Jewish community in Norway: we may have to leave

Will circumcision be prohibited in Norway too? Norway's health minister promotes a legislation relating to circumcision, according to the report of the Jewish news agency, JTA.

Norwegian Minister Bennett Howey said that the state will promote a new legislation which would ban circumcision not in a clinical setting for children under the age of 18, which will come into effect until April 20, 2014.

In an interview with the local press, the minister said that "it is a lack of understanding of minorities or religious tradition, but because the process is unchangeable, painful and dangerous."

According to the planned legislation, circumcision would have to take place in a clinical setting.

A number of political organizations also sought to limit the age of the child to be circumcised to 18, but now local Jewish organizations are working against the plan, so far successfully.

However, the president of the Jewish Community of Oslo, Erwin Kohn, is worried: "This is an existential issue for the Jewish community," he told JTA, noting that if the circumcision would be cancelled, the Jewish community which numbers 700 persons, will not be able to continue to live there.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!