“O You who have attained to faith! Men should never deride others; it may well be that those whom they deride are better than themselves. And neither you defame one another, nor insult one another by opprobrious epithets.” - 49:11-12 Quran
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In Malaysia, a difficult debate has been raging about a new law requiring Muslim couples to be free from HIV infection before they are allowed to marry. A number of non-governmental organizations have raised human rights concerns about the law and have proposed a preventive “partner notification” measure instead. The Malaysian Minister of Social Development, Zaleha Ismail, rebutted: “A lot of people argue that marriage is an individual’s right, but if a couple decides on children, the possibility of the child being infected must be given serious thought…The children of those infected will become society’s responsibility if the parents die. We should not imitate the West in demanding individual rights as the AIDS problem threatens not only individuals but also the society as a whole.”
In Indonesia, movie star Nurul Arifin spoke to mass groups and often shocked them with demonstrations of proper condom use on prosthetic penises. But leaders of some Islamic fundamentalist groups objected to her tactics, saying that promoting condom use was promoting sinful behavior. In her defense, the Indonesian Deputy Health Minister said, “Such controversy hinders the struggle in Islam’s most populous nation to stanch a potentially dangerous rise in HIV infections.” Still, groups like the conservative Mujaheddin Council have fought educational efforts, even ones that are cleared by the Indonesian Health Ministry, such as an advertisement campaign by Family Health International in 2002.
In the first Asian regional workshop for Islamic religious leaders, specific cases of stigmatization were emphasized by Datin Marina Mahathir, president of the Malaysian AIDS Council. AIDS patients in Malaysia have been barred from renting houses by some landlords, from eating in public places, and from receiving medical attention. Obstetricians have refused to perform episiotomies for women in labor. The government tests foreigners working in Malaysia for HIV and deports them if they are found to be infected. Muslim religious teachings have in many cases reinforced completely secular prejudices against AIDS patients – prejudices held by many Westerners as well – with the result that infected people are condemned not only to their illness, but also to social ostracism.
Meanwhile, other voices have emerged within Muslim communities to advocate sexual education and tolerance for homosexuality. Zubairi Djoerban, a member of the Indonesian Council of Ulama, stated at a workshop for Muslim religious leaders, “It should be remembered that stigma and discrimination against [AIDS patients] have no religious basis.” He uses the Quran to support this belief: “O You who have attained to faith! Men should never deride others; it may well be that those whom they deride are better than themselves. And neither you defame one another, nor insult one another by opprobrious epithets.” Islam advocates mercy, unconditional love, and care for people in a state of illness or catastrophe, even for sinners or criminals. Perhaps the most striking common ground among the often clashing Muslim interpretations of Allah’s view on AIDS is the understanding that it is supremely important to care for the afflicted. In fact, Islamic scholar Malik Badri notes that according to the Hadith, “In the scenario of an outbreak of disease it is important not to flee and for those outside the limits of the infected region not to enter it. God, according to the Hadith, warns against unreasonable fear from infection, pointing out that this hysteria often causes one to neglect the nurturing duties of Muslims to those who are sick.”
In the West, an educated public, coupled with well-developed and well-funded public health systems, has kept AIDS largely in check. Christian teachings have clashed with AIDS prevention, but the circumstances of the developed world have mitigated whatever dangers religious dogma present to containing the epidemic. In contrast, public health infrastructure, costly medical treatments, and knowledge about sex are unavailable to many Muslims in North Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. In some ways, Islamic teachings clearly help to prevent AIDS transmission – for example, many Muslims find that daily prayer strengens resolve against promiscuity and intravenous drug use. But if Islamic nations are to avoid the level of epidemic plaguing Africa and elsewhere, Muslim leaders will increasingly have to confront some of their traditional moral positions, and search instead for ways to reconcile Islam with the unique dangers of the modern world.
Kyan Safavi is a freshman in Berkeley College.