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by Dina Rashed CHICAGO (Islam Online) - Cloning is not playing God because we do not create the first cell. What we are using is already created by God. This scientific phenomenon is a miracle." With these words, Dr. Shahid Athar, M.D., vice president of the Islamic Medical Association (IMA) and chairman of its Ethics Committee, answered questions about the nature of cloning and how Islamic scientists perceive it. In an early session of the IMA convention on Friday, Muslim scientists discussed the contribution of Muslim physicians to medicine, the importance of introducing an Islamic paradigm in studying, medical ethics, and organ transplants. Dr. Athar's presentation introduced more queries than simple answers to highly controversial issues in medical practice. He said that there is a great need for Muslims to discuss such questions and that answers are not simply black and white. The challenge is often between what can be done and what should be done. Rules of Islamic ethics state that necessities override prohibits, and what is prohibited at one time could be allowed at another. Islamic Shariah (Islamic law) stresses the importance of preservation and protection of life and the preservation and protection of mind. It also defines the right of ownership and the freedom of religion, Dr. Athar said. When asked about the current debate on therapeutic stem cell research, Athar said it is very important to know the sources of the embryonic cells that are being researched. How these cells are being acquired is a corner stone in the research process from an Islamic point of view. Mothers should not conceive with prior intention of abortion for the sake of experiments; but surplus cells, like the ones available in the fertility banks, could be researched if they would be discarded otherwise. Dr. Ayaz Samadani, M.D., president of the Wisconsin Medical Society, called for the need to increase awareness of organ donation. " 'Be a donor, build hope' is a message we should give to our patients," he said, The "Qur'an teaches us to do what's best for mankind." Dr. Hossam E. Fadil, M.D., currently editor-in-chief of the Journal of Islamic Medical Association (JIMA) and a clinical professor, illustrated the role played by Muslims over the years in developing medical science. He said that practicing medicine, for them, was based on the desire to acquire knowledge. They have defined liability of the practice and they also applied measures of licensing the physicians. Professor Waqar Hussaini, president of the Institute of Islamic Sciences, Technology and Development in California added that such contributions by Muslim scientists are accompanied by a grasp of Islamic wisdom (Hekma), and that the Arabic use of the word for the physician was Hakeem: the man of wisdom. There is a need to study the books of Sunnah, and not only from the ritual side but how the Sunnah dealt with issues of economics, science and medicine. An advocate of Islamizing secular higher education, Hussaini introduced a project outline allowing students the opportunity to pursue double majors; one in any field, and the other in an Islamically-orientated field. "If a student is studying economics, sociology or medicine or any subject, his second major should be in the Islamic ideology related to that subject, like studying Islamic medical psychiatry, or Islamic economics or history and so forth," he said. Dr. Husain F. Nagamia, chairman of the International Institute of Islamic Medicine, past president of IMA, and past editor-in-chief of JIMA, drew his final remarks as moderator of the session, saying that all Muslim physicians should belong to the IMA because it is an association that serves Islam. "I am totally and completely dedicated to the Islamic Medical Association," he said. "Islamic medicine is the practice within the limits of the Shariah and guidance of the Holy Qur'an. It is important to set our own standards as Muslims. We also need leaders and not followers. We need to discuss evolving issues: cloning, gene therapy, surrogacy are just some of them," he said. |
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