While the push for a ban on circumcision in Santa Monica has been dropped, a fringe group who call themselves “intactivists” have succeeded in getting their proposed measure on the November ballot for San Francisco. If passed, circumcision on boys under the age of 18 would be an illegal act and perpetrators of the “offense” could be punished with a $1000 fine or up to a year in jail. Most people who perform circumcision on their babies do so for religious purposes, but the ban would not allow for religious exemption.
Now, there are plenty of reasons to argue against circumcision; the child can’t consent, it’s no longer medically necessary, it’s an outdated custom, it’s mutilation, etc. But at least one Californian has seized on this opportunity to create a blatantly anti-Semitic comic starring the superhero ‘Foreskin Man,’ an Aryan-looking dude who in the first edition fights against a sinister-looking rabbi called Monster Mohel (a mohel is the person who performs the circumcision). There are many ways to intelligently debate the circumcision controversy, but this is just so obviously Jew-bashing.
One blogger compares Foreskin Man comics to Nazi propaganda during WWII. She juxtaposes these two images next to each other, and also carries on a larger discussion about how Foreskin Man evokes the same anti-Semitic stereotypes that appeared in propaganda.
Very interesting. Check out her excellent blogpost here: When Debating Circumcision Isn’t About Circumcision
And Jezebel comments on the issue: New Superhero ‘Foreskin Man’ Accused of Being Anti-Semitic
…….. There is a movement of Jews who are questioning circumcision, and working to end this abuse of children. The movement ranges from the Orthodox to the secular, and includes mothers, fathers, scholars, historians, medical professionals, activists, and intellectuals.
Jewish Groups for Genital Integrity
Circumcision: A Jewish Feminist Perspective by Miriam Pollack
http://www.noharmm.org/pollack.htm
Jewish Intactivist Miriam Pollack has some great commentary on Foreskin Man in this recent interview.
http://www.beyondthebris.com/2011/07/defying-convention-interview-with_27.html
Jews Speak Out in Favor of Banning Circumcision on Minors
http://intactnews.org/node/103/1311885181/jews-speak-out-favor-banning-circumcision-minors
* Brit Shalom Celebrants by Mark D. Reiss, M.D. http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish-shalom.html
* Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective by Ron Goldman, Ph.D. http://www.jewishcircumcision.org
* The Current Judaic Movement to End Circumcision: Part 1
http://intactnews.org/node/105/1311886372/jewish-voices-current-judaic-movement-end-circumcision-part-1 ……
Thanks for the comment. The point of my post was not to take a stance on circumcision either way….it was to point out that some intactivists are relying on and using anti-Semitism in their argument against circumcision. There are many intelligent arguments to be made against circumcision, but Foreskin Man is blatantly anti-Semitic and relies on offensive stereotypes and caricatures of Jews to further it’s cause.
The missing piece to reporting on this subject is how many Jews are opposed to circumcision, and how most of the reputable intactivist organizations are led by Jewish men and women.
Some Jews feel the time has come for a symbolic bris without surgery.
Jewish Groups for Genital Integrity
* Jews Against Circumcision http://www.jewsagainstcircumcision.org/
* Jews for the Rights of the Child http://www.jewsfortherightsofthechild.org/
* Brit Shalom Celebrants by Mark D. Reiss, M.D. http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish-shalom.html
* Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective by Ron Goldman, Ph.D. http://www.jewishcircumcision.org/ritual.htm
* Beyond the Bris: Jewish Parenting Blog http://www.beyondthebris.com/p/about-project.html
* A Case for Bris without Milah. http://www.circumstitions.com/Jewish.html
Ok, but my point is not to report on the entire subject, but simply to report on the anti-Semitism inherent in the Foreskin Man comics.