04/10/2013 Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
“The resolution adopted last Tuesday on ‘Children’s right to physical integrity’ in no way compares the circumcision of boys to female genital mutilation,” declared Marlene Rupprecht (Germany, SOC), rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), responding today to criticism of the resolution by the Israeli authorities. "We did mention different categories of violation of the physical integrity of children, which we, however, very clearly distinguished and did not mix up in any way.”
“The text adopted by the parliamentarians in a vote does not intend to stigmatise any religious community or its practices. On the contrary, the Assembly calls for public debate, including intercultural and interreligious dialogue, aimed at reaching a wide consensus on the rights of children to protection against violations of their physical integrity.”
“It is the Council of Europe’s mandate to promote the respect for human rights, including children’s rights, on an equal footing with the fight against racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia,” Ms Rupprecht concluded.