Hi T,
Thank you for this one,I wish it could be publish in a Gambian newspaper.
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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