In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the government authority authorized toissue fatwas on religion has ruled that the use of the corona vaccine islegal.
The fatwa of the Emirati Fatwa Council has come at a time when there is adebate in Islamic countries about the haraam and halal vaccines of thenovel coronavirus.
COVID-19 vaccines were used around the world earlier this month, and so farthe vaccine is being given to the general public in Muslim countries in theMiddle East, including the United States and European countries.
After the common use of the vaccine, there was a debate in Islamiccountries about whether the vaccine contained pork or pork ingredients,which made the vaccine haraam.
However, the UAE’s Islamic Sharia Council has now ruled that it is allowedto use the vaccine even if it contains pork gelatin.
The Arab newspaper Khaleej Times reported that Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah,chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council, said in a fatwa that it was permissibleto use the vaccine from an Islamic point of view.
He said in the fatwa that according to the teachings of Sharia andreligion, the use of corona vaccine for the protection of the human bodyand life is in accordance with Sharia.
The fatwa said that even if the vaccine contains non-halal ingredients, itcan be used in accordance with the principles of Shariah, as there is noalternative.
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The Fatwa Council appealed to the people to support the government in thisregard and it is the job of the government and medical institutions toexplain the other side effects or harms of vaccine use.
The Associated Press (AP) reports that the Fatwa Council has stated thatthere is currently no alternative to the corona vaccine and that it can beused to protect lives in accordance with Islamic teachings.
Coronavirus vaccine companies have not yet commented on whether they haveused pork ingredients in the vaccine.
However, some vaccines usually use the fibrous protein found in pork andbones.
Fibre protein from pork and bone is converted into a mixture called gelatinwith some formulas, which is used in some vaccines.
A compound called gelatin protects some vaccines from spoiling in the coldand heat for many years and is also used in non-Muslim countries to keepfood fresh for many years.
