Problem Identification of Islamic Law Implementation in COVID-19 Mortuary Practice in Indonesia from the Perspective of Forensic Pathologists

Abstract

Indonesia consists of many different ethnic groups and religions. Islam is the major religion in Indonesia, thus also rendering Islamic tradition as being significant in Indonesia. This is also the case with Islamic law. In March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared as pandemic by WHO. Since then, there were reported cases of forceful seizure of deceased bodies by the deceased's family in Indonesia. The aim of this research is to understand the problems related with Islamic law implementation in COVID-19 mortuary practice in Indonesia from the perspective of forensic pathologists. This study also aims to analyze whether the solutions given are in accordance with Islamic law. The sampling method used was convenience sampling. The respondents were forensic pathologists from different areas in Indonesia. 19 out of 20 respondents reported problems and solutions. The solutions were in accordance to Islamic law. Problem that is present in mortuary practice in the context of muslim COVID-19 patients are related to the bathing and shrouding process. There is distrust on whether proper care had been carried out. The situation happened due to the community's lack of comprehensive understanding of proper Islamic mortuary practice in COVID-19 pandemic context.Copyright © 2023, Institute of Medico-legal Publication. All rights reserved.