In a reversal of his original sentencing that ordered that Vaziri be put under home detention, justice Peter Johnson passed a judgment on June 9 in which he decided to imprison the 59-year-old for at least 11 months.
The sentencing of a clergy member from the Dawoodi Bohra community in Australia for practising female genital mutilation (FGM) has created a ripple effect in the city among the members of the community, particularly those fighting against FGM.
After Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri, a member of the clergy of the Dawoodi Bohra community in Australia, was convicted for helping two women cover up the fact that they had practised FGM on two sisters, the issue has resurfaced among the community's women who are against the practice in India.
In a reversal of his original sentencing that ordered that Vaziri be put under home detention, justice Peter Johnson passed a judgment on June 9 in which he decided to imprison the 59-year-old for at least 11 months.
The two sisters went through FGM on two different occasions between October 2009 and August 2012, when they were aged six and seven respectively. The mother and the midwife have both been convicted and sentenced to 11 months of home detention.
"The Australian verdict clearly exposes the role played by the clergy in abetting and perpetuating FGM in the community. There is an urgent need for a stringent law in India as well to bring an end to the practice here," said anti-FGM activist Masooma Ranalvi.
"This is a landmark case because, for the first time, the members of the Bohra community have been held accountable for practising FGM on young girls. The conviction has also given momentum to a strong movement to bring an end to khatna (male and female circumcision)," said Aarefa Johari, the co-founder of Sahiyo, an NGO.
Johari added, "This sentencing would definitely deter a significant section of the Bohras from performing khatna in the future, particularly in countries where FGM is illegal. Since the Syedna's office has recently confirmed that khatna must be continued as a religious practice, our campaigns will continue to oppose the same."
Shaheeda Tavawalla, another anti-FGM activist, said: "The verdict in Australia is critically important. It sends a strong message across the globe that this practice is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. An immediate impact will be felt in countries where khatna is illegal, but I am deeply concerned for our girls in India and other countries where there are no laws to protect them."
When dna approached the Syedna' office, a community spokesperson said: "It's a travesty of justice. The trial has devastated the lives of the very girls the justice system was supposed to protect. The judge engineered convictions despite having no evidence of injury. His desire to leave his legacy and send messages beyond Australia prevailed over his duty to seek justice. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin has repeatedly instructed his followers to be law-abiding, loyal citizens, and be of benefit to the society in which they live."
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