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Dawoodi Bohra

Website:

www.thedawoodibohras.com/
Type:

Islamist Sect
Religious Leader:

Dr. Mufaddal Saifuddin

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Dawoodi Bohra is a religious sect of Shia Islam that is mostly based in the Indian state of Gujarat, with small diasporas in Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa, and the Middle East. 1 The Dawoodi Bohra community has approximately 1 million members who acknowledge the leadership of the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq, Dr. Mufaddal Saifuddin. 2 As of May 2024, it has begun to establish a global presence, creating communities in Europe, North America, and Australia. 3

The sect belongs to an international network of traditional Shia Muslim organizations and engages in environmental activism. Although the Dawoodi Bohras have received criticism for practicing female genital mutilation (FGM), the group maintains that female circumcision is a duty of their religion. 4

History

Dawoodi Bohras trace their lineage back to Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the Fatimi Imams who succeeded him. 5 Their religious leader, who holds the title “al-Dai al-Mutlaq,” is a missionary figure who first operated from Yemen, but resides in India. 6

The Dawoodi Bohras are typically known for being merchants, businesspeople, and entrepreneurs, as the word Bohra means “to trade.” 7

Initiatives

The central project of the Dawoodi Bohra community is Project Rise, which requires members of the sect to care for the environment and engage in social support. 8 This includes sending meals to Gaza, investing in medical infrastructure, and increasing access to fresh water. 9 10 The Dawoodi Bohras devote resources to conservation and the protection of natural resources, believing environmentalism to be a central teaching of the Qur’an. 11

The Dawoodi Bohras run hundreds of educational institutions around the world for students of all ages and claim that women are an active part of the community in education, business, and family life. 12 Despite the controversy surrounding their practice of female genital mutilation, Dawoodi Bohras claim that the entrepreneurial success of their female congregants demonstrates the role of strong religious communities in women’s empowerment. 13

In 2017, a group of Dawoodi Bohras women founded the Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom (DBWRF) which presents itself as an organization to defend the religious rights of Dawoodi women. 14 Only women can join this group. 15 One of the Association’s main objectives is to defend the practice of khafz, or female circumcision. 16

Controversies

The practice of female genital mutilation, which the World Health Organization classifies as “the partial or total removal of external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons,” is common among Dawoodi Bohras. 17 18 The act of FGM takes place when Bohra girls are between six and nine years old. 19 A 2016 survey found that 80 percent of Dawoodi Bohra women undergo FGM. 20

Fatema Jetpurwala, a gynecologist and member of the Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom, argues khafz “is the equivalent of male circumcision” and is a “harmless religious practice.” 21 Other Dawoodi Bohra women like Aarefa Johari disagree. In 2015, Johari co-founded Sahiyo, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to end FGM around the world through public awareness campaigns and educational outreach. 22

A major FGM case erupted in Michigan in 2017 when emergency-room physician Jumana Nagarwala was charged with female genital mutilation for operating on two seven-year old girls from Minnesota and several other girls at Fakruddin Attar’s Burhani Medical Clinic in Livonia, Michigan from 2005 through 2007. 23 24 It was the first case of FGM prosecuted in the United States under a 1996 federal law. 25 The judge dismissed the case in September 2021 because the law criminalizing FGM was ruled unconstitutional. 26

Part of the Bohra community in Australia has urged its congregants to obey the law of the land and cease the practice of FGM. 27

Associations

The Fatemi Dawat, the administration of the Dawoodi Bohra sect, has six affiliates: Zahra Hasanaat, The Qutbi Jubilee Scholarship Program, Taqreeb, Mazaar-e-Qutbi, Fatemi Madrasa, and Ghulamane Husain: Most Beloved Son. 28 These organizations facilitate social welfare programs, scholarship competitions, and interfaith lectures with influence in India and the United States. 29 30

The Dawoodi Bohra community has established 30 affiliate jamaats, or “assemblies,” in the United States that include over 5,000 families. 31

Ansaar-E-Fatemi Dawat Inc (AEFD) is the most active arm of the Dawoodi Bohra community, tasked with carrying out the “pious, religious and charitable activities” of the Dawoodi Bohra sect. 32 It is based in Bakersfield, California. 33

Leadership

Dr. Mufaddal Saifuddin is the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras; he assumed the office in 2014 upon the death of the former al-Dai al-Mutlaq, Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin. 34 His role is to teach and preach the precepts of the faith from his seat of authority in India. 35

He supports the practice of female genital mutilation, which caused controversy when he visited Britain in 2022. 36 Activists called for his visa to be revoked, citing his FGM stance as a dangerous threat to girls in the United Kingdom. 37

Financials

The U.S.-based social and political branch of Dawoodi Bohra, Ansaar-E-Fatemi Dawat Inc, reported a total revenue of $1.2 million in 2022, as well as $1.6 million in assets and $1.18 million in expenses. 38

