Imam resigns from U.S. mosque where a senior cleric said female genital mutilation prevents ‘hypersexuality



An imam from one of the nation’s largest mosques has resigned over a controversy that erupted over another imam’s endorsement of female circumcision, highlighting divisions between Muslim leaders in the U.S.

Mosque outreach coordinator Johari Abdul-Malik, who was brought to help Dar Al-Hijrah Mosque in Falls Church, Va., after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, announced his resignation on Friday. He cited “the lack of decisive leadership” from the mosque’s board and “many reprehensible statements” by the mosque’s senior imam Shaker Elsayed.

Elsayed’s comments that appeared to endorse female genital mutilation (FGM) during a lecture on child rearing and family life last month was circulated by a right-wing watchdog group. In his lecture, Elsayed spoke of cutting “the tip of the sexually sensitive part of the girl so that she is not hypersexually active.”

Abdul-Malik and 20 other Muslim leaders released a statement on Monday calling on the board to fire Elsayed. “We cannot and will not stand for any Imam or Muslim leader who endorses human rights abuses antithetical to our beautiful faith,” they said.
Calls to Abdul-Malik were not immediately returned on Friday. He said in his statement he has no immediate plans for future employment. Calls to Elsayed were also not returned. Earlier this week, they both declined to comment.

Earlier this week, the mosque’s board of directors condemned Elsayed’s comments, saying his comments broke both U.S. and Islamic law.

FGM is a common practice among some Muslim and Christian populations in parts of Africa and Asia. The procedure varies, and it is considered a human rights violation by the World Health Organization, which says the practice can lead to infections, hemorrhaging, childbirth complications and death. It is a federal crime in the U.S., and a federal case recently sparked calls for stricter penalties.

The mosque’s board of directors said that it rejected Elsayed’s opinion, and that FGM is “prohibited in Islam as well as the laws of the land.” The statement also included a retraction from Elsayed saying that he regretted his comments on “hypersexuality.” However, Abdul-Malik wrote on Friday that the board was proceeding in a different direction than what he believes is best.

Abdul-Malik was brought in to help with the image of the mosque, which has about 3,000 regular congregants and came under scrutiny after the 9/11 attacks. The mosque was then receiving a lot of attention because two Sept. 11 hijackers once worshiped there.

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