

Just thought I would throw a few monkey wrenches into the investigation to let the U.S. Attorney Office know that they are always in my heart and on my mind.

Have a great day!

Doctor in genital mutilation case at war with feds

The doctor at the center of a historic genital mutilation case has another favor she's asking of the judge: let me use the Internet.

This, on top of — please dismiss more charges against me.

More than a year after her arrest in the nation's first female genital cutting case, the defiant Dr. Jumana Nagarwala continues to pound away at the government for pursuing the case. She claims, among other things, that the law that's being used to prosecute her is unconstitutional, so therefore the key charges against her need to be dropped.

 She's also upset about losing certain freedoms, such as using the Internet.

This week, a judge will hold a hearing to consider her request to access the Internet, which she's forbidden from using under the terms of her bond conditions.

Nagarwala, who is accused of cutting the genitalia of dozens of prepubescent girls and instructing members of her religious community to lie about it, has asked permission to use the Internet for 78 hours a month to watch religious live-streamed sermons. Specifically, as a member of a small Indian Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohra, she wants to watch services that celebrate a nine-day holiday honoring Prophet Mohammed's grandson.

The government says forget it, arguing there's no way to monitor Nagarwala's online access 78 hours a month given that the sermons she intends to watch are overseas, private and need password access. And it's too risky to let her to do it, prosecutors argue, noting the no-Internet-access condition was set because of concerns that she is a flight risk and a danger to the community.

"(Nagarwala) is charged with participating in a 12-year conspiracy to perform FGM on countless 7-year-old girls. ... (She's) the most culpable individual on an eight-person indictment," Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Woodward wrote in a Friday court filing. "Whether (she) visited other websites or accessed the internet for other purposes would be impossible to know."

U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman will hold a hearing on Tuesday to decide the issue. Next month, he'll conduct another hearing to decide an even bigger issue: whether to dismiss the actual genital mutilation charges against Nagarwala and her two codefendants: Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, who is accused of letting Nagarwala use his Livonia clinic to perform the procedures, and his wife Farida Attar, who allegedly held the girls' hands during the procedures.

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The defendants are challenging the 22-year-old federal law that criminalizes female genital mutilation, which has never been used before this case. The statute states: "Whoever knowingly circumcises, excises or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person" under the age of 18 shall be fined or imprisoned for up to five years, or both.

Prosecutors argue Nagarwala did exactly that — with the help of the Attars — when she cut the genitals of two 7-year-old Minnesota girls who were tricked into the procedure in 2017 by their mothers and cried and bled afterward. Though prosecutors cite six victims in the indictment, including four Michigan girls, they allege Nagarwala may have subjected up to 100 girls to the procedure over a 12-year period.

Nagarwala has maintained she committed no crime, but that she engaged in a religious ritual that involved only a "shaving" or a "nick" of the genitals.

Moreover, she now claims she's being prosecuted under a law that “Congress lacked authority to enact ... thus the female genital mutilation charges must be dismissed.”

“The law was never debated on the floor of either chamber of Congress nor was there ever any legislative hearing addressing the justification or need for the federal law. Instead, all that exists is the criminal statute itself,” defense lawyers wrote in the July 27 filing, claiming the driving force behind the legislation was one lawmaker's belief that the prohibited conduct was 'repulsive and cruel.' "

But the Constitution demands more than that, the defense states, arguing Congress could not have passed a female genital mutilation ban under the Commerce Clause because "notably, here, the activity being regulated has absolutely no effect on interstate commerce."

While the indictment mentions six victims — two from Minnesota, four from Michigan — prosecutors allege Nagarwala subjected up to 100 girls to female genital cutting procedures during a 12-year conspiracy.

 If convicted, Nagarwala and the Attars each face up to five years in prison on the female genital mutilation and conspiracy charges. They also face up to 20 years in prison on obstruction of justice charges, if convicted.

The most serious charge against the two doctors — conspiracy to transport a minor "with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity" — was dismissed in January. Judge Friedman agreed with the defense argument that even if female genital mutilation were proven, it would not meet the definition for "sexual activity."

That charge carried a life sentence.

Nagarwala, the Attars and the other five defendants are all members of a small Indian Muslim sect known as the Dawoodi Bohra, which has a mosque in Farmington Hills. The sect practices female circumcision and believes it is a religious rite of passage that involves only a minor "nick."

The other defendants include four mothers accused of subjecting their daughters to the procedure.

The case is set to go to trial in January 2019.

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