Muslim Hate of Condoms
Muslim Women on Condom Machines: “Don’t ruin our culture, Remove these machines”
By Gudrun Schultz
CHENNAI, India, December 14, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Attempts to install condom vending machines in India’s capital have met with fierce resistance by Muslim groups. Street protests followed the government’s announcement that it plans to install 500 condom vending machines in the capital and 1000 more throughout the state.
“We must fight AIDS, but these machines at public places will only promote sex outside marriage among the younger generation,” said MH Jawahirullah, head of the Muslim Progressive Party, in an interview with Australian News yesterday.
Strong conservative forces in the country have shown staunch resistance to efforts to adopt Western liberal policies towards life issues.
“The government is spreading condom culture through these machines under the pretext of fighting AIDS,” said Fatheema Jalal, convenor of one Muslim group. “By this, our society will get more permissive and our youth will be ruined.”
HIV/AIDS infection rates in India are second only to South Africa, with more than five million people carrying the disease.
Condom use is
at the forefront of India’s strategy for slowing the spread of the disease,
despite research that shows condoms are far less effective than advocates claim.
A 2003 study by the UN AIDS Program admitted that condoms have a 10% failure
rate in preventing transmission of the virus, while other studies have found
those numbers to be as high as 55 %. (For coverage of the UN report see:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2003/jun/03062303.html)
India’s
National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) says of condom use: “The most
successful and practical way to prevent the transmission [of HIV/AIDS] is the
use of condoms. Condoms are not only affordable but also user friendly. “ The
organization has been working with the Tamil Nadu government to bring in the
condom vending machines as part of a program to promote condom use and
availability. (For the full statement, go to:
http://www.nacoonline.org/prog_condomprg.htm)
David Green, senior research scientist with the Harvard institute on Population Control, said in a report recently that condoms have not been found to be “user friendly,” despite advocates’ claims. “Part of the proof of this observation is the disappointing low levels of consistent condom use after more than 20 years of condom promotion in the developing world.” (Baptist Press) A one-time condom advocate himself, Green now promotes the strategy of encouraging abstinence and faithfulness as the first weapons in the fight against the disease.
Condom taboo in Zanzibar hampers fight against Aids
Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Campaigns to fight HIV/Aids often
focus on the "ABC" strategy -- or Abstinence, Be faithful and use Condoms.
However, on the ultra-conservative, predominantly Muslim island of Zanzibar,
condoms remains taboo and is rarely incorporated into public awareness messages.
"We believe that advocating the use of condoms is promoting illegal sex, mainly
among the youth," said Fadhil Soraga, secretary at the office of Zanzibar's
mufti, or senior Muslim scholar. "The proper campaign is A and B."
While public talks or advertising campaigns about HIV/Aids in Zanzibar may
advise people to "Abstain, Be faithful," these messages carefully omit condom
use as way to prevent HIV/Aids.
"We are always loud when mentioning the letters A and B, but we mumble when it
comes to the C," said HIV/Aids activist Asha Hussein.
In 2003, a United Nations-supported government survey on the main islands of
Unguja and Pemba found HIV/Aids prevalence in the general population to be 0,6%.
While the rate is relatively low compared to prevalence rates in the region --
mainland Tanzania, for example, has an HIV/Aids prevalence of 7% -- health
officials nevertheless estimate that the rate is rising.
Ameir Khamis, a government epidemiology and surveillance coordinator, estimated
that about 8 000 Zanzibaris were currently living with HIV/Aids, up from 6 000
in 2002.
Officials from Medicos Del Mundo (MDM), an international NGO working on HIV/Aids
in Zanzibar, said they had to be careful in their campaign against the pandemic.
"We're using many ways to deliver the message to stop the spread of Aids and
other sexually transmitted diseases, but speaking about condoms in Zanzibar
society is still very difficult," said Erene Casas, MDM project coordinator in
Zanzibar.
The European Union-supported MDM has been working to prevent the spread of
HIV/Aids, mother-to-child transmission of HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted
infections in Zanzibar since April 2002. It also organises activities to
sensitise the population, especially young people, on safer sex.
A moral issue
"Community leaders -- including religious and civic leaders -- are not ready for
the condom-use theory," Khamis said.
A poster by the Zanzibar Aids Commission in Stone Town, the island's main town,
reads: "Our culture is the best cure for HIV/Aids. Observe our culture and
religion to stop the spread of the disease."
