NEW LOCAL VOICE BLOGGER: Concerning the proposed circumcision ban, Foreskin Man, and anti-Semitism

This is a modified version of a post originally appearing on my personal blog, Projects and Musings By Rachel Ariel Scott

While the push for a ban on circumcision in Santa Monica has been dropped, the group who calls 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plenty of reasons to argue against circumcision; the child can't consent, it's no longer medically necessary, it's an outdated custom, etc. But at least one California man 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*. There are many ways to intelligently debate the merits (or lack thereof) of circumcision, but this is just so obviously Jew-bashing.

What particularly stands out to me is the comic book author's portrayal of the men who attend circumcisions as peyes-wearing**, yarmulke-loving Hassidic Jews. This is a terribly inaccurate and offensive caricature of the type of Jews who maintain the tradition of circumcision.  The truth is that Jewish people of all affiliations (reform, conservative, orthodox) have their sons circumcised, and portraying Jews in this specific, hyper-religious way makes it seems like the author is more interested in bashing the religion of Judaism itself than taking on the complicated topic of circumcision. I understand that comic books rely on caricature, but there's no denying that Foreskin Man reeks of anti-Semitism. 

One blogger compares the imagery in Foreskin Man comics to Nazi propaganda during WWII.  She engages in an intelligent and thought-provoking discussion about how Foreskin Man evokes the same anti-Semitic stereotypes that appeared in propaganda, and juxtaposes images to prove her point. Check out her excellent blogpost here: When Debating Circumcision Isn't About Circumcision

And check out Jezebel's comments on the issue for good measure. I particularly like to read the comments in order to gauge how people feel about the comic and the proposed ban on circumcision. 

Anti-circumcision sentiments seem to be coming strongly from California coastal towns (based on the instances of Santa Monica and SF), and I wonder what would happen if a ban was proposed on circumcision in Santa Cruz. The folks who call themselves "intactivists" are essentially, from what I can tell, an extremist fringe group - something that is not foreign to Santa Cruz! I wouldn't be surprised to find a community of "intactivists" in our little city by the sea, and I wonder what the reaction would be like among the rest of Santa Cruz residents. 

* A mohel is the person who performs the circumcision.

** Peyes are those locks of hair that hang on either side of a religious man's face.