Iceland is home to very few Jews and Muslims, making the proposed ban on circumcision largely symbolic. Image: AFP/Philippe Huguen
A proposed ban in Iceland on male circumcision, in defense of the rights of babies and young boys, has sparked anger among leaders of the world鈥檚 three major religions.
Should the ban go through, it would be a first in Europe, where male circumcision is rare outside the Jewish and Muslim communities.
The proposal was presented by Progressive Party MP Silja Dogg Gunnarsdottir, who likened circumcision of boys to the internationally condemned practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).
And it calls for a six-year prison sentence for anyone causing 鈥渄amage to the body or health of a child by removing all or part of his or her sexual organs.鈥�
FGM, which affects more than 200 million girls and women alive today worldwide, has been banned in Iceland since 2005.
But there is no equivalent legislation for the ritual removal of a boy鈥檚 foreskin, which is practiced by a majority of Jews and Muslims, and which is widespread in North America for hygienic purposes.
鈥淲e should have the same law for all children,鈥� said Gunnarsdottir, who presented an early draft of the bill to Iceland鈥檚 parliament, the Althing, on January 30.
Unless justified for health reasons, the proposed law says circumcision is 鈥渁 violation of the rights鈥� of young boys, citing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Article 24 of the treaty urges states to 鈥渢ake all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.鈥�
Gunnarsdottir鈥檚 bill would seek to amend current legislation on FGM, by replacing the word 鈥済irl鈥� with 鈥渃hild鈥�.
鈥楢ttack on religious freedom鈥�
The proposal is largely symbolic: the country of 348,580 people is home to very few Jews and Muslims.
Iceland鈥檚 two Muslim associations count fewer than 1,000 members, according to the national statistics institute, while there are only around 250 Jews in the country.
And there have only been around 20 circumcisions carried out on the sub-Arctic island since 2006, according to Icelandic health authorities.
As circumcision is not a common practice in Icelandic culture, and as parents wishing to have their sons circumcised are faced with reticent doctors, many parents are believed to take their sons abroad to have the procedure performed.
Still, religious leaders blasted the proposal as unacceptable.
鈥淭he proposed bill is a dangerous attack on freedom of religion鈥� and risks 鈥渟tigmatizing certain religious communities,鈥� Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the head of the Catholic church in the European Union.
鈥淭he criminalization of circumcision is a very grave measure that raises deep concern,鈥� he said.
Meanwhile Avi Mayer, a spokesman for the Jewish Agency, a quasi-governmental organization that works to bring Jewish immigrants to Israel, railed against the threat to 鈥渁 fundamental custom of the Jewish and Muslim faiths for millennia.鈥�
Circumcision 鈥渉as been encouraged and promoted by the United Nations as a way of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS,鈥� he said.
Gives Iceland a 鈥榖ad name鈥�
This is true for people considered to be 鈥渁t risk鈥澛犫�� such as communities exposed to sexually transmitted infections, especially in certain regions such as Africa.
But increasingly, the scientific community in the West is shifting away from advising systematic male circumcision, as the procedure can entail health risks for the child.
The Canadian Pediatric Society, for instance, does not recommend the practice as a routine procedure because the benefits do not outweigh the risks.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says the final decision should still be left to parents to make in the context of their beliefs.
The bill is 鈥渘ot against religion,鈥� insists Gunnarsdottir. 鈥淚t is put forward to protect children and their rights.鈥�
But Salmann Tamimi, the head of the Muslim Association of Iceland, maintains the bill was not properly thought through as the Muslim and Jewish communities were not consulted.
He said the proposal was 鈥渂ad for Iceland鈥檚 name.鈥�
Parliament began discussing the bill on February 8, and the debate will continue for several more months. A vote could be held before summer recess on June 7.
It is not yet known how much political support there is for a ban.
Representatives of four political parties have backed the proposal: the Progressive and Left Green parties聽鈥� two of the three coalition government parties聽鈥� as well as the People鈥檚 Party and the anti-establishment Pirate Party.
More than 500 Icelandic doctors have also signed a petition supporting the ban, saying circumcision may 鈥渆ntail risks that outweigh the advantages.鈥澛�CC
RELATED STORY:聽
Religious sect鈥檚 secret sexual abuse documents exposed