German cabinet approves bill allowing circumcision of boys

Germany's cabinet approved a draft law on Wednesday protecting the right to circumcise infant boys, which it says will end months of legal uncertainty after a local court banned the practice, causing outrage among Muslims and Jews. The June ruling by a Cologne district court that circumcision constitutes "bodily harm" sparked an emotional national debate about religious freedom and the procedure itself. Parliament must still approve the bill to turn it into a law. The bill states that the operation should take place with the most effective pain relief possible and only if parents have been fully informed about the nature of procedure. It makes no mention of religious motivations for circumcision. About 120,000 Jews are registered residents of Germany along with some 4 million Muslims, many of whom are from Turkey.