Jews, Muslims at one on cloning

By Patrick Comerford

In a rare example of Islamic-Jewish dialogue and Israeli-Egyptian accord, the Chief Rabbi of Israel and a prominent Islamic theologian in Cairo have strongly condemned the latest advances in cloning.

The Chief Rabbi, Dr Meir Lau, speaking at a conference in Tel Aviv's Bar-Ilan University, said the cloning of living creatures is prohibited by Jewish law. “The use of genetic engineering to create life is totally prohibited.”

Responding to advances by scientists in the US and Scotland who have cloned monkeys and a sheep, Rabbi Lau said: “The genetic manipulations being carried out by some scientists are not aimed at healing and thus are violations of Jewish law.”

He continued: “Our sages are given permission to heal but there isn’t anything implicit in this that allows any penetration into the role of the Lord in forming new life in unnatural ways. Cloning doesn’t heal, it is a complete diversion from science.”

As Rabbi Lau was speaking in Tel Aviv, an Islamic theologian in Cairo called for an end to research on cloning, saying it did not meet an Islamic requirement that the benefits outweigh the harm.

“I say this research must be stopped because it will lead to things which are forbidden by Islamic law, ideologically and ethically, rather than benefiting mankind,” said Dr Abdelmuti Bayyoumi, Professor of Doctrine at al-Azhar University.

Al-Azhar is one of the most prestigious seats of Islamic learning in the Sunni Muslim World. The Mufti is Egypt’s chief exponent of religious law, issuing fatwas (rulings) on any subject referred to him. The Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar and the Mufti of Egypt have not yet responded to requests for a ruling on cloning.

“Anything which does more harm than good is karam (forbidden) and so far the harm done by genetic engineering and cloning has proved to be greater than the benefit,” Dr Bayyoumi said, according to the government newspaper al-Gomhuria.

He said cloning humans would raise legal questions over which of two genetically identical humans was responsible for criminal acts, for example. “What if this reckless science goes further and thinks of cloning criminals, or mummified Pharaohs or even cloning prophets?” he asked.

This news report was first published in ‘The Irish Times on Thursday 6 March 1997