It is well known that circumcision of males for religious reasons is widely practiced within the Jewish and Muslim communities. Less known is the fact that there are Jews and Muslims who are re-examining this practice in light of the growing body of knowledge regarding the impacts of, and the ethical/human rights issues raised by non-therapeutic male infant and child circumcision. Below are some sites dealing with this re-examination.

Jewish

• Jewish Circumcision Resource Center
• Circumcision: A source of Jewish pain. Lead article in the Fall 1997 issue of the magazine Jewish Spectator. An excellent overview of the historical, cultural and personal aspects of the issue, by Ronald Goldman, Ph.D.
• Moses Maimonides on Circumcision. Although this well-known figure lived in the twelfth century, no one has summarized Jewish circumcision better than he did in exactly six sentences.
• Jews and the Circumcision Debate. An extract from Ronald Goldman's book Circumcision: The Hidden Trauma — How an American Cultural Practice Affects Infants and Ultimately Us All.
• Questioning Jewish Circumcision. This page is furnished by Jewish Associates of CRC in Boston, Mass.
• Questioning Circumcision: A Jewish Perspective. This book is the first critical examination of the growing controversy of male infant circumcision with special attention to contemporary concerns of the Jewish community. Endorsed by five rabbis, this extraordinary book examines the origins, assumed benefits, risks, and unrecognized consequences of the Jewish practice with thorough documentation and moving personal experiences.
• Is the mere discussion of circumcision anti-Semitic? Dr. Joseph Berger of Toronto argues that it is in a letter to the editor of the Canadian Jewish News, Jan 9,1999. Dr. Margaret Somerville responds that simply questioning the issue is not anti-Semitic, in her letter of response of Feb 4, 1999.

Islamic

• An Islamic perspective opposing circumcision. From "Cyber Mosque," sponsored by A.A.I.I.L. of Columbus, Ohio, USA.
• To Mutilate in the Name of Jehovah or Allah: Legitimization of Male and Female Circumcision. by Sami A. Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh. A scholarly and exhaustive examination of the religious underpinnings of circumcision in the Islamic world.

Christian

• Despite much widespread misconception, circumcision has never been required or recommened by any Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox Churches.