An Assessment of the Lineage of Children Born out of Artificial Insemination Special Reference to Imam Khomeini's Viewpoints

The present article is an attempt to study new issues in the field of lineage of children born out of artificial insemination. The focus of the present paper is to study the status of father and mother of such a child without discussing its permissibility or otherwise. The meaning of the concept of artificial insemination, its various kinds and the relationship between the child and the semen donor and others involved in such a birth as well as the lineage of the child are elaborated on the basis of the Quranic verses, traditions and other documents. The hypothesis of this paper is that the child belongs to the donor of semen and is legitimate.