I was interested to read in the British Medical Journal the short item
by Prof Isbister ('A good fatwa' - BMJ 325 :1227 on 25 November 2002).
This is a relatively rare and intelligent reference regarding the
positive use of fatwas. As the director of a centre dealing with
multi-cultural health care matters, I do have an great interest in
collecting such materials, both for teaching and practice development -
as well as in informing research!
I do know of TWO similar fatwas - one obtained by a friend who was
seeking to encourage organ donation among Muslims, as there is a
shortage of suitable donors, in particular of kidneys, among the Asian
population in UK. Following some research into palliative care, I came
across (and obtained a copy of) of another, which was helpful to people
with stoma following radical surgery for bowel cancer, assuring the
faithful that they may pray even if the bag is filling, as long as they
perform ritual cleansing (wuzu or wudhu) at the start of the prayer
period.
It would be helpful if we could establish some sort of repository or
reference centre where such materials could be stored and located -
along with the list of which 'E-number' food additives and medical
preparations meet the requirements of halal (pure/permitted) dietary
law, and which are haram (forbidden). I would volunteer to host such a
thing on our website, if copies could be supplied.
Dr Mark R D Johnson
Professor of Diversity in Health & Social Care
Mary Seacole Research Centre
De Montfort University
266 London Road
Leicester LE2 1RQ
Tel (Sec) 0116 201 3906 (fax: 201-3805)
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