Two million girls are circumcised each year, 130 million women in 30 countries have already been mutilated in this way, and campaigners said they hoped the cleric's comments would help stop the practice by making clear it had no basis in religion.

"I as Imam would like, with my colleagues, to turn to the Islamic world, particularly in Africa, and inform people that female genital mutilation is prohibited," said Sheikh Omar Ahmed.

"It is a matter of abuse and violation of the female body and is quite clearly forbidden according to Islam," he told delegates from 13 African countries, Sweden and international bodies such as the World Health Organisation...