Jews and Muslims Try to Block San Francisco Circumcision Ballot Measure

In response to a proposed circumcision ban on the upcoming November ballot, a group including Muslims, Jews, and physicians who perform circumcisions filed a lawsuit earlier this week to block the San Francisco ballot measure that would ban male circumcision, a procedure considered a sacred rite and practiced widely by both Muslims and Jews, reports the Associated Press.

The lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court requests the removal of the proposed ban from the November ballot on the grounds that California law prevents local governments from restricting medical procedures. If passed, the ballot measure would prohibit male circumcision under the age of 18, rendering circumcision a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. It does not allow for any exemptions on religious grounds.
Plus: Should We Circumcise Our Son? 

Opponents of the ballot measure argue that the ban would violate their constitutional rights, while supports of the circumcision ban argue that male circumcision is a form of genital mutilation that is not only unnecessary, but painful and dangerous.
Plus: Ask Dr. Sears: The Circumcision Decision 

Do you think that circumcision should be put to a public vote?