ADOPTION IN SHARI'A LAW, ITS IMPACT ON THE MUSLIM MINORITY IN ISRAEL, AND THE THERAPIST-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP WHEN PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION IS NECESSARY.

Adoption is an act of kindness and an expression of the most exalted of human morality. It fulfills the needs of both the adoptive parents and the adopted child. Muslim religious law has rejected the concept of adoption as it exists in the western world and presents several alternatives including personal liability, declaration of guardianship, bestowing a gift and leaving a last will and testament. Nevertheless, over the past 20 years, the Arab-Muslim population in Israel has developed a certain acceptance of the more typical concept of adoption and the willingness to accept the civil legislation that is applied in domestic courts in Israel. This gradual integration into Israeli society as well as the very act of adoption, which remains controversial, often creates the need for treatment, consultation and guidance for the adoptive family and the adopted child. The traditional, collective characteristics of the Arab-Muslim society have a significant impact on the child's emotional state and behavior and, of course, effect the adoptive family's social standing as well. In such situations, it is imperative to discuss the interaction and the often difficult and complex relationship that develops between the therapist or counselor and the patient.