RI Moslem experts debate human genetic engineering

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.