A report on "An Initiative on Bioethics from the Islamic World"

- Alireza Bagheri, M.D.
University of Tsukuba- Japan

Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 13 (2003), 113.

There has been a lack of Islamic institutions in the area of bioethics in global community. In response to this need, recently the Organization for Islamic Conference (OIC) Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH), has set up an International Bioethics Committee to address bioethical issues raised by new biotechnology from Islamic perspectives.

The committee, which comprises notable Muslim scientists and bioethicists, will devote their attention to address ethical issues in bioethics from Islamic perspectives and to set up mechanisms for sharing and exchanging information within the Islamic world as well as international organizations and associations involved in bioethical discussion. The committee with its multi-disciplinary structure could have a consultative role in terms of giving advises to policy makers and to prepare ethical guidelines for the different ethical issues that warrant a debate.

The first meeting of the committee was held on 1st March, 2003 as a satellite meeting of international bioethics conference in Beirut, Lebanon. The committee made it a priority to set up an " Islamic Bioethics Database" which includes information and a mailing list of scholars and academicians from OIC member countries working in this area as well as existing literature that gives an Islamic perspective on various bioethical discussions.

The preparation of a monograph on "Bioethics an Islamic Perspective" is another future task of the committee.

Contact Dr Anwar Nasim
COMSTECH, 3 Constitution Ave, G-5/2
Islamabad 44000, PAKISTAN
Email: anwar_nasim@yahoo.com

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