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ہر رگِ جاں سے پکار آئی ، ترےؐ آنے سے
’’دل کی دنیا میں بہار آئی ترےؐ آنے سے‘‘
شانۂ زیست پہ جو بوجھ تھا گمراہی کا
بوجھ اپنا وہ اُتار آئی ، ترےؐ آنے سے
زلفِ ہستی میں تھی صدیوں سے غضب کی اُلجھن
خود کو وہ آج سنوار آئی ، ترےؐ آنے سے
ابنِ آدمؑ کو ملا نورِ ہدایت کا چراغ
روشنی جب سوئے غار آئی ، ترےؐ آنے سے
وہ جو عرفانؔ ! بھنور میں تھے پریشان بہت
اُن کی کشتی بھی ہے پار آئی ، ترےؐ آنے سے
Human cloning has emerged as a new and innovative technology in the reproductive and therapeutic science in the recent past. So far it has not been practiced over human beings but owing to its huge potential and possible scope, it has attracted the attention of not only the masses (particularly the infertile couples and LGBTQs etc) but the other stakeholders including the religious scholars from worlds’ prominent religions have given their views on this technology in order to guide their followers. This paper examines and reviews the religious points of view on human cloning. For this purpose, three Semitic religions in the world i-e Judaism, Christianity, and Islām have been examined. As far as Islam is concerned, this portion has been divided into two broad sections elaborating the Shī‘ah and Sunnī schools’ opinions. Being an innovative topic, the religious teachings do not address it directly hence the injunctions related to the reproduction are most relevant to it. Three Semitic religions have been examined from the perspective of admissibility or non-admissibility of human cloning, the rationale behind the verdict on human cloning and the possible solutions to the issues and problems faced by the followers in the case of acceptance or rejection of this biomedical technology. Most of the religions emphasize over adaptability of the natural mode of reproduction only, where male and female genders contribute to the reproductive cycle. The Semitic religions reject the reproductive cloning generally. The religious experts need to conduct more focused and updated research before coming to any conclusion about the permissibility or non-permissibility of this technique.
With the public’s enhanced interest to eco-safety and health concerns, environment friendly and non-toxic bio-resource products are regaining popularity in different spheres of our lives. Natural dyes obtained from plants, insects/animals and minerals are renewable and sustainable bio-resource products used in textiles. As the use of synthetic dyes has detrimental effects on environment so natural dyes re-emerge as an alternative to synthetic dyes. The present study was concerned with extraction of colorant and their characterization from different algal groups. Green algae were collected from Faisalabad Pakistan. Brown and red algae were obtained through the courtesy of Marine Biology Department, University of Karachi, Karachi. Extraction of colorants was carried out using aqueous, alkaline and organic media. Different dyeing parameters such as temperature (30-70⁰C), time (30-70 minutes), pH (4-11), salt concentration (4-12 g/L) and material liquor ratio were optimized. For improvement of color strength on to fabric, different mordants such as iron, copper, alum and tannic acid with concentration were applied. Suggested ISO standard method for color fastness to light, washing and rubbing were employed. The results indicated that different algal species used in the study could be potential source of natural colorants for sustainable textile dyeing. In general, alkaline media (KOH solution) proved to be an efficient media for extraction of natural colorants from all algal species used in the study. Condition optimization experiments indicated that 4g/100 ml salt was optimum exhausting agent in case of cladophora glomerata L., 45 minutes time in case of Laurencia obtuse, 7 pH in case of Laurencia obtuse and 75⁰C optimum temperature in case of Sargassum muticum. All the algal species showed maximum light fastness, rubbing and washing fastness properties and proved to be a excellent source of natural colorant. Antimicrobial activity determination experiments indicated that the cotton fabrics dyed with extract of varying algal species showed differential behavior against the two bacterial species E. coliand Staphylococcus aureus used in the study.