ISLAM AND THE
By Professor Michael C.
Geokas*
The Draft Final Document of the UN sponsored
Conference in
These parts of the agenda have produced strong
protestations from the Catholic Church, and from several Muslim countries. Some
Muslim theologians have been known to oppose the family planning movement
as a Western device to limit the size of the
global Muslim population(980 million in 1988, and expected to nearly double to
1.9 billion, by 2020).Moreover,they fear that widespread use of contraception
will promote promiscuity. Militant Muslim preachers have attacked the
The Sudanese Government declared that the Conference
would result in "the spread of immoral and irreligious values", and
Pakistani rightists in
REASONS FOR THIS STRIDENT RESPONSE
There are fundamental values and beliefs in Islam,
that are seriously threatened and it behooves the West to listen carefully.
First, is the powerful opposition to the
contemplated redefinition of the family; second,is the deeply seated belief
concerning family planning-an area as intimate as people's reproductive
choices; and third, the centuries old and ever slowly evolving, status of Women
in Islam.
Omran and Roudi, describe the family in the
Muslim countries of the Middle East, for instance, as the focus of social
life,and the core of society, highly respected by the young and old alike; as
the key social security system and safety net for the handicapped, the sick and
the elderly, and the economic refuge for those out of work, and for children
and adolescents.This tradition preceded Islam and was solidified by its
teachings. Children are responsible for aging parents,who in turn support their
children until marriage,or until they become financially independent.
Women constitute the backbone of the family and
promulgate cultural values to the next generation.The extended family is the
norm and most families are headed by a man. The family, is sacrosanct.
Thus, the phrase, "the family, its roles and
the diversity of its composition and structure", is abhorrent to Islam.
FAMILY PLANNING IN ISLAM
In his book, on Family Planning in
Islam,Professor Omran describes the acceptable uses of contraception as
follows:the protection of the mother's health by spacing of pregnancies;
prevention of transmission of infectious or hereditary illnesses to the child;
the avoidance of economic hardship from too many children; to avoid aggravating
an ill mother's condition by pregnancy and labor; to "safeguard the wife's
beauty and keep her fit and in good form";and to protect the breastfeeding
child from reduced quality of his mother's milk, due to a new pregnancy.
Most Schools of Islamic law agree, that
contraception should be voluntary,it cannot be legally imposed and that
requires the permission of the wife or husband as the case may be. It is
unacceptable if aimed to avoid female children or to shirk the maternal role.
Forced sterilization is prohibited.
Abortion is not permitted as a family planning
tool. It is permitted before the fourth month, by some of the legal Islamic
Schools(e.g.Hanafi) when a strong health reason exists. After the fourth month
of pregnancy abortion is only permitted, if the mother's life is in serious
jeopardy. However despite these restrictions, most governments recognize the
need for family planning,the use of contraceptives is increasing,sterilization
is accessible to large numbers of women, and anecdotal information
indicates, that in major Middle Eastern cities,
illegal abortion is widespread.
"Reproductive rights,reproductive health and
family planning",are synonymous in Islam, with legal abortion on
demand.
THE STATUS OF WOMEN
Finally, a change of the role of women,which
largely depends on education and their entry into the labor force, is occurring
in Islam, albeit slowly and unevenly. Islam supports the dominance of males in
society,although the Sharia requires fairness for females.
The eldest male has full authority over the
family. Family law in the Muslim
The women's value to her husband in most Muslim
societies depends upon her capacity to reproduce.Childbearing starts at a young
age and women are under societal and familial pressure to show their ability to
have children. Youthful marriage is thus part and parcel of the family system
and is strongly supported by Islam.
Early female age at the time of marriage is a
deeply rooted cultural norm for instance, in Egyptian villages and it appears
unlikely that this will change, without new and strong social factors which
will modify the rural culture.An enduring feature of life which has to be
overcome, is the fear of parents that their daughters might get involved in
premarital sex or become sexually promiscuous, if they do not marry early.
In view of these considerations, "Gender
equality and empowerment of women", trumpeted by the UN Conference in
Frankly, parts of the agenda of the
The answer is of course that
Furthermore, the growing antagonism against
immigrants (especially those from Muslim countries),in many European countries
of low fertility, can only increase the suspicions of racism.
IN SUMMARY: All this explains the vibrant
objections to the
The West should avoid a collision course with
Islam on the population issue. Instead, it should realize that it cannot bring
a "kicking and screaming Islam", or
most of the other developing countries, into an accelerated form of the Second
Demographic Transition overnight.
First, the Western representatives should discuss
openly and candidly the detrimental consequences of non-replacement fertilities
in most European countries, such as
Second, a patient and candid attempt should be
made, to demonstrate to the representatives of the Muslim countries, the wisdom
of moderating population growth, for the ultimate benefit of their societies
and their future generations.
A case in point is the water resources.The
The 15 countries and two territories(Gaza and
West Bank) had a combined population of 264 million in 1993, and they are
projected, (if the present vital rates continue), to have 576 million at 2025
(High estimate). This enormous population growth
will strain water resources in the extreme. A harsh hydroclimate and the
growing population pressure, will produce the need for slower population
growth,conservation and appropriate agricultural policies in the area.
Taking it all together, Judith Lichtenberg of the
University of Maryland, is right on target when she says: "If you want a
population program to succeed, begin with an understanding of the culture for
which it is designed; take its traditions seriously; treat its people with respect,
you would accord your own".
Michael C. Geokas,M.D.,M.Sc.,Ph.D.*
Emeritus Professor of Medicine and
Published
In: The Greek American: