Ethics of Human Cloning in

Ethics of Human Cloning In recent times, researchers and scientists are making constant efforts and endeavours to discover and study unknown regions, ocean and space in order to gain knowledge. Their intention is to increase human knowledge and understanding of the environment. With this purpose, the ultimate quest of researchers is to reach new horizons and to improve the survival of human beings by discovering and utilizing resources which can prove to be beneficial for them.

Researchers and scientists have studied and explored the aspect of human cloning in order to create awareness among humanity that beneficial resources are present and can be used in a positive manner to improve their lives. The constant developments made in gene alteration and cloning of first sheep, Dolly, have led to the question whether humans can be cloned or not. The aim of this paper is to discuss the ethics of human cloning in the light of broad and diverse academic resources.

Overview Critics often question the morality of human cloning, which can only be answered by scientists. This is because scientists have the knowledge and power to clone humans and thus, in the future, they would take the opportunity to clone humans. Human cloning can be constructive as well as destructive (Cole-Turner, 1997). In order to understand the ethics of human cloning, it is essential to understand what it is about. Human cloning means to create an identical copy of a human being having the same genes.

Till now, no human has been cloned, yet scientists and researchers are interested in the fact whether they can create a human clone. The developments made in genetic engineering and gene alteration has created a possibility of human cloning. Proponents of human cloning support the idea of creating a genetic identical copy of human being. However, as mentioned earlier, this subject is morally controversial. In the light of ethics and religion, there are different perspectives regarding human cloning.

Critics oppose human cloning and assert that the purpose of human cloning is to provide lucrative opportunities for third parties (Kass & Wilson, 1998). This indicates that human cloning is unethical and thus, abuses humanity. In this regard, several questions arise.

What would be the social and moral value of human beings if human beings themselves have the power to create humans? What would be the status of human clones in society? Would they be used as a commodity? The question arises whether cloned embryos are ethical? Proponents of this approach assert that cloned embryos can be used for reproduction. Same sex couples and heterogeneous couples, who cannot have babies, can have babies by means of human cloning.

Thus, from this perspective, the concept of cloned embryos and human cloning is ethical and moral (Jeffery, 2008). On the other hand, critics assert that cloning can assist in reproducing humans; however, the practice is unethical. From religious perspective, human cloning and cloned embryos means interference in God's decision. Secondly, human cloning would allow homosexuals to have their own children, who would have similar genes (Bonnicksen, 2002). This would make a negative impact on society. Majority of the world religions condemn human cloning because of its negative consequences.

The main emphasis is that God alone is the creator of world and the entire universe and thus, human cloning means interference in the processes and nature created by Him (KAss, 2002). Cloning in the Lights of Islam In the Quran, [Satan said:] "I will lead them astray and fill them with false hopes. I will command them and they will cut off cattle's ears.

I will command them and they will change Allah's creation." Allah said: "Anyone who takes Satan as his protector in place of Allah has clearly lost everything." (Surah an-Nisa', 119) (Yusuf Ali, 2000). This verse of Surah an-Nisa, 119, has been used by Islamic researchers and academics to demonstrate that human cloning is unethical and un-Islamic practice. The verse clearly asserts that Satan made promise to Allah that he will lead humanity astray and make them alter and modify the nature and creation, created by Allah.

Majority of the Muslim commentators agree that the creation of human being is a divine and heavenly process, which revolves around the development of embryo and then into a human. In Islam, human cloning is considered to be unethical practice for several reasons. Firstly, it interferes in the diversity created by Allah. Muslim scholars agree that Allah has created a diverse and distinct world (Cole-Turner, 2001). Human cloning revolves around the duplication of same genes and thus, this would have a negative impact on the diversity of creation.

Furthermore, Muslim scholars question that if human cloning is allowed, then how the clone would be treated? What would be the ethical, social and moral value of the clone? Furthermore, human cloning is forbidden in Islam because it interferes with the pattern of creating things in pairs, as Allah said in His Qur'an "And of everything we have created pairs, that ye may receive instruction." (Az-Zariyat: 49)" (Kass, 2002). In Islam, cloning is opposite of this principle as it is dependent on one gender only.

However, it should be noted that Islam permits cloning of particular organ, which would be used for curative procedures only. For instance, a cloned kidney can be used for an individual, whose both kidneys have failed. In this regard, Muslim scholars agree that cloning a particular part can be used to save the life of a patient. Human Cloning and the World If human cloning is allowed, then the entire face of humanity would change. Firstly, cloning would allow same sex couples to have children, who would have similar genes.

Cloning can allow human beings to alter and modify genes. Parents would have in their hands to select desirable attributes and genes, which they would want in their children (Brannigan, 2001). Human cloning can also assist in replacing injured organs or tissues. From research, it is evident that it can also assist in curing fatal diseases such as cancer, heart disease, brain disease, etc. A New York University professor, Jacob M. Appel, asserted that human cloning can change the face of humanity.

He suggested that human cloned children can provide bone marrow to their siblings suffering from blood cancer and thus they would be seen as heroes (Jeffery, 2008, Bonnicksen, 2002). In terms of reproduction, human cloning can change the face of humanity. Researchers and scientists assert that reproductive cloning would be beneficial in developing new techniques for achieving fertility. Furthermore, they assert that cloning would assist infertile couples to have their own babies. There is also a possibility that human cloning can stop and control the process of aging.

Although human cloning is appealing, it can have a negative impact on society. Firstly, human cloning concentrates on removing the flaws of society and concentrated on perfection. In the future, human cloning would change the face of humanity as human beings would be playing the role of God. In the call.