[jaxie]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

The vast majority of FGM is carried out in Northern African countries and has been going on for over 2000 years - since before the birth of Christianity, let alone Islam - so is almost certainly rooted in once-obscure tribal traditions, and would be going on in those areas regardless of the majority religion. Like a horrific "Christmas Tree", I suppose.

But let's not let pesky facts get in the way of a good bit of anti-islam rhetoric.

Unfortunately British girls are taken out of this country to have FGM and then returned. And yet there has never been one prosecution.

'Fifty girls' taken from UK to Somalia for FGM

FGM is banned but very much alive in the UK

"It's a custom that is very much alive, not just in home countries but in Scotland," says Anela Anwar, from the Glasgow-based charity Roshni. "People have given us information saying girls are being cut in Scotland or we hear that girls are taken back home to be cut over the summer holidays."

FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985, and since 2003 anyone taking a child out of the UK to be cut faces 14 years in prison. However, there has yet to be a single conviction. Two people were arrested in November accused of carrying out FGM on a five-week-old baby but, according to the Metropolitan police, there was "insufficient evidence to proceed".