Rep. Sirocki accused of recruiting anti-Muslim group to support female genital mutiliation bill [View all]

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Source: Portland Press Herald

Rep. Heather Sirocki has recruited a local chapter of an anti-Muslim hate group in the United States to support a bill that would criminalize female genital mutilation, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Sirocki, a Republican from Scarborough, on Tuesday plans to introduce a new bill to criminalize female genital mutilation in Maine. The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit advocacy group that monitors hate groups and extremists in the United States, obtained a series of emails it says document how Sirocki contacted both a local chapter and national office of ACT for America to support a press conference she scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.

In the emails obtained by the law center, the leader of the Norway chapter of ACT for America referred to Sirocki as “our sponsor for FGM.” The leader, who uses the pseudonym JB Giaour, said the bill is the “result of our initiation of this issue here in Maine.”

“This is incredible and anything you and your friends can do to muster support could easily make this happen this time,” he wrote.

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Read more: https://www.pressherald.com/2018/02/06/rep-sirocki-accused-of-recruiting-anti-muslim-group-to-support-female-genital-mutililation-bill/