Jaajef Saiks,
Any suggestions? Maybe you could forward it? Do you need
authours permission to publish?
Yeendu ak jaama
Tony
>>> saiks samateh <[log in to unmask]>
16/November/1999 01:33am >>>
Hi T,
Thank you for this one,I wish it could be publish in a
Gambian newspaper.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jaajef wa G-L
What seems to be a different Islamic perspective on birth
control than that put forward by Imam Fatty
Yeenduleen ak jaama
Tony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fertility Control (Tahdid Al Nasl) Versus
Fertility Organization (Tanzim Al Nasl)
Muslim religious thinkers in the past quarter of a century
have made a distinction between fertility
control (Tahdid Al Nasl) and fertility regulation (Tanzim Al
Nasl). Tahdid Al Nasl refers to
controlling fertility over the entire period of a woman's
reproductive years. This comprehensive,
generalized fertility control,Tahdid Al Nasl, is forbidden. On
the other hand to regulate fertility
(Tanzim Al Nasl) to strengthen a woman's health, or to
suckle one child, or to care for elderly
parents or relatives is desirable and recommended. A famous
Egyptian religious leader, Imam
Shaltout notes that "individualistic fertility control is not
against nature or God, nor counter to national
priorities, and is permitted and encouraged by the Shariah
(the law)" (1991:297). The religious rules
that encourage fertility regulation in Islam are based on the
general spirit of the Qur'an and the
Prophet's Hadith about Yasir wa la tua'sir: "facilitate and do
not complicate". He also said: "What is
good for my people is law".
Fertility Organization:
Encouraged Methods Condoms, Diaphragms and Oral
Contraception
The use of condoms and diaphragms for organizing fertility in
the Islamic texts is clearly encouraged.
The Prophet when asked about the use of barriers (Al'Azil),
said three times consecutively: "and you
shall use them"(3). The encouragement and approval of the
use of the barrier is based primarily on
the principle of non-interference with God's power of creation.
As a result to prevent fertility,
humans shall do so prior to the conception of life.
Beyond the use of the barrier (Al'azil), Islamic thought varies
in its interpretations concerning the use
of other fertility control methods. Some religious thinkers
(e.g. Sha'rawi) note that the use of the birth
control pill and any other pharmacological substance is
forbidden. Other thinkers (e.g. Shaltout, and
Al Ghazali) note that oral contraception can be an
encouraged method of fertility organization, since
the contraceptive does not intervene directly with the
conception of life.
It is important to note that irrespective of which of the
interpretations one "believes", it is essential to
examine the use of oral contraception from the Islamic view
of "facilitating not complicating" women's
reproductive health. Oral contraception in most Muslim
countries is a major cause of health
complications for women over the age of 30. In my own
research in a village in the south of Egypt, I
found that women's age was never considered when
prescribing oral contraception (4). Instead
doctors prescribe vitamin pills to assure women that they are
taking care of the oral contraception's
side effects. The contraceptive pills prescribed for the women
of all ages were high in their estrogen
content (5). Many women during my stay in the village
complained to me about irregular bleeding,
pains in the rear of their legs, weight gain, and severe
headaches. The issue one needs to underscore
is if in the Islamic perspective the basis for encouraging
fertility organization is to care for the
mother's health and well-being then we need to ensure that
Muslim women have access to oral
contraception brands similar to those available in Western
markets.
Abortion
In Islam abortions are encouraged only if the pregnancy
threatens the well-being of the mother. It is
forbidden to sacrifice the mother's life for the fetus. Here
again the practice of abortion is prescribed
with limitations. The soul in the Islamic tradition develops
after the fetus moves in the womb. The
distinction between movement and life in Islam is very clear.
The fetus moves, during the second
trimester (precisely after 120 days of pregnancy). Abortion,
as a result, is permitted during the first
120 days, i.e. before the soul develops.
Islam like other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Christianity)
addresses the practice of fertility control.
The texts are very clear about encouraging the organization
of fertility if it helps strengthen women's
health. The major problem, however, among most Muslim
women is not the Islamic prescriptions
about fertility control, but rather the level of development in
their countries. In fact, the social and
material conditions of most Islamic countries inhibit access
and use of appropriate health and medical
services for women. In a recent UNICEF publication, Khattab
(1992) notes that women's
reproductive health needs to be addressed holistically,
inter-linking physical, with social,
psychological, economic and political well being. Muslim
women, in addition to learning about their
religion they need: 1. health professionals that understand
and respect their life conditions; 2. sex
education; and 3. a re-examining of the external cultural and
material systems that inhibit women's
access to health services (Khattab 1992:5).
