Danish parliament to consider becoming first country to ban circumcision of boys

Circumcision is a very touchy subject lately.  Many cultures and religions automatically circumcise their boy children a few days after birth, and some African cultures circumcise boys when they reach their teenage years.  There are always going to be those people who are for circumcision but lately there are more who are against it.  No more so than in Holland, where the Danish government are considering a ban on boys being circumcised.

A petition has been drafted and is calling for the introduction of a minimum age of 18 for circumcision.   This is to protect children’s fundamental rights’, and the petition has over 50 thousands signatories so far.  This means the issue must go to parliament fr debate.

It seems highly unlikely that the bill we become law, and this is because of religious rights.   If the bill did become law, it would put children’s rights before their parents’ religious rights.  While it is true that babies and young boys do not have any say in their circumcision, circumcision is still thought to be overall healthy for boys.  Those in favour of circumcision are not in favour because of children’s rights but because they say boyhood circumcision can prevent the risk of fatal diseases.

In Islam and Judaism, circumcision is a religious ritual that is connected to the idea of cleanliness.

In the United States there is a drive to educate parents of baby boys about the benefits of circumcision which they say reduces the risk of STDs and HIV.

Activists in Denmark however feels differently  The group called ‘Intact Denmark’ say "we need to respect a person's right to decide for themselves" on a possible circumcision when they become an adult.

A similar ban was proposed in Iceland but was not passed in parliament.