Things you can't say was How can one organ cause so much debate!! 528

Very selective. Where Islam is prevalent in Africa (so North Africa and the Sahara countries), circumcision is mandatory. Similarly for Jews. Both of these are for religious reasons That leaves Southern Africa where circumcision is not universal. Depends on tribe.

Zulus, Luo, Turkana are against it. I concede that the other tribes Xhosa, Kikuyu, Masai are for it.

YOU HAVE OFFERED NO URLS. I DID. WHERE IS YOUR PROOF?

Well no. You are talking about a subject I have studied day-in, day-out for 6 years on a per-day basis. I have read all the UN reports. The evidence for circumcision is not overwhelming but it is there. The statistics for infection bear it out.

South Africa has the highest number of people with HIV-AIDs in world. 5.1 million. Reputed. It currently has 600 people dying a day from AIDS. But it is reckoned that by 2009 it will be 1200 people dying a day. Best business to be in is making coffins. East Durban is running out of room to build cemeteries The prevalence rate is high because of weak leadership from the SA government. They have had some recent prevalence rate reductions in various age ranges (the youth).

But by 2009, India will have overtaken them. By then, we should be well on the way to 50 million people worldwide with HIV-AIDS. Most of Asia will be approaching the prevalence rates of African countries. Countries to watch are Nigeria, Ethiopia, Russia, China and India.

That depends on country. I dont reside in USA.

I am referring to practices in Islamic countries not Europe or US.

Urr, not being female, I cannot back that up.

Nonsense. Have you seen the United Nations AIDS update report for December 2005? Comes out every year. See here and download it.

I would like to point out this extract:

Male circumcision A recent study in South Africa found that circumcised men were at least 60% less likely to become infected than uncircumcised men. These promising results must be con.rmed in ongoing studies in Kenya and Uganda before male circumcision can be promoted as a speci.c HIV prevention tool. If proven effective, male circumcision may help increase available proven options for HIV prevention, but should not cause the abandonment of existing effective strategies such as correct and consistent condom use, behavioural change and voluntary testing and counselling. Male circumcision does not eliminate the risk of HIV for men and the effects of male circumcision on women's risk of HIV are not known. It also remains to be demonstrated whether and to what degree circumcision could reduce HIV transmission in cultures where it is not currently practised.

So much for your "The opposite is true".

I never said that I believed all that. And I never said that other near Eastern cultures like the Hitbreastes or Egyptians were not practicising circumcision. What I am saying is that in the book of Genesis, Abraham came from a people that did not circumcise and in the book, God made that sign of their relationship. Just as in Western cultures, rings or a ring is often worn on marriage. I am only acting in journalistic capacity - reporting what is claimed.

Kirpans. Who's "we" here?

Yes they can. It really depends on how much fuss they kick up about it.

Anarchist