Call For Papers: Islamic Perspectives on Organ Donation after Death

The 1^st workshop of the ‘Islamic Perspectives on Ethical Issues’ series

3^rd – 4^th October 2019

The Islamic Perspectives on Ethical Issues workshop series aims to provide an open platform for critical Islamic scholarship concerned with contemporary challenges faced by Muslims in every day life, particularly with regards to issues of applied ethics. By bringing together experts in traditional Islamic sciences of various dispositions, academics, and individual’s working with the grass-roots, the workshop will enable a dialectic between theoreticians dealing with ethical frameworks and those who understand the day to day problems at a practical level.

The workshop, hosted by Al-Mahdi Institute in conjunction with the UK Organ Donation and Transplant Research Centre at the University of Bedfordshire, hopes to facilitate multi-disciplinary scholarship dealing with “Islamic Perspectives on Organ Donation after Death.”

Approximately 6,500 people are currently waiting for an organ transplantation with an average of three people losing their lives on a daily basis. To tackle the chronic shortage of organ donors, England is currently transitioning towards a system of presumed consent, also known as the opt-out system, to be implemented in 2020. With studies consistently showing that British Muslims are reluctant to become donors citing religion as an influential factor in the decision-making process, there is an urgency to address the various problems which arise with regards to cadaveric organ donation.  

The format of the two-day workshop consists of a 20-25-minute presentation by each presenter followed by an opportunity for questions and answers. Following the workshop, participants will be invited to submit their developed papers for publishing. The workshop welcomes and encourages proposals for papers dealing with issues pertaining to organ donation, including but not limited to:

• The perceptions and opinions of Muslims regarding organ donation.
• The determination of death in Islam and its implications for both heart-beating donation and donation after controlled and uncontrolled cardiac death.
• Pediatric donation and the authority of parents/guardians to consent on behalf of minors.
• Theological perspectives pertaining to the human soul and spirit and issues such as the notion of bodily ownership and bodily resurrection.
• Analysis of jurisprudential rulings including those which preclude donation to individuals who are not Muslims.

Proposals for a single presenter should include the following:

• Contact information and a brief bio of presenter(s),
• Tentative title(s), 

• Abstract(s) (300- 500 word).

The deadline for submission of proposals is 26^th July 2019. Successful applicants will be notified by 2^nd August 2019.

The workshop will be hosted at Al-Mahdi Institute, Birmingham. Accepted applicants from within the E.U. will be supported for their travel and hospitality during the workshop, with a further limited number of travel bursaries available for those applying from outside the E.U.  

Proposals and queries should be sent by e-mail to Mahdiyah Abdul-Hussain [email protected]