Circumcision in Jericho (illustrative)
Circumcision in Jericho (illustrative)Israel news photo: Jericho Group

Jews and Muslims have teamed up in San Francisco to file a petition to block a measure that would ban circumcision (brit mila, in Hebrew) of male children. Both faiths carry out the practice.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in San Francisco Superior Court, requested that the proposed measure be removed from the ballot scheduled for November 8.

The plaintiffs of record include five Jews, three Muslims, two doctors who regularly perform the procedure, the local chapter of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the national Anti-Defamation League (ADL), according to the Associated Press.

Last month San Francisco became the first city in the United States in which enough signatures were gathered to bring such a ban to a public vote. Ugly anti-Semitic cartoons featuring "Foreskin Man" were published as part of the fight against the ritual, practiced for thousands of years among Jews, and then later among Muslims as well.

If the petition is overruled and the ban makes it to the elections and is voted into law, the measure would outlaw circumcision of males under age 18. The ritual would become a misdemeanor offense punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or one year in jail.

There would be no exemptions for religious practice.