Circumcise ban stirs talk in Iceland

Some view the idea as religious freedom attack

Iceland could become the first country in Europe to ban male circumcision, prompting criticism from religious groups about the ritual practiced in both Judaism and Islam.

The legislation being debated by Iceland’s Parliament would impose a sixyear jail term on anyone who “removes part or all of (a child’s) sexual organs” for non-medical reasons.

“It’s an attack on freedom of religion,” Ahmad Seddeeq, imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of Iceland, said Monday.

Silja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir, a lawmaker from the center-right Progressive Party, said she proposed the measure after realizing the country’s ban on female genital mutilation had no equivalent for males. Iceland outlawed female genital mutilation in 2005, in line with other nations, to prevent procedures that intentionally alter or injure female genital organs for nonmedical reasons.

“We are talking about children’s rights, not about freedom of belief,” she said when she introduced the bill this month.

About 336,000 people live in Iceland, including 250 Jews and 1,500 Muslims, according to government statistics and Seddeeq. The Nordic island nation is known for progressive legislation on gender equality. Last month, the government made it illegal for companies to pay women less than men — another world first.

Male circumcision, or removing the foreskin from the penis, generally occurs shortly after birth, during childhood or around puberty as a rite of passage. Jews and Muslims typically circumcise their sons to confirm or mark their relationship with God.

An estimated 30% of all males globally are circumcised.