Children first now (CFN): Why are boys circumcised? Are there any scientific arguments for it or is it only on religious grounds? In Judaism and Islam it is considered to be a necessity and an obligation.

Karim Shamohammadi (KS): They try to justify the circumcision by claiming that it has medical benefits, which is not true.

These are their most common claims:

1-The boys who are circumcised get less risk of urinary tract infection.

2 – Circumcision reduces the risk of cancer in man but the cancer is not so usual in the penis.

3- Circumcision reduces the risk of infection by the HIV virus.

4- Having a circumcision it will prevent ”phimosis”, a narrowing inflammation, as the men who are not circumcised can get.

These comments come from the doctor who accepts circumcision. Elsewhere, there are doctors who explains that there is no risk-free surgery and that all surgeries can create complications.

To cut off a healthy part of the body exposes the boy to unnecessary dangers. Circumcision without medical reasons and without the individual’s consent is abusive:

1- As mentioned above, the circumcision is a surgery and every surgery carries risks. When you cut a healthy part of the boy’s body, it can damage the nerves and blood vessels. With the operation exposes the child for bleeding and risk for infection. A local or general anesthesia has its drawbacks, and one must reckon the psychological effect it has on the boy.

2- The jellies that are under the skin on the penis protects the sensitivity. Those who are circumcised it is the sensitivity that is damaged and changed and can be psychological problem for the boy.

3- The Circumcision of children, prevent the natural growth and it can result that he will be an inch shorter.

4- Circumcision without medical reasons and the individual’s consent is disrespectful and is a violation of his personal integrity.

I split the doctors ‘ comments in the three categories in order to clarify what I mean.

The first category that seems out of a religious tradition is one-sided and biased. It denies the boy’s right over their bodies and their right to privacy. Therefore it is not that circumcision of boys should be banned. Circumcision of boys is a basic religious faith, but it also creates business.

The second category is the doctor that does it in the name of religion, but refers to that circumcision should be done for hygienic reasons. Their starting point is that the circumcision takes place in the USA due to hygienic reasons. Although their starting point is hygiene, and not religious, there is still one-sided. They ignore also the boys ‘ privacy.

The third category is the doctor who is impartial and scientific, and they believe that circumcision has no scientific basis and these doctors start from the boy’s best. They operate, for medical reasons, and often they may correct poorly circumcised boys who have been exposed to non-professionals.

These physicians do not expose the boy to the risks that it means to cut away the healthy part of the body, with the thought that the boy may have health problems in the future.

For these reasons, I believe that the circumcision of boys is wrong. As an adult you get to decide for yourself.

We are fighting the circumcision of boys put the child in the center. We believe that circumcision of boys is violence and a violation of his privacy.

Well, it is necessary that we look at the arguments that doctors who accept circumcision.

They say that children who are circumcised have a lower risk of urinary tract infections. Ok, but it is just out of hygiene aspect. Then you have to learn to take care of their hygiene. If you are not brushing your teeth they will probably become infected. If one does not dry out when going to the toilet, it will smell and become infected. If you do not care about the body there will be medical and hygienic problems. It is quite obvious. Becoming more hygienic, it becomes much easier.

For example, anyone can get an infection in the appendix. But people do not operate it in preventive purpose in case that you can get appendix infection. Something you do first when you need to. The circumcision exposes the boy for infection and bleeding which can be transferred to the urinary tract. This is not a sustainable argument in today’s developed world.

They say that circumcision reduces the risk of penile cancer, which is not so common. First, if the penile cancer is unusual, why operate to reduce it?

70% of men in the world are not circumcised and they take care of their hygiene, and the problem does not exist among them..

Or they say that with circumcision reduces the infectious HIV virus. I think it is a strange proposition. Children who do not have any sexual intercourse, how can they infect others? And when they become adults, they’ll learn to take into account sex and relationships as any other. If an adult wants to be circumcised for whatever reason, it is up to him.

