You can't even separate female genital mutilation from Islam, or more accurately, religion generally. I understand that it is a practice that is undertaken by multiple religions, and certainly not practiced by any significant number of muslims in the developed world. But that doesn't suggest there isn't a religious basis for it, only that there are religious motivations behind scorning women's sexuality in multiple religions (unsurprisingly given the role of women in the times and places these religions were founded).
There's a specific hadith in which Muhammad recommends female genital mutilation... there's certainly a basis for saying it's obligatory in islam and there are certainly a non-miniscule number of conservative muslims who think it's obligatory.
As for the niqab, how many passages in holy scripture do you need to conclude that this is a religious practice? There's a hadith stating that when the passage relating to "wearing veils over faces" was revealed by the Prophet, the women present tore up their sheets and covered their faces with them. How obvious does the connection need to be here?
I swear, the sensitivities to admitting there are any bad doctrines in just this one religion, or any connection between those doctrines and the way adherents behave... it's absolutely insane. Are you also going to suggest that Catholics refusing to wear condoms is a cultural practice?
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