Guide to caring for Muslim patients published
BMJ 2000; 321 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.321.7255.198/f (Published 22 July 2000) Cite this as: BMJ 2000;321:198All rapid responses
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Sir,
In general, religious practices and customs cannot be easily
understood by modern scientists, even if they wish to. Unless the
religious themselves can justify these practices - such as male
circumcision, fasting, prayer, etc - on rational grounds, then such
practices, and the religions they are an integral part of, will continue
to be held in disdain and viewed as dogma-driven received views that are
wholly without any foundation in rational terms.
For example, to say that sin is the cause of human suffering, or that
Allah is great, or that we are saved through accepting the healing power
of Christ into our lives - these seem utterly meaningless statements to a
scientist precisely because they cannot be easily confirmed through
observation and cannot be translated into rational understandable ideas
and concepts. Until they can be so translated, then they will continue to
be disregarded as hocus-pocus - which sadly tends to be the predominant
view held by scientists of most religions.
In a certain sense, therefore, it is the religions that bring
themselves into disrepute with modern minds by insisting on adhering to
such backward and rationally indefensible views.
However, we should remember that in the case of those ideas and
beliefs that can be justified by rational analysis or observation, then
such religions, which espouse them, can be apprehended by scientists in a
friendlier light. A good example is where Buddhists claim that the world
is composed of countless disintegrating forms that are beginningless,
endless, and fundamentally impermanent. Or that hurting others will
ultimately hurt you and is therefore an undesirable way to live. Such
views, as examples, which are compatible with modern physics, or social
theory, and which can be confirmed as likely to be true through
observation and reflection, thus stand in marked contrast to male
circumcision or the concept of sin, which seemingly can’t. More rational
sounding beliefs can therefore seem acceptable to modern scientific minds.
It is unfortunate that many still dismiss a whole religion - or
indeed, all religions in their entirety - based on a few absurd-sounding
beliefs and practices in some religions. C’est la vie.
Competing interests: No competing interests
I haven't read the book yet, in fact I am planning to buy
one. The title is very sensitive & stimulated me to write & send
these few lines.
There are muslims all over the continents, they have different habits
& different understanding of Islam & many of them are mixing the
habits with the islamic beleif, the next generation take it as part of
islamic beleif.
Some muslims will not accept the female patient to be medically examined
by a male doctor, yet other muslims accepts this idea.
I don't like to force my 15 years old to fast Ramadhan if he is engaged
with school exams etc, but in holidays & IF HE FYSICALLY CAN, in this
case I encourage him. Some nations wouldn't accept the youngs to fast
& would react to contact the child-welfare council.
A lady who has just lost her husband & became widow, in some islamic
countries it is a custom that she isolates herself in about 3 months ,
meets only females & those male-relatives from first degree , if this
lady gets ill, they would ask for a female doctor. I think this is a habit
& not a religeous must. The idea back this should be understood by
those who treat muslim patients , I presume that the writer of this book
knows this fact.
MALE Circumciscion is another think all muslims do, like the Jewish . In
Norway there is a wave of protest against this
BUT no such protest comes if the patient is jewish!!.
MANY other facts , they are really very complex & the writer of such a
book should be aware of critics by the islamic fundamentals.
Yet it is very important to show to others all these thinks on Islam. It
is important that folk respect habits of other nations.
Yours sincerely
H. Yassin,
Consultant Paediatrician,
Norway
Competing interests: No competing interests
Understanding what your patient believes is more important than theological scholarship
Dr Yassin is right that there are differences between habits, or
customs, and religion, and that the former can differ from place to place.
So also can the latter. What "the" Islamic religion or "the" Jewish
religion says can depend upon who is writing or speaking about it. And
this obviously may go for other religions as well.
But these points are important for scholarly discussion, not for
clinical care. What is important for physicians and nurses is that one
should know how to communicate with one's patients (and this may require
learning their language), find out what they believe and what is
emotionally important to them, and respect their beliefs and preferences.
One should also have a good enough working relationship with the
religious heirarchy of whatever the patients may happen to believe in
order to enlist the help of religious authorities to help persuade the
patients that confused religious belief can actually endanger the patient.
To take one example which we have learned from experience some orthodox
couples may refuse an urgent caesarian because they mistakenly believe
that ceasarean sections are against religious law because they can reduce
the potential to continue performing the commandment of: "Be fruitful and
multiply." They may need to talk to a member of the orthodox community
who knows the law better than they do. Medical staff should be in a
position to call in religious experts who can speak persuasively with
patients when life may in danger.
Matters like these are an important part of Medical Ethics teaching,
especially wherever there are fundamentalist patients of any religion.
Competing interests: No competing interests