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By Steven Godfrey Mkweteza
The three Muslim groupings led by the quadriyyah Muslim ulama council of Malawi, have joined forces asking the members of parliament to table and pass the termination of abortion bill( TAB) once it is brought back into parliament in the near future.
Speaking jointly at the press briefing held in Zomba today, the vice chairman for the quadriyyah Muslim ulama council of Malawi sheikh Jim Sulaimana, said the Muslim groupings saw no concrete reasons why the members of parliament should not table and pass the bill as a human rights piece of legislation aiming at reducing cases of maternal mortality rate in the country.
” We recommend the bill in which the law commission has prepared and which is scheduled for tabling in parliament where the law commission agreed that despite abortion being illegal, there should be other exceptional instances where it can be performed,” said Suleimana.
He said while islamic teachings permits promoting pregnancy for valid reasons, it does not allow violating the pregnancy once it occurs unnecessarily.
According to him, Muslim jurists agree unanimously that after the foetus is completely forced and has been given a soul, aborting it is haram(illegal).
He said it is also a crime, the commission of which is prohibited to the Muslims, because it constitutes an offence against a complete, life of a human being.
” In addition, there are broad principles such as no harm no harassment, and the rule that basic nature of things is misbelief unless forbidden by explicit text, ” he said
Suleimana said islam teaching recommend that abortion should be carried under conditions such as that before four months of pregnancy.
” May also justify the permission to terminate the pregnancy based on valid health and medical justifications are expounded in the books of Islamic jurisprudence ” he said
He said his institution has started sensitizing the Muslim fraternity in various forums in a bid to bring about proper understanding among the populace.
Commenting on the issue, Khadija Mwawa, a Muslim women representative noted that lack of proper sensitization measures by the authority was the main contributing factor that make the community and members of parliament to defer the bill.
Organizations that part in the press briefing including Dawah association and Islamic commission for justice and freedom.
The country’s legislature was expected to deliberate and pass the abortion bill during the last sitting of parliament but failed to present it during the sitting due to among other things, some glaring clauses that needed some clarifications from the framers of the bill.
