The UF Center for Global Islamic Studies is exploring the relationship between medicine and Islamic ethics.
The center will hold a conference, called "Islamic Bioethics & Spirituality in Contemporary Medicine," to discuss the ethical questions of biomedicine, an approach to medicine that focuses on nature and biology.
It will be held Saturday at Ustler Hall from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
There is always a number of ethical dilemmas that relate to medicine, said Terje Ostebo, director of the UF Center for Global Islamic Studies.
"Islam has ethical imperatives and an overarching thinking on human value," he said. "We are attempting to combine these more ethical aspects with the scientific side of medical research."
The conference represents the center’s goal of providing outreach, education and "a floor for academic discourse about topics that are related to Islam and Muslim peoples," said Mustafa Ahmed, a UF professor of medicine who helped plan the event.
"There has been a move toward more holistic approaches to patient care and medical education in the United States that incorporate concepts of mindfulness, awareness and understanding the cultural sensitivities of various culture groups," Ahmed said.
He said the convention will fit into that concept.
Ostebo said holistic research affects people of all faiths around the world because everyone needs medicine.
UF biology senior Asad Haroon said he will be attending the event, and he thinks it’s important for students to see how the advancement of science relates to ethics.
"This event relates to everyone," the 21-year-old said. "We are all concerned with our health, and it’s important that we know what guidelines to follow as we advance in the field of medicine."
