Hana, Courtesy A/P

England: Sheep. Dubai: Camel. Iran: Goat. What’s next?

Iranian scientists have cloned a goat and plan future experiments they hope will lead to a treatment for stroke patients, the leader of the research said Wednesday. The female goat, named Hana, was born early Wednesday in the city of Isfahan in central Iran, said Dr. Mohammed Hossein Nasr e Isfahani, head of the Royan Research Institute.

The effort is part of Iran’s quest to become a regional powerhouse in advanced science and technology by 2025. In particular, Iran is striving for achievements in medicine and in aerospace and nuclear technology.

Injaz, Courtesy USA Today

Scientists in Dubai say they have created the world’s first cloned camel, according to reports in United Arab Emirates newspapers.

The BBC, quoting UAE papers, says Injaz, a female one-humped camel, was born last week after more than five years of work. Scientists say DNA taken from a cell in the ovary of an adult camel was put into an egg from a surrogate mother.

According to one of the UAE papers, the donor camel was killed for its meat in 2005, but its DNA was preserved.

What’s next, U.S.: T-Rex? Human? What will the faithful Muslims have to say about all this?




  1. Sister Mary Hand Grenade of Quiet Reflection says:

    They needed more sex partners.

  2. Jägermeister says:

    Iran: Goat. What’s next?

    Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… he’ll be Iran’s answer to Agent Smith.

  3. Paddy-O says:

    What? No virgins?

  4. LibertyLover says:

    I am shocked they are doing this. Shocked I say!

    You can’t have a picture of God but you can try to create like him? Heretics, all.

  5. Greg Allen says:

    I’m not sure what would be un-Islamic about cloning but some mullahs have a kneejerk reaction against all modernity.

    But, who are we to lecture the Muslims? There are plenty of Americans who have similar reactions to genetic experimentation. And the Europeans are worse, yet, with their wild paranoia about GMOs. Haven’t they even rioted over GMOs?

  6. Buzz says:

    In future experiments, they plan to clone suicide bombers. Logical.

  7. Greg Allen says:

    The Muslim bashing in this post stinks.

    As for me, I’m glad Iranians are working on cutting-edge science. Iran has long been a leading country in the Middle East with a lot of college educated people.

    Yes, the Revolution was a set-back in many regards but there is no shortage of educated, refined Iranians.

    Go hang out with your local Iranian community and you’ll find an one in about three seconds.

  8. Nimby says:

    Makes sense.
    A boy needs a ride to go pick up his best girl.
    Then, a boy needs a best girl…

  9. Rock the Casbah says:

    In agreement with Greg on all counts

    As with music science is a universal language. The more knowledgeable the Iranians and people in the States about medicine, aerospace, and peaceful uses of nuclear technology the more common ground we will have to collaborate on and the better we will get along.

    We and they are much more alike than the bashers think.

    peoples is peoples

  10. BubbaRay says:

    #10, Rock the Casbah,

    Agree with Greg Allen? So you would like the Middle Eastern countries to have enough science and engineering to create ICBMs, bioweapons, nukes?

    By the time they do, I hope we’re not dependent on ME oil and that we have sufficient deterrents.

    Somehow, I don’t think they are worried about exporting medicine and music to the Western world. Their religion, maybe.

    Science, a power so awesome it can only be used for good or evil.

  11. Rock the Casbah says:

    #11 BuddaRay

    You must have missed the word Peaceful in my post.

    Who gave our country the exclusive rights to study and do research on our own? They might learn something really cool and sell it to the rest of the world. This story says nothing about them trying to steal corporate or government secrets, just that they want to be a leader in these fields. Looks like they are doing the work to get there what could be more American? Would you rather they just lived in tents and roamed from oasis to oasis on camels cause that ain’t gonna happen. They are a smart and well educated group and we’d to well to learn to get along because before long no matter what we do they will know stuff and have stuff that scares us. That or nuke em now before they can learn any thing.

    They have had every right to be suspect of the US since we facilitated the deposing of popular democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh in 53. Yes he was looking to RED for our liking but these kind of maneuvers always come back to bite us.

    Lets let the likes of Donald Rumsfeld sleep in peace

  12. Hmeyers says:

    Nifty! If this isn’t some photoshop artistry.

  13. Ah_Yea says:

    Wow! I just had a nightmare about a bunch of Ahmadinejad Clones running around an Israeli nuclear wasteland!

  14. Awake says:

    The cloning itself is not so notable, since the science behind it is well established. What is more significant about this news is that although the USA constantly derides Iran for it’s Muslim based religious government, Iran is doing life science… in the mean time here in the USA the christian fundamentalists have kept basic life science research from taking place for years. Things like cloning, stem cell research, organ generation, etc have been effectively banned in the USA based on ‘faith’ issues.
    Makes you wonder which country is more of a ‘Theocracy’.

  15. BubbaRay says:

    #12, Casbah, point taken. But they don’t seem to want to use their tech for peaceful means, at least as far as we’re concerned. I’m certain there are scientists there who aren’t interested in furthering religious goals. But don’t forget who the evil West is.

    #15, Awake, well, there ya’ go. Religion vs. science lives on.

  16. jerry says:

    I heard Ahmadinejad personally took part in the fertilization.

  17. Poppa Boner says:

    Shouldn’t those camel ladies be wearing burk, ,uh, burqa, wtf – bags over their head?

  18. Paddy-O says:

    # 8 Greg Allen said, “Go hang out with your local Iranian community and you’ll find an one in about three seconds.”

    Agree, but a couple of points.

    1) They are pretty much al HERE, not over THERE. (see Germany circa 1941 re: Jewish scientists)

    2) Don’t call it the “Iranian” community, call it the “Persian” community.

    😉

  19. Jeff says:

    Lovely… somehow this got translated from cloning into other forms of scientific research. I love cold wars… sign me up. Nothing better than being able to demonstrate your patriotism while raping the United States government blind.

    Summary: It is a frickin’ goat, learn to live with it. This is not the fall of civilization.

  20. BubbaRay says:

    #25, Pedro, sure. Translate away. I couldn’t get more than every 3rd word.

  21. Angel H. Wong says:

    “What’s next, U.S.: T-Rex?”

    And you know why they would clone a Dinosaur in the USA? SO THEY COULD GET A GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE JESUS TO RIDE IT.

  22. Angel H. Wong says:

    #25 Pedro,

    I suggest you read this blog.

    http://batiduende.blogspot.com/

    Too bad he’s not typing from Venezuela but then again, with his opinions he’d be already dead if he lived there.

    *sigh* This tiny patch of land called Honduras is slowly becoming another penile extension of Chavez…

  23. stormcoder says:

    Seems that muslims have reached enlightenment. They’ve invented edible sex toys. 😉

  24. BubbaRay says:

    Thanks for the translation, pedro!


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