Zedonk! (A Donkey-Zebra Hybrid)

A four-day-old Zedonk, a rare cross between a zebra and a donkey, stands next to her mother at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Lumpkin County, Ga.

July 26, 2010 . 

ZEDONK

100% Zedonk

Genetically Modified (GM)

Genetically Modified Foods (GMF) derived from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO):

have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are

much more precise than: *Mutagenesis (mutation breeding) where an animal is

exposed to radiation or chemicals to create new traits *Selective Breeding (plant breeding and animal breeding)

*Somaclonal Variation

Uses of GMF

Typically, Genetically Modified Foods are transgenicplant products :

soybean, corn, canola, and cotton seed oil .

Animal products have also been developed ,although as of July 2010 none are currently on the market.

)Researchers have developed a genetically-modified breed of pigs that are able to absorb plant phosphorus more efficiently, and as a consequence the phosphorus content of their manure is reduced by as much as 60%(

BENEFITS

Many GMF food items where >Pest-resistant

>Reducing applications of insecticides >Delaying fruit softening after harvesting

>Contain high amounts of Vitamin A >Resist many viruses and diseases

>Drought Tolerance/Salinity Tolerance/ Cold Tolerance>Increase yield to meet demands for food

Possible Environmental Hazards

1 .Unintended harm to other organisms.

2 .Reduced effectiveness of pesticides. Just as some populations of mosquitoes developed resistance to the now-banned pesticide DDT, many people are concerned that

insects will become resistant .

3 .Gene transfer to non-target species .Another concern is that crop plants engineered for herbicide tolerance and weeds will cross-breed, resulting in the transfer of the

herbicide resistance genes from the crops into the weeds .

Human Health Risks

Allergenicity: There is a possibility that introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic

reaction in susceptible individuals .

Unknown effects on human health: There is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have an unexpected and negative impact on

human health .

TECHNIQUES

Genetic Modification involves

Insertion or deletion of genes –

Transgenesis - horizontal gene transfer

Genes from a different species are inserted :

>Artificially attaching genes to a virus ;

>Physically inserting the extra DNA into the nucleus of the intended host with a

very small syringe, or with a “gene gun .”

Naturally Occurring!!

In nature Transgenesis can occur when exogenous DNA penetrates the cell membrane for any reason:

>Agrobacterium transfers genetic material to plants >Lentiviruses transfer genes to animal cells

>Jumping Genes phenomenon>Cross Species Breeding

>Naturally, thousands of the same genes in swine exist in lettuce! Does this affect the Halalness of

Lettuce?

Safety

GM food can only be allowed onto the market if it can be documented using

scientific dataThree methods are used to measure the

safety of the products :1 .Animal feeding tests of food

2 .Allergens tests3 .Chemical analyses

Conclusion

In 2008, the Royal Society of Medicine: “GM foods have been eaten by millions of people

worldwide for over 15 years, with no reports of ill effects ”.

In 2004, the US National Academy of Science: "To date, no adverse health effects attributed to

genetic engineering have been documented in the human population".

Are GMOs Halal?

Biotechnology can make a difference in agriculture especially in developing countries.

Islam encourages scientific innovations and emphasizes to have access to technologies .

Should a product be brought to market with a gene from a Haram source, today it would at least be considered Mashbooh -- questionable -- if not outright Haram.

The main concern for Halal certification would continue to be transgenic materials from pork or other “Haram" or “Mashbooh" products in foods derived through biotechnology .

Today all biotechnology-derived foods on the market are from approved sources, therefore today biotech derived foods are perfectly acceptable as Halal!

Religious Opinions

According to the Islamic Jurisprudence Council (IJC), foods derived from biotechnology-improved (GMO) crops are Halal - fit for Muslim consumption .

Some scholars have suggested that GMF may become Haram if they contain DNA from forbidden foods. For example, swine DNA in soy could make the soy product Haram .

This issue is still the subject of some debate among scholars and certifying organizations .

According to the Jewish Orthodox Union's Rabbinical Kashruth Advisory Board, such genetic manipulation does not present any Kashruth problems whatsoever .

