Doha conference stands against extended family conception

The International Family conference which opened on Monday in Doha, Qatar, strongly criticized intellectual and social discussions calling for breaking down the concept of family and eliminating it under allegations of modernization and development.

In this regard, Qatar's First Lady, Sheikha Mouza Bint Nasser al-Masnad, the chairperson of the higher council for family affairs in Qatar, called upon inaugurating the conference for protecting the family from these concepts. She stressed such attitudes are not in compliance with divine jurisprudence, stressing that these aim at undermining family kinship values.

She called for establishing a center for family studies and research with the main task of taking initiatives aiming at coordinating and integrating national, regional and international programs in the family domain.

Highlighting the issue of Islam and the family, former prime minister of Malaysia, Mahateir Muhammad, concentrated on the grave consequences of certain ideas on family issues debated as alternative for the "natural family" concept including "Interim sexual relations" and homosexual relations.

He stressed the Islam, as explained in the holy Koran and the Sunna teaching had given an example to be followed for the family. He added that all ideas debated in the name of the Islamic religion outside the confine of the Koran and the Sunna teaching should be discussed and then either be accepted or rejected.

Worthy mentioning that the Doha conference is being held by the fall of celebrating the International Family 10th anniversary. It was preceded by three preliminary meetings this year in Mexico, Stockholm and Geneva. The conference is being held in the course of the international efforts to protect the family as the international community has realized that there are certain issues threatening the structure of family in indicators revealed during the Cairo population conference in 1994 and Peking 1 and Peking 2 conferences.