DENMARK: Medical students oppose circumcising

One more small step for males....

Foreningen af Danske Lægestuderende
24. Juni 2014

Udmelding om rituel omskæring af drengebørn

Ved rituel drengeomskæring fjernes sundt og funktionelt væv fra et umyndigt, raskt barn, og spørgsmålet om rituel drengeomskæring er derfor i sit udgangspunkt ikke et sundhedsspørgsmål. Spørgsmålet om, hvorvidt rituel drengeomskæring skal være lovligt eller ej, bliver i stedet et etisk spørgsmål og et spørgsmål om rettigheder. Derfor må læger og lægestuderende på lige fod med alle andre mennesker i samfundet tage stilling til, om det enkelte menneskes frihed til at være herre over egen krop skal vægtes højere end religiøse og kulturelle traditioner eller ej.

FADL mener, at det enkelte individ har ret til selv at tage beslutning om rituel omskæring, og at retten til en intakt krop bør være uafhængig af individets køn. Da piger allerede er sikret lovmæssig beskyttelse mod rituel omskæring i Danmark, bør drenge også sikres samme rettigheder.

FADL ønsker med denne resolution at udtrykke respekt for børns - både pigers og drenges - konventionssikrede ret til beskyttelse af deres kropslige integritet. Og vil appellere til, at læger og andre sundhedsprofessionelle tager aktivt stilling til, om man vil respektere børns og dermed også drenges konventionssikrede ret til en intakt krop ved at benytte sig af deres ret til at sige nej til at udføre rituel omskæring af drengebørn.

FADL vil gerne understrege, at vores holdning til rituel drengeomskæring hverken bunder i antisemitisme eller islamofobi. Mænd, der har nået myndighedsalderen, kan selv vælge at blive omskåret af religiøse eller kulturelle grunde, såfremt de måtte ønske dette.

FADLs holdning handler ikke om omskæring eller ej. Vores holdning er, at hvert enkelt individ selv skal have valget.

- Kasper Gasbjerg, Formand for Foreningen af Danske Lægestuderende


Association of Danish Medical Students
(Bing translation, edited) June 24, 2014

Announcement about the ritual circumcision of baby boys

Ritual boys' circumcision removes healthy and functional tissue from a umyndigt, healthy child, and the question of ritual boys circumcision is therefore in its starting point not a health issue. The question of whether ritual boys circumcision should be legal or not, will be instead an ethical issue and a question of rights. Therefore, doctors and medical students on an equal footing with all other people in the community take a stand on whether the individual freedom to be master of own body are weighted higher than religious and cultural traditions or not.

FADL believes that individuals have the right to take the decision about the ritual circumcision, and that the right to an intact body should be independent of the individual's gender. As girls already are guaranteed legal protection against ritual circumcision in Denmark, boys should be ensured the same rights.

FADL would with this resolution to express respect for children 's - both girls and boys - Convention secured the right to the protection of their physical integrity. And will appeal to physicians and other healthcare professionals actively take a stand on whether we wish to respect children's and thus also secured the right to an intact boys Convention body by taking advantage of their right to say ' no ' to perform the ritual circumcision of baby boys.

FADL would like to stress that our approach to ritual boys circumcision is rooted in neither anti-Semitism nor Islamophobia. Men who have reached the age of majority, may even choose to be circumcised for religious or cultural reasons, if they wish to do this.

FADL's position is not about circumcision or not. Our position is that each individual should have the choice.

- Kasper Gasbjerg, President of the Danish Association of medical students