Today he presented one of the most remarkably helpful and astute workshops I've heard. Treating Muslim patients in Canada I have encountered often the very concerns these patients have with their own lives and decisions relative to their faith.
Dr. A. Majid Katme provided a hand out of his talk and began discussing specifically what Muslim scripture said. From this he expressed his concerns and then went on to express the concerns that members of his community were having with changes that were occurring. Most specifically he and other Muslims were concerned about the increasing number of abortions among Muslims.
According to Muslim Scriptures, Dr. A. Majid Katme stated,
It is prohibited in Islam:
-To kill the unborn child through abortion - Life is SACRED in Islam. Muslims fully suppor the Pro-Life Campaign in the UK/UN. Also Muslims support Palliative Care and the Hospice Movement
-Prohibited too - Attempted suicide, assisted suicide/euthanasia and suicide, destructive embryo research, human cloning - egg donation, sperm donation, embryo donation and Surrogacy. IVF to avoided except if it was the only way to conception in marriage after making sure that the sped of the husband is only mixed with the egg of the wife
-It is prohibited to have sex before and outside of marriage
-It is prohibited to give the contraceptive pill, the Morning After Pill and the condom to our unmarried children or adults - the immoral sex education in schools. Parents are the primary educators to their children.
it is prohibited - all homosexuality, all prostitution, all gambling, lap dancing, Lack of modesty (nakedness or sexual appearance - woman is not a sex object), all pornography (soft and hard) , the sexualization of our children especially girls, to be transvestite/transsexual or to change one's sex or gender
-it is prohibited - violence and swearing and bullying in all media, at home at work or in school.
What then followed were a series of specific cases in which Dr. Katme explained the 'ethics' of the case and how this would be decided from a muslim perspective. Dr. Katme acknowledged that there was a lot of variation from one country to another in Moslem approach to each of the above but that this was the scriptural and orthodox position. However, as with any set of rules individual cases had to be decided and this was often difficult and fraught with conflicting opion though when it came to abortion, there was universal acceptance that this was wholly unacceptable. Individuals were doing this but without any support in the scriptures, culture or community.
"We see today that most Christian organizations are working hard and making campaign after campaign against many of these prohibition issues in Islam so our organized help and support will give us all victory (GOD willing).
I raised the issue of Iran's acceptance of Transexuals who subsequent to sex change marry their opposite sex. He expressed his personal dismay at the discovery of a large group of Muslims who are practicing homosexuals and that this is causing major concern in his religion. There was however no conflict of opinion around Pro Life issues. Muslims where definitely pro life. Pornography was also universally unacceptable officially in modern Islam but the internet was causing major concerns as well as more and more developed sexual addiction.
Dr. Katme, whether one might agree or not with a particular stance was highly intelligent, cogently articulate, a very spiritual man with obvious great love for his religion. He was a very righteous man and had no difficulty also acknowledging that "unfortunately not all Muslims are aware or practice these divine Islamic values and a beliefs, some abuses/misuses do occur in some Muslim countries."
Dr. Katme's talk today specifically addressed Muslim "prohibitions". In addition he has talk on "marriage/pro family values", "Christianity in the Islamic Holy Scriptures", "The rights of Christians in Islam and Islamic Society",
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