RIGHT TO LIFE AND ABORTION:COMMON LAW AND ISLAMIC LAW PERSPECTIVES
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Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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KOGI STATE UNIVERSITY OMENE FOR SEU PEUNE FOUNDED 1999 ANYIGBA JOURNAL OF ARABIC & ISLAMIC STUDIES A Publication of the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Kogi State University,Anyigba Vol. 6 No. 1, 2013 (1434)
Abstract
The practice of abortion dated back to the ancient times. Pregnancies were terminated through a number of methods including the administration of abortifacient, herbs and the use of sharpened objects. Others are application of abdominal pressure and other techniques'. The first recorded evidence of induced abortion was from Egyptian "Ebers Paprus' in 1550 B.C. Chinese recorded a number of royal concubines who had legendary emperor Shennona prescribed the use of mercury to induce abortion ncarly5000 years ago.4 Many of the methods employed in early and primitive culture were non-surgical physical activities like strenuous labour, climbing, peddling, weightlifting. fasting, bloodletting, pouring hot water into abdomen and lying on heated coconut shell. Abortion through gynaecological procedure was primarily within the province of women who were either midwives or well- informed lay people. Plato in his Theatetus6mentioned a midwife's ability to induce abortion in the early stage of pregnancy. In South East Asia, the technique of abortion involved the application of pressure on the pregnant abdomen which was practiced for centuries. One of the major reliefs decorating the temple of Angkor Wall in Cambodia, dated back to 1150 B.C depicts a demon performing such an abortion.