The diversity of abortion rights in some Muslim-majority countries are a starting point in encouraging liberalisation in other countries

A lack of access to safe abortions is a major cause of maternal mortality across the world. Looking at Islamic sources and relevant literature, Gilla Shapiro investigates the Islamic discourse and the diversity of laws across Muslim-majority countries. She finds that the remarkable variability is largely dependent on the point of gestational development and the grounds for abortion. For more permissive abortion laws to be achieved in Muslim-majority countries, she recommends that the more lenient interpretations should be highlighted, using a country-specific approach that takes into account local social and cultural factors.