While Iceland is preparing to be the first European country to ban male circumcision, reactions to the drafting of the law presented to the parliament continue. The law forbidding circumcision envisages a six-year prison sentence for those who violate the law, and the only exception to circumcision is the "medical obligation."

It has been argued that the circumcision is a violation of the rights of boys and that it is contrary to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The male circumcision was likened to the female circumcision which was banned in most European countries.

Although the parents are considered to be able to provide religious guidance to their children, it is stated that this right can never reach to infringe on the children's rights and that men who want to be circumcised can decide after they have reached to the age they know what they do.

The circumcision has been discussed in other European countries before, but no ban has been given. In Germany, a law was enacted in 2012 that predicts that those trained in this field can only do the circumcision. In 2013, the Council of Europe adopted a resolution calling for a strict rule-making of circumcision, calling on members to take measures addressing this issue.

In some European countries, women were banned from wearing the burqa and wearing veils before the draft of circumcision ban in Iceland. Belgium, which forbids reading adhans with speakers from mosques, banned the sale of halal meat last year on grounds of protecting animal rights. (ILKHA)