Human Cloning in Catholic and Islamic Perspectives

This book is produced from my PhD thesis. It was defended on June 30^th, 2005.

It has won awards, such as Farabi International Award.

.Click on the below link or HERE to see an abstract of it

After the birth of Dolly, the sheep, the possibility of human cloning now is no longer a fiction, but it is a matter of time. Hence this issue is one of the most important problems of religion and ethics.

This doctoral thesis tries to analyze the arguments for and against human cloning from Catholic and Islamic point of views and assess their adequacy strengths and validity.

So it is organized into five part. In the first part, the historical and scientific aspects of human cloning are being reviewed briefly. This provides a background and a basis for better understanding of the issue. In this part, we become familiar with the literature and the process of cloning, specially human cloning.

In the second part, I have briefly reviewed the Catholic point of view on human cloning and its arguments against human cloning. Then, in a separate chapter, I have attempted to assess and evaluate these arguments critically.

In the third part, I have reported Sunnite reaction to the issue. Here I have given an extended account of this religious tradition on human cloning, in all its dimensions, without any judgment. In this section we will read thirty five arguments against human cloning from the Sunnite perspective.

In the fourth part, I have given a critical analyzing of the Sunnite arguments. In my opinion, none of their arguments can reasonably and permanently ban or illegalize human cloning. Then, on the basis of these arguments, we cannot condemn human cloning.

The fifth and last part is devoted to give, at first, a complete account of Shiite point of view on human cloning. Then, I have attempted to analyze their arguments against human cloning.

Throughout this thesis, my main and basic aim is not to defend or to support human cloning, but to evaluate and to assess validity and strength of the arguments that have been given against it. My central thesis here is that the arguments presented against human cloning by the Islamic and Catholic scholars and authorities are insufficient and as such are invalid. In my opinion, opponents of human cloning need stronger arguments for condemning it.      

In the conclusion I have given some useful recommendations and have made an open-ended plea for more studies in this new field especially in Islamic Theology, Jurisprudence and Ethics.

Also, you can see:

"Shiite Pluralistic View on Human Cloning" (will be added)

"Euthanasia from Christian and Islamic Point of View" (will be added)

about the book (Farsi)