Dear AHA Foundation Supporter,

A lot has happened in the past month. Significantly, the news broke that a doctor in Detroit was arrested for performing female genital mutilation (FGM) on little girls in Michigan, then another doctor and his wife were arrested for aiding that same crime. Bills are progressing in multiple states across the country to protect these little girls from being mutilated and the AHA Foundation team is hard at work supporting those efforts. I was invited to appear on Tucker Carlson Tonight to discuss FGM in the US, and have written several op-eds in The Daily Beast and in Fox News since.

Although for many FGM is a difficult topic to discuss, I’m gratified to know this child abuse is getting the attention it deserves, that awareness is being raised about this danger that harms children across the country, and that we are one step closer to protecting the rights and liberties of those who have been negatively affected by this dangerous traditional practice.

This month, with all the movement on passing bills against FGM, and with vacation season approaching, that is where we will focus our attention. Included in this newsletter is a piece I wrote discussing the arrest of the Detroit doctor. While this arrest comes at an important time, and is a crucial step in preventing future cases, there is still much more to be done. Read my thoughts here, about why we need to keep fighting against this barbaric practice.

Also this month, we feature a piece about how you can get involved and help end the practice of FGM in the US. Each of us has the opportunity to take steps to be a voice for these little girls who are unable to speak out for themselves. Read more here to learn about the bills progressing in several states across the country and what you can do to help.

Finally, this month we feature an interview with Dr. Marci Bowers, a dedicated surgeon who specializes in performing reconstructive surgery on victims of FGM and an innovator in the field of sex reassignment surgery. Located in San Mateo, to date Dr. Bowers has performed 50 cases of FGM reconstructive surgery at no charge to victims of FGM. Read our interview with her here, and see how she’s helping women across the country.

Thank you,

Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Founder, The AHA Foundation

P.S.  If you haven’t yet had the chance to watch my interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight, you can watch that here. My recent op-ed in The Daily Beast is here, and my recent op-ed in Fox News is here.