DAWOODI BOHRA

Jan. 30, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a huge gathering of Dawoodi Bohra community, at Ashara Mubaraka, the commemoration of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (SA), in Indore.

About:

The Dawoodi Bohrasare a sect within the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam. Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam.
How many? The worldwide number of Dawoodi Bohras is estimated at just over one million.
In which regions do they live? Dawoodi mainly reside in the western cities of India and also in Pakistan, Yemen and East Africa. The majority of adherents reside in Gujarat state in India and the city of Karachi, Pakistan.
History: The sect adopted Islam from Egypt, spread to Yemen and trace their ancestry to early conversion to Ismaili Shi’ism during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph – Imam al Mustansir.

Khatna:

“Khatna” or “khafd” is a pre-pubescent coming of age ceremony carried out in the Dawoodi Bohra community in India. Dawoodi Bohras use the word “khatna” or circumcision to refer to the removal of the prepuce from the genitalia of both boys and girls.
Female khatna can be classified under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of Type I Female Genital Mutilation or Female Genital Cutting.

Source : Indian Express