German court rules religious circumcision on boys is assault

[pwaldo]

http://news.yahoo.com/german-court-o...nlwYWdl;_ylv=3

Circumcising young boys on religious grounds amounts to grievous bodily harm, a German court ruled Tuesday in a landmark decision that the Jewish community said trampled on parents' religious rights.

The regional court in Cologne, western Germany, ruled that the "fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity outweighed the fundamental rights of the parents", a judgement that is expected to set a legal precedent.

"The religious freedom of the parents and their right to educate their child would not be unacceptably compromised, if they were obliged to wait until the child could himself decide to be circumcised," the court added.

The case was brought against a doctor in Cologne who had circumcised a four-year-old Muslim boy on his parents' wishes.

A few days after the operation, his parents took him to hospital as he was bleeding heavily. Prosecutors then charged the doctor with grievous bodily harm.

The doctor was acquitted by a lower court that judged he had acted within the law as the parents had given their consent.

On appeal, the regional court also acquitted the doctor but for different reasons.

The regional court upheld the original charge of grievous bodily harm but also ruled that the doctor was innocent as there was too much confusion on the legal situation around circumcision.

The court came down firmly against parents' right to have the ritual performed on young children.

"The body of the child is irreparably and permanently changed by a circumcision," the court said. "This change contravenes the interests of the child to decide later on his religious beliefs."

The decision caused outrage in Germany's Jewish community.

The head of the Central Committee of Jews, Dieter Graumann, said the ruling was "an unprecedented and dramatic intervention in the right of religious communities to self-determination."

The judgement was an "outrageous and insensitive act. Circumcision of newborn boys is a fixed part of the Jewish religion and has been practiced worldwide for centuries," added Graumann.

"This religious right is respected in every country in the world."

[drtom2005]

This is really not cool at all. All I can say is wow.

[JustAlex]

Oh Germany....going after the Jews again....

[habsheaven]

I think the court is right. It is an assault. Just as female circumcisions are assaults.

[AUTaxMan]

That is disgusting. They have told Jews that they can no longer practice an aspect of their religion. Not cool at all.

[habsheaven]

So are you all saying you are OK with female circumcisions that are performed on adolescent girls leaving them maimed for life? They too are performed under the guise of a religious custom.

[shrewsbury]

habs, good point.

obviously this is quite different from jewish male cirumcision, so I am unsure how to compare the two

[JustAlex]

So are you all saying you are OK with female circumcisions that are performed on adolescent girls leaving them maimed for life? They too are performed under the guise of a religious custom.

Correct, but I think it's a little different for Jews.

#1 Jews aren't just about religion, it's a culture...

#2 Male circumcision isn't really that bad, is it?

I don't know since I'm NOT circumcised....


Having said all that, I'm definitely NOT saying the German courts are wrong, I just find it a little funny that Germany is telling Jews they can't do something.

It's a recipe for disaster!

[ensbergcollector]

habs - really trying to compare the two?

[magic_bobcat]

OH MY.

I can not believe that the responses in this thread. For starters, the Germans are not 'going after the Jews'. They have not said 'only Jewish people aren't allowed to get circumcised'. In fact it was because of a Muslim circumcision that this came about. Lets not just assume that Germans are still Nazis because thats a bit pathetic.

And while I understand Habs' logic, male and female circumcision are not the same. One, I believe, just takes away a bit of excessive skin while the other permanently denies someone of orgasms basically.

AUTaxMan. Ok so yes and no have they denied Jews of one of their practices. Can people still be circumcised? Yes. Can we do it to babies? No. Is it just Jews that have been banned? No.

But what about all these religious practices that are banned?
Rastafarians aren't allowed to smoke marijuana?
Mormon Polygamy?

OR what about national anthems that state that God exists (God bless America/save the Queen) as an atheist you have the choice sing against something you don't believe in or appear unpatriotic.