Posted: July 7th, 2015

Multiple Modernity and Islamic Ethics on Organ Donation

MULTIPLE MODERNITY AND ISLAMIC ETHICS ON ORGAN DONATION

Introduction

            Globalization has resulted to the formation of a homogeneous community with technology being the link between nations. However there is a difference in culture among the multiple nations across the globe ad this has resulted to a clash in civilization. While the western countries have embraced technology, some nations are hesitant and objective to some practices for instance organ transplant. The objection is mainly from the Muslim and Confucian nations whose culture does not advocate for the transplant of organs. Technology has resulted to the formation of a global community which should be treated as a new form of civilization which involves social, political and economic revolution. The changes that occur in different nations are similar while the response to change among the western and non-western nations is different (Eisenstadt, 1999). Religion and culture has been affected by modernization to prompt standardization and a new understanding of modernization from a religious perspective (Heifer, 1998). This article discusses the influence of modernization on the Islamic ethics regarding the issue of organ donation/ transplantation.

Modernity and Islamic Ethics on Organ donation

Modernity has been experienced in most of the nations across the globe. However this has not resulted in common civilization but rather different patterns of civilization. In Islam, religion has always encompassed man’s invention in areas such as science, medicine and the legal field. Medicine forms an integral part of human invention because it improves the quality of life. However an agreement on the issue organ transplant has lagged behind since Islamic thinkers are still re examining the issue to come up with a response. However majority of the Muslim leaders agree that the living will benefit more from an organ transplant than the dead would lose. Transplant saves life and according to holy Quran, if one person sustains the life of another, it’s like he sustained the life of the rest of the mankind. The organs can be obtained from the three classes of donors who include the living, cadavers and the dead people who donate brain. However, the Islam states that the donation should not risk the life or health of a living donor. This is because the healthy donor has the chance of living longer as compared to the sick recipient. If a person donates and dies as a result of this, then this is not acceptable. Some organs are very vital and pose risk to the life of a donor. For instance heart donation is not allowed because it poses a great risk to the life of the living donor. The person donating an organ should also do so out of his/own free will and it is more appropriate for non urgent cases in which the two parties prepare psychologically before the transplant (Kamal, 2008).

Modern religion has experienced a lot of privatization in the west. It has been predicted that this trend will also affect non western countries that practice Islam, Hindu and even Christianity. Based on the assumption that modernization is bound to affect the practices of any given nation, Islam will be forced to adapt and behave like the west. For instance, the issue of interiority which affects privatization is closely related to modernity (Heifer, 1998). Today this is not the case because Muslims believe that all the organs that a person has are God given and should never be sold to another party. Transplant should be done out of a person’s free will and therefore organs cannot be sold. Activities that are meant to prolong life are only acceptable if no commercialization is included. The fact privatization has been predicted in the rest of the non western countries implies that in future Islam may also advocate for privatization of organs. But for now this is not acceptable since ownership of organs belongs to God and man has no power over his body (Kamal 2008).

The modernity that is being experienced in different parts of the world has prompted for the need of a collective belief and identity (Eisenstadt, 1999). This is because the people involved in the field of medicine serve people from the different cultural backgrounds. If a mutual agreement lacks between the parties, then the process of saving and lengthening life will be complicated. Among the Islam, it is believed that death does not occur unless the heart has stopped beating and the body has gone cold. This has brought about conflicting ideas among the physicians. In the case of brain donation, it is required brain death should be performed before the organ can be moved to the recipient. This requires that the patient should be alive, The Muslim believe that such practices may result in inferior care for the people with lower socio economic status. They assume that these people may end up experiencing immature death while the physicians hasten to remove the brain for transplant. This means that the other person’s life is shortened and this is regarded as murder (Kamal, 2008).

Modernity has resulted in a lot of changes in culture and civilization which must be analyzed according to the specific issue that are involved. History molds the cultural foundations in which people run their lives. Therefore the changes that should occur among the different nations in the world should not be based on what the west practices. They should be approached individually to give each nation the freedom to practice its culture and define what changes should be accommodated in their cultural structure ( Eisenstadt & Schluchter , 1998). Based on this fact, the Islam community has the right to define what physicians should practice and also the level of civilization that is acceptable to their culture. The community is concerned with life and harbors a lot of respect for human life. The issue of organ transplant has been accepted only if it is a donation. However the issue of brain death remains controversial since it is assumed that it gives physicians the power to end life. The Muslim community only advocates organ transplant which protects the donors’ life and gives him/her the power to consent before donating. In case of the brain transplant, the donor does not have a chance to give consent and this is not acceptable in Islam (Kamal, 2008).

Conclusion

Technology and modernization add value to the quality of life. However they also affect the culture and structure of different nations. Embracing modernity should be defined by each individual nation and not the west. The non western countries have their own cultural believes which should be respected and the adaptation process should be based on what each nation believes in. Organ transplant among the Muslim community is accepted on the condition that the transplant does not risk the life of the donor. The living person has a greater chance of living longer than the sick one. Therefore this should be done out of the donor’s free will and privatization is not acceptable. The ownership of organs belongs to God and should remain so. Modernization is a gradual process, nations adapting to change have the right to integrate modernity according to their cultural structure.

References

Eisenstadt S. N. (1999). Multiple Modernities in an Age of Globalization. The Canadian Journal of Sociology. 24(2), 283-295.

Heifer R.W. (1998), Multiple Modernities: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism in a Globalizing Age. Annual Review of Anthropology. 27, 83-104.

Eisenstadt S. N & Schluchter W. (1998). Introduction: Paths to Early Modernities: A Comparative View. Early Modernities. 127(3), 1-18.

Kamal M. M.(2008). Ethical Issues of Organ Transplantation in Islam. The Journal of Teachers Association RMC, Rajshahi. 21(1), 97-103.