Let’s talk about circumcision

A proposal to ban circumcision for non-medical reasons in Iceland has generated a heated debate over whether banning the practice would amount to an attack on religious freedom. Kai Möller outlines his own opposition to male circumcision, and argues in favour of an open debate over the issue in which both sides are respected and there is an attempt to reach common ground.

You can read a counter article in a further EuroppBlog feature The problem with Iceland’s proposed ban on circumcision. In this the author Iddo Porat argued that we should be suspicious of any majority proposed legislation which affected only minority groups.

• Primary Source

Deutsche Welle: Article, 12.12.12: Religious traditions under threat? (et al) http://www.europeansources.info/record/religious-traditions-under-threat/

The Guardian, 18.02.18: Iceland law to outlaw male circumcision sparks row over religious freedom https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/18/iceland-ban-male-circumcision-first-european-country

The New York Times, 28.02.18: Bill Banning Circumcision in Iceland Alarms Religious Groups https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/28/world/europe/circumcision-ban-iceland.html

Iceland Monitor, 26.02.18 [Opinion]: The ban on circumcision in Iceland: Humanity or hypocrisy? https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/opeds/opinion/2018/02/26/the_ban_on_circumcision_in_iceland_humanity_or_hipo/

LSE EuroppBlog, 27.04.18: The problem with Iceland’s proposed ban on circumcision http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2018/04/27/the-problem-with-icelands-proposed-ban-on-circumcision/

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