Abbie J. Chessler: Justifying the Unjustifiable: Rite v. Wrong

Buffalo Law Review, Volume 45: Page 555, 1997.

JUSTIFYING THE UNJUSTIFIABLE:
RITE V. WRONG

Abbie J. Chessler⁺

Table of Contents

     Introduction..........................................    557
  I. Types of Male and Female Circumcision and the Physical
     and Psychological Complications.......................    560
     A.   Female Circumcision (Infibulation, Clitoridectomy,
          Sunna): The History, Procedures, and
          Complications....................................    560
     B.   Routine Infant Male Circumcision: The History,
          Procedures, and Complications....................    560
 II. Justifications for Female and Male Circumcision.......    573
     A.   Cultural Justifications for Female and Male
          Circumcision.....................................    574
     B.   Male Circumcision: The Medical Justifications
          and Medical Counterarguments.....................    575
     C.   "Fitting in": Mutilating Children in the Name of
          Conformity.......................................    581
     D.   Religious Justifications for Female and Male
          Circumcision: To Mutilate in the Name of God.....    581
          1.   Legitimizing Female Circumcision Through
               Religion: Islam.............................    581
          2.   Judaism, Christianity and Female Circum-
               cision......................................    583
          3.   Judaism and Male Circumcision: The Bible
               and its contradictions......................    583
          4.   Islam and Male Circumcision.................    585
          5.   Christianity and Male Circumcision..........    586
III. Legal Arguments Against Female and Male Circumcision..    586
     A.   Legal Remedies for Female Circumcision: Utilizing
          International Documents, Foreign Legislation, and
          Domestic Legislation.............................    587
     B.   Legal Remedies for Male Circumcision: Utilizing
          International Documents, Customary International
          Law, and Domestic Law............................    593
          1.   International Documents and Customary Inter-
               national Law................................    593
          2.   Domestic Remedies...........................    595
     C.   Constitutional Issue.............................    596
          1.   Parental Rights and the Right to Privacy....    596
          2.   Freedom of Religion--The Free Exercise
               Clause......................................    598
          3.   Religious Freedom Restoration Act...........    600
     D.   Civil Lawsuits and the Informed Consent Doctrine.    603
 IV. Final Recommendations.................................    604
     Conclusion............................................    612

⁺ B.A. 1992, Barnard College, Columbia University; J. D., May 1997, State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Law. The author gratefully acknowledges the benefit she received for discussing earlier drafts of this comment with Professor David Filvaroff and Professor Isabel Marcus.

Cite as:

Abbie J. Chessler, Justifying the Unjustifable: Rite v. Wrong, 45 Buffalo L. Rev. 555 (1997).

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Abbie J. Chessler: Justifying the Unjustifiable: Rite v. Wrong

JUSTIFYING THE UNJUSTIFIABLE: RITE V. WRONG

JUSTIFYING THE UNJUSTIFIABLE:
RITE V. WRONG