Circumcision: The Truth Behind It?
Circumcision Ritual
Asalam aleykum, my brothers and sisters.
It’s been awhile since I blogged. Truth is, I haven’t had much worth sharing, that would be mutually beneficial. So rather than turn my blog into my therapist, I decided to save y’all the drama.
Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Circumcision, what was its purpose?
We’ve been told that it was used to mark progression, for a boy, from childhood to manhood.
Well, till yesterday, that was my reality. Then it was brought to my attention, that the cutting of a boy/man’s foreskin, wasn’t actually to mark any progression, but as a hygienic measure, to control infections.
Shocking, huh? Yeah, I was also taken back by that comment.
Different African cultures have different methods of initiation. The cutting of the foreskin, is common amongst Bantus. Which apparently, is explained by their migratory patterns.
The Bantus migrated through some dry/semi-arid areas of Southern Africa. While on the other hand, the Nilotes, specifically the River-Lake Nilotes, migrated along rivers and lakes from Northern Africa.
At first, I was like, that’s a coincidence. Then I considered the Jews. They migrated through deserts in Arabia to Northern Africa. So to an extent, it does make sense. But I’ll do more research.
Militant out.
…. There is a movement of Jews who are questioning circumcision, and working to end this abuse of children. The movement ranges from the Orthodox to the secular, and includes mothers, fathers, scholars, historians, medical professionals, activists, and intellectuals.
Jewish Groups for Genital Integrity
* Jews Against Circumcision http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/
* Brit Shalom Celebrants by Mark D. Reiss, M.D. http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish-shalom.html
* Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective by Ron Goldman, Ph.D. http://www.jewishcircumcision.org
* The Current Judaic Movement to End Circumcision: Part 1
http://intactnews.org/node/105/1311886372/jewish-voices-current-judaic-movement-end-circumcision-part-1
The Kindest Un-Cut Feminism, Judaism, and My Son’s Foreskin by Professor Michael S. Kimmel
http://www.cirp.org/pages/cultural/kimmel1/
Jewish Intactivist Miriam Pollack has some great commentary on Foreskin Man in this recent interview.
http://www.beyondthebris.com/2011/07/defying-convention-interview-with_27.html
Jews Speak Out in Favor of Banning Circumcision on Minors
http://intactnews.org/node/103/1311885181/jews-speak-out-favor-banning-circumcision-minors ……….
August 5, 2011 at 11:40 am
One Rabbis’ Thoughts on Circumcision by Rabbi Nathan Segal
http://www.rabbinathan.com/writings/circum.shtml
One Brit B’lee Milah (Covenant Without Cutting) Ceremony
http://www.nocirc.org/religion/Naming_ceremony.php
Bris Shalom Ceremony by Norm Cohen
http://www.nocircofmi.org/BrisShalom.pdf
Ending Circumcision in the Jewish Community? by Moshe Rothenberg (New York, USA)
http://www.nocirc.org/symposia/second/rothenberg.html
The Kindest Un-Cut Feminism, Judaism, and My Son’s Foreskin by Professor Michael S. Kimmel
http://www.cirp.org/pages/cultural/kimmel1/
August 5, 2011 at 2:22 pm
… Many sites explain the problems of circumcision, and why it should be bypassed.
The History of Circumcision
http://www.historyofcircumcision.net/
Intact America
http://www.intactamerica.org/learnmore
Doctors Opposing Circumcision
http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/DOC/publications.html
NOCIRC
http://www.nocirc.org/about.php
Students for Genital Integrity
http://www.studentsforgenitalintegrity.org/ ………….
August 5, 2011 at 8:30 pm