Dr Ali Selim, a senior Muslim figure in Ireland, has said his recent comments about female circumcision have been unfairly equated with female genital mutilation.
Speaking to The Irish Times on Monday night, Dr Selim said: “I clearly condemn female genital mutilation. For me circumcision means something else, for me I use the word circumcision instead of using the word labiaplasty.”
He added: “I use this term to refer to labiaplasty, which is done for women for a number of reasons, and it is usually done by doctors.”
Labiaplasty is a medical procedure where the inner labia are surgically altered or reduced, in some cases due to discomfort experienced by the woman, sometimes following childbirth.