Iceland Set To Ban Circumcision Carried Out For Religious Reasons

[naomi24]

The bill //acknowledges that while parents have the right to give religious guidance to their children, “such a right can never exceed the rights of the child”.//

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/18/iceland-ban-male-circumcision-first-european-country

Both Jewish and Islamic organisations have condemned the proposal, but good for Iceland. Let’s hope the rest of the so-called civilised world has the courage to follow suit.

[Old_Geezer]

Good for Iceland.
No child should be so mutilated.

[waterboatman]

I agree. There is no real reason for it.

[Gromit]

Of course such a ban would never happen in the UK because the Jewish lobby have considerable influence in both main parties, not to mention the Muslim vote.

[rowanwitch]

All that will happen is families will take their children on 'holiday' and bring back a document of some kind saying it was for medical reasons.

[Gromit]

It’s ages since I shopped at Iceland, but thanks for the warning.

[Jahulaye]

“Islam in Iceland is a minority religion. The Pew Research Center estimated that roughly 0.2% of the country was Muslim in 2010. (740 people).[1]”

“The history of the Jews in Iceland is relatively short, starting in 1625. In 2018, roughly 250 Jews were living in Iceland.”

Seeing how small the Islamic and Jewish communities are I would say that this looks like a token effort:

[Jahulaye]

Above infos from wiki

[naomi24]

A ‘token effort’? Regardless of numbers Iceland very sensibly, and quite rightly, wants to stop people in their country lopping bits off children without valid medical reason.

[emmie]

good for them, i bet no one in this mealy mouthed country would propose such a thing, let alone put it into practice.

[Old_Geezer]

If they take the kids back elsewhere to be mutilated then at least civilised disapproval is being shown to all further generations.

And maybe later taking one's kids abroad to be mutilated could be a crime also.

[naomi24]

I don't see that taking children abroad for such a procedure to be carried out is a valid reason for the government of Iceland not to bother.

[Jahulaye]

My point was regarding Iceland, due to small Jewish/Muslim numbers, that any furore would be small and easily contained compared to had they banned it in a country with a large amount of Muslims and Jews.

[naomi24]

Ah, I see.

[emmie]

like the UK ^^

[Jahulaye]

Yes emmie.

[Quoi]

+1 in support of Iceland.

[jim360]

Really people should just cut this practice out themselves.

[youngmafbog]

Well done Iceland.

Won't happen here for reasons Gromit has written.

[Jahulaye]

Are people here classing it along the same lines of fgm?

[Old_Geezer]

It's the same group of actions, mutilation of a victim, but clearly less devastating to most. I don't see tying the two actions together more than that is particularly helpful; it will just encourage folk to ignore one wrong thing because another exists.