Thanks so much for this, CL. I thought I knew quite a bit about FGM, but even though I knew most Muslims wanted nothing to do with it I had somehow absorbed the idea that it was part of some strains of the religion. I suppose because of what the Muslim Women’s League article points out:

For the general public, with only limited exposure to Muslims and Islam, the natural conclusion would be that the practice of FGM must somehow be part of the faith, since those who seem to be the most religious are the most ardent supporters. Unfortunately , this simply represents how the sexuality of women is used, under whatever philosophy or world-view, to perpetuate their subjugation.

mwlusa.org