The Islamist militant group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has allegedly asked families in Iraq to have their daughters undergo female genital mutilation or face retribution.
According to The Guardian, Jacqueline Badcock, UN's deputy humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, has claimed on Thursday that almost 4 million women and girls aged 11-46 in Iraq face the risk of genital mutilation following the fatwa issued by ISIS, which aims at preventing immorality in society. Badcock also added that the idea of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is new to Iraq and needs to be addressed immediately.
The report added that the residents of Mosul and Kurdish officials have confirmed that Badcock's allegations are true.
ISIS Members have however, dismissed the claim as propaganda based on a fake document.
Doubts are being raised over the veracity of the statement because FGM is not practiced either in Islam or Iraq. It is most prevalent in Egypt, Sudan and east Africa.