The story appears on

Page A9

December 26, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeWorld

Fears IS may be trafficking in body parts

Islamic State has sanctioned the harvesting of human organs in a previously undisclosed ruling by the group鈥檚 Islamic scholars, raising concerns that the violent extremist group may be trafficking in body parts.

The ruling, contained in a January 31, 2015 document reviewed by Reuters, says taking organs from a living captive to save a Muslim鈥檚 life, even if it is fatal for the captive, is permissible.

Reuters couldn鈥檛 independently confirm the authenticity of the document. United States officials say it was among a trove of data and other information obtained by United States special forces in a raid in eastern Syria in May.

鈥淭he apostate鈥檚 life and organs don鈥檛 have to be respected and may be taken with impunity,鈥 says the document, which is in the form of a fatwa, or religious ruling, from the Islamic State鈥檚 Research and Fatwa Committee.

鈥淥rgans that end the captive鈥檚 life if removed: The removal of that type is also not prohibited,鈥 Fatwa Number 68 says, according to a US government translation.

The document does not offer any proof that Islamic State actually engages in organ harvesting or organ trafficking. But it does provide religious sanction for doing so under the group鈥檚 harsh interpretation of Islam 鈥 which is rejected by most Muslims. Previously, Iraq has accused Islamic State of harvesting human organs and trafficking them for profit.

The document does not define 鈥渁postate,鈥 although the Islamic State has killed or imprisoned non-Muslims, such as Christians, and Shiite Muslims, as well as Sunni Muslims who do not follow its extremist views.

United States officials say the records that were seized have given the Washington government a deep look into how Islamic State organizes, raises funds and codifies laws for its followers.

Iraq鈥檚 ambassador to the United Nations, Mohamed Ali Alhakim, told Reuters the documents should be examined by the UN Security Council as evidence that Islamic State could be trafficking in organs to raise cash.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend