Thursday, August 30, 2012

Circumcision ban update

THIS ARTICLE summarizes the current state of play regarding the circumcision ban in Germany:
Circumcision ban ignites a religious battle in Germany

By Janelle Dumalaon - Special to The Washington Times

Read more: Circumcision ban ignites a religious battle in Germany - Washington Times

BERLIN — A German court decision to criminalize religious circumcisions has turned into an international spat, as Israeli leaders urge Germany to protect the ancient rite and local Jewish and Muslim groups vow to continue the practice.

[...]
This in particular seems like an interesting development, although what exactly it means is not clear:
The German government has already announced its intention to draft a law this fall that will protect Jews and Muslims from prosecution over circumcisions.

“The Ministry of Justice is consulting with religious and medical experts among others, to ensure that the legal question be clarified on as many levels as possible,” said ministry spokesman Anne Zimmermann.

“[But] it’s not a simple issue. Even the religious dimension itself has other layers, such as the fact that Muslim and Jewish circumcisions are performed differently from one another and such facts also have to be taken into consideration.”
Background here.