“The Muslim faith places saving a life very highly”.
These are the words of Australia’s Grand Mufti, Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, in a message of support for organ donation.
“Islam accepts organ donation and it is seen as an act of merit,” he said.
Dr Ibrahim’s fatwa to Muslims has resonated with a community suspicious of organ and tissue harvesting.
For years, doctors have struggled to broach the lifesaving practice with grieving Muslim families.
But the work of religious leaders, specialised nurses and community workers could be reversing the problem.
South West Sydney Local Health District organ and tissue clinical nurse consultant Michelle Dowd said in just a few years the tide had turned.
“When we are in southwest Sydney we were getting 70 per cent ‘no’ (from families), now it’s 70 per cent ‘yes’,” she said.
“I know a lot of our Islamic families are surprised when we tell them the statements from the Grand Mufti, they say, ‘Oh my God, I haven’t seen that, can you show me’.”
Ms Dowd and a team of specialist nurses work with families in the critical hours after their loved ones die and organ transplantation is possible. Their efforts give hope to about 1500 Australians waiting for a lifesaving organ donation.
Canterbury-Bankstown Council community development officer Turkan Aksoy signed on to help the cause about a year ago.
She said there were at least three recurring misconceptions among Islamic families.
“A lot of people believe, ‘If I put my hand up, does that mean they’ll pull the plug on me before I’m ready? Will they protect my religious customs when it does happen? Will my family have a say?’ ” Ms Aksoy said.
“If an imam or sheik or priest has to come in and do a service that is allowed. We respect the family and their specific needs when these things happen.”
Another barrier was registered donors not discussing the choice with their family, who could overturn it once they had died.
Ms Dowd encouraged people to sit their family down and explain their decision.
“We live in a society where lawyers are more comfortable talking about death and drawing up wills than people in hospital,” she said.
A cupcake morning tea for DonateLife Week will be held at Bankstown Hospital on August 2 from 9am.