The United Arab Emirates will permit women who were victims of incest or rape to undergo abortion. This new decision applies to residents who have resided in the UAE for at least a year. The UAE is due to permit abortions for rape victims and cases of incestual sex.

Under the new resolution passed by the cabinet, abortion will be permitted “if the pregnancy is the result of intercourse with a female against her will, without her consent or without adequate volition” or “if the person who caused the pregnancy is the ancestor of the woman or relatives,”

The rape or incest case must be reported immediately and then proven by a report from the public prosecution. UAE laws only permit abortion in cases where the mother is at risk or has severe abnormalities in the foetus.

According to the new resolution, the foetus must be less than 120 days old at the time of abortion and the woman’s life shouldn’t be at risk during the abortion.

According to Gulf’s penal code, the penalty for rape is life imprisonment.

The offender could also face capital punishment if the victim is under the age of 18 or

“has a physical disability or suffers from a health condition that renders her unable to resist, or if the perpetrator is one of the victim’s ascendants or non-marriageable relatives.”

There are differing opinions on abortion in Islam, hence it remains a complicated issue. The concept of life commencing at conception doesn’t apply in Islam.

The Islamic idea of ‘ensoulment’ only applies when the foetus is 120 days old however abortions come with restrictions.  Before the 120 days, the foetus isn’t considered a human life despite being a living being inside the womb.