Circumcision debate as a tolerance test
Anders Jarlert (08.06.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (13.06.2001)- Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - On June 1, 2001, the Swedish parliament promulgated the first Swedish law on circumcision of boys, to be in force from October 1. This law states that only doctors or persons with special permissions given by the National Board of Health and Welfare may perform circumcisions, and that these must be carried out with as little pain as possible. An inflamed discussion in the media had created a severe tension between the national principle of religious liberty and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The defenders of religious liberty stated that on an international level, the UN Convention has not been applied to the issue of male circumcision.
However, still on debate in Parliament, two members of the Leftist Party (the former Communist Party) spoke in favor of a legal prohibition of circumcision until the age of 18. As a reaction to an explanation that Jews or Moslems have a need to recognize each other, the female member evend said that she found it hard to believe that the first thing two men do to recognize each other is to pull their trousers down. In her naive lack of religious knowledge, the same speaker stated that all persons must have the right to belong to a religious denomination and to practise their faith, but "circumcision of boys is not a question of religion", she said (Riksdagens snabbprotokoll 2000/01:119 (Ulla Hoffmann): 'Men omsk?relse av pojkar handlar inte om religion...').
Back to Table of Contents
Jews protest Swedish circumcision restriction
Reuters (07.06.2001)/ HRWF International Secretariat (13.06.2001)- Website: http://www.hrwf.net - Email: info@hrwf.net - A leading Jewish group accused Sweden on Thursday of placing the first legal restriction on Jewish religious practice in Europe since the Nazi era with a law that affects how circumcisions are carried out in that country.
The New York-based World Jewish Congress said that it is receiving many complaints from European members about a law passed by the Swedish parliament on June 1 that said circumcisions can only be performed after the administering of an analgesic by a doctor, nurse or person with special permit.
The law was passed after a circumcision led to the death of a Muslim boy. Both Jews and Muslims practice circumcision for religious reasons with Jews performing the rite when the child is eight days old and Muslims when they are considerably older.
About 3,000 boys a year of both religions are circumcised in Sweden, the WJC said.
A WJC spokesman said, "This is the first legal restriction placed on a Jewish rite in Europe since the Nazi era. This new legislation is totally unacceptable to the Swedish Jewish community." the Swedish Jewish community numbers about 18,500.
Jewish circumcisions are performed by a religious official in a religious ceremony.
The WJC spokesman added he expected that the issue would be discussed when the Swedish prime minister visits Israel over the weekend. The law is to take effect on Oct. 1.
Back to Table of Contents
