The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council (GSIC) has issued a fatwa to all Muslims in The Gambia regarding the legality of female circumcision. The GSIC clarified that female circumcision is not merely an inherited custom, but rather, it is one of the virtues of Islam and among the Sunnah practices dictated by the Messenger of Allah, Peace be Upon Him.

According to the GSIC, the legitimacy of female circumcision has been proven in several established hadiths on the authority of the Prophet, peace be upon him. Muslim jurists have agreed on its legality, with some arguing that it is obligatory, while others consider it a recommended act of Sunnah.

The GSIC emphasized that the legal form of female circumcision involves cutting off only a tiny upper part of the clitoris without removing it or touching any part of the labia. This is in contrast to what is known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) or Pharaonic circumcision, which is illegal in Islam due to the harm it inflicts on women.

The GSIC called on the government of The Gambia to reconsider the law criminalizing female circumcision and to hold anyone who practices such accountable. It also condemned quarters and individuals who denounce the practice, stating that Allah has decreed female circumcision.

The GSIC’s fatwa aims to clarify the Islamic stance on female circumcision and ensure that it is practiced in accordance with Islamic teachings while protecting women from harmful practices.