Newsletter Nov 04"
A TALK WITH
IMAM CHEBLI
BY SADID
QURAISHI
Editors
Forum - Schiavo Case By Sadid Quraishi.
Who is the
owner of life? Does it belong to man or does it belong to the creator of mankind - God, who can take it
back any time? Answer is based on philosophy of life which advocates that God is the sole owner of
life. God has plans for every life in every situation and circumstances, and no
one has the right to take life. Scholars of various religions agree on this
philosophy of life. They agree on security and safety of this precious gift of
God bestowed to Mankind in the form of life on this universe. But in Terri
Schiavo's case, they showed difference in opinion. VATICAN - criticized
removal of the feeding tube. Orthodox Jews considered keeping the brain-damaged
woman alive was tampering with the process of death. Opinion of Dr. Muzzamil
Siddiqi, former President of the ISNA: "lf the patient is on life
support, it may be permissible, with due consideration and care, to decide to
switch off the life-support machine and let nature take its own time". Egyptian
scholar Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, recently issued a Fatwa, equating
euthanasia with murder, but allowing the withholding of treatment that is
deemed useless.
Imam Hamad
Chebli , religious and law scholar from University
of AI Azhar and Imam of Islamic Society of Central Jersey, described a
persistent vegetative state is a neurological condition where by the cortex of
the brain-the outer covering that governs memory, communication and purposeful
movement is damaged. While the brain stem which governs unconscious function
such as breathing and heartbeat, remains intact. I have seen such cases in my
hospital visits. Patient lying on bed, relative, wife, children and friends
crying and asking for my advice. I discussed this topic with Dr Saeed Shanawai
of Syria who told me patients should be advised to listen to decisions of
medical experts. Imam believes everybody is created by Allah and every body has to die
one day or the other, and only Allah has the power to decide that time. Allah
has given man knowledge of medicine and its technology with surgical procedures
as life support. To remove the feeding tube is like putting Schiavo on the
verge of death. Imam Chebli said that this kind of cases in daily life are very
emotional and sentimental which guides to morality, he advised not to make this
a political scandal or a media circus. Sheikh Yusuf AI-Qaradawi states that
positive euthanasia or so-called "mercy killing" is forbidden in
Islam as it encompasses a positive role on the part of the physician to end the
life of the patient and hasten his death via lethal injection, electric shock,
a sharp weapon or any other means. This is an act of murder, and murder is a
major sin in Islam, the religion of pure mercy.
Political
Controversy
The case of
the brain-damaged Florida patient has sparked a political controversy in the
United States. Cutting short his holiday in Texas, President Bush rushed back
to Washington Sunday, March 20, to follow the case and signed a law when bill
passed by Congress, allowing Schiavo's parents to take the case to the Federal
Court in a bid to keep her alive.
PRESDENT BUSH
- AGAINST TUBE REMOVAL: "In cases like this
one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our
laws and our courts should have a presumption in favor of life". Rush
Holt - Democratic Congressman voted against a bill that allows Scianvo's
parents the right to sue in Federal Court over the withdrawal of nourishment
and medical treatment needed to sustain their daughter who suffered severe
brain damage 15 years ago.
Chris Smith-
Republican Congressman - voted in favor of this
bill. Both have one similarity - their fathers were taken of the respirators.
Pakistani
Community leader and scholar - Ali Asghar Chaudhry expressed his opinion in
this e-mail :
Dear Br.
Sadid: Assalam-O-Alaikum: I could not follow Shiavo case with in-depth Vision.
However, this is an unforeseen event that got compounded, encircled and
enshrined with extra multilayered convictions, human nature, integrity and
above family feud, In addition medical and legal professions had to redefine
this case and
apparently
have not been able to give a decisive opinion on the precise state of the
patient and could not specify action to be taken in the best interest of Terri.
Courts, Politicians and Attorneys just pursued their courses that would best
demonstrate their performance to their clients rather than serve any decisive
and beneficial purpose for Terri. Here are primary factors playing part in the
riddled dilemma. We see deaths and comas every day but this one was laden with
more than a triangle. While the thrust of both sides was to achieve their
intended goals, through legal supported by medical altitude,
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