Islam pays due attention to children

By Sobhi Migahd, Abeer Salahudin, IOL Staff

CAIRO, Aug 4 (IslamOnline.net) – The Islamic Research Association (IRA) of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif ratified Sunday, August 3, the 'Children Charter in Islam,' drawn up by the Islamic World Council for Dawaa and Relief's (IWCDR) committee of women and children, in response to the United Nations children charter, which contained "brazen violations of Islamic Shariaa."

The 137-page charter consists of 33 articles that primarily tackle child care, human rights, personal status laws and the ideal bringing-up of Muslim children. 

The seven-pronged charter asserted the great importance of closely-knitted family to children.

The family "is the first school which teaches children human, ethical, spiritual and religious values," it said, warning of the current Western trends that lead to the disunity of families.

"Muslim children have every right to survive and grow up," it said, prohibiting abortion unless it would save the mother's life.

It further stressed that the fetus should be safe from any harm and provided with good nutrition, in reference to children born out of wedlock.

"Those children should not be aborted, because their parents are to blame for that," the charter said. 

It also protects the children's identity, language, culture and their cultural and religious backgrounds.

Genealogy

The charter further safeguards Muslims' genealogies and counters the weird moves taken by extremist feminist groups in the West.

"Children should be affiliated with their biological parents," the charter said, prohibiting all practices that might lead to descent mess, such as surrogate mothers and adoption.

"Adoption is prohibited in Islam, which caters to all children, including the orphans, the foundlings, the poor and those with special needs (the handicapped)," the charter said.

In a bid also to put an end to violence against children, the charter called for protecting children against maltreatment and violence, whether from his/her parents, the teacher in the school or the captain in the club.

It also condemned the west-designed children charters, which encouraged children to file lawsuits against their parents.

"Children are also fairly entitled to give voice to their opinions and seek worthy information that dose not run counter to their religion, patriotism and traditions," the charter said.

The articles also urged the governments and parents to provide a decent living standard and healthy atmosphere for children, asserting that children should not be involved in wars unless they reach the legal age.

"Children should be also given first priority in armed conflicts and emergency cases," it said.

Speaking at a press conference in Al-Azhar Sheikdom on Suday, Dr. Ali Gommah, member of the IWCDR's women and children committee, said that the charter came to counter international charters, which violate to Islamic Shariaa, noting that the U.N. charter on children rights contained "blatant violations of Islamic tradition, such same sex marriages and abortion."

For his part, Dr. Mazen al-Motabkani, professor of sociology in Al-Madina Al-Minwra University, warned that the Islamic education in the Islamic world was losing ground to its western rivals.

"The education system in Arab world has been marred by western ideas that have nothing to do with Islam," he said.

The charter was drawn up by an elite of Arab and Muslim intelligentsia, including Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Dr. Mohammad Emara, Dr. Ali Gommah, Dr. Ahmad al-Assal, Dr. Soad Salih and Dr. Fathi Lashin.