Editor’s note: For the month of September 2015, Simerg will be publishing new posts on a less frequent basis. Normal publication will resume in October. The following piece first appeared on this website in 2012.

ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND MEDICINE, AND A SHIA ISLAMIC RESPONSE

Ever since researchers in 1998 discovered that stem cells extracted from embryonic tissue could regenerate to become any type of cell, there has been a deep divide on the morality of such research. When stem cells are taken from an embryo, the embryo loses its viability: it cannot become implanted into a womb or develop into a fetus. To knowingly damage an embryo in order to remove stem cells is, for some, equal to destroying human life. For others, who see great promise in what stem cells might do to cure illnesses it is immoral not to move forward with such research. What is Islam’s position on this ethical question? Read how Iran, a Shia Muslim country, has responded to this debate.

Please click Embryonic Stem Cell Research and the Rights of a Foetus: A Shia Muslim Perspective from Iran or on the image below.

Diseases and conditions where stem cell treatment is promising or emerging. Please click for article “A Shia Muslim Perspective on Stem Cell Research.” Image: Wikipedia.