Saudi Arabia

Religious and Political Backgrounds and Comparisons

The United States in contrast has adopted policies that prohibit government funded stem cell research using human embryos. The social wing of the Republican Party has been able to gain from President George W Bush support for the position that all embryos, even those first gathered as unfertilized eggs and then fertilized in a test tube, are humans. The “Religious Right” in the United States, which is composed of evangelicals, fundamentalists, Roman Catholics, and other conservative Christians, has taken the position that the use of embryos from abortions or those remaining from in vitro fertilization procedures are humans entitled to be treated with humanity even if the embryo is simply to be buried rather than used for stem cell research.

In the main, stem cell research in the United States is opposed by the views of Roman Catholicism, which joined with the concerns of evangelicals [Page 488]and others for human life. The key assumption is that life begins at conception. As a result the United States government has one of the most restrictive research programs in the world. Private research in the United States is not so encumbered; however, it is often not as well funded as publicly sponsored research.

The prevailing interpretation of Islamic theology in Saudi Arabia is the theology of Wahab—bism, which was first developed by Muhammad lbn 'Abd al—Wahab in the mid-1700s. Al—Wahab was an Islamic judge influenced by the writings of Taqiyyudin Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328). Al—Wahab was concerned about what he believed was a decline in Muslim strength. He believed that the weakness of Islam at the time was caused by a failure to faithfully follow monotheism. So he stressed tahwid, or the unity of Allah. With tah—wid as his chief guide, he found a sponsor and a brother—in-law in Muhammad ibn Sa'ud.

The teachings of Muhammad ibn 'Abd al—Wahab have influenced the use of Islamic law (Sharia) in Saudi Arabia. Through al—Wahab's influence the Saudis follow the Hanbali school of Sharia. It is developed from both the Koran and the Hadiths. The latter are the sayings and actions of Muhammad the Prophet during his lifetime.

The Wahabbi theological emphasis upon the “unity” of Allah and a return to the simplicity of the first generation of Muslims during the lifetime of Muhammad has made Wahabbi Islam very conservative. For Muslims Sharia has long allowed that a fetus is not alive, or more correcdy does not have a soul, until after 120 days following conception, at which time the angel breathes life into it. Some Islamic scholars say ensoulment occurs at 40 days. If any theological objections have arisen among conservative clerics, the Saudi government has been able to find leading Islamic scholars who approve of financing a world—class program of stem cell research.

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