Although it is neither authorized nor legitimised in the Koran or the Bible, the misanthropic dogma of “virginity” and misguided concepts of marriage serve to help the advocators of this practice legitimise, consolidate and spread this form of violence.

This systematic form of violence is practiced in 28 African countries (from the north spreading to the east and west) and is also more and more prevalent in the Near and Middle East (i.e. North Iraq/Kurdistan, Iran, Oman, Jemen, the United Arab Emirates) as well as in Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, India). In the meantime we assume that what we are dealing with is a global phenomenon of violence which is also becoming increasingly common in America and Europe.

The map emphasises this prevalence in detail:

(Map with friendly permission of www.spitzer-illustration.com)