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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 July 2000 Issue No. 490 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 13 - 19 July 2000 Issue No. 490
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Focus International Economy Opinion Interview Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The party-pooper gene
By Medhat El-Zahed *
To each of humanity's major leaps, conservatives the world over have typically opposed a long list of potential dangers; the Human Genome Project is no exception. Nearly 90 per cent of the genetic code of the human body has been cracked, with scientists announcing their victory in 15 countries. Yet the killjoys of the world have already identified a host of implausible concerns -- from the prospect of invincible genetically modified insects spreading fatal epidemics to the claim that gene therapy implies trespassing into God's space. Some warn that the ability to identify each person's unique DNA-print violates the human right to individual privacy, while others see it as a future obstacle to criminal investigation.
This attitude denies humanity's triumph over diseases hitherto thought incurable. In an almost unimaginably near future, 90 years old will be considered relatively young, an entire inventory of illnesses will be wiped out, hereditary diseases will be intercepted prior to conception, and open-heart and transplant surgeons will have to be re-educated.
Science serves humanity; its triumph should not undermine this humanitarian imperative. Benefiting from scientific research is an essential human right. Those who welcome transplant surgery as a means of curing illness also oppose using the poor as spare parts, just as those who promote the use of nuclear power for peaceful ends oppose its transformation into weapons of mass destruction. Proponents of the HGP will likewise resist any attempt to use it as an instrument of discrimination.
Let us first celebrate the achievements of science, then fight to ensure that they will be used to serve humanity.
* This week's Soapbox speaker is a journalist at Al-Ahali.
