Michigan FGM case could test bounds of religious liberty
Six people face charges for a procedure a clinic performed on Muslim girls.
(The Christian Science Monitor) This fall, a United States district judge will hear a landmark case: for the first time, the federal government is pursuing a case of female genital mutilation on American soil.
Defense lawyers have said their argument will be based on freedom of religion, setting the stage for an explosive test of religious rights that experts say could ultimately be settled by the Supreme Court.
The case began with charges related to two seven-year-old girls who were transported to Livonia, Michigan, by their parents to have FGM performed on them, according to the government. The clinic where the procedures were performed has been closed. The reach of the investigation has since expanded to other cities, including Los Angeles and Minneapolis. Assistant U.S. attorney Sara Woodward has said in court it’s possible the doctor performed nearly 100 procedures between 2005 and 2017.
