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“Fact checker” Snopes gets facts wrong again, falsely claims that Maine House didn’t allow female genital mutilation

Apr 27, 2018 5:36 pm By Robert Spencer

The news story that Snopes is disputing here did not originate with Jihad Watch, but with Maine State Media, which Snopes claims, without offering any evidence to support its claim, is a “shaky source.” So why do they bring in Jihad Watch at all, since we did not originate the story (we posted it here, with a link to Maine State Media)? Probably because we have previously exposed Snopes to be not the neutral fact-checker it claims to be, but yet another Leftist propaganda outfit, purveying soothing falsehoods about Muhammad and falsely claiming that a New Jersey town had not forbidden criticism of Islam, when that is exactly what it had done.

So in this case, Snopes, apparently smarting from being exposed, makes a story about Maine from a Maine media outlet that we picked up and excerpted into a heinous falsehood that is our fault.

And in this case yet again, Snopes gets the facts wrong. Yes, FGM has been illegal since 1996, but there have been exactly two prosecutions for it since then, both new and ongoing, so it was perfectly reasonable for Maine legislators to think that if they passed a new law specifying criminal penalties for female genital mutilation, it might spur actual prosecution of those who engage in this practice. But Maine House Democrats removed all criminal penalties from the bill as they passed it. Yes, that is allowing for female genital mutilation. Those who are discovered practicing FGM in Maine will be, according to the new bill, referred for counseling. It says nothing about prosecuting them under the 1996 law or anything else.

Once again the vaunted “fact-checker” Snopes is exposed as just another Leftist water-carrier, not a reliable source of accurate information.

“Did Maine House Democrats Vote to Allow Female Genital Mutilation?,” by Kim LaCapria, Snopes, April 25, 2018:

On 23 April 2018, the JihadWatch.org blog published an article reporting that Maine’s House Democrats had voted to allow female genital mutilation (FGM) in that state.

The article linked to blog post from a shaky source, and even that item diverged from the claim that politicians in Maine had opted to “allow” female genital mutilation, stating instead that the Maine State House passed a “toothless” amended bill banning the act…

Failing to kill the bill outright, Democrat “leadership” next brought forward the second of the minority report from the CJPS Committee. This one being the controversial amended bill, removing penalties for all accomplices to the crime … The watered-down, feckless ban passed with mostly party-line support, in a 73-68 tally. Not a single Republican voted for the toothless version of the ban.

Performing FGM on minors in the United States has been illegal since 1996, with regulations stating that “whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris of another person who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”…

Local reporting on the partisan dispute aligned with a June 2017 statement from Maine’s American Civil Liberties Union positing that the Republican version of the bill was intended to target “certain religious and ethnic communities”:

The original version of LD 745, which would create multiple new felony penalties for FGM, is redundant; there are already severe penalties under both Maine and federal law that cover FGM. This bill is nothing more than an attempt to single out behavior that is commonly attributed to certain religious and ethnic communities as different from other forms of abuse. We’re also concerned that the bill was crafted without the input of policy experts or affected communities. After hearing from women in Maine who were directly affected by female genital mutilation as well as advocates against domestic violence, we opposed the original version of LD 745.

…Nonetheless, the claim that Maine Democrats voted to “allow” female genital mutilation is false, as both Democrats and Republicans in Maine advanced legislation specifying criminal penalties for the practice. The two sides voted along party lines on the different bills, with the version favored by Democrats being passed. Despite reports to the contrary, no part of the passed bill “allows” or legalizes female genital mutilation.

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Filed Under: Featured, female genital mutilation, journalistic bias Tagged With: Maine, Snopes


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Comments

  1. Erin Corrigan says

    Apr 27, 2018 at 5:59 pm

    Since when does Snopes know anything?

    • mortimer says

      Apr 28, 2018 at 9:18 am

      UNRELIABLE! A propaganda unit of George Soros and Muslim Brotherhood.

    • J D S says

      Apr 28, 2018 at 11:41 am

      Yes you are right….snopes needs to change their name to DOPES.
      It may take little longer but if one really wants an answer to their question…research is the best way.

  2. Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says

    Apr 27, 2018 at 6:39 pm

    ==QUOTE== Performing FGM on minors in the United States has been illegal since 1996, with regulations stating that “whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora or labia minora or clitoris ***of another person*** who has not attained the age of 18 years shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”… ==UNQUOTE==

    So FGM “selfies” are perfectly legal for girls up to age 17. This presents a business opportunity for entrepreneurial imams to market do-it-yourself FGM kits for teen muslimahs. Well-worded ads, with catchy slogans and jingles, could be run on Islamic websites, such as https://www.cair.com/ .

  3. Wellington says

    Apr 27, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    Demonstrating once again that for Lefties, as for Muzzies, facts are an option, not a requirement.

    • Julea Bacall says

      Apr 29, 2018 at 2:49 am

      I’m from the left but I was so upset, I called Maines State Dept. What they explained to me was that it was illegal but not a Felony as the new bill tried to classify it. They did not want it to be felony for fear young women, or anyone, would not come forward thinking they could put people, family members, in jail for a long time. Would young women or anyone come forward? have they under the ‘just’ illegal term? I wonder how many in the Muslim community actually Know its illegal. Its not a subject people often talk about but I guess it Should be.

