Contradictions, Negotiations, and Compromises: Law on Ritual Circumcision of Boys

A recurring dilemma for liberal democratic states is the handling of practices that are perceived as fundamental to certain minority groups, but which violate perceptions of right and wrong in the majority population. Based on an evaluation of the law on ritual circumcision of boys passed in 2014, the article discusses how a contentious religious practice is negotiated between the state and minority groups through what we choose to regard as negotiations over boundaries (Alba, 2005; Barth, 1969). The article is based on the contradiction between the legislation that clarifies that ritual circumcision is within the boundary of what can be accepted in Norway. At the same time, the health service and the opposition of the majority population express that the practice is outside this boundary. The first part of the analysis is based on a review of documents and debate, and deals with the process leading up to the enactment of the Act. The second part is based on qualitative interviews and registered data and discusses the consequences that the introduction of the Act has had for those covered by it. Based on this, we discuss whether the law can be said to have solved the dilemma that ritual circumcision of boys represents in Norwegian society.