The most popular example on this subject which we can give is the sheep named Dolly. It has been produced by Dr.Wilmet and his team in the animal producing laboratories in Fidinbar/Scotland, by cultivating the breast cell of a six year old sheep who was at the third phase of her pregnancy. The cultivated breast cell was rocketed in the egg of another sheep which was made hollow before.

The scientists have understood that they have been successful in copying animals, so they are going on with the studies of copying the human being.

You can read the essay whether it would be possible to copy man or not in page 30.

The French word ‘’copié’’ which becomes ‘’copia’’ in Latin is expressed as ‘’copy’’ in English and as‘’kopya’’ in Turkish.

You must have heard that this word has been used in different areas of our daily lives.

Such as ‘’I have the original I am sending you the copy’’, ‘’This film has to be copied’’, ‘’this film is the copy of an old film made by the Italians’’, ‘’the copy of a masterpiece’’, ‘’that baby is the copy of its mother’’, ‘’to copy’’, ‘’This week the goal of the football player Sergen was the copy of Hakan’s’’…

The word ‘cloning’’ used in English means that the human being, the animal or any other thing ‘’producing itself in the same manner’’.

We, also identify the act of photocopying with the word ‘to copy’’ and say ‘’take a photocopy’’. In another sense, taking a photocopy means to make copies in the amount required. However, this time we are facing a different type of copying.

The English scientists who have been concentrating on this subject are producing a live being from only one single cell with the method of ‘’cloning’’ (copying) . They are trying to develop this technique and apply it to all the living species. This is completely different than the normal way of production which is realised by a sperm and an egg.

The sheep named ‘’Dolly’’ which we can give as the most popular example on the subject; has been made in the animal production laboratories in Fidinbar/Scotland. The breast cell of a six year old sheep was cultivated when it was at the third phase of its pregnancy, and fused with an egg from another sheep whose inside was made hollow.

The press agent who has declared this process had caused a lot of reaction and surprise.

And everybody in the street, at the movies, in the mystical area in short in every place starting from those who are way behind of science or who are placed in the front rows of science were busy arguing about this subject.

While the process of copying was going on at full speed, a news arrived from Ukraine. There, studies were made for copying from dead cows.

Whereas, France had accelerated the studies for copying from all kinds of dead animals.

Now, all the eyes are turned towards man; Is it possible to copy the human being?…

‘’The smallest unit which forms the existence of the human being is the cell. Through the DNA and RNA which are found in the nucleus of the cell, reproduction and the transfer of genetic information from generation to generation is made possible. Cloning is a process of making identical copies from the DNA particles. To realise this process, in the first place the DNA chain which is wanted to be copied is determined and it is taken away from the main chain by the enzymes. Then, it is connected to the new particle to which the transfer will be made by ‘’the DNA connecting enzyme’’. In this manner the new DNA is formed. Today, this system is used for curing the innate metabolic diseases and genetic diseases. Also, it is used for curing the diseases such as aids which have no other means of cure.

How would the human be copied?

Again, a news in the press stated the following opinions from an authorised person from the Ukrainian International Scientific Academy-Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics:-

‘’We are trying to understand the human genes by experimenting all kinds of variations. For example we have produced a creature half man, half horse, but it didn’t live. Or, we are mixing the genes of mice with that of the crocodile and see what kind of creatures are formed. However, as you would expect, they die immediately after they are born. We are close to copying the man. I must declare it openly that the techniques that we are using cannot be made by the Western world yet’’… after making these explanations he continued;

‘’We can copy not only the animal, but the man too. However, as a result of the research that we have made, we came to the conclusion that it would be more pleasant and correct if man was reproduced in the classical way. The subject that we are emphasizing is to put it into collequial words ‘’making a human being according to the placed orders…’’ So, to be able to do this we are trying to solve the human genes.

The Ukrainian Scientists, after saying that they have started the studies for copying the human being continues;

‘’This is something similar to a grape taken from a bunch of grapes and growing it in the place of a cherry taken from a bunch of cherries. We are mixing the mouse with the crocodile, mouse with the mouse and mouse with the man and look at the resulting creature.

The interesting aspect of this process is that the companies who belive in cloning, think that everything is completed and they are trying to pull the subject towards the area of trade by racing to get the patents.

Another important news on cloning is as follows;

In the beginning of the 1970’s as a result of the experiments made in the laboratories of the KGB, two dogs from one dog were cloned. All this research was conducted in the Russian Science Institute and were kept as top secret, therefore it was a unknown what this country had done during the nearly thirty years that have passed since then (as they have lost their secrecy now).

However, with respect to what the doctors have said, the two dogs which have been cloned and the original, these three dogs were identical to each other like a carbon copy, but their behaviour was formed in a more different way…(they had behavioural differences)

While the processes of copying were going on at full speed, to tell the truth nothing was heard from the Scientisits of Islam only but a few.

Professor.Dr.M.Saim YEPREM from the Marmara University - The Faculty of Theology has the following points of view on the subject;

‘’With the most general meaning to copy is to obtain a similar of a material, a creature with various methods. Today, this word is used in the sciencs of biology for obtaining a live being from another living creature with a similar genetic structure by different methods. The method named as cloning is another version of copying that are diversifying and developing as the days go on.

Today, the people are understanding the process of copying as obtaining a creature from another living thing which is identical to the original in every aspect. First of all we are thinking that this understanding is not correct… Because, no matter which method is used, in real life nothing can be the same as another thing. Even the products that come out of the same factory, that carry the same label are not the same, but look like each other. If being identical is mentioned, this tells us that the creature that has been copied is not the same as the original, but the perfection of the process of copying. When expressed in theological terms, there is a relation of ‘’difference’’ between the original and the copied rather than a relation of ‘’similarity/being the same’’.

Therefore, reproduction of new creatures by natural methods (or having them reproduced) is covered by the concept of copying.

Ahmet F. Yuksel