STOCKHOLM — A petition calling for a ban on male circumcision in Denmark will now go to parliament after organizers say Friday it attracted more than the 50,000 signatures required.
“We’re really happy, but now the real work begins. It’s an important but small step,” Lena Nyhus of the Intact Denmark group tells Danish news agency Ritzau.
The petition however faces little chance of success because it has not attracted support from any of the main political parties.
In Denmark, citizens can require parliament to debate an issue by gathering a minimum of 50,000 signatures.
The petition, which cites the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, calls for a six-year prison sentence for those carrying out circumcisions on boys under the age of 18, unless there is a medical reason.
“Society has a special obligation to protect the fundamental rights of the child until they’ve reached an age and maturity where they can take on this responsibility themselves,” the petition reads.
The Jewish community has protested against the petition, saying the ritual has been practiced in Denmark without any problems for more than 400 years.
— AFP
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 1, 2018
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
