Polio drops declared ‘halal’

IRDS said that 160 religious scholars have issued a fatwa in favour of polio vaccination.

SWAT: The Institute for Research and Development in Swat (IRDS) has said that 160 religious scholars of the region have issued a fatwa in favour of polio vaccination, arguing that polio drops are legal and pure, a press release issued on Wednesday stated. These scholars condemned those who said that polio vaccination was haram and against Sharia law.

They have asked parents to inoculate their children who are less than five years of age and requested them to cooperate with the vaccination teams so that all children in these areas can be immunized.

The IRDS spokesmen has also said that eight group meetings and one district level seminar of the religious scholars have been held under their institution in which they have decided to raise awareness regarding polio vaccination among the local people in their Friday prayer sermons.

Ulema (clerics) of more than 88 mosques addressed the topic of polio vaccination and termed it legal under Sharia law, last Friday.

These scholars have asked teachers of the area to spread the message of the polio campaign so that a maximum number of children can be immunized.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2010.