50 German Lawmakers Back Circumcision Ban
Image by getty images
A new proposal by liberal and left-leaning legislators in Germany would bar ritual circumcision for boys under the age of 14.
Some 50 members of Parliament – from the Social Democratic Party, the Left Party and the Greens – have signed on to the proposal, which they hope will preempt another bill currently awaiting parliamentary approval. That bill, submitted last month, would allow Jewish and Muslim parents to choose ritual circumcision for an infant son under strict regulations, including medical training for the circumciser and the use of anesthesia.
The new proposal would prohibit the non-medical circumcision of infants, and would require that the procedure be carried out by a trained urologist or pediatric surgeon, according to German news reports. The legislators reportedly insist that the child himself should be able to decide whether or not to allow “such a serious interference with his bodily integrity.”
The current campaign against ritual circumcision in Germany, which is led by a cadre of activists and boosted by some politicians on the left, picked up steam last May after a Cologne District Court ruled that the circumcision of a minor was criminal assault. The ruling came to light in the general public in June. In response, Jewish and Muslim leaders demanded a legal response that would protect their religious freedom.
Though the bill submitted in October introduces new restrictions on a ritual practiced without interruption for centuries in Germany, Jewish and Muslim groups have praised it as a way to protect their religious freedom against increasing onslaughts by opponents of circumcision.
The new attempt by left-leaning lawmakers would undermine that security and is expected to meet vigorous opposition in the Bundestag.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