  4. Brian hoff says

    Apr 27, 2018 at 10:15 pm

    It was legal to drink beer durning the 1920 s. That act only forbid the manufacturer transportation and selling beer but not the drinking of beer.

    • gravenimage says

      May 5, 2018 at 1:57 am

      What does this have to do with anything?

      Note that “Brian hoff”–really, “DefenderofIslam”–has not a word of condemnation for mutilating little girls. *Ugh*.

  5. Westman says

    Apr 27, 2018 at 11:03 pm

    Let us understand in a parallel example how deficient is the logic at Snopes.

    California allows the growing and consumption of pot and declares itself to be a sanctuary state – all in violation of federal law. There are still local laws prohibiting pot in some CA cities. Allowing laws on the books while having no intent to enforce them is outright allowance and dishonesty.

    Both Snopes and Maine are dishonest and illogical about the reality of what was done in creating law with no enforceable penalties. A double negative is positive. Maine absolutely voted for FGM by declining to assign penalties. NOT(penalties) = allowance.

  6. afrostreetwise says

    Apr 27, 2018 at 11:59 pm

    Off Tp[ic but interesting: More liberal tolerance madness: https://www.facebook.com/mohamed.warsama.37/videos/209878323123370/

  7. Mark Berlinger says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 4:16 am

    Snopes is notorious for the “debunking” an extreme claim to discredit a real one. Snopes, a proponent of straw man fallacy and Google’s default liberal apologists, argues a point that is not the issue in the controversy of Maine’s toothless female genital mutilation law.

    • Greg says

      Apr 28, 2018 at 11:12 am

      Yes, it looks exactly like an attack on a straw man; or an inability to read a statement with charity and in context to understand the likely meaning.

      It’s a hyper-literal reading to take “allow” as meaning “officially allow” rather than “effectively allow” or “effectively allow people to get away with it”.

      I’m no expert on how US law functions, but what I suspect could happen, is that if a “toothless” state law is passed, then even if in theory people could be prosecuted under federal law, what will happen in practice is that state police/proseuctors will follow the state level legislation; and that means people will just get the slap on the wrist. So it could effectively destroy the federal law, and decriminalize it, at least in the case of the parents. (And I would think the consenting parents even more responsible than the person that does the cutting.)

      Greg

    • gravenimage says

      May 5, 2018 at 2:00 am

      Good analysis, Mark.

  8. Joe says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 8:00 am

    In several cases, I was able to fact check Snopes, and they were wrong every time. In the quote from “Dreams of My Father”, Snopes gave a quote from the book that BHO would not “stand with” the Muslims. It was the very next sentence, where BHO said what Snopes claimed he did not say. So, Snopes was wrong and dishonest.

    • mortimer says

      Apr 28, 2018 at 9:15 am

      Yes, Joe, Snopes was INACCURATE and INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING.

      • mortimer says

        Apr 28, 2018 at 9:17 am

        SNOPES HAS BEEN CAUGHT BEING SNEAKY AND DECEITFUL, so it may not be considered a RELIABLE SOURCE of information.

        SNOPES has EXPOSED itself as a PROPAGANDA UNIT of globalism.

  9. Politicianophobia says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 8:31 am

    Snopes is Soros.

  10. mortimer says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 9:11 am

    SNOPES IS CAUGHT AGAIN COVERING THE DEMS’ TRACKS.

    … And those tracks lead to … exonerating Islam from complying with US laws!

    The Globalist ‘progressive’ types are determined to present Islam as a benign faith unshackled from MEDIEVAL CUSTOMS. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

    Snopes would rather sacrifice WOMEN on the altar of GLOBALISM than admit that Islam is INDEED SHACKLED TO MEDIEVAL, MISOGYNISTIC and SUPREMACIST practices.

  11. Politicianophobia says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 9:53 am

    Soros is Snopes–Not a fact checker, just propaganda.

  12. Peter says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 11:11 am

    Snopes is propaganda varnish.

  13. Greg says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 11:37 am

    As far as I can tell from doing a search on the site, Snopes has never “fact checked” the claim that Islam is a “religion of peace”.

    And this despite the fact that it’s often been said by politicians and media pundits, and it’s clearly an important issue where it would be dangerous if so many people are making a false claim here.

    So why no fact checking over that one?

    Greg

  14. Keith Jordan says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 11:41 am

    I’ve lived in Maine 22 years, I’ve never heard of “Maine State Media”, and Bing hasn’t heard of it either. Does it exist, or is JihadWatch making it up???

    • Keith Jordan says

      Apr 28, 2018 at 11:54 am

      It seems the correct name of this organization is “Maine First Media”. I’ve just now subscribed to it.

  15. Frank Thiboutot says

    Apr 28, 2018 at 12:04 pm

    Actually, both the toothless Dem’s bill and the Governor’s bill did not pass. The various versions died between the House and Senate although you can bet another one will be submitted again next session. Here’s a letter-to-the-editor I sent to the Portland Press Herald which, not surprisingly, wasn’t published:

    Some may have heard of the “Jihad Caucus” consisting of 14 Democratic U.S.
    Senators with a plan to aid the UN in placing 65,000 unvetted Syrian refugees
    into U.S. cities and towns several years ago.

