Female genital mutilation: Why Egyptian girls fear the summer

Cairo, Egypt (CNN)Summer days: They're what childhood memories are made of, glorious afternoons of unchecked freedom to frolic with friends in the sun, unshackled from the earthly obligations of a math class that never seemed further away.

But for millions of schoolgirls in Egypt, this time of year represents something much darker: the start of the female genital mutilation (FGM) season.

Mona Mohamed was 10 years old when she underwent what's also known as a female circumcision on a hot summer day in her village in Upper Egypt.

"I was terrified," she said. "They tied me down, my mother on one hand and my grandmother on the other."

As Mona thrashed around, pinned by her loved ones to the living room floor, a doctor injected her with anesthesia.

Mona remembers being given a piece of bubble gum to chew on before she finally passed out. It wasn't until she woke up that she realized she had been mutilated.

Egypt: The FGM capital of the world

Stories like Mona's are far from rare in Egypt, where "cutting" has been a brutal rite of passage for young girls since the time of the pharaohs.

Of the more than 125 milion girls and women alive today who have undergone the
procedure, one in four live in Egypt. That's more than any other country in the world, according to the U.N.

Ninety-two percent of married Egyptian women aged 15 to 49 have been subjected to FGM, according to a government report relezed in may. That figure is down from 97% in 2000, but the practice is still the norm here.

Most girls are cut between the ages of nine and 12, and the operations usually take place during the summer school break so the girls can recover at home.

U.N. officials say FGM has no medical benefits and can cause lifelong physical and emotional trauma for the women forced to undergo the procedure.

"This is a gross human rights violation," Jaime Nadal-Roig, the U.N. Population Fund representative in Cairo, told CNN. "It doesn't add anything to the life of the girl, and there are no medical or religious grounds whatsoever."

A celebrated tradition

The most common FGM procedure in Egypt is Type 1, the partial or full removal of the clitoris. It's what Mona Mohamed -- and her older sisters -- endured years ago.

Compared to her sisters, Mona was lucky, given that her procedure was performed by a doctor. Her sisters were circumcised with a razor blade by a traditional (non-medical) midwife who put dust on their wounds to stop the bleeding.

Mona, now 47, recalls asking her mother why getting circumcised was so important. "Usually girls at your age get 'excited,' and this operation takes care of that," her mother replied.

FGM has been illegal in Egypt since 2008, but the practice remains woven into the very fabric of Egyptian society, where many see cutting as a way to "purify" a girl and make her marriage material.

"People used to have a party after a girl was circumcised, they'd celebrate and exchange gifts," Nadal-Roig said. "So for them to turn from there and say, 'look this is a crime or this is a sin or this is not allowed by religion' means confronting a lot of beliefs and social norms."

Campaigners go on the offensive

But progress is being made. The percentage of girls aged 15 to 17 who have had the procedure has dropped from 74% in 2008 to --61% in 2014 a clear sign that the drive to end FGM is working, campaigners say.

Last week Egypt announced a plan to reduce FGM by 10-15% in the next five years. If it works, it will mean that for the first time in decades, "uncut" girls would outnumber those who have had the procedure.

"It's an ambitious plan, but now I think that the political atmosphere is supporting us and we can reach our goal," said Vivian Fouad, the National Population Council official leading the government's charge to eradicate FGM.

"For years we were on (the) defense, but now we're on the offensive."

The fight to eradicate FGM in Egypt is unfolding on a number of fronts, from the courts to the places of worship to the streets of the highest-risk towns.

In January a doctor was sentenced on charges related to mutilating a girl -- the first conviction of its kind since the 2008 ban went into effect.

The verdict was a victory for the anti-FGM campaign, but Fouad says too many doctors are still willing to take the money from families and look the other way when it comes to the law.

"It's a good income for doctors," Fouad said. "And some doctors have social and cultural backgrounds where FGM is supported."

Fouad classifies the battle against female circumcision as a fight for the middle class: "If doctors, judges, prosecutors, and teachers are supporting FGM, how are we going to convince poorer women not to have it?"

Campaigners are also trying to persuade local religious leaders to stop preaching the alleged benefits of FGM to mothers. It's often a tough sell in a country where more than half of women still believe, falsely, that cutting is required by religion, according to the most recent survey.

"You need to make people not want to do it for their daughters," said UNFPA program officer Germain Haddad. "You need to work on people's convictions."

To that end, the UNFPA has hired a theater group to perform comedic skits in the streets of communities across the country to foster debate -- and doubt -- about the necessity of FGM.

"Many of these people are shy," said Haddad. "When we used to do seminars on FGM it was very difficult to get people to speak up and ask questions.

"These plays act as an icebreaker that opens up the subject like magic," she said. "And women get to see in a comedic way that FGM is ridiculous."

"I hate the man that did this to me"

But it remains an uphill struggle. Around six in 10 women think the practice should continue, according to the most recentgovrnment survey.

"It's tradition, and there's no escape," says Sarah Abulaziz Mohamed, who was circumcised at 12 in her village of Mansour.

"It hurt my dignity -- I was forced to do this act that I didn't want to do," she said. "I hate the man that did this to me."

