Free Republic

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia (AP) -- The trial of an Atlanta-area father accused of circumcising his 2-year-old daughter with scissors is focusing attention on an ancient African practice that experts say is slowly becoming more common in the U.S. as immigrant communities grow. Khalid Adem, a 30-year-old immigrant from Ethiopia, is charged with aggravated battery and cruelty to children. Human rights observers said they believe this is the first criminal case in the U.S. involving the 5,000-year-old practice. Prosecutors say Adem used scissors to remove his daughter's clitoris in their apartment in 2001. The child's mother said she did not discover it...

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. Prosecutors say a suburban Atlanta man circumcised his 2-year-old daughter with a pair of scissors to avoid bringing shame on his family. The defense blames his wife, her mother and a nasty divorce case. Khalid Adem, who is on trial this week in Gwinnett County, could face 40 years in prison if convicted. Assistant District Attorney Marty First acknowledged that Adem, who was born in Ethiopia, is from a culture that practices female circumcision.