CAIRO: Hamdy Al-Sayed, chairman of Doctors' Syndicate, disagreed with a recent proposal by the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawy, allowing the use of organs belonging to criminals on death row in transplant procedures without prior permission. Tantawy's proposal was made in reference to the 10 rapists who recently received the death sentence in Kafr El-Sheikh for kidnapping and raping a woman. "This is an overreaction from Tantawy. We [doctors] do not believe it is correct. We disagree with the use of the organs of criminals on death row whether or not they approve, Al-Sayed said. "However, I understand the logic upon which Tantawy based his suggestion, he added. "According to Tantawy the criminals on death row are deprived of all their rights and hence decisions concerning them can be made by others. Ahmed Omar Hashem, head of the PA's religious affairs committee, had told the press that he too opposes Tantawy's proposal. Moreover, Sheikh Mohamed Hamdy Megahed, a member in the same committee, told Daily News Egypt that he is against it. He argued that it violates basic human rights; that is, taking someone's organs without their approval. "People on death row are still human beings, he said.