References

  1. About the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/about-the-bohras/
  2. About the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/about-the-bohras/
  3. About the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/about-the-bohras/
  4. Favivar, Masood. “Activists See India as New Front in Fight Against Female Genital Mutilation.” Voice of America. March 8, 2024. Accessed April 24, 2024. https://www.voanews.com/a/activists-see-india-as-new-front-in-fight-against-female-genital-mutilation/ 7519614.html
  5. About the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/about-the-bohras/
  6. About the Dawoodi Bohras. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/about-the-bohras/
  7. Cheong Suk-Wai. “Roots, culture and customs.” The Straits Times. October 15, 2015. Accessed via the Wayback Machine April 28, 2024. https://archive.ph/20210609163958/https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/roots-culture-and-customs
  8. Project Rise. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/project-rise/
  9. “The Dawoodi Bohras Partner with World Food Program USA To Fund Meals for Gaza.” The Dawoodi Bohras. April 11, 2024. Accessed April 29, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/2024/04/11/the-dawoodi-bohras-partner-with-world-food-program-usa-to-fund-meals-for-gaza/
  10. Project Rise. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/category/project-rise/
  11. Environment. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024.  https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/environment/
  12. Education. The Dawoodi Bohras. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.thedawoodibohras.com/education/
  13. Hussain, Arwa. “Bohra digital entrepreneurship shows how religious communities can help women thrive.” The Conversation. October 4, 2022. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://theconversation.com/bohra-digital-entrepreneurship-shows-how-religious-communities-can- help-women-thrive-191049
  14. Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://dbwrf.org/
  15. Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://dbwrf.org/
  16. About us. Dawoodi Bohra Women’s Association for Religious Freedom. Accessed April 29, 2024. https://dbwrf.org/aboutus
  17. Kumar, Ruchi. “In India’s Bohra Community, a Battle Over Genital Mutilation.” Undark. March 3, 2021.Accessed April 28, 2024. https://undark.org/2021/03/10/india-battle-over-female-genital-mutilation/
  18. Female genital mutilation. World Health Organization. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation
  19. FAQ. Sahiyo. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://sahiyo.org/faqs.html
  20. “An Explanatory Study On The Practice Of Khatna (FGC) Amongst The Dawoodi Bohra Community.” Sahiyo. November 11, 2016. Accessed April 28, 2024.  https://sahiyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/khatnaflyer_final_withbox_11-24-16.pdf
  21. Kumar, Ruchi. “In India’s Bohra Community, a Battle Over Genital Mutilation.” Undark. March 3, 2021.Accessed April 28, 2024. https://undark.org/2021/03/10/india-battle-over-female-genital-mutilation/
  22. Mission Statement. Sahiyo. Accessed April 29, 2024. https://sahiyo.org/about/our-story.html
  23. [1] Ali, Safia Samee. “Michigan Doctor Charged With Performing Female Genital Mutilations.” NBC News. April 13, 2017. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/michigan-doctor-charged-performing-female-genital-mutila tions-n746401
  24. United States of America v. D-1 Fakhruddin Attar, D-2 Farida Attar. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Maryland. 2:17-mj-30197. April 20, 2017. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.justice.gov/file/891591/dl?inline=
  25. Ali, Safia Samee. “Michigan Doctor Charged With Performing Female Genital Mutilations.” NBC News. April 13, 2017. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/michigan-doctor-charged-performing-female-genital-mutila tions-n746401
  26. “Judge dismisses charges tied to Michigan female genital mutilation case.” NBC News. September 29, 2021. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/judge-dismisses-charges-tied-michigan-female-genital- mutilation-case-n1280350
  27. Johari, Aarefa. :Stop female circumcision, Dawoodi Bohra authorities tell community members in Australia.” Sahiyo. February 11, 2016. Accessed April 28, 2024.  https://sahiyo.org/sahiyo-blog/stop-female-circumcision.html
  28. Affiliated Websites. Fatemi Dawat. Accessed April 28, 2024.  https://www.fatemidawat.com/about/affiliated-organizations
  29. Zahra Hasanaat. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://zahrahasanaat.org/
  30. Taqreeb Conference Series. Accessed April 28, 2024. http://taqreeb.org/
  31. The United States Dawoodi Bohra Community. Accessed April 28, 2024.  https://usa.thedawoodibohras.com/
  32. About. Ansaar-E-Fatemi Dawat. Accessed April 28, 2024.  https://www.ansaarefatemidawat.com/
  33. Ansaar E Fatemi Dawat Inc. ProPublica. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/815117255
  34. “Know more about Dawoodi Bohra chief Mufaddal Saifuddin.” India TV. August 11, 2014. Archived from the original June 21, 2016. Accessed April 28, 2024.   https://web.archive.org/web/20160621111053/http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/know-more -about-dawoodi-bohra-chief-mufaddal-saifuddin-34490.html
  35. Know more about Dawoodi Bohra chief Mufaddal Saifuddin.” India TV. August 11, 2014. Archived from the original June 21, 2016. Accessed April 28, 2024.   https://web.archive.org/web/20160621111053/http://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/know-more -about-dawoodi-bohra-chief-mufaddal-saifuddin-34490.html
  36. Johnson, Sara. “Bohra imam’s visit puts British girls at risk of mutilation, warn FGM campaigners.” The Guardian. July 29, 2022. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/29/dawoodi-bohra-imam-mufaddal-saifuddin-visit-uk- british-girls-risk-mutilation-warn-fgm-campaigners
  37. Johnson, Sara. “Bohra imam’s visit puts British girls at risk of mutilation, warn FGM campaigners.” The Guardian. July 29, 2022. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jul/29/dawoodi-bohra-imam-mufaddal-saifuddin-visit-uk- british-girls-risk-mutilation-warn-fgm-campaigners
  38. Ansaar E Fatemi Dawat Inc. ProPublica. Accessed April 28, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/815117255
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