Denmark – Danish Jews Fear Xenophobia is the Real Motive Behind Potential Circumcision Ban

Denmark – Circumcision has come under attack again in Denmark, and Jews fear it is indicative of the religious intolerance making its way through Scandinavia.

JTA reports (http://bit.ly/SJPLte) that an article featured in the Danish press depicts the rite of circumcision as follows: “Around the baby stand ten black-clad men – a must in every Jewish circumcision. As usual in Judaism, women aren’t allowed to be present. An untrained rabbi mutilates the baby, who cries and bleeds profusely as the men pray.”

Finn Schwarz, president of the Jewish Congregation of Copenhagen, explained that Kjeld Koplev, a Danish journalist who converted from Judaism to Christianity, gave the media this description of circumcision. Koplev told this fabrication to the press following a court ruling in Cologne, Germany which found that circumcision of a minor for non-medical reasons is considered a crime.

“When a former Jew says this, people listen,” Schwarz said.

The Danish Jewish community, consisting of about 8,500 people, has tried to refute Koplev’s claims in a 20-page defense of circumcision, including the medical aspects, the rationale behind it and its crucial role in Jewish life. In 2003, circumcision was classified as a children’s rights violation by the Denmark Children’s Ombudsman, a government entity.

Schwarz said he is worried that Denmark will decide to ban circumcision and set a precedent. So far, a number of politicians in Denmark, Norway and Finland have all indicated that they favor a ban on circumcision. Denmark’s chief rabbi, Bent Lexner, told JTA that if circumcision is banned, Danish Jews will “pack up [their] suitcases right away and end 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark.”

Schwarz added, “It deeply saddens me. For centuries we’ve been a very important factor and have done a lot for this society. Yet now we hear our customs are barbaric and that we need to evolve.”