Religious freedom and the German circumcision debate

In May 2012, a German court in Cologne ruled that circumcising young boys represents grievous bodily harm. This decision, which touched upon the questions of freedom of religious practice, identity and children’s rights, was condemned by Jewish and Muslim representatives in Germany, but it was also...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:EUI working paper / RSC
Main Author: Heimbach-Steins, Marianne 1959- (Author)
Format: Electronic Book
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: San Domenico European University Institute, Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Religiowest 2013
In: EUI working paper / RSC (2013,18)
Series/Journal:RSCAS working papers 2013,18
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Germany / Religious freedom / Circumcision (Man)
Further subjects:B Islam
B Human Rights
B Judaism
B Religious Freedom
B Circumcision
B Germany
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:In May 2012, a German court in Cologne ruled that circumcising young boys represents grievous bodily harm. This decision, which touched upon the questions of freedom of religious practice, identity and children’s rights, was condemned by Jewish and Muslim representatives in Germany, but it was also widely and controversially debated by civil society and politicians. The German Parliament recently passed legislation protecting circumcision as a religious practice, but the debate is likely to continue. In this paper, Marianne Heimbach-Steins, director of the department of Christian Social Ethics at the University of Münster (Germany), discuss this case and its implications for the definition of religious freedom.
Item Description:Bibliography: Seite 15-16
Persistent identifiers:HDL: 1814/26335