Egypt has announced that it is imposing a complete ban on female circumcision, also known as genital mutilation
Suzanne Mubarak campaigned to ban the practice
A ban was introduced nearly 10 years ago but the practice continued to be allowed in exceptional circumstances
A health ministry spokesman said no member of the medical profession would be allowed to perform the operation in public or private establishments
But the death of a 12-year-old girl in Upper Egypt a few days ago triggered an angry barrage of appeals from human rights groups to both the government and the medical profession to act swiftly and stamp out the practice
The doctor who carried out the operation has been arrested
The country's top religious authorities also expressed unequivocal support for the ban
The practice is common among Muslim as well as Christian families in Egypt and other African countries, but is rare in the Arab world
It is believed to be part of an ancient Egyptian rite of passage
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk 