It is no coincidence that the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world are recorded in regions where FGM is practiced. The scarring and complications associated with FGM frequently result in delayed and obstructed labor, tearing, and hemorrhaging. The stark details of the procedure are horrifying. Even stated simply, as they are here, without the anecdotal descriptions of the pain and suffering these women experience during and following this procedure, it is an appalling description. It is difficult, therefore, to imagine why a mother would choose to subject her daughter to such a painful ritual, particularly after having undergone the procedure herself.
Religion is one motivation, primarily among Muslim populations.
That does not stop many religious and secular leaders from claiming that it does, however. Under pressure from leaders like the Sheikh, the Egyptian Ministry of Health issued a decree in 1994 that permitted hospitals in Egypt to perform the procedure for the equivalent of three dollars. Human rights organizations and Egyptian activists quickly organized a strong response to the decree, which essentially medicalized and legitimatized the practice. The minister ultimately revoked the directive a year later. But the controversy confirmed the strong presence of FGM in Islamic communities.