Kosher and Halal requirements have many similarities, but it would be a mistake to take comparisons too far.

Deciding Factors for GMOsThe principles of Halal (lawful) and Haram (forbidden) on GMOs,

as guided by the Qur’an and Hadith:

Does it contain any parts or products of animal origin which are forbidden in Islam ?Are derived from animals slaughtered according to Islamic law ?

Does it contain any component of najs, or produced by tools or equipment contaminated by najs?

Is it safe and not harmful to human?

Are the raw ingredients contain derivatives from human being ?

During preparation, processing, packaging, storage and transportation where products separated from any other product that does not meet the conditions mentioned above .

Conclusion

Science Genetically-modified foods have the potential to solve many of the world's

hunger and malnutrition problems ,and to help protect and preserve the environment by increasing yield and

reducing reliance upon chemical pesticides and herbicides .

Government There are many challenges ahead for governments, especially in the areas of

safety testing, regulation, international policy and food labeling .

Consumers Many people feel that genetic engineering is the inevitable wave of the future and that we cannot afford to ignore a technology that has such enormous

potential benefits .We must proceed with caution to avoid causing unintended harm to human

health and the environment as a result of our enthusiasm for this powerful technology .

Religious ScholarsIn view of these findings, religious scholars have yet to make informed ruling.

Cloning Happens in Nature

A clone is simply one living thing made from another, leading to two organisms with the same set of genes.

       Cloning has been going on in the natural world for thousands of years  :

  ♥Identical twins are clones .

♥plants are self-pollinated plants- producing seeds and eventually more plants with the same genetic code  .

♥Spreading by Roots-Some forests are made entirely of trees originating from one single plant which later sprouted new trees  .

♥When earthworms are cut in half, they regenerate the missing parts of their bodies, leading to two worms with the same set of genes  .

However, the ability to intentionally create a clone in the animal kingdom by working on the cellular level is a recent development.

Cloning Sheep

Human Cloning

Human Cloning

Human Cloning is possible but unethical, using Nuclear Transfer Technology.

Its impossible to predict the outcome.

Dr. Clone and his sheep!

Stem Cell Uses

Regenerative Medicine

Is a rapidly growing field of biomedicine that seeks to create substitute tissues and organs for the human body: to repair or replace those whose function is lost through illness, injury, aging or congenital anomaly (birth defects)

Looking to the Future

Regenerative medicine may well result in nerve regeneration for treatment of Parkinson’s Disease or Alzheimer’s, islet cells for diabetes, and replacement of damaged heart tissue, joints, etc. As biology, engineering and immunology expertise grows, the field may succeed in building three-dimensional organs like bladders, livers, hearts, and kidneys.

Stem Cells

Stem Cell Research

Sources of Stem Cells

Embryonic- From early stage of embryos

Fetal- From organs of developing fetus

Adult- From somatic or body cells

Amniotic- From amniotic fluid surrounding fetus

Induced- Genetically programmed cells

Stem Cells

Stem cells are unprogrammed cells in the human body that can continue dividing forever and can change into other types

of cells.

Because stem cells can become bone, muscle, cartilage and other specialized types of cells, they have the potential to treat many diseases.

Religion and Science

©In Islamic Jurisprudence, Fiqh Opinions are based on Sharia laws in view of Scientific facts .

© True Religion does not contradict with true Science

© Muslims should not blindly adopt the opinions of other religions on matters of science and technology.

© In the Middle Ages, Christianity collided with science head on and the Church punished scientists for their discoveries, while Muslim rulers rewarded scientists for their work.

Who Should We Follow?

While Quran is not a book of science, it refers to scientific facts and phenomena.

Islam encourages Muslims to learn and discover.

On Halal and Haram issues, Muslims should not follow the foot steps of Jews and Christians or the extreme organizations such as PETA.

“Of their flesh (of swine) shall you NOT eat and of their carcass you shall NOT touch; they are

unclean to you”

Bible, Chapter 11 Verse 7

Conclusion: Christians may not even follow their own scriptures

on religious matters!

