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What is the circumcision?  

Before moving ahead in penning down circumcised vs. uncircumcised let’s find out what the circumcise stands for. Circumcise is a term used for the process of removing foreskin either of a newly born male baby as a part of religious ritual or a man from hygienic point of view. The term circumcise is used not only for the males but females as well as the removal of prepuce covering female clitoris also is called circumcising.  

Male circumcision

As has been mentioned the male circumcision is term used for the removal of foreskin from male sex organ, called penis. The word circumcision is a combination of two Latin words “Circum” and “Caedere” which means “around” and the “cut” respectively. As the surrounding foreskin is cut off from the penis, the word circumcision is found applicable for the removal of male foreskin with a sharp edged knife. 
 
Circumcision is an indispensable part of Islamic religion (aka “Sunnah”) removing the foreskin of every newly born male baby. Every newly born Muslim male infant is circumcised in the presence of senior religious figures, known as “Maulvees”. The circumcision has been in existence for long and how conspicuousness it was earlier in the days can be fathomed from many cave paintings and the pictures carved over the ancient mosques or Egyptian tombs.

Considered to be the wish of God in Judaism culture, circumcision is a part of unquestioned religion warranting every Muslim family to perform Sunnah of its newly born male infant. Though circumcision is believed to be exercised all over the world only by the Muslims, some orthodox Christians in Africa also exercise the circumcision not from any religious point of view but from a hygienic perspective which provides a great immunity to the circumcised infant from infections and many related diseases. Going through a report prepared by the World Health Organization (WHO), we come across a figure which reveals that out of total circumcised people in the world around 68% circumcised children belong to the Muslim community authenticating the circumcision’s significance in Islamic religion.

Now let’s have look at the age of those circumcised as a part of religion. As the practice of religious circumcision is common everywhere in the world, religious affiliation and cultures vary by the notions. It is the only reason that the newly born babies (infants) are circumcised in some countries as a part of religious compulsion, while other countries perform the circumcision only on adolescents.

Varying opinions about the male circumcision

It’s not that the circumcision has not encountered strictures and criticisms from the group of intellectuals and some health experts. Though Islamic clerics do appreciate the circumcision as an indispensable religious practice offering many health advantages to the circumcised infants, there is another group which contradicts such concept. Coming down heavily upon the circumcision some people put forth their personal arguments stating that cutting the god-gifted foreskin off infant’s penis affects the natural function of sex organ depriving the male individual of sexual pleasure on getting adult. They call the circumcision an offense, just tantamount to a cruel act of slicing out the foreskin of an innocent infant or someone who is compelled to consent for circumcision under the religious compulsion.

But the orthodox Muslims criticize such types of opinions calling them the personal reservations of a few laypersons. Believing staunchly in the circumcision and its positive effects on health of the circumcised individuals the supporters of Sunnah divulge that circumcision doesn’t affect sexual stamina of the individual even in the least. Rather it increases the sexual power and libido of the circumcised individuals/infants, opine the Islamic people. According to Muslims the circumcision should be performed during the neonatal period which keeps the male baby immune against all types of infections generally emerging under the foreskin due to perspiration and many invisible bacteria.

Though circumcision is performed as a part of religious exercise, it was not accepted by the American Medical Association which in its report, made public in 1999, declared that orthodox Muslims adamant to exercise circumcision should reconsider their decision of performing circumcision on the infants during the neonatal period. Where one the one hand the circumcision has encountered many comments and criticisms, it has been appreciated by the World Heath Organization (WHO), Joint United Nations Programme and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the other. These organizations do appreciate the circumcision highlighting many examples that prove that circumcision prevents the risk of sexually-transmitted diseases like AIDS. According to WHO, the circumcised penis during the penile-vaginal sex keeps the possibility of acquiring HIV at minimum.

History of the male circumcision

It was the Egyptian period during which variety of pictures of circumcisions were carved on the walls of Khonspekhrod temple in 1360 BC. Earlier in the days circumcision was exercised from different points of views stimulating the men of previous era to remove foreskin of the sex organ of all the newly born male babies. According to info available on the acts of Ancient Egyptians, the circumcision was used as a religious sacrifice to enhance a sexual stamina or the masculinity required during the sex with the female partner to get the female partner pregnant much faster.