Sarah is 40 now and has two young daughters of her own. She says FGM left her with lifelong psychological trauma, but at least it taught her a valuable lesson.

"I definitely wouldn't do it to my daughters by any means," she said. "To this day I still have pain, and what's gone is gone ... that part of me can never be given back again."

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Dean Del Mastro sentenced to 1 month in jail, 4 months house arrest for election overspending

Former Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro has been sentenced to one month in jail, followed by four months house arrest, for violating the Elections Act in 2008.
A judge in Peterborough delivered the sentence Thursday, which also includes 18 months probation.
Del Mastro has filed an appeal of his October conviction. He's expected to ask for bail pending the outcome of that appeal.
The former MP was found to have exceeded spending limits, failed to report a personal contribution of $21,000 to his campaign, and knowingly submitted a falsified document.
On his way into court Thursday, Del Mastro was asked if he's prepared to serve time.

"I'm prepared to do whatever is necessary to stand for the truth," he told reporters.
Del Mastro, 44, was once Prime Minister Stephen Harper's point man defending the Tories against allegations of electoral fraud. He maintained his innocence and called the verdict the judge's opinion.

Del Mastro 'effectively fined himself': lawyer

At a pre-sentencing hearing in April, he choked back tears as he described the "nationwide condemnation" he had to endure as a result of the charges.
"There are some who would appreciate an opportunity to hold a public stoning in the town square," he told Justice Lisa Cameron. "It's my hope that the significant consequences that I have endured and shared will be considered in your deliberations."
The prosecution called for up to 12 months in jail, while the defence asked Cameron for a conditional discharge or, at most, a fine.
Del Mastro resigned his Peterborough seat in the House of Commons — where he had been sitting as an Independent since being charged — shortly after his conviction.
His lawyer, Leo Adler, argued his client's resignation was "for the good of the community."
"Mr. Del Mastro, by resigning, effectively fined himself," Adler said in April. "That's the real penalty Mr. Del Mastro incurred."
The Crown, however, argued Del Mastro had refused to accept his convictions and shown no remorse for what it called a intentional and extensive efforts to "conceal the deception."
With files from James Cudmore, The Canadian Press

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Tsarnaev speaks: 'I am sorry for the lives I have taken'

BOSTON — Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev spoke publicly for the first time since his arrest, telling a packed courtroom at his sentencing hearing Wednesday that he was sorry for his role in the 2013 attacks that that killed three people and injured nearly 300.

"I would like to now apologize to victims and survivors," Tsarnaev said. "Immediately after the bombing that I am guilty of... I learned of some of the victims, their names, their faces, their age. And throughout this trial, more of those victims were given names, more of those victims had faces, and they had burdened souls."
The 21-year-old, who declined to testify on his own behalf during his trial, was given the opportunity to speak before he was formally sentenced to death. He spoke with a soft voice and a slight accent to a courtroom full of family members and survivors that seemed stunned to finally hear his voice more than two years after his arrest.
"If there is any lingering doubt, I did it, along with my brother," Tsarnaev said, choking up as he spoke. "I am sorry for the lives I have taken, for the suffering I have caused you, and for the damage I have done, the irreparable damage."

The courtoom remained silent as Tsarnaev spoke. Many of the jurors who convicted him and sentenced him to death in May were seated in the jury box, and some cried as he offered his apology to the victims. Tsarnaev offered no explanation of why he did what he did--only that he was guilty and that he was sorry  for the suffering he had caused.

At several moments, Tsarnaev, who was criticized for showing little emotion during his trial, seemed to be on the brink of tears. His voice became choked, and at several points, he paused to clear his throat and regain control. He did not look back at the victims who sat behind him in court as he addressed them.

"I pray to Allah to bestow his mercy on you," Tsarnaev said. "I pray for your relief, for your healing, for your well-being, for your strength."

He concluded by asking "Allah to have mercy upon me, my brother and my family" and for those "present here today."

Earlier, bombing survivors and family members of those killed or injured in the bombings delivered victim impact statements, directly addressing Tsarnaev about the suffering and loss he caused.

“I don’t know what to say to you," Patricia Campbell, mother of bombing victim Krystle Campbell, told Tsarnaev. “What you did to my daughter was disgusting.’’

Later, Judge George O’Toole addressed Tsarnaev before handing down a sentence of death by lethal injection.

"When people remember you, they will remember only the evil you have done," O'Toole said. "No one will remember that your teachers were fond of you, that you were funny, a good athlete. What will be remembered is that you murdered and maimed innocent people."

Tsarnaev was then cuffed and led out of the courtroom by U.S. Marshals.

His attorneys looked grim and victims stared, but he didn't look back.

Yahoo News' Holly Bailey was inside the courtroom in Boston covering the hearing. Catch up on all of the latest updates below.

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Queen meets German leader on second day of State visit

The Queen is on the second day of her State visit to Germany, where she has been meeting the country's president and the Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The trip coincides with the annual report into royal finances.
Politicians in London and Edinburgh have both denied suggestions Scotland is going to pay less towards the Queen's upkeep.
Nicholas Witchell reports.

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