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Denmark rejects ban on circumcision of minors

The Danish parliament will not institute a minimum age of 18 for non-medical male circumcisions. 

By: World Israel News Staff

Denmark will not ban circumcision, after a public campaign to push the prohibition failed.

Danish Health Minister Ellen Trane Norby stated Sunday that the Danish government would work to combat a bill proposing to ban circumcision in the country.

The European Jewish Association, which received Norby’s notification on the issue, stated that it “is happy that common sense won and the Danish parliament stepped back from what could have been discriminatory legislation affecting the Jewish community in Denmark, thank you Minister of Health.”

“The Danish government is in close contact with the Danish Jewish community regarding this issue, and will remain that way. You can be sure that the Jewish community’s perspective is known to the government,” Norby wrote.

Lawmakers in Denmark earlier this year debated a measure to ban circumcision for children under 18 after anti-circumcision advocacy group Intact Denmark attracted more than 50,000 signatures on a petition.

The petition, citing United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, called for a six-year prison sentence for those carrying out circumcisions on boys under the age of 18 unless there is a medical reason.

While 83 percent of Danes support age limit, the petition faced an uphill battle in parliament as no major Danish party expressed support for the measure.

The Jewish community in Denmark objected to the petition, saying that it has practiced circumcision without issues in the country for more than 400 years.

Earlier this year, Iceland considered a ban on circumcision. However, that bill stalled amid opposition from lawmakers and international outcry.

JNS contributed to this report.