Let’s talk about Organ Donation – 09.10.19

We are very proud to have held a very informative event on organ donation on 9th October 2019 at 7 Bedford Row (7BR) with our friends: Association of Muslim Lawyers, City Sikhs, City Hindus Network and the British Islamic Medical Association.

The law on organ donation is changing in Spring 2020. Everybody will be automatically enrolled as a potential donor unless you opt out. The numbers of donors from BAME backgrounds is particularly low resulting in BAME transplant patients waiting for a long time to receive the vital organs they need to survive. It is hoped that the new law will go some way to addressing this shortage.

However, it is important to look at the reasons why currently there are so few BAME donors. Some of the reasons often cited by members of BAME communities for not wanting to be a donor is religion.

We heard from scholars and academics from the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths. They explained that organ donation is not prohibited anywhere in the religious scriptures or teachings. In the Quran it states that if you save one human, it is as though you have saved the whole of humanity. In the Sikh and Hindu faiths, organ donation should be encouraged as it follows the religious teachings of “seva” (selfless service). We at SAL believe that there can be no better seva than giving the gift of life.

If anybody is unsure or wants more information about what their religion says about organ donation, they should consult their local religious leader or scholar.

Our special thanks to 7BR for hosting us.