Article

2012-08-30 Europe

Berlin prosecutor nixes circumcision complaint

Prosecutors in Germany's capital city dismissed a criminal complaint lodged against popular local Rabbi Yitshak Ehrenberg over "causing bodily harm" by performing ritual circumcision, according to a document obtained by The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

A complaint was filed against the Jerusalem-born Rabbi on July 12, and dismissed as unfounded in an August 15 letter. The prosecutions dismissal document concluded that there is no proof to establish that the Rabbis conduct met the "condition of a criminal violation. In response to Ehrenbergs appearance on the German talk show "Anne Will, the Rabbi announced that we will continue" with circumcisions because it is a core feature of Judaism.

The Post learned on Wednesday that the city of Berlin, which is one of sixteen Federal German States, is considering not implementing the June Cologne court decision outlawing Jewish and Muslim circumcisions.The Berlin prosecutor offices document suggests that the Berlin government rejects the Cologne decision. According to the prosecutors letter even if a non-medical circumcision were to take place it would not meet the elements of severe bodily harm.

A German doctor filed a criminal charge earlier in August against Rabbi David Goldberg for performing circumcision. Dr. Sebastian Guevara Kamm from Giessen in the German state of Hesse, lodged the complaint on the basis a June ruling in Cologne, the North Rhine- Westphalia state, that "non-medical circumcision is a serious and irreversible interference in the integrity of the human body.

The local prosecutors office is still investigating the complaint against Goldberg. The mohel, or person trained in the practice of Jewish circumcision, sees the complaint as part of an anti-Semitic campaign spreading throughout the Federal Republic.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2012-08-30 13:26|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ] Top

#1 The Nazis didn't even stoop that low.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2012-08-30 14:15|| 2012-08-30 14:15|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm surprised that Muslims haven't spoken up. IIRC, Muslims also circumcise their young boys, although the requirement isn't as strong as in Judaism. I can't wait until someone files a criminal complaint against an Imam.

According to Wikipedia, Mohamed was born without a foreskin, so his followers had themselves circumcised to imitate him.

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2012-08-30 17:49|| 2012-08-30 17:49|| Front Page Top

#3 Mohamed was born without a foreskin

Mohamed was a Jew?

Posted by SteveS 2012-08-30 19:34|| 2012-08-30 19:34|| Front Page Top

#4 I was discussing this with Mr. Wife this morning, and it is his considered opinion that this is not actually antisemitic -- although it may be anti-Muslim -- but rather that Germans, and Europeans in general, see male circumcision as being as barbaric as female circumcision. And indeed, the original Cologne case involved a Muslim child, not a Jewish infant. A rather responsible Muslim family, in fact, who sought modern medical treatment at a German hospital when complications developed, and were punished for it.

Posted by trailing wife 2012-08-30 19:44|| 2012-08-30 19:44|| Front Page Top

#5 Male circumcision is sometimes medically indicated. News doesn't say whether or not Germany has banned that as a medical procedure also. Whether done for medical or religious reasons, procedure can have complications.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2012-08-30 22:12|| 2012-08-30 22:12|| Front Page Top

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