Jewish manifesto demands defence of infant circumcision

A "Jewish manifesto" has said political parties should "defend the right of Jews" to practise infant circumcision despite serious human rights concerns.

The manifesto, from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, says the religious practice of cutting the foreskin off the penises of newborn male babies "must be safeguarded".

But infant circumcision has been increasingly criticised as a painful, dangerous and medically unnecessary procedure that is incompatible with children's rights.

The manifesto also calls for defence for non-stun religious slaughter and support for faith schools and discriminatory admissions.

NSS: Circumcision incompatible with children's rights

The Jewish manifesto says male circumcision "should not be conflated" with female genital cutting (FGM), which it describes as an "assault" that often causes "serious long-term damage".

But an increasing body of evidence suggests male circumcision also risks long-term damage and even death.

Between 2012 and 2022, the General Medical Council (GMC) dealt with 39 complaints relating to 30 doctors regarding circumcisions. The complaints include incidents in which children's penises were left deformed and babies required blood transfusions.

In 2011, nearly a dozen infant boys were treated for life-threatening haemorrhage, shock or sepsis as a result of circumcision at a single children's hospital in Birmingham. At least three babies bled to death from circumcision in the UK since 2009: Celian Noumbiwe, Angelo Ofori-Mintah, and Goodluck Caubergs. In 2007, a newborn baby went into cardiac arrest minutes after he was circumcised in a London synagogue, and subsequently died.

In 2015 the High Court ruled that non-therapeutic male circumcision constitutes "significant harm" under the Children Act 1989. The High Court further concluded male circumcision is "more invasive" than Type 4 FGM. But while all forms of FGM are prohibited in the UK, no laws or regulations protect boys from non-consensual, non-therapeutic circumcision.

The Jewish manifesto says not permitting Jewish parents have their sons circumcised is considered "an infringement of their religious freedom".

But the NSS argues that cutting a boy's penis without his consent violates his right to bodily autonomy, in addition to his freedom of religion or belief.

The NHS website lists "permanent reduction in sensation in the head of the penis, particularly during sex" as a complication of circumcision.

In a 2018 YouGov survey, 62% of people in the UK said they would support prohibiting circumcision of children for non-medical reasons.

Manifesto demands non-stun slaughter protections despite animal welfare concerns

The Jewish manifesto calls on political parties to defend the religious exemption from animal welfare laws which allows animals to be slaughtered without stunning them first for kosher or halal meat.

The government's advisory body, the Farm Animal Welfare Council, has said animals slaughtered without pre-stunning are likely to experience "very significant pain and distress" before they become unconscious. RSPCA, Compassion in World Farming and the British Veterinary Association all support an end to non-stun slaughter to improve animal welfare at the time of death.

The manifesto accuses "some groups" of campaigning to introduce "pejorative labelling on Kosher and Halal meat".

The NSS calls for meat from animals killed without pre-stunning to be clearly labelled as such, as long as the religious exemption to slaughter laws remains, so consumers can make an informed choice.

The manifesto says the Jewish community "has long labelled its food products to inform consumers that food is Kosher".

But official figures suggest over half of all cattle religiously slaughtered for kosher meat may end up on the general market unlabelled. Additionally, the hindquarters of cattle, sheep and goats slaughtered by kosher methods are not considered kosher and are routinely sold on the non-Jewish market.

Faith schools should set their own criteria without 'quotas or other interventions', manifesto says

The manifesto praises Jewish faith schools and says parties should support "the right of schools to continue to set their own admissions' criteria" and opposes quotas "or other interventions".

Most state funded faith schools are permitted to prioritise children whose families share the religion of the school in their admissions. Faith schools operating as free schools may select a maximum of 50% of pupils based on religion, but the Conservative Government recently proposed to abolish this limit.

Faith schools are more socially selective, create barriers for looked-after and previously looked-after children, and admit fewer pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

NSS research has revealed many Charedi ('strictly orthodox') Jewish schools operate extreme admissions policies which place high control over families' private lives.

The manifesto also says schools should be "given the flexibility to teach relationships and sex education according to their own religious ethos". Many independent Jewish schools have failed Ofsted inspections because they refuse to teach about same-sex relationships, or important concepts such as consent. The manifesto says Ofsted inspectors should be trained to "have sensitivity to the 'designated character' of each Jewish faith school".

Other religious institutions have released manifestos ahead of the General Election on July 4^th. The NSS has expressed concerns about free speech concerns in the "Hindu Manifesto". The Sikh Network's "Sikh Manifesto" calls for a "code of practice" on the right of Sikhs to wear religious items such as swords and recognition of "anti-Sikh hate" in a "similar fashion to Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia".

Both Hindu and Sikh manifestos call for greater support of state-funded faith schools.

NSS: Next government should ensure "a level playing field for citizens of all religions and beliefs"

A spokesperson for the NSS said: "This document demands a great deal of religious privilege – including the right to continue painfully cutting boys' genitals without their consent, and the right to slaughter animals in a manner condemned by the UK's top animal welfare experts.

"Rather than encouraging religious groups to compete for more and more privileges to the detriment of human rights and equality, the next government should seek to ensure a level playing field for citizens of all religions and beliefs. And that must mean a secular approach to education, children's rights and the laws which bind us all."