Members of five different parliamentary parties in Iceland submitted a joint proposal for a bill that would outlaw circumcisions in Iceland.
According to the proposed bill, a sentence of up to six years in prison would be handed out to anyone who organizes a ritual circumcision in the country.
According to the reasoning behind the bill, circumcision constitutes an infringement of the rights of young children, and will only be allowed if there is sufficient medical reasoning given for the specific patient in question.
“The children have the right to decide whether or not they want to have a circumcision. The parents may teach their children regarding religious reasoning behind it, but it must be the child’s decision once they reach the proper age of decision making,” reasoned the bill. The bill did not set a specific age requirement for how old the children have to be when they make that decision.
The proposal was submited by members of parliament after hearing from a Danish medical commission that men should not have circumcisions until they are 18 years old.
The legislation was put forward by eight of Iceland’s 63-member parliament, including MPs from the Progressive Party – part of the ruling coalition in Reykjavik – the Pirate Party, the Left Greens – also in coalition – and the People’s Party.
The European Rabbinic Council responded to the proposal and said: “Brit Milah is an important and critical part of Jewish life. There is now a world body in existence who will prohibit Jews from carrying out this holy and important commandment from God.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
R”l. Maybe along the same line of logic, they should outlaw taking children to a pediatrician to be treated, let them grow up, if they survive, to decide the medical treatment they want.
I don’t agree with the bill, but from their prospective circumcision is not a necessary thing to do as opposed to taking a kid to the doctor which is.
My fellow Jews…Hashem’s messages are sent in plain sight. If this is the sentiment in Iceland, get out and stay away. Same goes for anywhere else with similar sentiment. Hashem is trying to be Mekabetz Galuyos. We’re still in the gentle stage. Hopefully it stays that way.
“the Pirate Party, the Left Greens…and the People’s Party.”
Is this country run like it is a college campus? How many male Jewish children do they have in Iceland that the *Pirate Party* is concerning themselves with?
There’s something sick going on here.
Student of Torah
That is only your opinion. The UN health agency actually recommends circumcision (especially in AFrica, but the logic is valid everywhere) in order to curb the spread of AIDS. So why do you think you know better than the UN health agency?
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