Ritual circumcision controversy joined by MDG

MDG, Rasmus Hansson, Photo: MDG

The Environment Party enters into the ritual circumcision fray

The Environment Party (MDG) enters into the ritual circumcision fray and proposes an age limit of 16 years.

 

 

The newspaper Vårt Land (Our Country) writes that the central committee of the party recommends the following phrasing in lieu of the national convention in Lillehammer next weekend:

“(to) introduce a 16-year age limit for ritual circumcision of boys. The procedure should only be carried out after an informed consent from the person to be circumcised. “

The debate has raged after the Progressive Party at the weekend decided to propose a ban on circumcisions in their party program.

The Liberal Party and the Socialist Party have also discussed the topic.

The Mosaic community has reacted harshly to the decision and said that this would make it difficult for many Jews to live in Norway.

Prominent Politician for the Liberals, Abid Raja, has also criticized the proposed change in the legislation

– I realize this is difficult for Jews and Muslims, but after pondering for many years I’m certain that the individual’s rights to decide over what is done to their own bodies and their personal belief, is the most important, says Kristin Antun, who is in charge of the party’s integration policy.

Circumcision was not mentioned in the original proposal by the program committee. When the central committee had to review the program and make stances on single issues, the proposal for a 16-year age of consent won. Antun says that the central committee was “very much divided” on the issue.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today

 

 

 

 

3 Comments on "Ritual circumcision controversy joined by MDG"

  1. 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.

  2. Circumcision alters sex dramatically. No medical association endorses forced genital cutting.

    Any good-hearted person has great sympathy for the oppression Jews have endured. But religious freedom does not include the right to harm another person.

    Any intervention may be ethically imposed with only proxy (parental) consent IF waiting for the patient’s own consent would lead to net harm, and WHEN less-destructive options are exhausted. Forced genital cutting on healthy male, female, or intersex children fails this test decidedly.

  3. Considering the social pressure put on children and teens concerning religious procedures..I doubt that any given consent truly refelects the opinion of the person involved.
    Harmimg someones body should be treated like the serious crime it is,with a hrash penality for all involved. In the country where i live it`s even illegal to do such things i an act of “circumcision travel” .
    Medical personell who performs an unnecessary operation should face a jurisdical reaction like in my home-country.
    They are beeing charged under the full extend of law. It reads like this : “physically mistreated another person and injured that person’s health by means of a dangerous instrument”

    It would be a good idea to change the law in Norway in this direction. In my opinion Norway is a modern country wich reflects in many laws concerning a persons wellbeing. Physical harm in any way will not count to wellbeing – i think. No country should capitulate when nit comes to “religion”

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