A controversial proposal to make male circumcision a crime, punishable by up to 6 years in prison, will not go to a vote in parliament. The standing committee on Judicial matters and Education has voted to dismiss the bill and refer it to the cabinet. The bill has come under intense criticism from religious leaders, both in Iceland and internationally.
Controversial bill
The first sponsor and author of the bill, Silja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir, a member of parliament for the centrist Progress Party, has argued that the ban is necessary to protect the rights of children. The bill was introduced in parliament t the end of January. Since then Parliament has received 133 public comments on the ban. Individual members of parliament have also been bombarded with messages and letters from both supporters and opponents of the bill.
Among the international organizations who have condemned the bill is the Anti Defamation League.
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On March 1 parliament sent the bill to the committee on Judicial affairs for comment, where it has been stuck since. The committee has now decided not to let the bill go forward for a vote on the floor.
Children's rights
The first Sila Dögg heard of the fate of her bill was when a journalist for the local newspaper Fréttablaðið contacted her for comment. She used the opportunity to stress the importance of protecting children by banning all circumcision of boys, even when connected with religious practices.
If the committee decides to refer the matter to the cabinet, I assume that it will receive a full and thorough discussion and study. If that happens the bill has served its purpose. The purpose of the bill is to protect children's rights. But the debate in parliament and wider society which the bill has sparked has raised numerous issues which warrant further consideration.
As the legislative session is drawing to a close it is all but guaranteed that the decision to refer the bill to the cabinet kills its chances of becoming law. Whether the bill will then be re-introduced is still an open question.
Criminalizing religious practices
The bill has divided public opinion inside and outside Iceland. It enjoys widespread support within the medical community. Six hundred Icelandic nurses signed a petition in support of the bill. Four hundred doctors signed a similar petition condemning unnecessary medical procedures like circumcision on children who could not give informed consent.
Icelandic religious leaders, including the Bishop of the National Church of Iceland, have condemned the bill, arguing it criminalizes religious practices.
A controversial proposal to make male circumcision a crime, punishable by up to 6 years in prison, will not go to a vote in parliament. The standing committee on Judicial matters and Education has voted to dismiss the bill and refer it to the cabinet. The bill has come under intense criticism from religious leaders, both in Iceland and internationally.
Controversial bill
The first sponsor and author of the bill, Silja Dögg Gunnarsdóttir, a member of parliament for the centrist Progress Party, has argued that the ban is necessary to protect the rights of children. The bill was introduced in parliament t the end of January. Since then Parliament has received 133 public comments on the ban. Individual members of parliament have also been bombarded with messages and letters from both supporters and opponents of the bill.
Among the international organizations who have condemned the bill is the Anti Defamation League.
Read more: Boycott of Israeli goods by Reykjavík City stirs up a controversy: A “Volcano of Hate”
Read more: Breaking: Reykjavík backs down on Israeli boycott
On March 1 parliament sent the bill to the committee on Judicial affairs for comment, where it has been stuck since. The committee has now decided not to let the bill go forward for a vote on the floor.
Children's rights
The first Sila Dögg heard of the fate of her bill was when a journalist for the local newspaper Fréttablaðið contacted her for comment. She used the opportunity to stress the importance of protecting children by banning all circumcision of boys, even when connected with religious practices.
If the committee decides to refer the matter to the cabinet, I assume that it will receive a full and thorough discussion and study. If that happens the bill has served its purpose. The purpose of the bill is to protect children's rights. But the debate in parliament and wider society which the bill has sparked has raised numerous issues which warrant further consideration.
As the legislative session is drawing to a close it is all but guaranteed that the decision to refer the bill to the cabinet kills its chances of becoming law. Whether the bill will then be re-introduced is still an open question.
Criminalizing religious practices
The bill has divided public opinion inside and outside Iceland. It enjoys widespread support within the medical community. Six hundred Icelandic nurses signed a petition in support of the bill. Four hundred doctors signed a similar petition condemning unnecessary medical procedures like circumcision on children who could not give informed consent.
Icelandic religious leaders, including the Bishop of the National Church of Iceland, have condemned the bill, arguing it criminalizes religious practices.