The circumcision was also used as a tribal mark and the punishment to the foes and slaves by causing a great humiliation to the latter. Being health-conscious of pros cons of the circumcision, the Ancient Egyptians performed the circumcision in order to prevent infections and its unhygienic effect on the individual’s health. 

Going through many historical practices regarding circumcision, the historians term them as the conflicting ones but what they give their approbation to, is the promotion of good health which the Ancient Egyptians had contemplated on much seriously. It is a modern study by some researchers that questions a concept that circumcision enhances the libido among the circumcised men.

According to some anthropologists the circumcision reduces sexual desire among the circumcised males depriving them of actual sexual pleasure. But what the anthropologists do agree with is the restriction posed to the men to go for extramarital relation/sex in the ancient era. What is remarkable to notice in the ancient period regarding circumcision, is the commonality and not the universality which is staunchly stressed upon by those who do advocate the circumcision as an indispensable part of Egyptian religious exercise. 

Alexander the Great loathed the circumcision terming the circumcised men as the “naked” ones (with their retracted prepuce). It was the condemnation by Alexander which reduced the ongoing practice of circumcision.

Non-religious circumcision

If you still are groping into the darkness blindly believing that only the religious people do exercise the circumcision, take yourself out of such ideas as there are many non-religious English speaking people as well who perform the circumcision to keep their infants immune to infections and many sex related diseases. Some of the important countries included like USA, Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and many other English speaking countries had adhered to the circumcision.

Though UK also had exercised the circumcision, it did not perform it as seriously as did the other countries. Going through many conspicuous facts we come across why it was admired and appreciated in the western countries at large. One of the main western countries adopting the circumcision as a part of infant’s protection was the USA who had adhered to it in 1990. 

It was the germ theory which exposed the human body conveying many harmful diseases casing a phobia of onslaught of different harmful diseases due to filthy sex organ. Sex organ’s susceptibility to the infection was related with dust, perspiration and fungal infection. Dwelling on the need of keeping male sex organ clean, circumcision was started being exercised by almost all the western countries. The circumcision was utilized as the effective treatment or medicine which prevented the infection which was found emerging due to regular masturbation or extramarital sex by the men. Believed to be too effective in providing many benefits of health, the circumcision provided a great protection against many diseases as well such as syphilis, phimosis, paraphimosis, balanitis, and “excessive venery“(causing paralysis).

Taking the circumcision beneficial for the health, the USA had adhered to such exercise circumcising large number of the uncircumcised children in 1955 and 1965.Though exact number or the percentage of circumcision was not clear, according to available figure, it ranged from 70% to 85% revealing a large scale popularity of the circumcision in America. 

According to online information the percentage of the circumcised male children in the USA was 70% in 1945, 80% in 1955, 85% in 1965 and 77% in 1971. As there were many surveys conducted in the USA their reports varied showing different figures of the circumcised US-born infants. One of such reports revealed that approximately 90% male children born in America were protected through the circumcision in 1970, while the same percentage dropped to 84% in 1980 showing a decreasing interest among all the Americans towards the circumcision. 

According to a report presented by National Hospital Discharge data, the circumcision remained constant between 1981and 1991 revealing 60% children being circumcised. The NHD data showed a marginal increase in the infant circumcision in 1995. Though going the figures available on the circumcision we find an opportunity to admit that America was the country taking circumcision as a most beneficial for the infants. But a study termed such type of exercises the effect of personal notions of American parents without involving medical science. Despite being a large scale exercise in America, the circumcision of the America-born infants came down to 56% in 2005.

UK though has not been impressed of the circumcision the percentage of circumcised individuals varied over here under different age groups. Those (non-Muslims) who adhered to the circumcision were not covered under the National Health Services in UK. Those who adhered to circumcision in the UK, included black Caribbean, black African, Indian, and Pakistani groups. According to the figures available 11.7% men aging between 16 and 19 were circumcised, while the percentage of those aging between 40 and 44 was 19.6%.

Australia also had a noticeable percentage of the circumcised infants in 1970 which kept descending and dipped much lower in comparison with the previous figures. Such figure reveals falling interest among the people residing in Australia. The Canada was another popular country where the circumcision had no any significance at all as here’s Ontario health service had removed it from its list as a nonsensical health service.   

Cultural significance of the circumcision

Some of the most popular cultures believing in the conspicuousness of circumcision are the Jewish culture and Islamic culture who blindly believe that an infant baby should be circumcised shortly after his birth. The circumcision in Islam for the females calls for removal of skin of the surrounding region of their puberty. It is the matter of faith and belief which encourages the Islam and Jewish religions to exercise the circumcision of their infants.

