Islam and Biomedical Research Ethics

Mehrunisha Suleman

Routledge, London and New York 2021, 242 pp.

ISBN: 9780429200687

Mansur Ali

 

This is a book about tension. It is about the tension, the push and pull factors and the ethical dilemmas faced by researchers and research participants at the intersection of the personal, cultural, institutional, normative religion and the lived experience of that religion. It is a story about every Muslim researcher based in the West entering the field where they are required to navigate and negotiate between their professional ethics, personal and cultural convictions, and the dictates of their religion. It is a narrative about what is considered ‘good research’. It is also about the value of Islam and by extension the role of the ulama in bioethical decision-making processes. What role does religion play in defining what is an ethical problem and what does it mean to be an ethical researcher?