RI Moslem experts debate human genetic engineering

By Riyadi

JAKARTA (JP): Should Indonesia apply genetic engineering technology to human beings? This question is haunting Indonesian Moslem scientists and a seminar on the subject here on Saturday ended inconclusively.

Experts however agreed that Indonesia should move cautiously in adopting the technology which has opened up new possibilities on such fields as human genetic stocks, sex pre-selection, extra- uterine existence of pre-embryonic forms and cloning.

The seminar entitled "Genetic Engendering Technology and The Future of Human Being: Islamic Perspective and Gender Analysis" was jointly organized by the Muthahhari Foundation and the Institute for the Religion and Philosophy Studies.

Quraish Shihab, rector of the Sharif Hidayatullah Islamic Institute in Jakarta, said there are still disagreements among Moslem scientists on some of the basic issues such as how long can germ cells be stored.

If scholars cannot answer the basic questions of genetic engineering then they should not apply the technology because they would not be able to deal with problems which may follow.

Quraish however stressed that Indonesia should not shun science and technology, including genetic engineering, if they can enhance the welfare of its people.

He pointed out that religious teachings are not against human beings intervening or participating in nature, citing sexual intercourse as one form of intervention in the process of creation.

Quraish, who won a doctorate degree from the Al Azhar University in Cairo for his studies on Holy Koran, cited a Koranic verse which deals with human creation, in which God addresses Himself as "We".

"From my humane knowledge, I found out that when Allah address Himself as We, not I, then there is an indication of interventions, which can come from human beings," he said.

Munawar Ahmad Anees, editor-in chief of the Malaysian Islamic scientific journal Periodica Islamica, said genetic engineering is permissible in Islam as long as it fulfills clinical conditions.

He suggested that Moslem biologists pay more attention to bioethics -- etymologically derived from biology and ethics -- before conducting researches on human genetic engineering.

Jalalludin Rachmat, who is studying for his doctorate degree in Australia, proposed a code of ethics for scientists on the application of genetic engineering to prevent them from going beyond the limits of human authority and entering the boundary of God's jurisdiction.

"I think everything should have its limits. Freedom without limits is anarchy," Jalalludin said.

Teuku Jacob of the Medicine Faculty at Yogyakarta-based Gajah Mada University seconded the proposal and suggested that the government exercise control on the application of genetic engineering.

"Technology without ethics will be wild, destructive and leading evolution to no where," he said..

Pratiwi Sudharmono of the Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) said the government supervises the activities of medical engineering through the National Committee for the Development of Indonesian Biotechnology, which is under the ministry of research and technology.

Pratiwi, who is a lecturer at the Medicine Faculty at the University of Indonesia, noted that actually genetic engineering is a natural phenomena.

It happened in nature, long before human being involved in the engineering. Now it is growing faster, after mankind has begun to intervene for such purposes as producing hybrids in farming and livestock, she said.

Only recently has this technology been applied to human beings, and scientists have made great strides in terms of human genetic engineering, such as in cloning -- the copying of human material through the copying of their genes.

In Indonesia, research in human genetic engineering are limited for medical reasons, not for producing "super people", Pratiwi said.

Marwah Daud Ibrahim, BPPT's mass communication expert, said people tend to be startled by the technological advancement.

"Why are we easily astonished and often startled by the advancement of technology recently? It's because the paradigm behind it is still full of limitations. Besides, it could not yet bring us to the essence of our humanity," Marwah said.

She said there are four main causes for the limitations in the paradigm of genetic engineering technology.

First, people tend to be more and more specialistic in their expertise. Second, the technology is developed through secularistic reasoning. Third, scientists have wrong perception towards nature; they hunger to conquer it. And last, male- oriented belief prevails, victimizing women in the advancement of genetic engineering as they treated as research objects.

Marwah proposed that specialists should take a more holistic view in their research, incorporate religious values, treat nature as a trust from God and believe in gender equality.

Any science should respect religious teachings and be able to strengthen the followers' belief in their religion, she said.