A bill criminalizing circumcision for non-medical reasons in Iceland has gained massive support by medical authorities, but religious leaders are outraged. This bill is organized in practically the same fashion as a previous 2005 ban on female genital mutilation. The sentence for violating the ban is up to six years in prison. The bill states: “Anyone who…causes damage to the body or health of a child or a woman by…removing sexual organs shall be imprisoned for up to six years.”
In Iceland, there are about 250 Jews and 2,000 Muslims out of 334,252 citizens. Both religions have practiced ritualistic circumcision as a sacred rite for centuries. Ahmad Seddeeq, the Imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Iceland, has been a vocal critic of the bill, calling it “a contravention to the religious rights of freedom.”
In Iceland and abroad, Jewish communities are defending Muslims. At the Conference of European Rabbis, Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt stated “I think they should also propose that parents should not take the children skiing — or pierce their ears,” according to The New York Times. He also insinuated that the proposed bill had an ulterior motive as anti-immigration, targeting muslims. The Icelandic medical community has dismissed these claims, as they seek to protect the rights of all children regardless of religion. Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir, leader of the centrist Progressive Party, claimed that the bill is not “against religion.”
Beyond Iceland, The Roman Catholic Church has criticized the bill. Cardinal Marx, President of the Catholic Church in the European Union (COMECE) stated “protecting the health of children is a legitimate goal of every society, but in this case this concern is instrumentalized, without any scientific basis, to stigmatise certain religious communities. This is extremely worrying.” He is concerned that this new bill will lead to restrictions of religious freedom in other countries. Iceland is the first European country to propose a ban of non-medical circumcision.
While circumcision has been a religious issue for some time, its use in medical circumstances has been on the decline. This practice has never been popular in Europe and the United States has seen a drop in circumcision of boys born in hospital settings from 64 percent in 1979 to 58 percent in 2010, according to the CDC. In the United States, circumcision is viewed as a preventive measure for infection and allows for easier hygiene, making it a cultural norm. In 2012, the American Academy of Pediatrics encouraged the procedure but did not endorse routine circumcision, ultimately leaving the decision to parents.
Today, many argue that circumcision in any non-medically dire circumstance is unethical. Some would equate it with female genital mutilation, as seen in the Iceland bill. The issue of religious practices impeding the health of children has only become more inflammatory in the Western world. Should the trends continue, debated laws around such issues as ritualistic infant circumcision will only become more prevalent.