REYKJAVIK/LONDON/NEW YORK—The government of Iceland has reportedly made a recommendation to the parliament that male circumcision should remain legal in the country and its regulation to be consistent with the practice in other Nordic countries The government’s letter suggests Iceland follow the example of other Nordic countries which require the involvement of a medical professional and parental consent.
The government’s recommendation was included in a letter from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the parliament.
The move followed the introduction of a bill by four political parties in the parliament to criminalise non-medical circumcisions, which if passed would make Iceland the first European country to ban circumcision. Such a ban is seen as an attack against Jewish religious freedom and practice.
Senior figures from Britain’s religious communities have met Icelandic MPs and officials in Reykjavik to lobby the island’s government to oppose the proposed ban.
Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said after last week’s meeting in the Icelandic capital that he was “cautiously” hopeful that the country would not press ahead with the ban, but might simply insist on tighter regulations around the practice.
“In Scandinavia they have often taken a very simplistic view that cutting off a bit of flesh from a child has got to be wrong. They are very strongly secular. They have not heard the arguments supporting brit milah,’’ Arksh told The Jewish Chronicle.
“I also met two of the closest advisers to the Icelandic Prime Minister. It was clear to me that irrespective of their view on brit milah, they are deeply conscious of the affect this has already had on Iceland’s image abroad,’’ he added.
“I cannot say for sure the government will express a view on this either way — but if the government is at all concerned about its image elsewhere in the world — then tentatively I am optimistic an outright ban will be avoided in favour of some kind of regulation.”
An estimated 250 Jews live in Iceland.
Major Jewish organizations in the US have applauded the initiative of two US lawmakers who sent a letter to the government of Iceland urging it to reconsider the proposed ban.
US Rep. Ed Royce (Republican from California), chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Rep. Eliot Engel (Democrat from New York), the committee’s ranking member, said in their statement that outlawing the practice would curtail religious freedoms and alienate Iceland’s minorities.
“While Jewish and Muslim populations in Iceland may be small, your country’s ban could be exploited by those who stoke xenophobia and antisemitism in countries with more diverse populations,” they wrote.
The congressmen added: “As a partner nation, we urge your government to stop this intolerant bill from advancing any further.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) stressed that “outlawing male circumcision is tantamount to outlawing Jewish communities.’’
“We believe this proposed ban outlawing circumcision would set a dangerous precedent and could spread to other countries across Europe. Circumcision is a fundamental Jewish ritual that has been practiced for centuries.”