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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To hope that we can follow Iceland in banning male circumcision

999 replies

GladAllOver · 19/02/2018 16:10

It really is time that this nasty practice is stopped.
www.theguardian.com/society/2018/feb/18/iceland-ban-male-circumcision-first-european-country

OP posts:
MrsDoyleFallingOutTheWindow · 19/02/2018 22:18

This argument that babies don't feel pain has surely been medically discredited for some time? Iirc it used to be thought they didn't justifying nicu procedures without anaesthetic but studies have shown that they definitely do. Jesus, babies cry when they get their heel pricked. Of course they're going to feel it when someone cuts part of their cock off.

GColdtimer · 19/02/2018 22:19

@TotHappy why stop at earlobes chuck in a little finger or toe here any there why not. After all you don't really need them. Hmm

Kat did you watch the video?

BeauMirchoff · 19/02/2018 22:20

👏@beepthemeep
My stbx wanted to do it to our son. Because 'millions of Muslim men have had it done and they're fine.' Funny thing is that he isn't even that religious. Doesn't pray at all, smokes weed and treats me like shit. But put me through hell in the first weeks after DS was born because he wasn't fulfilling his duty as a Muslim man if he didn't circumcise DS. I did shitloads of research and finally discovered circumcision isn't even mentioned in the quran, is only practised by certain groups of Muslims and is not compulsory but 'highly recommended.' Only then, did he back off. Back then he also still cared about being with me and knew that I'd walk if he continued pushing this barbaric procedure on our son.
However, now that we're separating, I'm afraid he's going to do it behind my back...

PatriarchyPersonified · 19/02/2018 22:20

Tothappy

I don't want to derail this thread. However:

Necessity of causation - what caused God then?

Exodus from Egypt - this proves God how exactly?

Anecdotal experience - so no actual evidence then.

Ok. 🤨

By all means start a thread about this in the religion section, I'll see you over there.

BertrandRussell · 19/02/2018 22:22

"Ok - given that the vast majority are very safe no complications and are carried out by a qualified medical professional - still a bad parent Seriously?" Yes. Because it's about consent.

StepAwayFromGoogle · 19/02/2018 22:23

I really can't believe this is a debate. Is it ok to cut of a part of a baby's genitalia - surely one of the most sensitive parts of their tiny bodies - because the parent's beliefs dictate it? No it bloody isn't. It's painful and cruel and unnecessary. If the child grows up, adopts that religion and decides they want to have that procedure as an adult, crack on. Why would you willingly inflict pain on your child that was 100% unnecessary. It's barbaric.

SersioulycanitgetWORSE · 19/02/2018 22:23

Indeed patriarchy just blindly following what's always been done. It's what you do.

Like witch doctors cast children out of villages in parts of Africa
Leaving them to starve and fend for themselves.

I felt bad enough when my baby had that prick they do to new borns to test for something. Her little face when she had her first vaccination jabs... That shock..

It's all bit like a gung ho friend who was all for chicken pox parties... Yeah let's get the kids together... Get it out the way now. Her ds got the brain inflammation thing and secondary infection and almost died.

Thoughtless.. Terrible.... I think people do all sorts of things like to make themselves feel better about barbaric stuff especially when they have immense peer pressure around them and societal pressure to conform.

Then young girl who either had had fgm or whose parents were arrested because she warned it may happen said they didn't want her to have it done but then they got turned down for marriage and elders put pressure on them to get her done. Sad

GColdtimer · 19/02/2018 22:23

Absolutely @Headofthehive55. It's an issue of consent.

gluteustothemaximus · 19/02/2018 22:23

DH had it done for medical reasons as a child. He remembers it very clearly. Fucking painful were his words.

He feels very strongly that it’s a barbaric act, and babies will certainly feel the agony.

Religion or not - we should step in as a society when it comes to inflicting unnecessary pain on a baby/child unable to consent.

SuburbanRhonda · 19/02/2018 22:25

I am not sure how many would choose to have it done when they are older

And I wonder how many of them would choose to have any non-essential surgical procedure carried out on them without their consent?

beepthemeep · 19/02/2018 22:25

Beau that's awful. Really hope for you and your DS that it's not a justified fear Sad

SersioulycanitgetWORSE · 19/02/2018 22:26

The vast majority where??
Back street places are rife in the UK and complications from proper clinics occur too.

One babies life lost to this pointless crap is one baby too much.. It's no different to the right to bear arms.. One baby going into fight for his life after going through that?!!
Is one baby too much, jeez as if there aren't enough risks to any babies survival this is added to the mix

SersioulycanitgetWORSE · 19/02/2018 22:27

I just can't but help see a sexual side to a grown man suck a babies penis.

I m horrified. If I saw a bloody video of me being butchered like that...

TotHappy · 19/02/2018 22:28

I imagine that when you say evidence, what you actually mean is 'scientific evidence' and it seems you mean for God, rather than generally for religious beliefs. Since God is by definition non-physical there is no scientific evidence about I'm whether or not he exists. There couldn't be by definition. So if that's the only type of evidence you, bizarrely, accept then there's really nothing more to say.

SersioulycanitgetWORSE · 19/02/2018 22:29

Oh no beau...

beepthemeep · 19/02/2018 22:30

Tot - but you do accept that something you can't prove is a good enough reason to justify cutting babies? I find that very odd!

GreyGardens88 · 19/02/2018 22:30

I prefer cut guys (generally they're a lot less smelly down there) but yeah t hat's not reason enough for it to be done anyway

SersioulycanitgetWORSE · 19/02/2018 22:30

Some of doctors have written that the feeling of pain is so immense in the baby it can cause leaning issues later on.

BeauMirchoff · 19/02/2018 22:31

Fuck me, man. What kind of a person looks at a perfect newborn baby and wants to cause him any harm? I had to fight so hard for this not to happen to my son. I couldn't believe how stubborn and blind his father was.
I think that religion can sometimes stop people from being HUMAN.

SersioulycanitgetWORSE · 19/02/2018 22:31

I don't know how anyone can watch that video and defend it the camera didn't even show babies face but you could hear it the scream. It's a barbaric.

BoneyBackJefferson · 19/02/2018 22:32

For those that have said the circumcised men don't complain
www.mendocomplain.com/
www.yourwholebaby.org/men-speak-out/
www.bloodstainedmen.com/
www.circumstitions.com/Resent.html

samG76 · 19/02/2018 22:32

This is a perfect example of an MN debate - everyone agrees that those who disagree with them are evil abusers who should leave the country. Posters compete to say how appalling it is.

Meanwhile, in RL, Jews Muslims and others are still doing it, and there is zero chance of any party in the UK committing electoral suicide by forbidding it. I doubt if there are more than 10 circumcisions pa in Iceland in any event.

beepthemeep · 19/02/2018 22:32

Beau - I don't even know if it's always religion. Sure with some people - but others seem so bothered about what the wider community thinks. Like that's more important than the health and happiness of your kids!

NewYearNiki · 19/02/2018 22:32

I prefer cut guys (generally they're a lot less smelly down there) but yeah t hat's not reason enough for it to be done anyway

Have you smelt yourslef after a long day lately. Cut your labia off.

TotHappy · 19/02/2018 22:34

@beep - no, like others have said, I have no skin in the game here. It was the comment about religion being essentially irrational that needled me.

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