Arshad Mansuri, a Muslim doctor from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh has claimed that he is receiving threats owing to his pledge to donate his organs after death. This seems to have angered a section of his community who are miffed at him for committing an “anti-Islamic” act.
As per reports, a Kanpur madrasa has issued a fatwa against Mansuri which says that organ donation isn’t permitted in Islam. Mansuri who also wants other Muslims to donate their organs as well has claimed that he is getting threatening calls and has also been facing a social boycott. He has alleged that following his complaint, the Kanpur police failed to take any action in this matter.
Other reports have claimed that Mansuri pledged to donate his organs back for medical purposes back in 2008 and has been facing a social boycott for the same. Here Mansuri is quoted as claiming that the Muslim cleric in Kanpur who issued the fatwa has also gone on to get a fatwa issued from the Islamic seminary Darul Uloom. This institution has over the years attained notoriety for issuing bizarre fatwas.
Mansuri has proceeded to put on a brave face by asserting that he won’t be intimidated by the Fatwa. He also appealed to the Islamic clerics asking them not to issue such strange diktats.
Muneef Barkati the fatwa issuing cleric has claimed that Mansuri came to him with a question asking whether it was permissible in Islam to donate one’s body or organs for medical purposes. The cleric thus answered that as per Quran, a human doesn’t own own his body, which has been gifted to him by Allah.
The cleric is also quoted as saying that its doubtful whether someone is a Muslim if he doesn’t follow what Allah says. He thus alleged that Mansuri might be someone who has merely kept a Muslim name and is trying to defame the community.
Such intolerance to organ donation was also witnessed in case of former cricketer Syed Kirmani who retracted his pledge to donate his eyes owing to it being against Islam.