Those who are uncircumcised and want to convert themselves to Muslim religion also are needed to be circumcised, according to the Muslim leaders in India. According to the Jewish religion the circumcision is must for the infants and those uncircumcised who want to adopt a Jewish culture as their religion.The circumcision in Jewish language is called ‘mitzva aseh’ also meaning a positive commandment/right to accomplish something extraordinary. The circumcision is believed to be the indispensable and most urgent religious act which can’t be postponed unless the life of infant is at risk.

Who executes the circumcision?

The circumcision being a most conspicuous religious function removes the foreskin of a male baby under the supervision of expert circumciser, known as mohel. A special occasion or the function performing circumcision is called Brit-milah or Bris-milah.

What significance does a circumcision have for the dead Jewish?

How far a circumcision has its conspicuousness in the Jewish culture can be fathomed with a dead body of an uncircumcised Jewish who is not entitled to be buried unless circumcised by the circumciser (mohel).
Circumcising the uncircumcised body though was called a barbaric inhuman act, the practice prevailed as a rite for a long period of time. Believed to show an unquestionable identity of the Jewish people, the circumcision was promoted with more than 300 circumcisers trained as the expert mohels under a special training programs called, ‘Berit Mila Program’. But there is another group of Judaism which states the circumcision should not be considered to be the way of revealing real identity of the Jewish people. 

Catholic Church

It is only the church which doesn’t appreciate the circumcision terming it as a mortal sin committed by the Islamists and Jewish people. It had ordered to ban its practice in 1442 in the Ecumenical Council of Basel-Florence. Other churches where the circumcision was widely practiced included Coptic Church, Ethiopian Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church. Though South Africa is known for practicing the circumcision, there are many churches in this country that do not like it and avoid its practice. According to info available the some churches in South Africa treat the circumcision as pagan (an offensive term). But there are still many churches in the South Africa that exercise the circumcision for the membership.    

Modern circumcision procedures

In the modern circumcision the individual is sent into anesthesia by being applied with anesthetic cream (EMLA).

Lack of circumcision (Uncircumcised)

Uncircumcised ones are susceptible to many health risks during their infancy stage. In simple words, it is the newly born uncircumcised baby who is prone to a greater risk rather than those who are strong by their physique.

It is a remarkable ratio between the circumcised and uncircumcised ones which reveals that health risk for those uncircumcised remains much higher in comparison with those circumcised after their birth.

The ratio of risk for the uncircumcised is 1:20 to 1:50.

Ratio of risk for uncircumcised is 1:200 to 1:500 [It substantiates that the circumcision is the urgent need for a good health of the infants.]

• Those who are uncircumcised after growing up carry the maximum chances of UTI as out of every 3 uncircumcised individuals 1 has got to be affected frpm infectious diseases while those who are circumcised shortly after their birth show the ratio of susceptibility of only one out of each twenty circumcised individuals.
• Those who are uncircumcised may die any moment during a few initial years of their life due to urinary tract infections, that is likely to cause kidney failure, meningitis or the infection of brain marrow.   
• Out of 400/900 uncircumcised individuals, one has got to be affected from penile cancer. One fourth of the uncircumcised individuals may succumb to the complication while the remaining ones may recover after a successful surgery. Those who are circumcised do not come across any problem, much common among the uncircumcised ones causing penile cancer. 
• The uncircumcised people remain under the threat of prostate cancer in comparison with those circumcised during the infancy.
• The uncircumcised individuals are susceptible to the inflammation of their sexual organ’s skin comparing with circumcised ones. The inflammation to be experienced by the uncircumcised ones is balanitis (inflammation of the glans), posthitis (inflammation in the foreskin), balanoposthitis, phimosis (problem in retracting the foreskin) and paraphimosis. Approximately 18% uncircumcised boys may encounter the mentioned complications any moment during the eight of years of their age. Out of six uncircumcised individuals one has got to come across a risk of balanoposthitis experiencing sudden obstruction in the urinal tube. Besides, diabetes also can affect the uncircumcised individuals.
• Lack of circumcision poses a great risk to the uncircumcised ones out of every ten individuals calling them for circumcision in the latter part of their life. Though all the problems caused due to lack of circumcision can be tackled with some treatment, it has got to be too costly to tackle the existing risk.