I just found a really interesting article about adoption in Dubai.

When a child is abandoned in Dubai (the article doesn't mention how this takes place - are they literally abandoned? are they surrendered?), then they go to Al Wasl Hospital, to Ward 16, "the ward for children of unknown parents.”

According to the social workers, the ward never has more than 12 children, both boys and girls. Some families opt to foster the children because they cannot conceive, while others already have children, but feel an obligation to take care of others as well.

“Families come here and apply to become legal-foster parents. Mostly we select those who cannot have children. The procedure is for them to write a letter to the Director-General, with an explanation about their situation and why they would like the child,” said Anoud [a social worker].

“Mostly the parents simply have to see the children and they know immediately which one they would like to take into their family.”

Prospective parents must undergo a homestudy:

Anoud explains a process that includes a “very thorough study” of the family and their home environment. The social workers then compile a report on the prospective family and the file is submitted to the hospital’s director-general for consideration.

“We as the social workers simply give recommendations,” social worker Badriya Yousuf said.

“We see their real lives and describe everything about them. It is not easy to give a recommendation. On average it takes approximately 2-3 months, but sometimes more.”

However, the process does not end there, with the social workers continuing to follow up for a number of years after the legal fostering process has been completed.

What was most interesting to me was that adopting or fostering a child is an important part of the Islamic faith.

A stringent set of rules and regulations exists in Islamic countries governing the treatment of abandoned children, prominent Islamic scholar Dr Ahmad Al Qubaisi said.

“In Arabic, children abandoned by their parent or parents for whatever reason, are known as laqeet which literally means ‘to pick up a child from death’ — one of the holy acts for a Muslim,” Al Qubaisi told Gulf News.

“It means that you are saving a soul from death and it is your responsibility.”

In the Islamic tradition, orphans, or yateem, are those whose parents are known, but either the father or both parents are deceased. Moreover, taking care of laqeet is deemed to be more holy, because yateem have families to take care of them.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if every culture felt this way about their orphans?