Sydney : Female Genital Mutilation Case, Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri

 Genital mutilation: Blame led to ‘blessings’, says Islamic religious leader

Carleen Frost
The Daily Telegraph
September 22 2015

A RELIGIOUS leader told ­detectives that the members of his sect charged with the genital mutilation of two young sisters had come to him seeking “blessings” once police began investigating the case.

In a series of recorded interviews played to the Supreme Court yesterday, Shabbir Mohammedbhai Vaziri — the Sydney head of the Shia Islamic Dawoodi Bohra sect — told detectives from the NSW Police Sex Crimes Squad he had “petitioned blessings”, or prayed for them.

“Those people just told me that much, that such blame has come on us, has befallen on us, please petition for blessings for us,” he said through an ­interpreter.

Vaziri said he wasn’t aware any of his teachings conflicted with NSW laws.

When he was questioned about ­female genital mutilation, the cleric asked detectives: “What is it?”

Vaziri has pleaded not guilty to being an accessory after the fact, while the girls’ mother — known in court as A2 for legal reasons — and ­retired midwife KM — who is ­alleged to have performed the procedures — have both pleaded not guilty to charges of female genital mutilation.

A2 and KM have also pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company.

LINK TO AFRICA

It is alleged the procedures were performed at homes in Wollongong and Baulkham Hills at some time between 2009 and 2012.

Yesterday the Supreme Court trial was also played a recorded police interview with the girls’ mother, who said she knew of friends and family members who had undergone female genital mutilation in Africa — including a young girl who was roughly her daughters’ age in Nairobi.

She told the detectives she did not believe that either of her daughters had been subjected to female genital mutilation but believes they were instead examined.

She answered “yes” when asked if there was a possibility the practice may have been performed on her daughters while in Africa early in 2012.

She said that she spoke about female genital mutilation with the girls upon returning to Australia.

“Because they were talking a lot about it when we came back also, so I just say that just to make sure that, well, I had left them a couple of times with Mum, ah, when I was in Africa so (I was) just concerned that hadn’t been done.”

The Supreme Court trial continues before Justice Peter Johnson.