‘Is Physician Assisted Suicide Compatible with Islam?’ was the intriguing starting point for a Ministry Study Day with the Clergy and Readers of the Diocese of Brechin held on Tuesday 24 January 2017 in Edzell, Angus.
Dr Hussain Godasger, Principal of the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education in Dundee, posed this question to explore the complex relationships between exegesis of the Holy Quran and how people of faith engage with the ethical dilemmas of postmodern culture.
The ensuing lively and wide-ranging discussion covered many topics: the sanctity of life and the limits of suffering, the nuanced branches of Islam, commonalities with Judaism and Christianity, and the increasing global challenge of ideological politics and terrorism.
Dr Godasger, an academic who was forced to flee the Islamic Republic of Iran, said the Study Day was “a fantastic moment for me to come here and discuss these things, which we may not agree about, from Christian and Islamic perspectives.” 
Bishop Nigel said, “I believe that religious illiteracy is a grave danger today – too frequently it leads to intolerance and persecution of minorities. St Paul, whose life we celebrate this week, encourages us to engage our faith with contemporary culture and to seek conversations with those of other faiths about matters of common concern”.
The study day was part of Intelligent Refreshment the annual diocesan programme of educational, liturgical and social events for clergy and lay ministers.

The photo has from left to right Bishop Nigel, Dr Hussain Godasger and the Dean of Brechin

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