Why freedom of religion is an illegitimate defense for doctor accused of performing FGM on 2 young girls

The barbaric ritual of female genital mutilation (FGM) is a primitive practice that grew out of tribal custom predominantly in Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. It’s the act of dismembering the clitoris — sometimes brutally, with cut glass and no anesthetics — to deter girls from desire and “sexual promiscuity” before they begin puberty.
Read more: https://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2017/04/21/why-freedom-of-religion-is-an-illegitimate-defense-for-doctor-accused-of-performing-fgm-on-2-young-girls/?source=Snapzu