Iceland's mooted circumcision ban sparks religious outrage (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43111800#)
QuoteReligious groups have condemned a bill in Iceland's parliament that would ban circumcision for non-medical reasons.
The draft law would impose a six-year prison term on anyone guilty of "removing part or all of the [child's] sexual organs", arguing the practice violates the child's rights.
Jewish and Muslim leaders however have called the bill an attack on religious freedom.
Iceland would be the first European country to ban the procedure.
The country is thought to have roughly 250 Jewish citizens and around 1,500 Muslim citizens...
A step in the right direction!
Yeah, heard this on the World Service. Will all the whines from an Imam.
Fully agree that kids should decide for themselves when they are old enough. Same goes for religious affiliation and education. Teach ethics and morals from an early age by all means.
Forced circumcision is unethical and immoral. A crime of assault.
I approve of the general intent of the law ......
Genital mutilation is an inhuman practice. OK if a Jewish boy has his talleywacker trimmed a bit then there is probably no long term disadvantage. Whether that is here nor there, the fact that it is a religious requirement is of questionable causation.
In the case of Muslim girls, their mutilation is clearly a matter of cruelty and might very well defeat the claimed purpose. She is required to be a virgin at the time of her marriage..... If a young girl has "lust in her heart" ( the character flaw that Jimmy Carter confessed to) she is guilty of carnal sin almost equivalent to having had premarital sex. . If her vagina is sewn almost shut then she has little choice but to remain virginal even though she may have once had normal urges. I suspect that mutilations of that kind could thoroughly dampen a woman's interest in sexual activity.
Recently I read Hirsi Alis account of that treatment. Not pretty.
but I wonder how that law might affect an individuals desire to have a transgender modification. Oh, alright there are probably not many Icelanders who wish to have themselves physically re-arranged.
Icarus, from all that I have heard male circumcision is mainly a religious tradition, there are certain, non-monotheistic, cultures in Africa where circumcision was/is part of the passage into manhood, at about age 14 IIRC. Though that does put pressure on the person.
Most Muslims seem to say the FGM is not part of their belief, that it is purely traditional or cultural. So it seems to be, basicaly, based on the control of women.
There has been condiderable debate over here about pre-adolescent transgender treatment. Probsbly carefully selected by the media those kids that I have heard who are seeking gender re-assignment treatment have been intelligent and have evidently researched and considered all angles. They sounded confident in themselves, not pressured or coached.
Adults should have the right to do anything to themselves that is not intended to deliberately make them a burden on society.
Quote from: Dave on February 19, 2018, 08:12:44 PM
Forced circumcision is unethical and immoral. A crime of assault.
Call it what it is: genital mutilation and torture.
The fact that this is still legal in the modern, educated world is an affront to ethics and common fucking sense.
Quote from: Guardian85 on February 20, 2018, 11:23:22 PM
Quote from: Dave on February 19, 2018, 08:12:44 PM
Forced circumcision is unethical and immoral. A crime of assault.
Call it what it is: genital mutilation and torture.
The fact that this is still legal in the modern, educated world is an affront to ethics and common fucking sense.
^Hear, hear!
Hopefully this will spread to banning other abhorrent religious acts (like animal sacrifice and exorcism) that are currently given a pass purely because they're religious.
:bravo: Iceland! We should all follow suit!