Hawzah News Agency- Organized by the Research Deputy of the Islamic Propagation Office of the Qom Seminary and hosted by the Islamic Philosophy and Theology Research Institute in cooperation with Qom University of Medical Sciences, the three-day event featured more than 20 scholarly presentations on its opening day alone. The conference aims to develop a structured ethical discourse on abortion through interdisciplinary dialogue grounded in moral philosophy, theology, law, and social sciences.
According to organizers, the conference follows a series of 27 preparatory sessions held since early autumn, designed to build a comprehensive framework for addressing abortion-related ethical questions using a shared moral vocabulary.
Specialized Panels Focus on Ethical Status of the Fetus
Five specialized commissions were held across morning and afternoon sessions, with two panels dedicated exclusively to ethical challenges surrounding abortion. Presenters emphasized the moral status of the fetus from the earliest stages of development, arguing that the formation of a unique genetic identity at fertilization establishes the basis for recognizing the fetus as a human being deserving of full moral consideration.
Speakers maintained that ethical distinctions between the termination of fetal life and the killing of an adult human cannot be justified solely on the basis of developmental stage.
Disability and Conception Through Assault Examined
Several papers addressed complex cases often cited in abortion debates, including fetal disability and pregnancies resulting from sexual assault.
One researcher argued that, based on Qur’anic teachings, every child is a divine gift and that no ethical distinction should be made between healthy and disabled fetuses in terms of inherent worth. Another presentation examined pregnancies resulting from rape, stressing that the fetus bears no moral responsibility for the crime and therefore cannot be ethically deprived of life. Cultural reform and social support mechanisms were proposed as alternatives to abortion in such cases.
Viability Threshold and Neonatal Ethics
Another panel explored the ethical implications of fetuses born near the threshold of viability — typically around four to five months of gestation — where survival outside the womb is highly uncertain. Presenters analyzed the moral challenges of neonatal resuscitation decisions and resource allocation, while also reviewing and critiquing feminist bioethical frameworks related to viability standards.
Critique of Bodily Autonomy Arguments
A major philosophical session featured a critical examination of the well-known bodily autonomy argument advanced by Western philosopher Judith Jarvis Thomson. A presenting scholar rejected the claim that a woman’s control over her body justifies abortion in unwanted pregnancies, including those resulting from contraceptive failure or assault.
Drawing on Islamic theological anthropology, the speaker argued that human ownership over the body is custodial rather than absolute, and that life and death ultimately belong to God. From this perspective, the womb was described as the natural locus for fetal development, and the perceived conflict between fetal right to life and maternal bodily control was characterized as conceptually flawed.
Right to Life vs Emotion-Based Frameworks
Another commission, titled “Right to Life and the Question of Abortion,” evaluated ethical theories that tie abortion permissibility to emotional attachment between mother and fetus. A presenter criticized approaches suggesting that lack of emotional bonding in unwanted pregnancies weakens the fetus’s moral claim to life, asserting that the right to life cannot be overridden by fluctuating emotional states.
Clinical perspectives were also introduced, with a specialist in clinical psychology outlining reported physical and psychological consequences associated with abortion. Referencing the ethical principle of non-maleficence, she argued that abortion cannot be considered a risk-free intervention for women’s health.
Legal, Jurisprudential, and Social Dimensions
Additional morning panels addressed jurisprudential and legal aspects of abortion, including regulatory gaps and ethical tensions in policy frameworks. Scholars discussed the need for coherent legal standards aligned with moral principles and medical realities.
International Contributions and Cultural Analysis
Afternoon sessions included an international panel where foreign participants delivered papers in English, expanding the comparative and cross-cultural scope of the conference. Another panel examined abortion through a cultural lens, including a presentation analyzing post-revolution Iranian cinema and its portrayal of abortion-related themes, highlighting how film narratives shape public moral perception.
Organizers said the conference seeks to create a rigorous and dynamic scholarly platform for evaluating abortion ethics, encouraging critical engagement with opposing viewpoints while advancing faith-based and philosophical arguments in defense of fetal life.
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