Germany's circumcision ban angers religious groups

5 Jul 2012, 12:14 pm   -   Source: AFP
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German Muslim and Jewish leaders urged lawmakers to pass legislation protecting the right to circumcise boys after a court ruling against the practice.

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German Muslim and Jewish leaders urged lawmakers to pass legislation protecting the right to circumcise boys after a court ruling against the practice when carried out on religious grounds.
  
Around 20 organisations representing most of Germany's four million Muslims said parliament must ensure religious freedom by eliminating the legal uncertainty surrounding the rite since the June 26 ruling by a court in Cologne.
  
"We call on the German Bundestag (lower house) and the government to act as quickly as possible to put an end to this legal insecurity and establish legal safeguards allowing the circumcision of boys," said Gurcan Mert of the Turkish Islamic Union, speaking on behalf of the other groups.
  
In a decision that also sparked outrage among Jewish groups and which could set a legal precedent, the regional court in this western city ruled against a doctor in Cologne who had circumcised a four-year-old Muslim boy on his parents' wishes.
  
The judges found that the "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents".
  
"The religious freedom of the parents and their right to educate their child would not be unacceptably compromised if they were obliged to wait until the child could himself decide to be circumcised," the court added.
  
But it specified that circumcision was not illegal if carried out for medical reasons.
  
The ruling marked a "big blow against integration", Ali Kizilkaya, spokesman for the Coordinating Council of Muslims in Germany, another of the groups issuing the appeal, told the same news conference.
  
"Germany is a state based on the rule of law where rights, in particular religious liberties, are very important and I think that a ban (on circumcision) would not be good for Germany or Germany's image and concept of rights," he said.
  
"I hope this will be corrected quickly."
  
The Muslim groups are in contact with Jewish and Christian leaders on the issue and discussing how to bring pressure to bear on the political class, Ramazan Kuruguz from the conference of regional Islamic organisations said.
  
"We will speak with politicians and if necessary, we will of course hold protests and demonstrations," he said.
  
Thousands of young boys are circumcised every year in Germany, especially in the country's large Jewish and Muslim communities.
  
After the ruling touched off a storm of international protest, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle insisted the country would continue to protect religious freedom and rites including circumcision.
  
However several doctors and hospitals have said they would suspend the practice as long as its legal standing is unclear.
 

Circumcision

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Would such legislation be a form of Sharia Law?

James Mac - from Melbourne, 10 months ago

An adult male foreskin is 10-20 square inches of protective, mobile, erogenous flesh. About the size of the palm of one's hand or the cheek on one's face. Once the fuss dies down, it's hard to see how the German people will accept a form of Sharia Law being entrenched in the German Basic Law, subverting human rights to autonomy. Will German politicians have the courage to be the only Western democracy to pass laws giving a legal right cut body parts from healthy children based on religion?

OUTDATED & Unnecessary custom perpetrated on innocent infants

Jayvee - from Altona, 10 months ago

The child has no say in these barbaric rituals. Ask yourself how did this custom get started in the first place and where does it mainly takes place? It occurs mainly in a belt of North African, Middle Eastern and some South Asian countries.. Most of these countries are hot, dry and dusty and personal hygiene would often have been a challenge. Infections therefore would have been common.Trust unbending religious dogma to make circumcision mandatory, cause some special book says so.

infant circumcision

oncewas - from bribie island, 10 months ago

logicalthoughts. you may be correct but the jews and the muslims do not circumcise the baby boys for those reasons. they do it as some sort of sign that they are obeying their god, whatever his bloodthirsty name is. having done that, they then hide their circumcised penis under clothing for all the world not to see [ what a great witness] and then wear funny clothes and or funny hairdos and hats to show the world. doesn't make sense to me.would be better to teach their kids safe sex, obviously.

Please learn some common facts before commentting

logicalthoughts - from Melbourne, 11 months ago

Circumcision halves the rate of STI transmission. STI's that are harmless to adults are the leading cause of serious spinal defects causing 1 in 750 newborns to be crippled for life. Halving the rate of STI's would mean 15,000 less Australians crippled and living their entire lives in a wheelchair. Politically correct do-gooders should get your facts straight before dictating what others should and shouldn't do. Circumcision is carried out in childhood to precede erections - Obviously! Think.

whose body is it?

Mark Lyndon - from Manchester, UK, 11 months ago

No-one complained when female circumcision was made illegal, even though some people regard it as their religious right or duty to cut their daughters. It's illegal to cut off a girl's prepuce, or to make any incision on a girl's genitals, even if no tissue is removed. Even a pinprick is banned. Why don't boys get the same protection? Everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they want parts of their genitals cut off. It's *their* body.

Prejudice plays a part too

John - from Sydney, 11 months ago

Let's face facts. If it were a Christian ritual at stake, the outcome would be very different. The fact that circumcision is a rite of non- European religions and cultures and an innate prejudice against 'the other' were subconscious motivators in this decision.

try christening instead?

Vince - from Ireland, 11 months ago

was christened as a baby by my parents following their religious beliefs, now at 29 I do not follow this faith but thankfully my parents did not believe in doing something that would mutilate a part of my body to mark me as a child of their religion, they used holy water which washed off my forehead that day. Religion is fine as long as those who believe in it are not harming those who do not and this is all that circumcising a child is doing.

Freedom of religion

Boris - from Burnaby, 11 months ago

You all should take a chill pill Circumcision is fundamental to Judaism (and apparently to Islam) and this court decision is not only offensive to Jews and Muslims but will also put more baby lives on the line since circumcision will still go on, just outside of hospitals and protected environments. It's like trying to prevent abortions by making them illegal, if it's important to someone, they'll do it anyway, the Germans can only decide where it's gonna be done

About Time

conor - from ireland, 11 months ago

This is a glorious day in the fight against Child abuse.

Mr

Zynster - from West End, Brisbane, 11 months ago

It's about time someone stood up to these wackos who still believe that the genital mutilation of baby boys is an acceptable practice in the 21st century. If they want to chop the end of their own penis, let them. But doing it to a defenceless baby is, or should be, a crime.

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