Abortion
Nov 9th, 2006, in News, by PatungAbortion is permissible in rape cases but not in pregnancies resulting from adulterous liasons, says the MUI.
The head of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), the main clerical body in Indonesia, Ma’ruf Amin, says that women who have been raped and fallen pregnant are permitted to have an abortion up to the fortieth day of the pregnancy but not after. According to Ma’aruf a hadith, or a book recalling the words and deeds of Muhammad, says that at the fortieth day of pregnancy the unborn child receives its soul or spirit, and hence abortion after this time is forbidden.
Ma’ruf Amin.
Rape victims are permitted to have abortions, with the above restriction in mind, because they have suffered violence and the resulting pregnancy is not of their own desire.
However those who have become pregnant through an adulterous affair are not allowed to have an abortion, because such people have become pregnant through the use of free will.
They have to be responsible for the result of their adultery.
In general abortions are permitted if continuing with the pregnancy would threaten the life of the mother, he said.
On the dispute as to whether Islam allows abortions up to forty days, or 120 days, or some other period, Ma’ruf said that the MUI chose a safe path, that is 40 days.
Indonesian law forbids abortion except in cases where the mother’s life is in danger, the unborn child is deformed, or in cases of incest and rape. However it is estimated that at least two million abortions are carried out every year. mediaindo
16 Comments on “Abortion”
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Nice (philosophical + moral) question about when an embryo is a full-fledged human being. Many creeds about that. But here I’ll follow mblp & Mr Amin as to the practical side of it : the less we kill, the more we live…
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Retarders says:
Bullsh*t ….
Everywhere in the world … abortion is illegal… only stupid ppl who doesn’t know the concept of abortion like this then tried to make it as right or wrong dilemma….It’s the same whether because of rape or not… abortion is not the right thing to do.
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Bradlymail says:
no matter what ! i against abortion.
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Anonymous_aloy says:
I’m curious about how Islam or at least the mainstream Islam would deal with the “day after” or the “abortion pill”. Following the simplistic 40 days standard above, it would be allowed then. Which would make Islam (in Indonesia) much more liberal than some of the States in the US…. Huh?
Retarders: how apt, your name is. You are wrong.
Abortion IS NOT illegal everywhere you dumbo. It’s not illegal in most part of the US, not in most of Europe. Read the newspapers. Watch the news, not just Pokemon.
Whether you agree or not is a different question.Making abortion illegal leads to many adverse outcomes, backstreet abortions which are dangerous, for example.
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Ronald says:
I am against abortion. no matter what. a mother must take the risk no matter how big the risk is. and of course, a mother will do everything to save her child’s life. amen. for rape victims…….give your unwanted child to congegration founded by mother Theresa. it’s in Indonesia too. GBU ALL
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Erik says:
Abortion’s are stupid, unless it puts the mother at risk, or it is a rape victim
IF any other circumstances occur, just drop the baby off at some adoption agency. Like the one’s they got in Japan, or Germany
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“Making abortion illegal leads to many adverse outcomes, backstreet abortions which are dangerous, for example.”
This might be a reason to reconsider each case.
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Boeboe says:
Hi All
I agree to legalize abortion to an extent. For the women has been raped, to keep the baby will be very hard for them to recover from the trauma. For other reasons than that, my opinion is a NO NO!
If a woam get pregnant out of a wedlock, an affair with married man or some stupid thing, then she needs to learn her lesson, and value the baby she carry. She must know in the first place, that having sex can get her pregnant! As simple as that. Is it too hard to figure out? Well, maybe the sex education in Indonesia must be changed, then. It has nothing to do with Tabu, when a girl got pregnant having sex, because Nobody ever taught her that!
And when women mature enough to engage in sexual relationship, then she must aware that the inevitable could happen, like GET PREGNANT?? Duh?!
Maybe we should stop using the word Bastard, so women will not feel she needs to kill her baby because she’s afraid that the baby will be forever called a bastard. It’s not a nice word anyway.
Women nowadays can and some have been raising children as a single mom.
So, for women everywhere, particularly in Indonesia, if you pregnant (not because of raped), and think you should get an abortion, think again, of a sin; of a right to live; and of a blessing that might not come to you again later in your life.. Have the baby, love them, and raise them, even if you have to do it yourself, and after a while, look back, and glad that you choose to have the baby. And God bless you. -
Hassan says:
ronald and erik: your idea will make adultery skyrocket! yeah, just bang anyone you want and if you got pregnant, simply drop your newborn baby in the nearest baby drop off point. ingenious!
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Dear Hassan, Would you rather have a decreasing population problem?
They have that in Both Japan and Germany you know. The Abortion rate in Japan far exceeds that of the Birth rate, and this is perhaps the only way to salvage those populations.
Also I would like to make it clear that I am not ‘in the same boat’ as Ronald. I AGREE to abortions when the mother has been raped, or the birth of the child will risk the life of the mother. -
I said give the baby to the congregation founded by mother theresa not to other places. Just don’t kill those innocent babies. Yeah you are right Hasan, it’s simple. just give them away don’t kill them. It is simpler, more noble and sinless than killing them which is sinfull.
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Naw …the answer is simple …
Muslimah (and the few percent “others”) need to close their legs more often …That should solve the rape and the abortion problem
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ravella says:
Ronald,
This is a silly question, have ever been pregnant? You cannot simply ask a woman to dispatch her baby to a certain place or adoption institution. Although the women does not wish to have the baby, i don’t think so they are willing to give their babies as such. I disagree to abortion either, but to some extent, we should listen women’s voices. I do appreciate you anyway.
Ravella
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Mach Jabber says:
This is a complicated moral dilemma. Should we ban pregnancy to eliminate the problem altogether? After all, we blocked YouTube and RapidShare to salvage the precious netizens from a short movie.
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I'veLearntMyLesson says:
@Ronald
I’m against abortion if it’s for the sake of saving face or convenience. But I’ve seen the case where abortion is very much needed to save not just the mother’s life but also her other child.
Half way through her pregnancy, my friend was told by her doctor that they have found something that seems like a malignant tumor on her uterus. After a couple of comprehensive examinations, they found out that she has a cancer that needs to be treated immediately. She could continue her pregnancy with a risk of endangering her own life or to terminate her pregnancy and get a treatment asap. She was of course shattered to hear the news. Just a few months before her 3-yo son was diagnosed with a leukemia and he hasn’t finished his therapy when her news came. After seeking opinions from different specialists she decided to abort her pregnancy and took a chemo immediately. She did it because she needs to be alive to look after her son. Her husband helped a lot but it is her that her son’s longing for when he’s in pain. Her cancer hasn’t spread all over so it’s best to treat it asap. She believes that she’ll have another chance to have child. She and her son are cancer free now. And she’s trying to have another baby. Fingers crossed!
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For this time I agree with what he said:
At least, wear condom dudes (and gals). Be responsible, be safe.