Genetic engineering and ethics in Muslim communities: case studies from Tunisia and Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION
Presently, the position of women in Islam is one of the most debatable and controversial topics, in both Western media and Islamic jurisprudence. This chapter will look at areas of Islamic law that affect the reproductive health and decisions of Muslim women. These include adoption, medically assisted reproduction, abortion, child marriage and
female genital mutilation. The chapter will compare the situation in strongly religious Saudi Arabia, with Tunisia, where a more liberalist view prevails. The ultimate aim of this chapter is to discover how Islamic law differs in Saudi Arabia and Tunisia by discussing their respective positions on the reproductive needs of women today.