Contemporary Islamic Views Assisted Reproductive Technology

There exist three basic components of traditional Islamic art: calligraphy, geometric patterns, and floral and vegetal motifs. These three stylistic tools are beautifully rendered and masterfully integrated into complex works of art, but there is no question that artistic expression is severely limited under these categorizations. However, this limitation stems from Islamic theology and concept of art. The main reason for the limitation imposed on visual art is the Islamic theological prohibition of figural imagery. Social laws presented in the Hadith prevented the representation of figures because any imitation was deemed idolatrous. Also, art is considered to be decorative and imitative. Script and patterns are used to decorate

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA as it is commonly known, is among the world’s largest art collections in North America, and to be specific enough the most prevalent artwork in the western United States (Compton 165). This massive art museum has a collection of over 100,000 artworks, which extends from the ancient times to present days (Gilbert and Mills 174). These collections, which are mainly from Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin-America and America itself, are grouped into several departments within the museums buildings, depending on the region, culture, media, and time period. This paper analyzes the different genres of art and explains the main features that make the Islamic artworks

PGD is a reproductive technology used with IVF, where genetic or chromosomal disorders in early embryos before implantation and pregnancy are screened. Disease-inherited embryos are

A designer baby is defined as ‘a baby whose genetic makeup has been selected in order to ensure that a particular gene is present or not’ (What is a Designer Baby, n.d.), through assisted reproductive technology processes (ART) of PGD – preimplantation genetic diagnosis – and IVF – in vitro fertilisation - genetic screening of an embryo is achieved. PGD is within an IVF cycle to screen for genetic diseases in early embryos to see whether they carry a disorder prior to implantation and pregnancy. PGD can only select an embryo with genes inherited from the parents – it is only utilised for screening genetic diseases, PGD is prohibited for use in cosmetic and enhancement purposes. Present day technology however, brings forth speculation of genetic

Designer babies are referred to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially modified via genetic engineering or vitro fertilisation (IVF). IVF is a process of creating an embryo where sperm fertilizes the eggs in a laboratory rather than the mothers tomb. Some traits that could be changed are gender, appearance, intelligence, disease and personality. Embryo screening involves a process named preimplantation genetics diagnosis (PGD). Embryos are created through IVF and grown to the eight-cell stage. 1 or 2 cells are removed within the first 5 days allowing scientists to examine the DNA of these cells for defects. The parents will then have the option to discard the embryo or implant it in the mother's tomb.

When Crick and Watson and Crick discovered the DNA, people started dreaming and fearing at the same time the day when they will be able to design their own babies, not only free of inherited diseases but with the appearance and intelligence that they want. The fertility institutes have recently offered couples the chance to have their embryos screened, not only free from diseases but also for particular characteristics like eye colour, hair colour, height or even IQ. Even if we see couples from all around the world ready to pay a fortune to have their perfect baby custom made, opponents found this immoral and unethical. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis, “PGD”, has been invented to accompany in vitro fertilization, “IVF”, and screen embryos for hundreds of diseases, often deadly, before the embryo is implanted in the women’s womb.

With this new information I have acquired a better knowledge of Islamic art and its effect on the arts. With this information I plan on answering “How has art affected Islam?”

In-virto fertilization (IVF) and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can both be used when there is difficulty for a couple to naturally conceive on their own. IVF is defined as a complex series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. IVF is the most effective assisted form of reproduction. PGD is defined as the testing of pre-implantation stage embryos or oocytes for genetic defects. It has been developed for couples whose potential offspring are at risk of severe Mendelian disorders, structural chromosome abnormalities or mitochondrial disorders.

Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a technique used to screen and diagnose embryos for genetic and chromosomal diseases. This treatment is often used for couples that carry genetic disorders or diseases and want to prevent their offspring from inheriting these. PGD is available for couples who may have had multiple miscarriages or infertility problems, or who have had previous affected children (Scriven, 2011). In the last decade non-medical related uses for this technology such as sex selection, has become an increasingly prevalent reality. The use of PGD for this purpose is a controversial issue that raises ethical, social and financial issues around the world.

In-virto fertilization (IVF) and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can both be used when there is difficulty for a couple to naturally conceive on their own. IVF is defined as a series of procedures used to treat fertility or genetic problems and assist with the conception of a child. During IVF, mature eggs are collected from your ovaries and fertilized by sperm in a lab. IVF is the most effective assisted form of reproduction. PGD is defined as the testing of pre-implantation stage embryos or oocytes for genetic defects. It has been developed for couples whose potential offspring are at risk of severe Mendelian disorders, structural chromosome abnormalities or mitochondrial disorders.

Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) is a method used to screen for genetic abnormalities and genetic defects in embryos, that were created through invitro fertilization (IVF). “IVF is the process of fertilization by extracting eggs, retrieving a sperm sample, and then manually combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish”. By using PGD, families with a risk of having a child with a serious genetic disorder can screen the embryo prior to implantation, to identify if the child presents genetic defects that can cause certain diseases or disorders. These genetic diseases or disorders occur due to one of more parents carrying the genetic abnormality. Screening can include counting chromosomes and/or a examination of molecules for a specific mutation or aneuploidy. PGD is a socio-scientific issue, due to the decision on whether to terminate the embryo if

By definition a designer baby is an embryo that undergoes genetic manipulation prior to In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), which is done by combining an egg and sperm in a laboratory dish then transferring that embryo to a uterus. The genetic manipulation is done through processes of Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and Preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). Drs. Molina B. Dayal and Ioanna Athanasiadis explain, “Preimplantation [diagnosis] refers specifically to when one or both genetic parents has a known genetic abnormality and testing is on an embryo to determine if it also carries a genetic abnormality”. PGS on the other hand, screens embryos from presumed chromosomally normal genetic parents for aneuploidy –a condition in which there is an extra or missing chromosome. (Dayal and Athanasiadis, Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis). This advancement allows the prevention of inheritable genetic diseases and eliminates the dilemma of pregnancy termination

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a current socio-scientific issue because it is an issue that relates to science as it is a biological procedure and because it is a very controversial issue in today 's society. Some people are against PGD as they believe that an embryo is a human being and that the process of PGD results in the killing of babies. However there is a demand for PGD as it is needed for some people. The need for PGD stems from couples wanting healthy babies. Some couples try to have babies but genetic faults result in multiple miscarriages, some people know that they carry the gene for a particular genetic disorder such as Huntington’s disease or Cystic Fibrosis so they may want to make sure their baby doesn’t have the gene. There are a range of people who can benefit from and might need PGD; people who carry sex-linked genetic disorders, people who carry single cell gene defects, people who have chromosomal disorders or abnormalities, women who have had multiple miscarriages, and women over age 35. Some people use PGD to have ‘saviour siblings’ which has to be approved by the ethics committee and some countries even allow PGD to be used for sex selection

PGD is an option for individuals at risk of passing on a dominant trait such as a specific genetic disease. PGD involves screening IVF generated embryos for genetic conditions before embryo transfer takes place, the unaffected embryos are then transferred to the uterus. This provides the opportunity to screen the embryos for genetic conditions before pregnancy is established.

Islamic art is any artwork that embraces Islamic theme, mostly created and produced in areas where Islam is the most dominant religion. However, unlike Christian, Buddhist, and Jewish art that is made purely for religious purposes, Islamic art serves both for religious and decorative purposes. Then, because of its intricate designs, the art is known all over the world for its beauty and detail. For instance, the Taj Mahal is one of the most famous products of Islamic Art. It was created as a royal mausoleum and is located in Agra, India (Wolper 920). Thus, the present paper argues that, apart from serving religious purposes, the mausoleum Islamic art was also used