Readers of "Caucasian Knot" interviewed about female circumcision in Dagestan

The "Caucasian Knot" decided to get the readers' opinion about female circumcision and posted on the main page the survey entitled "Dagestan: Do you think women should be subjected to female circumcision?" In the survey, the readers are suggested to choose a statement that, according to them, most of all corresponds to their opinion.

The survey is not representative, but its results already show that most readers oppose female circumcision.

As at 3:35 p.m. Moscow time on June 7, most of respondents, that is 57.14% of the votes, supported the statement voiced by Oleg Salagai, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry for Public Health, who says that "female circumcision is a harmful crippling practice." The second place with 17.86% of the votes goes to the statement of Beglar Kamashidze, Mufti of Western Georgia, who says that female circumcision is "not a tradition of Islam."

8.93% of the readers supported Ismail Berdiev, the chairman of the Coordination Centre for Muslims of Northern Caucasus, who said: "It is necessary to subject all women to circumcision to eliminate debauchery on Earth," and other 7.14% voted for the statement of gynaecologist Khadizhat Azhubova who says "female circumcision is good in terms of intimate hygiene."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.