Pork Prohibition in Christianity

Benefits of Cloning:

♥Cloning body parts- heart, kidney, etc.- can serve as a lifesaver. ♥ Would be a solution to infertility in Human-Cloning has the

potential of serving as an option for producing children . ♥Produce people with certain qualities, human beings with

particular desirable traits. ♥ Cloning technologies can prove helpful for the researchers in

genetics . ♥Cloning may also help us combat a wide range of genetic

diseases.♥ Cloning can make it possible for us to obtain customized

organisms and harness them for health benefits of society . ♥Cloning can serve as the best means to replicate animals that can

be used for research purposes.♥ Cloning can enable the genetic alteration of plants and animals .

Disadvantages of CloningBy created identical genes, Cloning hamper the diversity in genes thus weaken

ability of the species’ adaptation .Cloning is also detrimental to the beauty that lies in diversity.

Cloning may make deliberate reproduction of undesirable traits, a probability .

Cloning of body organs might invite malpractices in society.

In cloning human organs and using them for transplant, or in cloning human beings themselves, technical and economic barriers will have to be considered. Will cloned organs be cost-effective? Will cloning techniques really reach the common man?

Moreover, cloning will put human and animal rights at stake .Will cloning fit into our ethical and moral principles? Cloning will leave man just another man-made being. Won't it devalue mankind? Won't it undermine the value of human life?

Cloning is equal to emulating God. Is that easy? Is that risk-free? Many are afraid it is not !

Tri Religious Views-JudaismJews believe that God wants human beings to use all of their capacities to improve people’s health .

Jewish law does not recognize the human embryo as a human being. Therefore, to the extent that therapeutic cloning or Stem Cell Research, whereby scientists extract stem cells from embryos,

could lead to cures for diseases ,

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America and the Rabbinical Council of America issued a policy statement on therapeutic cloning stating that because the procedure could lead to cures for devastating diseases, it should be allowed. They said: “The Torah commands us to treat and cure the ill and to defeat disease and save and heal human life wherever possible; to do this is

to be the Creator’s partner in safeguarding the created ”,

However, reproductive cloning, a procedure that produces a child, raises deep concerns in Jewish thought because of questions about how a clone would affect familial relationships .

Some Jewish scholars worry that cloning could make human beings commodities by making it possible to breed clones to have certain characteristics, such as physical strength or high intelligence .

The Rabbinical Council has affirmed its opposition to reproductive cloning .

Not all Jews disapprove of reproductive cloning, however. Rabbi Michael Broyde expressed the view of some adherents to Reform Judaism when he argued in favor of reproductive cloning:

Tri Religious Views-Christianity

There is no similar diversity of opinions in the Catholic Church

The Church is adamantly opposed to any form of human cloning and has worked to mobilize political opposition to it .

The position of the church is that life begins at conception .

In the church’s view, creation of life and subsequent destruction of it for therapeutic or research purposes is equivalent to murder .

Pope John Paul II expressed the official position of the Roman Catholic Church when he called “ Abortion ,

euthanasia, and human cloning . . . risk reducing the human person to a mere object. . . .

Tri Religious Views-IslamMost traditional Muslims also reject the idea of human cloning .

The Quran, states that the creation of human beings results from the joining of the reproductive seeds of a husband and wife. Reproductive cloning, which

bypasses this union, is therefore considered unnatural and in opposition to Islam .

In 1983 the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences (IOMS) determined that human cloning was not permissible .

Muslim countries are called upon to formulate necessary legislation to prevent foreign research institutes, organizations and experts from directly or indirectly using Muslim countries for experimentation on human cloning or promoting it.

For some Muslims, however, therapeutic cloning - Stem Cell Research may be permissible because of their belief, like Jews and some Christians ,

that the embryo does not have moral standing until 120 days after conception.

Islam perspectives toward cloning - theological and ethical dimensions:Human manipulation of genes by biological intervention in the early stages of life for the purpose of improving the chances of fertility for a married couple is regarded as an act of faith in the ultimate will of God as the Giver of all life.