Tags: circumcision
Genital cutting and the laws of unintended consequences
Posted: Thu, 22 Nov 2018 by Dr Antony Lempert
This week's developments on ritual genital cutting in the US and Denmark highlight the need to adopt a consistent application of human rights principles for everybody, regardless of gender, argues Dr Antony Lempert.
International legal conventions and agreements... Read More »
How secularism protects people who have religious faith
Posted: Wed, 14 Nov 2018 by Megan Manson
For Interfaith Week 2018, campaigns officer Megan Manson explains how the National Secular Society's work protects those who are religious as well as those who are not.
One of the most common misconceptions about the National Secular Society is that we are... Read More »
Genital cutting: the search for ‘health benefits’ is disingenuous and inconsistent
Posted: Thu, 27 Sep 2018 by Brian D. Earp
The principle of bodily autonomy is enough reason to end genital cutting, says Brian D. Earp. Allowing 'health benefits' to dictate its acceptability risks legitimising inconsistent, pseudo-scientific justifications.
This article was originally published by... Read More »
Male circumcision is an issue of religious freedom - and should be prohibited as such
Posted: Tue, 06 Mar 2018 by Dr Marika McAdam
Proponents of ritual genital cutting often claim a 'right' to religious freedom justifies their position. But individuals have rights, says Dr Marika McAdam – and for boys, they include the right to autonomy over their own foreskins.
In amending laws... Read More »
Religious freedom isn't a licence to violate others’ rights
Posted: Thu, 01 Mar 2018 by Stephen Evans
Increasing clashes between religious orthodoxy and secular liberalism highlight one of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary societies; how to manage the incredible religious and cultural diversity that exist within them. This throws up important... Read More »
How cutting cultures deny dissenters their voice and identity
Posted: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 by Dr Antony Lempert
As Icelandic lawmakers consider whether to ban cutting infants' genitals for non-medical reasons, Dr Antony Lempert reflects on the ferocious backlash to the proposal in the UK.
This week non-therapeutic childhood male circumcision has hit the UK headlines... Read More »
Forced cutting of young boys’ genitals violates the most fundamental medical ethics
Posted: Mon, 24 Oct 2016 by Dr Antony Lempert
Too often those who carry out forced cutting of young boys' genitals escape with gentle admonishment, rather than punishment commensurate with the severity of their actions, writes Dr Antony Lempert of the Secular Medical Forum.
In 2013, Dr Hassan Abdulla,... Read More »
It’s OK to criticize religious practices
Posted: Wed, 06 Mar 2013 by Brian D. Earp
By Brian D. Earp
In 2012, a German court ruled that religious circumcision of male minors constitutes criminal bodily assault. Muslim and Jewish groups responded with outrage, with some commentators pegging the ruling to Islamophobic and anti-Semitic motivations.... Read More »
Male circumcision is an unwarranted breach of a child’s integrity – just like FGM
Posted: Tue, 31 Jul 2012 by Kenneth Houston
The Muslim-Jewish alliance of religious 'leaders' who condemned the recent German court ruling in Cologne on male circumcision stands as a testament to the need for secularism. The court had decided that the right of individuals to freely express their religious... Read More »
Ritual circumcision: religious rights of parents are at odds with the best interests of the child
Posted: Fri, 06 Jul 2012 by Dr Antony Lempert
By Dr Antony Lempert, Secular Medical Forum
On 26th June a district court in Cologne made a landmark ruling that parents do not have the right to circumcise their children without a medical reason.
The case centred on a 4 year old boy who was circumcised by... Read More »
