Patriarchy allows child marriage and female genital mutilation to flourish

[theHandpuppet]

10. This is a frightening development

FGM has primarily been practiced in sub-Saharan countries and not in the Middle East. A map can be found at this link: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-28412179

What I found interesting about this map is that in virtually every country where FGM is practiced, the numbers of girls subjected to FGM exceeds even the percentage of Muslims among the population -- which tells me this is as much cultural as religious. That fact alone supports the idea that the root cause is patriarchal and religion has been exploited to support it. I suspect that's what we're seeing now with ISIS - patriarchal fanaticism.