CLONING: ONE ISLAMIC VIEW

In cloning, the following steps are necessary:

A = DNA from Donor with Diabetes (e.g. Ali's DNA) from a Skin Sample.

B = Egg from his healthy female family member (e.g. Fatima's Egg). Remove DNA from Fatima's Egg until only Cytoplasm remains.

C = Put in Ali's DNA into Fatima's Cytoplasm, and produce Embryo by growing it in the Petri Dish into Stem Cells after 5 days.

D = Then, Ali's Stem Cell goes back to Ali's pancreas with Diabetes. Then, he can produce new pancreatic cells and Ali's Diabetes will be cured eventually without rejection.

What is wrong with this technique? Which part is against Islam?

Cloning between family members for curing diseases is Halal and encouraged (Savab), just like receiving blood and kidney from family members, which are Halal as well.

Cloning animals are difficult but Halal. Cloning takes more than 300 trials before "Dolly", a healthy sheep, was made. Since slaughtering sheep for food is Halal, slaughtering sheep for Medical research or producing food must be Halal.

Cloning technique

DNA information for Donor sheep (the sheep that will be copied) will be placed into the cytoplasm (egg from Female sheep without DNA) of female sheep. Fertilized egg will be placed into the female uterus for growth. Newborn sheep will be identical (copy of) to Donor sheep. If this technique is advanced, all problems are resolved. Then the food shortage, protein shortage and meat shortage in the world will be resolved. Don't you think this is Good and Godly.

Cloning humans at this time is not recommended because of so many complications. Otherwise, in principle, between husband and wife, cloning is like organ transplant, which is Halal.

If we do not progress with time and tie up the hands of Muslim scientists with unreasonable Fatwas, the Muslim community will fall behind and for medical treatment Muslims have to go to non-Muslim progressive countries to get treatment. Then, how would you convince your children that your religion is the best and most progressive religion in the world when you do not keep up with the progression of the medical research advancement?

Please review the Los Angeles Times article from Friday, May 20, 2005 titled "Cloned Embryos Created to Match Stem Cells, Patients" by Karen Kaplan.