Muslim Sisters Aids Network chairperson sister Jamila Lire says she has no regrets for revealing HIV/AIDS prevalence report and is happy that her organization’s objective, “to break the silence” is now being achieved.
The chairlady was reacting to the condemnation from other Muslim men after her organization released the report saying 200 out of its 1000 members are HIV/AIDS positive.
“I don’t have any regrets that a lot of people were criticizing our report because I knew what I was talking about. And I am happy that Musanet’s objective of ‘breaking the silence’ is now being achieved. We want people to talk,” sister Lire told Malawi Muslim Official Website after their monthly general meeting on Sunday.
“You know, this kind of habit is what it is killing us. People don’t want to accept that this disease is also affecting us Muslims. If you look at the Malawi’s 2005 HIV/AIDS report, you will see that Islam is on top. So should we still be quite?” asked the chairlady.
The report which was presented at Moslem Women meeting held at Mzuzu Islamic Bureau on 22nd May 2010 shows that Islam and Seventh Day Adventist/Baptist are grabbing the lion’s share with 14.4% in lead. By ethnicity, Lomwes are leading the group with 19.0% seconded by Yaos with 15.1%.
According to the report, stigma and discrimination, lack of dialogue/culture of silence among partners, multiple and concurrent sexual partnerships are some of the contributing factors that lead to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Malawi.
It is difficult to keep away from reality.Nowadays muslim are a comeback community who used to have cultural habits that were exposable towards encouraging the increase in HIV transmission and those cultures are declining though at a very slow pace.Other practices are "river side" initiations that include overnight drum dance commonly known as "manganje"What do you think could be the outcome of men/boys and women/girls dancing together interminglingly in the name of culture.We have heard it that some "ndagalas" have been burned under the initiative of government and what is this?.Praise God that we are coming up but we have also to accept that due to the remaining uncalled for habits we risk being infected if we don'nt beat loud the drum.
Therefore, the results by MUSANET should strengthen those who are doing their best to eradicate our bad habits of "jahiliya" in the name of culture, and mend them to suit the acceptable habits and sunnat of our prophet (SAW)
May Allah make it easy for us inshaallah.
Yeah. You are true brother. Its time to wake up!
One of the significant facts in life is to share our problems. Having an effect on AIDS is not a shameful thing so that others should blame someone who proclaims its existence in their community. A remedy to a problem is found when a problem is identified. AIDS is a routine song since 1980s, it has affected millions of people, killing many, but others survive to the will of Allah. Believe me, the cure of this disease is very simple with Allah, and is within us, not far; we just need to believe in Him, sincerely implore that He, (sw), obliterates this virus by either dismissing it completely or showing us what to do. "verily when Allah wills a thing to exist He says to it “Be!” and it becomes" 2:117/An'an:73/Nahl:40/Yasin:82 etc, So if He says so when creating things, is it difficult for Him to obliterate it? We need to pray hard and be conscious with Allah in all what we do, He will open the doors for us. He says: "And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out" Qur'an 65:2
He will give us the cure; he giveth it to those who survive in the way that they never know how they survived, that is among other secrets not transpired to this mankind. "Well, Allah is the best guardian, and He is the Most-Merciful of all the merciful". Qur'an 12:64 O Allah! do not test us with this fatal disease, it's time we need to fortify our Iman.
May Allah keep our womedn safe as well as the whole Muslim Ummah
I gree with the two comments.I think it will be suicidal for us muslims to dismiss the work of MUSANET. Muslim men, is high time we accepted the role that our mothers and sisters are doing.why do we find it difficult that muslim women can carry out such surveys.is high time we accepted that in Islam, women are not barred from doing charitable duties. these work that MUSANET is doing is really commendable and what we really need to do is join hands and work together as a single ummah. dont just criticise, give suggestions on how best to do this.otherwise, men will be seen as just being jelous of the work that muslim women are doing and they will rightly do so.
when you look at the ethinicity results, if one is honest enough,I think there wont be any problem in accepting this.go to the lomweland and yaoland and see how people live their sexual lives.
Let us just ask ALLAH to give us wisdom so that we can put our heads together to combat this disease otherwise,we know that when ALLAH says we should not do something, it means there are harmful consequenses to that thing.Islam,1400 years ago offered a solution to this problem, all that is needed is just to break our silence and let everyone know what the Qur'an says on this topic.