Ireland arrests a rabbi for performing a circumcision

In Dublin, a police raid on a private residence interrupted a circumcision ceremony, as a rabbi was about to circumcise a second child. The rabbi in question, Yonathan Abraham, a certified mohel in England, trained to perform circumcisions with 13 years of experience across Europe, was accused of “practicing medicine” “without being a licensed medical practitioner” in Ireland. He is therefore facing a fine of 130,000 euros and five years in prison under Article 37 of the Medical Practitioners Act of 2007.

While circumcision is practiced in some countries like the United States and Canada for medical and hygiene reasons, including disease prevention, it is primarily a religious ritual rather than a simple medical procedure, initially established by Judaism and later adopted by Islam. In Judaism, circumcision, or Brit Milah, is a sign of the covenant between God and his people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2007, 661 million men over 15 years old were circumcised, approximately 30% of the world's male population, two-thirds of whom were Muslims.

If Rabbi Abraham had performed the same act in England, it would have been completely legal. But in Ireland, the Dublin District Court went as far as to refuse him bail, citing the seriousness of the offense and the risk of flight. He is currently in custody, awaiting his trial scheduled for Tuesday, August 6.

Circumcision as a millennia-old religious ritual

Circumcision is not a crime, but a divine command in Judaism for over 3000 years. It transcends purely rational considerations as it is an essential mark of belonging to fully become part of the Jewish people, as explained by the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ) in a June 2018 note. Preventing it constitutes a serious violation of religious freedom, as stated by the UN Special Rapporteurs on freedom of religion or belief and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

However, in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland, Brit Milah is subject to careful scrutiny by Parliament, courts, medical associations, or political parties, amidst ethical and physical integrity issues, even equating circumcision with female genital mutilation. In reality, circumcision and ritual kosher or halal slaughter face a similar campaign led by an unlikely political coalition between anti-Semitic and Islamophobic xenophobes, and secular progressives invoking the welfare of animals and children.

The prohibition of circumcision undermines religious freedom

Within the European Union, the Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism and promoting Jewish life, Katharina von Schnurbein, has gone beyond simply fighting hatred and discrimination against Jews to defending Jewish customs against increasing surveillance and restrictions, including from EU member state governments and EU institutions themselves.

While it is normal to have legal conditions for regulating circumcision, the Jewish community is best positioned to adjust this framework, for example by allowing qualified religious representatives, though non-medical professionals, to perform circumcisions. In compliance with international law, the ECLJ has thus urged the Irish Minister of Justice, the UN Special Rapporteur on religious freedom, and the EU Coordinator for Fighting Antisemitism and promoting Jewish life to do everything in their power to secure the release of Rabbi Abraham and drop the charges against him.