German court bans infant circumcision
July 12, 2012
A German regional court has declared infant circumcision for religious reasons illegal because it “causes bodily harm and should only be performed on males old enough to give consent.”
The judges also stated that circumcision runs contrary to a child’s interest in “being able to decide his religious affiliation later in life.”
Urging Jewish parents to ignore the ruling, Pinchas Goldschmidt , the president of the Conference of European Rabbis, said, “We've done it for 4,000 years--just carry on!”
German Muslims and Jews are working to overturn the ruling.
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Further information:
- Muslims and Jews Join to Fight German Circumcision Ban (Arutz Sheva)
- European rabbis deplore circumcision ruling (Deutsche Welle)
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Jul. 12, 2012 4:54 PM ET USA
Good grief. As if this were something the courts should nose into.
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Posted by: fwhermann3492 -
Jul. 12, 2012 10:13 AM ET USA
Of all places, one would expect Germany to respect Jewish customs. Religious persecution by the secular elite, it would seem, is not something confined to North America.
