The Muslim Faith and Ethical Issues: Questions to My Muslim Visitors
I would like to pose the following questions to my visitors and who come to this blog from Muslim countries so that we all can learn and understand how bioethical issues are looked upon by people in their countries who are of Muslim faith. Muslim visitors to my blog who lives within the United States are also certainly welcome to write but also tell us how you see your views as similar or different from those of your faith in other countries. I assume that some of the views taken for granted within the American bioethics may be quite different in other countries. I think those of us not of the Muslim faith would like to know. ..Maurice.
SOME QUESTIONS (answer any or all):
1) What is the view of stem cell research and human cloning? How about simply animal cloning? How about the manipulating the genes of plants used for food?
2) How is invitro fertilization looked upon: taking the egg of a woman and mixing it with the husband’s sperm and then inserting it into that woman’s womb so that a child might be created in a couple who otherwise were unable to normally have a child? What if the husband was sterile and the woman was fertilized by a sperm of another man to create a child for the husband and wife?
3) How does the Muslim faith look at the possibility of adoption of a child?
4) How about organ donation to a needy patient from a live donor? How about organ donation to a needy patient from a newly deceased donor?
5) Should hydration and nutrition be continued in a patient who is in a permanent vegetative state (permanently in a unconscious state, apparently unaware and not reactive to the external environment)?
6) Should a conscious patient who understands his or her medical condition have the right to order that life-sustaining treatment (like a mechanical ventilator) be turned off even though it will cause the death of the patient)?
7) Is euthanasia (physician, responding to a patient’s request and causing the patient to die) permissible? Is suicide permissible? Would physician assisted suicide as practiced in Oregon and Washington (physician writing a prescription for a lethal dose of drug which the patient can fill and take if they desire at their own time) be allowed by the Muslim faith?
8) Is medical research using animals which may be killed for the research studies permissible? Are certain animals protected from such use?
9) Is it ethical for a physician and a patient to have a romantic relationship while the patient is still under the physician’s care?
10) Should the doctor tell “bad news” to the patient (such as cancer or a fatal illness)? If not, to whom? A family member?
ADDENDUM 12-16-2009: You may be interested in a new thread I put up today titled "Suicide: Views of Christianity and Islam".
posted by Maurice Bernstein, M.D. @ 10:06:00 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
I; I can not answer this question . It is beyond my knoweldge.
2;child can be created in a couple who otherwise were unable to normally have a child butman other than husband can not be used for this purpose.
3; It is a praised work to adopt a child or children. However adopted one can not be a legal heir.
4;Organ donation to a needy patient from a live donor is allowed. Organ donation to a needy patient from a newly deceased donor is also allwed.
5; Hydration and nutrition should be continued in a patient who is in a permanent vegetative state (permanently in a unconscious state, apparently unaware and not reactive to the external environment).I am also father of a PVS and can assue that all thories about PVS are wrong,Most of them are or were conscious.
6;A conscious patient who understands his or her medical condition have no right to order that life-sustaining treatment (like a mechanical ventilator) be turned off even though it will cause the death of the patient)
7;No such desire can be permitted.
8;Same is being done at many Muslim countries. Never found it discussed.
9;No religeous quetion. Just on social ethics.
1o. same as above.
Anwer, thanks for your response. Could you tell us from what country you reside or are you living in the United States? ..Maurice.
Anwer, to clarify, I didn't want my questions necessarily to be answered in a religious context but to be responded to in terms of cultural standards, beliefs or values. Or is it in the Muslim community there is no separation between culture and religion? Educate me. ..Maurice.
As far as I know....
Religion/Quran---All knowledge is from God---for our use---but we have the intelligence and free-will to decide to use it for the good of all of God's creation--or for harm.
In my opinion
1) stem cell ---OK
cloning ---don't know
Genetically Modified foods---Research is fine as long as it is done within "natural laws"
2)in-vitro ---OK
in-vitro-different sperm---Laws of adoption would apply (?)
3)Adoption--OK---not legal heir
4)organ donation--don't know
5)extraordinary measures---if patient has not specified their choice, family should decide
6)extraordinary measures---patient decides (within reason)
7)Patient should decide their care (if possible). Suicide--no. Physician assisted suicide--no
8) Don't know
9) Relationship--no
10) Patient is responsible for the choices they make---they should not only be told---but everything explained as clearly as possible--including consequenses of various treatment options.
Tora--southeast asia
1, stem cell research and cloning, both allowed, as far as related to desired for human well being.
2, IVF allowe only with sperm of husband, not with outside marital relationship
3, adoption allowe, no legal heirship
4,organ donation from live as well as deceased both are allowed
5, hydration and nutrition should be continued
6,no
7, no
8, yes,
9, not corcerned with religious faith
10, should tell to the patient, sometimes social practices prohibit from this and family comes forward to take the burden
I'm teaching Nursing in Malaysia; although I'm originally from Australia and I'm a Muslim.
1. I know there's a number of facilities in Iran conducting stem cell research and cloning. Most large government labs in Iran which conduct stem cell or cloning research even have their own 'in-house' Imans or Mullahs (I'm not sure of the Shia term) to advise on the ethical issue as they arise.
2. Islamically, IVF is fine so long as both cells come from biological parents. Culturally this is also the view.
3. Adoption...got to agree with what everyone else has said.
4.Here's a twist for you! Islamically, organ donation (living or otherwise) is acceptable. However, culturally, there are some big problems. I've spoken with some Middle Eastern Muslims ("backyard scholars") who are convinced that organ donation is completely haram (forbidden).
You may be interested to go to another thread I put up today on "Suicide: Views of Christianity and Islam". ..Maurice.
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