Discord flares up at Virginia mosque

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A leader at one of Virginia’s largest mosques has resigned after the imam there made comments in support of female genital mutilation.

Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, who was director of outreach at the Dar Al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, posted his resignation Friday on his website.

Abdul-Malik said he’s leaving after “many reprehensible statements” by Dar Al-Hijrah’s senior imam, Shaker Elsayed, including his recent comments on genital mutilation.

In a recorded lecture, Elsayed described the practice as a way to avoid “hypersexuality” and “the honorable thing to do if needed.”

Dar Al-Hijrah’s board denounced Elsayed’s comments Monday. Two days later, it placed him on administrative leave.

In the lecture, Elsayed says that the practice, also known as female circumcision, has received a bad name because poorly trained surgeons are too aggressive in the procedure. He said the surgery is properly carried out with a minimalist approach “so that she is not hypersexually active. This is the purpose.”

Elsayed later issued a clarification through the mosque’s website saying that “Islam would never support anything that harms anybody’s well-being” and that he should have avoided his comments on hypersexuality.

“I hereby take it back. And I do apologize to all those who are offended by it,” Elsayed wrote.

Abdul-Malik says in his resignation that the board’s actions against Elsayed are insufficient.

Abdul-Malik did not return calls seeking comment. Elsayed declined to comment.