Soraga, from the mufti's office, blamed the rise in the prevalence of HIV/Aids
on the degeneration of morality on the island.
"Despite repeated religious calls and the many seminars on HIV/Aids in Zanzibar,
the number of HIV cases has been increasing because people do not want to change
their behaviour," he said. "We must reform our behaviour, mainly by refraining
from illegal sex."
Although the government and religious institutions are reluctant to promote
condoms, their use is on the rise -- albeit silently -- mainly among youths.
Ramadhani Hassan, MDM's local coordinator, confirmed that condom "consumption"
had increased.
"During the film and traditional festivals in June and July, we distributed more
than 90 000 condoms free of charge," he said.
"The statistics show that although it is illicit to talk about condoms in
Zanzibar society, their utilisation has been increasing," he added.
Stigma and discrimination
Stigma and discrimination were barriers to the prevention, treatment and care of
HIV/Aids patients in Zanzibar, Casas said. Many people living with the virus
were reluctant to disclose their status, even when their employers encouraged
them to seek out testing and counselling services.
"These barriers are internalised so that people do not seek diagnostic or
treatment services, or the means to protect themselves," she said.
"The main causes of stigma involve incomplete knowledge, fear of death and
disease, sexual norms, and lack of recognition of stigma," she said.
The Zanzibar Association of People with HIV/Aids reported that HIV-positive
people on the island faced physical and social isolation from family, friends
and the community. Discrimination often extended to the workplace as well and
hampered access to government services.
The inability of women to negotiate condom use has also proved to be a barrier
to preventing the spread of the virus.
Hassan noted that a lack of confidence prevented many women from demanding that
their partners use condoms, placing them at great risk. A 2003 government study
showed that infection rates among women were three times higher than men.
Casas said stigma limited the circulation of information about the epidemic and
options for care, as well as communication within couples about the risks of
contracting HIV/Aids.
"I think we need to do everything possible to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids,"
she said. - Irin
African Muslim Clerics Divided On Condom Use
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
December 6, 2006
Dar Es Salaam
Muslim clerics from 25 African countries failed to reach consensus on the use of condoms in preventing HIV/AIDS at a meeting on the semi-autonomous Tanzanian island of Zanzibar.
The Network of African Islamic Faith-based Organisations met in November to discuss issues that included HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence, but could not to agree on a unified HIV/AIDS strategy.
When the network was launched in March 2005, in Abuja, Nigeria, the religious leaders stated in their declaration: "We support all appropriate methods of preventing HIV/AIDS. These include abstinence, being faithful and, when absolutely necessary, correct and consistent use of the condom between couples."
Nevertheless, many clerics at the meeting rejected the use of condoms on the grounds that they promoted promiscuity, particularly among the youth. "The majority still stick to 'no promoting condoms', and believe in abstinence and being faithful as preventive measures - condoms can only be used by HIV-positive couples," said Zanzibar's Dr Issa Ziddy, deputy secretary of the network.
Other participants felt the organisation needed to make a clear statement in favour of condom use in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "I think it is high time we define the preventive measures. Let us strengthen advocacy in abstinence [A] and being faithful [B], but also promote the use of condoms [C] for those who fail to stick to A and B," said Ebyan Salah, a Gender Advisor to the Somalia Transitional Federal Government. "Every tool must be used, including promoting condoms."
Despite the long political crisis in Somalia and current efforts to build a government, many people in the country were aware of HIV/AIDS. Activists, including Muslim leaders, spoke openly about the pandemic, but promoting condom use remained largely taboo, and they were difficult to find on the market, she said.
Dr Hamid Suleiman, of the Zanzibar AIDS Commission, told delegates that condom use was not encouraged by the island's clerics either and they were not directly involved in the campaign against HIV/AIDS until 2002.
At the 2005 Abuja summit, Muslim religious leaders from Nigeria, Senegal and Tanzania, among others, agreed that they should disseminate information on HIV/AIDS in sermons and at religious events.
"Fortunately, for the last three years Muslim leaders in Zanzibar have helped a lot in controlling the spread of HIV/AIDS," Suleiman said. "Since the majority population are Muslims, the message can spread well."
Zanzibar's HIV still relatively low prevalence has reached 0.9 percent, but in 2002 it was estimated at just 0.6 percent. Health workers on the island say lack of information and worrying trends like increased injecting drug use could see the island's problem continue to grow unless urgent action is taken.
Muslim opposition to condoms limits distribution