The same can be said for Egypt. I was once at a party hosted by a good friend of mine in Detroit. One of the guests was a professor of literature at Wayne State University who hailed from Egypt.

Don't ask me how, but somehow the subject of FGM came up in conversation with the group. This professor defended the practiced, said that she had undergone it, and said that family should have the right to make that choice for themselves.

To say that my jaw dropped, sitting there in that urbane situation surrounded by progressive people and college professors. It was wild. I literally felt sick to my stomach.

Actually, I do remember why we were talking about it now. A couple of doctors in the Detroit area had set up informal FGM clinics, and they we're arrested on federal charges.

But they're really sad thing about that is that they were not convicted and they did not go to prison. The judge ruled the federal law banning FGM is unconstitutional.

So it still happening in Detroit, and I despair.