RESUMO
The transplantation of organs, which at first sight appears to be just a technical medical procedure, is, first and foremost a sociocultural action that gives expression to existential perceptions. In Israeli society, as in most western societies the donation of the body or parts of it, is interpreted as possible at a societal level, and not as a gift from one individual to another. The medical achievement inherent in organ transplantation brings forward the relationship between the body, death and society. The moment the body ceases to function biologically, its position within the social entity is examined. The donation of organs evinces the acceptance of the idea that the personal body belongs to the society which sanctions the transition of the private body into organs that become national assets. This research is a first attempt to study the motives of people from Muslim society, who donated organs of their dear ones. The ability of these people to enter into a system of exchange flows from a tacit assumption by all of them that the action is approved by their social group. This paper presents the concepts of death and of the body that enable donation in general and the donation of the Muslim population in particular.
