Russian: Этика вспомогательной репродуктивной медицины: сравнительный обзор ис- ламской и западной светской биоэтики (Books-In-Brief: Ethics of Assisted Reproductive Medicine: A Comparative Study of Western Secular and Islamic Bioethics)
Description:... Bioethics has developed over the last few decades into a major field of inquiry. With advances in medicine progressively transforming our understanding of what constitutes life, there is need for a medical ethics to address many of the issues and challenges arising, particularly in the fields of genetics and reproduction. Of central significance are serious moral dilemmas confronting medical experts which require a theological perspective. Yet it is secular bioethics that is defining what constitutes human life and it is secular bioethics that is influencing policy on matters which concern us all and are likely to have grave societal impact. Is it right for a woman to act as surrogate for her sister? Or for a childless couple to resort to artificial insemination by donor? What does Islam have to say?
Ethics of Assisted Reproductive Medicine compares and contrasts Western and Islamic models of bioethics, a little understood but hugely important field in the world of genetics, advanced medicine, and medical ethics, which has developed over the last few decades into a major field of inquiry. With advances in medicine progressively transforming our understanding of what constitutes life, there is need for a medical ethics to address many of the issues and challenges arising, particularly in genetics and reproduction. This is vital as developments in modern medicine (controversially stem-cell research, human cloning, and the right to end life) can lead to potentially harmful practices being legitimized through health care policies into practice, with the general public largely unaware that some powerful lobbying is taking place behind the scenes. What is ethical, and what is not? Who decides and on what basis? Of central significance are serious moral dilemmas confronting medical experts which require a theological perspective. Yet it is secular bioethics that is defining what constitutes human life and it is secular bioethics that is influencing policy on matters which concern us all and are likely to have grave societal impact. Is it right for a woman to act as surrogate for her sister? Or for a childless couple to resort to artificial insemination by donor? What does Islam have to say? Human cloning, surrogacy, and IVF are some of the more hotly contested topics. The author analyzes these rigorously. This work makes the case that the Islamic perspective (taken from the Qur’an an and the Sunnah) provides a viable and clear alternative that goes beyond the dominance of the secular and its various philosophical bases, to give Revelation and spiritual understanding precedence. In doing so, keeping to principles, it charts the way out of a confused circle of opinion that is making it very hard to decide what is best. It also challenges a secular understanding which sees the human body as little more than tissue, organ, and brain, not soul, consciousness and mind.
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