By Nawal H. Ammar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Kent State University/Trumbull
http://www.consultation.org/consultation/ammar.htm#text3
For Freedom
Saiks
What seems to be a different Islamic perspective on birth
control than
that put forward by Imam Fatty
Yeenduleen ak jaama
Tony
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fertility Control (Tahdid Al Nasl) Versus
Fertility Organization (Tanzim Al Nasl)
Muslim religious thinkers in the past quarter of a century
have made a
distinction between fertility
control (Tahdid Al Nasl) and fertility regulation (Tanzim Al
Nasl). Tahdid Al
Nasl refers to
controlling fertility over the entire period of a woman's
reproductive
years. This comprehensive,
generalized fertility control,Tahdid Al Nasl, is forbidden. On
the other
hand to regulate fertility
(Tanzim Al Nasl) to strengthen a woman's health, or to
suckle one child,
or to care for elderly
parents or relatives is desirable and recommended. A famous
Egyptian
religious leader, Imam
Shaltout notes that "individualistic fertility control is not
against nature
or
God, nor counter to national
priorities, and is permitted and encouraged by the Shariah
(the law)"
(1991:297). The religious rules
that encourage fertility regulation in Islam are based on the
general spirit
of the Qur'an and the
Prophet's Hadith about Yasir wa la tua'sir: "facilitate and do
not
complicate". He also said: "What is
good for my people is law".
Fertility Organization:
Encouraged Methods Condoms, Diaphragms and Oral
Contraception
The use of condoms and diaphragms for organizing fertility in
the Islamic
texts is clearly encouraged.
The Prophet when asked about the use of barriers (Al'Azil),
said three
times consecutively: "and you
shall use them"(3). The encouragement and approval of the
use of the
barrier is based primarily on
the principle of non-interference with God's power of creation.
As a
result to prevent fertility,
humans shall do so prior to the conception of life.
Beyond the use of the barrier (Al'azil), Islamic thought varies
in its
interpretations concerning the use
of other fertility control methods. Some religious thinkers
(e.g. Sha'rawi)
note that the use of the birth
control pill and any other pharmacological substance is
forbidden. Other
thinkers (e.g. Shaltout, and
Al Ghazali) note that oral contraception can be an
encouraged method of
fertility organization, since
the contraceptive does not intervene directly with the
conception of life.
It is important to note that irrespective of which of the
interpretations one
"believes", it is essential to
examine the use of oral contraception from the Islamic view
of
"facilitating not complicating" women's
reproductive health. Oral contraception in most Muslim
countries is a
major cause of health
complications for women over the age of 30. In my own
research in a
village in the south of Egypt, I
found that women's age was never considered when
prescribing oral
contraception (4). Instead
doctors prescribe vitamin pills to assure women that they are
taking care
of the oral contraception's
side effects. The contraceptive pills prescribed for the women
of all
ages were high in their estrogen
content (5). Many women during my stay in the village
complained to me
about irregular bleeding,
pains in the rear of their legs, weight gain, and severe
headaches. The
issue one needs to underscore
is if in the Islamic perspective the basis for encouraging
fertility
organization is to care for the
mother's health and well-being then we need to ensure that
Muslim
women have access to oral
contraception brands similar to those available in Western
markets.
Abortion
In Islam abortions are encouraged only if the pregnancy
threatens the
well-being of the mother. It is
forbidden to sacrifice the mother's life for the fetus. Here
again the
practice of abortion is prescribed
with limitations. The soul in the Islamic tradition develops
after the fetus
moves in the womb. The
distinction between movement and life in Islam is very clear.
The fetus
moves, during the second
trimester (precisely after 120 days of pregnancy). Abortion,
as a result,
is permitted during the first
120 days, i.e. before the soul develops.
Islam like other Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Christianity)
addresses
the practice of fertility control.
The texts are very clear about encouraging the organization
of fertility if
it helps strengthen women's
health. The major problem, however, among most Muslim
women is not
the Islamic prescriptions
about fertility control, but rather the level of development in
their
countries. In fact, the social and
material conditions of most Islamic countries inhibit access
and use of
appropriate health and medical
services for women. In a recent UNICEF publication, Khattab
(1992)
notes that women's
reproductive health needs to be addressed holistically,
inter-linking
physical, with social,
psychological, economic and political well being. Muslim
women, in
addition to learning about their
religion they need: 1. health professionals that understand
and respect
their life conditions; 2. sex
education; and 3. a re-examining of the external cultural and
material
systems that inhibit women's
access to health services (Khattab 1992:5).
By Nawal H. Ammar, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Kent State University/Trumbull
http://www.consultation.org/consultation/ammar.htm#text3
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