BY: DOMINICK MWAMBUI @dmwambui
Turkey’s top religious leaders issued on
Wednesday a fatwa in an attempt to keep up with the times. The country’s
Directorate of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet, allowed Turkish Muslims to use
toilet paper after they answered the call of nature when there is no water to
clean themselves.
Diyanet noted that while some sources think
toilet paper is not suitable as cleaning materials after one poops or urinates,
in the case of women, because paper is used for writing, the directorate said
using toilet paper is now okay, reports the New York Post.
It issued the fatwa to be up-to-date with
the times because the Qadaa-al-Haajah, the Islamic toilet etiquette, was
written before toilet paper was invented. That code also states Muslims must
squat or sit, but not stand, when relieving themselves. They must also keep
quiet while in the loo and leave with the right foot first while saying a
prayer.
Another update is allowing Muslims to use hand
sanitisers which contain alcohol. Islam forbids its followers to drink
substances with alcohol, it provided an exemption to the sanitisers because it
was specifically produced for cleaning. It added places cleaned with alcohol
does not need to be washed before praying.
Outside religious considerations, there is a
debate on the use of toilet paper versus water for washing.
Scientificamerican.com considers washing more sanitary than toilet paper.
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