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date: 10 February 2025

Islamic Bioethics: Castrationlocked

Islamic Bioethics: Castrationlocked

  • Serena TolinoSerena TolinoInstitute for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Societies, Universität Bern

Summary

Castration, scientifically called gonadectomy, is the action by which a man loses the use of his testicles. The prohibition of castration is included in the Qur’an, as it is considered to be mutilation and a change in God’s creation. While Muslim jurists of both the premodern period and the 21st century agree on the prohibition of castration, their specific interests changed over time. In the premodern period, historical evidence suggests that castrated men were a very important presence in Islamic courts. In the 21st century, castration is typically forbidden, and the number of castrated men has been greatly reduced. Surgical castration is forbidden in any case, and can become acceptable only for medical reasons, when it is inevitable and prevents a greater danger to the man. However, the debate on chemical castration—which has been proposed to reduce sexual harassment and pedophilia in Egypt, India, and Indonesia—is more nuanced.

Subjects

  • Religion and Politics

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