A four-year-old Indonesian boy, named Muhamad Mezut Ozil (undoubtedly after German soccer superstar Mesut Özil), has attracted national media attention over a claimed supernatural occurrence pertaining to his genitalia.
As reported by Merdeka, Ozil’s parents believe that he recently had his penis circumcised by a djinn — an Islamic genie — resulting in some swelling.
“He is a little sore right now. Maybe because of the swelling,” said Ozil’s mother, Haryani, as quoted by Merdeka yesterday.
Ozil, who lives with his family in the city of Depok, West Java, says he no longer feels pain and is now able to run around with his friends.
His parents did not indicate if they were going to have Ozil checked out by a doctor, in case, you know, he had a serious medical condition instead of encountering a snip-happy genie.
That’s perhaps because boys being circumcised by genies is quite a common urban legend in Indonesia. In April of last year, the family of a boy in West Jakarta also made the same genie claim, saying his penis was suddenly circumcised after he came home from playing with his friends.
Furthermore, making these boys go through an examination by a medical professional is probably tricky but should probably be mandatory in cases like this where there are elements of potential child abuse.
Most Indonesian boys, especially Muslims, remember their circumcisions because they are often carried out when they are around five year old before the onset of puberty. Many remember the operation with certain fondness, since circumcisions are traditionally a rite of passage into manhood rewarded with parties and presents.
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