Muslimske foreninger i USA hevder at kroppsscannerne som nå settes inn på flyplasser i stor skala, bryter med islamsk lov. De støtter en fatwa som forbyr muslimer å passere gjennom kroppsscannere.
Fiqh Council of North America, en forening av islamske lærde, utstedte en fatwa sist uke som sier at det å passere disse scannerne er å bryte med islamske regler for ærbarhet.
“It is a violation of clear Islamic teachings that men or women be seen naked by other men and women,” reads the fatwa issued Tuesday. “Islam highly emphasizes haya (modesty) and considers it part of faith. The Quran has commanded the believers, both men and women, to cover their private parts.”
The decision could complicate efforts to intensify screening of potential terrorists who are Muslim. After the Christmas Day bombing attempt in Detroit by a Muslim suspect from Nigeria, some have called for the use of body scanners at airports to find explosives and other dangerous materials carried by terrorists. Some airports are now in the process of buying and using the body scanners, which show in graphic detail the outlines of a person’s body.
But Muslim groups say the scanners go against their religion. One option offered to passengers who don’t want to use the scanners would be a pat down by a security guard. The Muslim groups are urging members to undergo those instead.
Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, støtter fatwaen.
“We support the Fiqh Council’s statement on full-body scanners and believe that the religious and privacy rights of passengers can be respected while maintaining safety and security,” said Nihad Awad, national executive director of CAIR.
Det er for tiden 40 kroppsscannere på amerikanske flyplasser, og det er planer å å installere 450 nye.