Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Le Monde: Infertile in Iran

The commitment to family planning is a religious and political edict in Iran and part of a progressive initiative that has extended urbanisation, influenced healthcare and mortality rates, and educated the public on the cost of overpopulation to families and the planet. Islam does not forbid the use of contraception and no direct references to it not being permitted are found in the Qur’an. So a space has been made for the use of birth control in Muslim life.

Like birth control, infertility and its treatment comes under the auspices of Jurist rule in Iran, represented by the absolute guardianship of the Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Hussein Khamenei. Currently – and this may surprise people in the West – Iran has the most progressive stance toward infertility treatment and the use of the assisted reproductive technologies (ART) of any Muslim country. Read more ...

11 comments:

nunya said...

"Currently – and this may surprise people in the West – Iran has the most progressive stance toward infertility treatment and the use of the assisted reproductive technologies (ART) of any Muslim country."

No, I was not surprised by that. I was, however, disgusted by this:

"In most Muslim countries formal adoption is typically forbidden. (Iran has also begun to reconsider its position on adoption.) For couples who have no chance of conceiving via their own egg or sperm, using a donor presents a resurrection of hope, as well as the opportunity to experience pregnancy and birth. But Sunni Islam has categorically forbidden the use of third-party reproductive practices, comparing it to adultery (zina) as a violation of the marital commitment to fidelity (4)."

6 out of the top ten most populous countries are 50 % or more Muslim.
Stabilization of population remains a challenge in parts of the Muslim world.

nunya said...

The Muslim world, however is doing far better at family planning than the train wreck called Africa.

qunfuz said...

I'm pleased to virtually meet you. I was reading the hysterical rantings of Amre el-Abyad - only out of interest because he has posted hysterical and racist comments on my blog. When I saw him condemn you as a scheming lying Persian, I thought you must be intelligent and worth reading. And so you are. Amre thinks I'm an Iranian locust. I'm actually an Arab (Syrian) and also British. I've visited Iran once. It was too brief. A beautiful country and a great people.

www.qunfuz.blogspot.com

Naj said...

Qunfuz,

Welcome to Neoresistance!

Amro is pathological; he shows up every now and again, some times he begs me to publish his comments, sometimes he begs me to forgive him, sometimes he bigots; I think he is the kind of a person who cannot take "rejection" very well ;)

I am sure he is not representative of Arabs; that level of hysteria is only representative of mental illness.

I wish to someday go to Syria; I have heard it's very nice; and in fact there are regular tours from Iran to Syria. Hopefully soon!

I will come visit your blog soon.

Utah Savage said...

Thank you for visiting me in one of the strangest places on earth--Utah. We'll talk more about that later. As you can see I followed you home. My knowledge of Iran is limited to my reading of "Reading Lolita In Tehran" Have you read it?

You will probably find my site very strange indeed right now, since I am so bored with waiting for Pennsylvania to get this primary on the road again. So I have taken to serializing a novel I wrote a long time ago. It is more than likely very disconcerting for someone who is reading me for the first time, since the first chapter is not the first thing you see. If you are interested in this dark, strange journey, got to the post titled In the beginning." If you want a sampling of my political views you will have to go back to earlier posts.

I will be back to learn a thing or two. My only contact with anyone of Middle Eastern descent is my friend Manal, who is Palestinian. So I am an innocent. And have much to learn. But I am curious, and I know that Iran is a beautiful land with a proud and beautiful people, and a history as old as that of my own. I am descended from the Choctaw, a tribe of native Americans whose home was on the lands now called Mississippi. Our lands were stolen, we were slaughtered and those of us who survived the slaughter were marched to Oklahoma. This forced march is called the Trail of Tears.

Commander Zaius said...

Just wanted to drop by and say hi after I discovered your comment on one of my old posts. Been busy fixing the house up and haven't been able to blog as much as I wanted. I'll be back and hope you drop by my site again.

Anonymous said...

It doesn't surprise me any. Iran was a country headed in the right direction, before we toppled Mossagdeh. I have often wondered which direction Iran may have gone if he'd been left alone.

nunya said...

Hey Naj, I was just laughing at qunfuz's comment re: Amre. I never did figure out where all the vitriol came from. You think he ever got his meds leveled out?

:)

Are you well?

Naj said...

Howdy Nunya,

You know, the likes of this Amro are those who play in the hands of people like Cheney. Without them, who's gonna carry out attacks on innocent civilians? That their mental illness, and their historical grudges are manipulatable is really dangerous.

No I don't think medication's gonna work on this dude! He needs a lobotomy!

Anonymous said...

You don't need Infertile in Iran read this you know why:

The Police Commander in charge of implementing Islamic Morality and fighting against hooligans and social trouble-makers has been arrested in a residence in company of six women whom he had ordered to make their prayer completely nude , according to well informed sources and independent internet sites.

Revolutionary Guard General Reza Zare’i, the Commander of the Police for Greater Tehran had been arrested three weeks ago enjoying the company of six completely nude women parading in a house he had rented ”, the websites reported, adding that the women had told agents that the General had told them to take all their dresses and pray completely nude”.

They did not say what was the reason the general wanted them to pray completely nude, but said he would just watch them praying.

Naj said...

In my opinion, only perverts can become morality police!

But the fact that this story came out, in spite of this guy's close ties to the mullah's is a testament that Iran's learning democracy!