    I’ve put together a list of 14 Maine legislators whom I have dubbed the “FGM
    (Female Genital Mutilation) Caucus”.

    Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross, Chair
    Rep. Sara Gideon, House Speaker
    Rep. Erin Herberg, Majority Leader
    Rep. Jared Golden, Asst. Majority Leader
    Rep. Barbara Cardone
    Rep. Dale Denno
    Rep. Drew Gattine
    Rep. Martin Grohman
    Rep. Scott Hamann
    Rep. Thomas Longstaff
    Rep. Matthew Moonan
    Rep. Lois Reckitt
    Rep. Charlotte Warren
    Sen. Shenna Bellows

    Almost any Maine Democrat lawmaker could be included in this caucus, but these
    names facilitated the failure to pass an FGM bill with substantive penalties for
    the parents, guardians, transporters and the”cutters”. Therefore, they are to be
    considered Advocates for Ritual Child Abuse (ARCA).

    This vote should’ve passed easily if it weren’t for the legislature’s Fifth
    Column radical-Left accomplices such as the communist-founded ACLU-ME, the
    Soros-funded Maine People’s Alliance, the Stossel-discredited Southern Poverty
    Law Center as well as the CAIR-linked Somali refugee community itself.

    UNICEF reports that in Somalia, 98% of the women (highest in the world) have
    undergone FGM and don’t think for a second that it’s not going on among the
    refugee population here in Maine. Lewiston Mayor Bob MacDonald’s Sept. 2012
    comment for the Somalis to check their culture at the door is no longer
    necessary. The enemy within has seen to it that they won’t need to check
    anything other than a candidate running for office with a “D” after his or her
    name at the ballot box.

  16. kouldb says

    Apr 29, 2018 at 5:18 am

    I’ve caught Snopes blatantly lying about important things many times. They’re just another extreme left-wing propaganda cabal. Nothing more.

    • Julea Bacall says

      Apr 29, 2018 at 6:51 pm

      Snopes is not the place I read this also published. No Media should never just run something without actually checking.

  17. DeDoc says

    Apr 29, 2018 at 1:10 pm

    Ok, my confusion lies in why LD745 needed to be offered up in the first place? It doesn’t seem to read all that differently from existing federal and state statutes. Both JW and Snopes are nitpicking over verbiage, as did the folks in the Maine legislature. Ultimately this is not about what is on the law books, but who we let into our country. This is an immigration issue and always has been. If the demographics shift enough, you can bet that no legal statute will ever stop people from hacking their daughter’s naughty bits for religious and/or cultural norms.

    • Julea Bacall says

      Apr 29, 2018 at 6:54 pm

      What they told me when I called was that they did not want it to be a FELONY charge as it might deter people from coming forward, especially against family who would be put in jail for a long time. Its still against the law.

      • DeDoc says

        Apr 30, 2018 at 3:02 pm

        Thanks for the clarification. A federal statute still exists against FGM (18 U.S. Code § 116 – Female genital mutilation) that calls it a felony and Maine state law does not supersede this federal authority. That Maine wishes to soften the blow at state level already proves my point – local politicians are pandering to a growing voter demographic.

    • gravenimage says

      May 5, 2018 at 2:08 am

      The idea that anyone other than Muslims are mutilating their daughters is bs.

  18. TC says

    Apr 29, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    Although Jihad Watch & Maine First Media exercised journalistic hyperbole, by and large their facts and intent were correct and SNOPES was wrong, in every moral & factual sense of the word. The crime has been growing and covered up for some time across the U.S.A. & the rest of the globe due to ‘racial’, ‘cultural’ or Islamaphobic issues rather than health concerns and the legal constraints of licensed physicians (first, though shalt do no harm). Perhaps referencing mainstream media over the years would have pleased SNOPES more:

    Fri July 14, 2017 — The alarming rise of female genital mutilation in America
    https://www.cnn.com/2017/05/11/health/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-explainer-trnd/index.html
    August 11, 2016 — With 500,000 FGM survivors or at risk in U.S., it’s not just someone else’s problem
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/08/11/with-500000-female-genital-mutilation-survivors-or-at-risk-in-u-s-its-not-just-someone-elses-problem/
    ON 2/6/15 — FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION ON THE RISE IN THE U.S.
    http://www.newsweek.com/fgm-rates-have-doubled-us-2004-304773
    July 21, 2015 — Female Genital Mutilation Is A U.S. Problem, Too
    https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2015/07/21/424984178/female-genital-mutilation-is-a-u-s-problem-too
    etc., etc., etc….

  19. gravenimage says

    May 5, 2018 at 1:52 am

    “Fact checker” Snopes gets facts wrong again, falsely claims that Maine House didn’t allow female genital mutilation
    ……………….

    Grimly, Snopes is less trustworthy all the time.

    They seldom lie outright, but will declare a story “false”, and then actually go on to confirm it. If somene is not paying much attention, they are apt to take this at face value.

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