LEGAL SITUATION REGARDING ASSESSED REPRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES

Abstract

Background. The assessed reproduction technologies (ART) often involve a range of controversial ethical and legal issues that are inspiring for research. Purpose. Comprehensive study on ways to use certain types of technologies. Materials. This paper provides with research of a legal framework of the ART based on the legislation of 13 Muslim countries: Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, the UAE, Malaysia, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Turkey. Results. Due to a range of religious, ethical, legal and social reasons access to the ART was prohibited, but in recent decades mujtahids and fakihs have come to conclusion that for the sake of national prosperity and sustainable development of the ummah medically assisted reproduction may be permissible under certain conditions and must be regulated by laws and correspond to fatwas. The limits of usage of certain technologies have common tendency in gulf countries and the Northern Africa. Nevertheless, some other Muslim countries (e.g., Iran and Malaysia) address this issue in a more detailed and open-minded way. Conclusion. Although there’re legal mechanisms and tools for a broader interpretation and a wider interpretation despite critical opinion of theologies and restricted nature of so-called «gates of al-ijtihad», because they are based on established years ago institutes an, in fact, don’t contradict the foundations of Qur’an and Sunnah. However, features of Muslim law remain.

Keywords

• assisted reproduction techniques
• medically assisted reproduction
• biomedical research ethics
• muslim countries
• laws and regulations
• kinship