What Can You Do About FGM Licensing?
A guide for readers who want to take action and other updates.
The majority of what can be accomplished through Freedom of Information Act request on the FGM investigation I have been pursuing is done. We have the information now — or at least, as much as we will get without legal action.
If you are someone who has been waiting for what you can do to make a difference on this issue, now is the time to act.
Below are some resources, updates, and suggestions.
Share This Medium Article
One piece of feedback I received is that checking my research might be difficult for a journalist unwilling to file their own freedom of information act requests and that casual readers might not be willing to go through the full timeline I published.
To solve this, I wrote a short version of the story on Medium:
https://medium.com/@hegemonmedia/fgm-doctors-hold-medical-licenses-and-practice-together-at-detroit-clinic-dbc3a854f825
The medium version uses only publicly available information and is written in a short to-the-point style with glossy photos. This is designed for casual readers and journalists who don’t want to have to independently verify FOIA requests.
All they have to do to see what I’ve written is true to is click links.
Where You Can Share
Here are some suggestions for where you can share the article:
Reddit: r/Detroit, r/MetroDetroit, r/Michigan, r/Lansing, r/Dearborn, r/AnnArbor, r/grandrapids, r/flintmichigan, r/bioethics, r/Ethics, r/TwoXChromosomes, r/Feminism, r/fourthwavewomen, r/AskFeminists, r/Intactivism, r/Intactivists, r/TrueCrimeDiscussion, r/medicine
Facebook Groups: Detroit Community, 24/7 Only in Detroit News Group, Detroit Community Event Calendar, The Detroit Scanner’s Community Outreach, Newspaper Friends, Politics in Lansing, Michigan Democratic Progressives, Michigan Resistance, Ann Arbor Politics, Ann Arbor Townies — Politics, Sterling Heights City Politics, Dearborn Heights Civic Discussion, Women of Metro Detroit, All Things Michigan, Patient Safety Action Network Community, Ethics in Medicine, Healthcare Ethics Consultant, Speak Out on FGM
Local News / Investigative Tips: BridgeDetroit, Outlier Media, WDIV / Local 4 Contact, WXYZ 7 Action News Contact, CBS News Detroit Tips, Detroit Metro Times Tips, Planet Detroit Contact, Michigan Public Contact, Bridge Michigan Contact, Michigan Advance Contact, The Michigan Independent Contact, Axios Detroit, Axios Tips
Anti-FGM Organizations: U.S. End FGM/C Network, Sahiyo, Equality Now, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation, AHA Foundation, Sanctuary for Families, Safe Hands for Girls
Patient Safety / Medical Accountability: Patient Safety Action Network, Patients for Patient Safety US
Regulatory / Public Accountability: Michigan LARA Licensing Complaint, LARA Health Professional Complaints, Michigan Board of Medicine Agendas and Minutes, Joint Commission Patient Safety Concern
Other Platforms / Forums: X / Twitter, Bluesky, Threads, Substack Notes, Mastodon, Medium FGM Tag, DetroitYES Forum, City-Data Detroit Forum, Patch Detroit, Nextdoor
Challenges Sharing
I’ve struggled to share this article. Some examples:
I posted the article on reddit. A pop-up suggested I crosspost. I did. It removed the post for spamming. Many reddits also don’t allow crossposts or certain content, despite their users being interested in this news.
I posted on Facebook. It suggested I boost it. I did. It refused the ad for potential “election interference.” (I’d love to know what election could change this issue.)
I posted a video on TikTok. It blocked it for community guidelines violations. Reversed on appeal, but delayed the video a day.
I’m sure these are automated systems, not targeted suppression, but the impact is the same. It’s frustrating. If you’re experienced with these platforms, please share your solutions in the comments and use them to show us how it’s done.
More Suggestions
At the end of my timeline article, that collects all information from my investigation, there is a “Next” section on what could happen next that includes some possibilities for activists. That section has even more ideas.
Michigan Residents
Your elected representatives can change this. The Governor of Michigan is Gretchen Whitmer. The oversight committee is chaired by Rep. Jay DeBoyer. Both of these officials could act. Respectfully let them know you want them to investigate.
Sample email you could send:
I am writing to ask you to investigate the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ handling of the medical licenses of Dr. Jumana Nagarwala and Dr. Fakhruddin Attar, two doctors charged in United States v. Nagarwala, the first federal FGM prosecution in U.S. history.
The doctors did not dispute that they had engaged in female genital mutilation. Federal charges were dismissed on constitutional grounds in 2018. However, no conviction was required for Michigan to take licensing action, because the Public Health Code allows discipline based on conduct, not just criminal outcome.
LARA closed its licensing investigation with no disciplinary action before the federal court ruling. Neither physician was suspended, reprimanded, or restricted in any way. Both hold active, unrestricted Michigan medical licenses today. Both are currently practicing together at the same Detroit clinic, advertising school physicals and receiving state funds through medicaid.
The memos explaining why the state closed its investigation have been withheld from public disclosure. No one outside LARA and the Attorney General’s office has explained to the public why they closed their investigation while these doctors were being federally prosecuted. LARA has lied to the press about its actions, by claiming in a statement to Medscape that they were investigating, when they were not.
A detailed account of these facts, sourced to public records and documents obtained through FOIA, is available here: https://www.hegemonmedia.com/p/how-doctors-prosecuted-for-fgm-kept
Find out why this happened and ensure it does not continue.
Support Legal Action
I am exploring legal challenges to make public the memos explaining why the state closed its licensing investigation. Those will cost money. If you want to support that, contribute here:
GoFundMe: Expose Medical Board for Licensing an FGM Doctor