The Impact of Medieval Debates on the Nature of the Soul on Modern Discussions of Abortion and Euthanasia in Islam

This paper examines the relationship between the national laws on abortion and euthanasia in the Muslim world, as represented by Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, and Islamic philosophy. The underlying assumption behind this examination is that there will be clearly visible links between the debates in classical Islamic philosophy concerning the nature of human consciousness and the current national debates and laws in the above named countries. This examination will also highlight the opinions of Islamic jurists and scholars on abortion and euthanasia since national law is derived from Islamic law in these countries. This paper’s discussion of philosophy will focus on the work of Al-Farabi (870-950 C.E.), Avicenna (980-1037 C.E.), Al-Ghazali (1058–1111 C.E.), and Averroës (1126-1198 C.E.), who write extensively on the ontology of the human soul. It will focus only on the juridical opinions on abortion and euthanasia published in the fatwas of individual Muslim jurists or in the public statements made by Islamic fatwa councils, with special attention given to those statements being issued from Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2015

Author dc:creator

• Fulton, Martha

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/57189

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/57189