They say that the circumcision of boys to prevent ”phimosis”. There is no medical reason. Occurs phimosis on any individual boy, you can see a doctor and get treatment. But those who get phimosis are a very small number.

CFN: You’ve written another article in the journal Children First where you have criticized circumcision of children. You mean that such interventions are harmful and also do you think it is to exercise violence against children and violating their privacy?

KS: Absolutely!!! Circumcision hurts children! A boy is born with a natural and healthy body, while hurting the boy with the traditional and religious practices. Through circumcision it is carried out an assault on the boy and this in the name of religion. You deprive the boy of their human rights.

CFN: It is true a child has the right to decide over their body, but the parents then? Do not they have the right in this case to decide over their own children?

KS: Absolutely not! Parents do not have the right to allow any cut in their own children without medical reason. A child has the right over its own body and it is the adults who should protect that right until they become adults and can decide for themselves. As little as parents have the right to beat their children, you have the right to change their conditions of life in the future by cutting away a healthy part of the body, on the basis of an old tradition. Circumcision of boys should be banned in law.

CFN: The Movement against circumcision in Germany is growing each day. Until a court has decided that circumcision should be banned, can you tell us more about this?

KS: Yes, it is true, during 2012 in the city of Cologne in Germany has a lawsuit passed through where a family complained that after he was circumcised he gained a lot of bleeding. The boy hovered between life and death for three days and the parents have notified the physician and the court decided to prohibit similar operation.

Islamic and Jewish organizations pressured the German government, and it has finally backed in the question. In a flash, the government abolished the court ruling that it is illegal to circumcise boys. This led to a resistance in the whole of Germany and this movement is growing and is now international. In the same year, 2012, children activists gathered in front of the German Parliament in Berlin and protested. Mina Ahadi from the central Council for Ex-Muslims and I, Karim Shamohammadi from the national association of Children First now, gave speeches in this manifestation, and we defended the court ruling against circumcision. Although the struggles for children’s rights have failed to stop the Parliament decision, the movement against circumcision has grown. We hope that the circumcision of boys shall be prohibited by law, step by step, and in country after country.

On May 7th, 2015 in a protest meeting, some people from different parts of the world were speaking. Mina Ahadi from the central Council for Ex-Muslims was one of the speakers who participated in this manifestation.

The year 2016 Viola Schaefer from a non-profit association in Germany contacted me and they want my memory of the circumcision with a photo and I sent it to them. They have started a campaign called ”the Man’s complaint over the circumcision” and its founder come from the United States and Germany. The campaign is collecting men’s memories of the circumcision, and these stories are to be publish in the media

Their link is:

www.beschneidungsforum.de/index.php/Thread/6059-Betroffene-klagen-an/?postID=47762#post47762

CFN: Why is the association Children First now active in this movement against circumcision?

KS: I can say that the association Children First now is not only active against circumcision, but we defend actively the rights of children in all possible areas. I must say that we have not recognized some of the geographical, political, national, ethnic, cultural and religious barriers and boundaries to our defense of children’s rights. We inform about children’s rights and against traditional and religious practices. We believe that every individual has the right to decide over their body as an adult. We believe that it is the adults ‘ duty to safeguard and protect the children’s right over their body and integrity. I can, in this context, say that we have had some happy events.

It has been found, fortunately, some parents who belong to this movement and who fight for children’s rights, and they have gone against the old customs and they have not let circumcise their boys. Their boys asked their parents when they were 13 or 14 years old, why they were not circumcised?

Parents answered that it is ”Your body and your decision. When you are 18 years you can decide for yourself if you want to be circumcised or not.” The children hugged their parents and were deeply grateful. I think that this is a happy experience. I appeal to all parents not to circumcise their boys!

Let them decide for themselves when they are adults! I am convinced that everyone will find peace and dignity in the order. If it is necessary to undergo surgery for medical reasons, the doctor who follows science will know this.

I have one more desire and that is that parents teach boys to take care of their hygiene of genitals in the same way as the rest of the body and then it will not be a breeding ground for infections and complications.