I was surprised when I came across this report by Arabnews.com, saying that demand for cosmetic surgery in Saudi Arabia is rising.
According to the report, among the most popular forms of cosmetic surgical procedures in the Kingdom are rhinoplasty and liposuction. The report also says that women make up 70% of the demand.
I've always thought that Saudi Arabia, being one of the few Middle Eastern countries adhering to Islamic laws to the letter, is just as strict about cosmetic surgery as they are with eating pork, imbibing alcohol or showing women's faces in public.
As I researched the topic, I stumbled onto a website which bears a ruling on cosmetic surgery based on Islamic doctrine.
Essentially, Islam permits cosmetic surgery if it is done to correct congenital defects such as an extra digit, cleft palate or lip, or flaws like burns, or those that result from accidents or sickness.
Cosmetic surgery for beautification purposes, however, is an entirely different story.
This kind of surgery is not for any necessary reason, rather the purpose is to change the creation of Allaah and tinker with it according to people's whims and desires. So this is haraam and it is not permissible to do it, because it is changing the creation of Allaah.
So which is which?
The way the news article put it, cosmetic surgery is becoming a pretty common thing in Saudi Arabia. One of the doctors featured in the Arab News article even claimed that "the Kingdom is an internationally acknowledged center in general surgery and we are the best in the Middle East in cosmetic surgery."
Confusing.