It seems that Egypt, almost four decades after Dr. Nawal al-Sadaawi first exposed to the west the horror of female genital mutilation there, really is finally getting serious about stopping the practice – that means, this story suggests, both the government and the society. But it is not going to be easy – a survey recently found that 96% of women had suffered the mutilation. And even though senior Islamic scholars have spoken out against it, there’s considerable attachment to the practice.

When you think that it damages women, terrifies them, and probably in many cases destroys any hope of sexual pleasure, well it tells you a lot about Egyptian society – beyond even the horror of the act itself.

The always compelling although unfortunately irregular abortionclinicdays blog has a post about counselling a Muslim American woman. And it seems that on abortion Islam as a 7th-century religion was considerably ahead of the 21st-century pope.

So can be breastfeeding mother be “dignified”, be your representative? It seems not, at least to a neanderthal* council in northern England:

A former mayor has successfully sued her council for discrimination after she was banned from breast-feeding while using the official limousine.
When Pauleen Lane, 41, became mayor of Trafford council in Greater Manchester, she was told she would not be able to use the mayoral Volvo to take her baby son with her to official engagements.
She was told to drive behind in her own car, while an attendant travelled in the limousine with the official chain of office….
Paul Gilroy, QC, for Trafford council, argued that Ms Lane could have expressed breast milk and left her son in the care of someone else. But the former mayor said she was unable to express sufficient milk.
Trafford council’s chief executive David McNulty said: “The reputation and dignity of our mayor as our first citizen is important to the council as it is to local people. We have done and will continue to do our best to uphold the reputation of this civic post.”

* Apologies to any neanderthal reading this, but it seems an appropriate adjective….

Anaesthetics consultant Stuart Brown, 37, threw his wife to the floor and punched her at least 24 times as she lay at his feet.
He claimed a “red mist” descended after she went to sleep in the spare bedroom.
The vicious assault on Carol Mcewan followed regular verbal and physical abuse during their seven-year marriage.

The “penalty” – he has to pay his (one how hopes ex-)wife £500.

The second such case in a week.