Different Cultures and Circumcision (How They Do It)
Circumcision is fundamentally, the partial or total elimination
of the male genitalia's foreskin. This procedure is executed for
various reasons, the most common being the obligations imposed
by various religions. As such, many ritualistic activities
accompany the procedure. Circumcision is, at present, performed
in several countries with various cultural histories, among
which are the Jewish and Muslim countries, West African
countries, the United States and some Asian countries, like
South Korea and the Philippines. In the three last-mentioned
countries, circumcision involves a simple medical procedure and
hardly involves any symbolism and ritual. The most prolific and
symbolic use of circumcision involves the Jewish, African and
Muslim cultures, which are deeply immersed in their religions.
For the Jews, circumcision is viewed as a portion of the
covenant God concluded with Abraham. This procedure, called the
Bris Milah, is carried out on the child during the 8th day
reckoned from his birth. The person performing the surgery is
called the Mohel, who is trained in both the surgical procedure
and the appropriate Jewish law or religious provision. The Mohel
is the only qualified person in Jewish law to perform the Bris
because only he is acquainted with both the physical and
spiritual facets of the entire ritual. The circumcision ritual
involves a "sandek" or godfather, who must hold the child while
the surgery is being performed. A vacant chair is also placed on
one side, from which, the prophet Elijah can watch over the
ritual in its entirety. After several blessings and the giving
of the child's proper Hebrew name, the surgery is then performed
by stretching the prepuce through an opening in a metal shield,
then cutting the projecting skin.
Muslims also perform circumcision for the religious purposes
contained in the Hadith, which is a collection of traditions and
sayings made by Muhammad. Some Muslims perform this process,
called the Khitan, on the child's 8th day, others between the
sixth and eleventh years, and yet others on the thirteenth year
of the child's life. The
process itself entails the elimination
of the outer skin or prepuce so that the glans will become
exposed for the child's entire life. In some Muslim countries,
no accompanying rituals are observed in the process because some
consider the latter to have merely a hygienic purpose. For
Africans, especially those undergoing the Xhosa ceremony, the
ritual lasts for several days and involves countless tests and
symbolic activities. The circumcision day itself entails the
burning of all that the child used during the tests and
thereafter burying the removed foreskin.
Since the Ancient Egyptian period, at which time circumcision
was first recorded, until the present, the custom of
circumcision has achieved notoriety all over the world. In fact,
at this time, the debate still continues regarding its safety
and moral soundness. One side of the argument states that
circumcision is nothing but an immoral and cruel degradation of
the human body. Moreover, since the procedure usually involves
young boys, some people consider it both psychologically and
physically damaging to the subject. The other side, however, not
only proclaims that it is safe and virtually immune from any
complication, but also lauds the incident benefits to the
subject's hygiene. They say that the procedure ensures a young
boy's cleanliness and protects him from diseases caused by
accumulated bacteria and other harmful agents in the foreskin.
Regardless of the soundness of either argument, it is
nevertheless important to be informed about such a controversial
and popular su rgical procedure.
About the author:
Patrick Flanagan is a writer, and webmaster; for more
information and to
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Author Info
Patrick Flanagan
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Phone: 813-938-2821
Written by: Patrick Flanagan
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