By Mallick Mnela, IOL Correspondent
BLANTYRE — Muslim organizations in Malawi are joining hands in attending for the needs of AIDS victims in the Southern African country, especially during Ramadan, while scholars are sensitizing the public on the dangers of stigmatizing or discriminating against the infected and affected persons.

"It's unfortunate that AIDS patients, widows and orphans are stigmatized and discriminated against to the extent of being denied food," Altaf Gani, Chairperson of the World Association of Friends of Africa (WAFA) told IslamOnline.net in Blantyre.

"This is unjust, and Islam has taught us to refrain from being unjust. It's in the Qur'an that we shouldn't judge, for this is a duty of Allah alone."

Gani stressed that Islam teaches Muslims to be compassionate in all circumstances.

"We're taught to be compassionate as our prophet was. Moreover, we should be more compassionate during this month by providing food and love to people infected or affected by HIV/AIDS," he said.

"We're trying to provide nourishing foods and medical assistance while at the same time working towards uplifting the patients' spiritually as well as their emotional being."

WAFA is donating assorted food-stuffs to help provide iftar to HIV/AIDS patients, widows and orphans of AIDS-related deaths in the predominantly Muslim southern Malawi.

Malawi is one of the most severely AIDS-hit countries in the sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the World Bank, AIDS is the major cause of death among Malawians between the ages of 15 to 49 years.

Government figures suggest Muslims make up 12 percent of Malawi's 12 million people while the Muslim Association of Malawi puts the percentage at 36 of the population.

Islam is the second largest religion in Malawi after Christianity.

Speaking Out

There are no clear statistics on the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS among Muslims in Malawi, but the prevalence of the pandemic is pegged at about 15% of the 12 million people.

However, there is overwhelming evidence that Muslims are also succumbing to the scourge.

Enock Tebulo, an HIV-positive Muslim and widower from the predominantly Muslim district of Mangochi said Muslims were equally at risk, but preferred to remain silent because the disease is associated with prohibited acts, which are vehemently condemned by Islam.

"The disease spreads through some immoral behaviors such as indulging in immoral sexual activities, drug use and intoxicants consumption which are all regarded haram," Tebulo told IOL.

"This has made most people keep a tight lip, but this won’t help put the matter to rest."

He said Muslims should come to terms with the harsh reality of HIV/AIDS and inform the world about the Islamic teachings as a response to the disease.

Tebulo believes the much-lauded HIV/AIDS campaign by Muslims in Uganda, championing abstinence as the only preventative measure, should be emulated in the country.

"Since I came out in the open to talk about my predicament, I no longer harbor regrets because I now understand that my condition is based on Allah's will," he said.

"This has also helped fellow Muslims to realize that the HIV/AIDS problem is real, and that there are people who require their assistance. I just feel having that inner peace that most Muslims have in this fasting month of Ramadan."

Tebulo commended Muslims who are taking the initiative to provide food-stuffs to the fasting HIV/AIDS patients during this fasting month.

Threats

Some Muslims fear that the lack of evenly distributed strategic centers could see the Muslim community losing out some faithful to non-Muslim centers.

"We're worried, as HIV-positive people, that our children may not maintain their Islamic identity after our deaths as they may be exposed to un-Islamic care centers that are doing everything possible to win their attention through feeding schemes," said Tebulo.

"It's our appeal to the Muslim organizations that are assisting us with food to also consider establishing care centers for our children to learn Islam whilst being taken care of."

There has been a rapid growth of care centers by Christians, Buddhists and, of late, the Kaballah faith being headed by musician-cum-actress Madonna.

The pop diva was in Malawi with her film-maker husband Guy Ritchie to establish an orphanage and to adopt an orphan, David, whose mother died of HIV/AIDS-related illness.

The child's father said on Sunday, October 15, he had not originally planned to give up his son for good when he handed him to an orphanage after the death of his wife last year.

"I suppose deep in my heart I always imagined that when he was better, or I had got another wife, I would go and take him back," Yohane Banda told the Mail on Sunday.

"I hate to see him leave Malawi but I have come to accept the loss.

"The government people told me it would be a good thing for the country. He will come back educated and able to help us."

Until recently, Banda said he had no idea the woman seeking to adopt his one-year-old son was a world-famous celebrity.

He said all he knew was that she was a "nice Christian lady."

Malawian law prohibits adoptions by non-residents, but officials granted an exemption or waiver to Madonna.

There are about 70,000 children under the age of 15 with HIV/AIDS in Malawi.

It is estimated that every year, as many as 80,000 people die from AIDS and another 110,000 new infections occur, many of these young people.

AIDS Jihad

Sheikh Muhammad Uthman, Publicity Secretary of the Majlis Ulama (Council of Muslim Scholars) said they have mounted a campaign aimed at sensitizing the general public on the dangers of discriminating against the infected and affected persons and the need to feed them.

"Any negative attitude towards the HIV- positive is discouraged by Islam," Sheikh Uthman told IOL.

"These people need to be helped so that they come to terms with the reality of HIV/AIDS, while at the same time being encouraged to seek Allah's mercy and forgiveness," he said.

"Allah always leaves the way open for repentance. We should help to add value to their lives by encouraging them to engage in acts of worship in this month of Ramadan by sharing the little we have."

Sheikh Uthman said Malawian scholars were making an effort to incorporate HIV/AIDS messages in sermons and lectures on the dangers of the pandemic to raise awareness.

Considering the grave consequences that may result due to laxity by the Muslim community in taking action against the pandemic, most organizations declared jihad against the pandemic.

Several Muslim organizations have initiated family HIV/AIDS education through local imams and Madrassah (religious schools) teachers in both the rural and urban areas.

Muslim institutions such as the Bilal Trust's Madina Social Services in southern Malawi and Social Islamic Development in central and northern Malawi have established clinics and mobile clinics to help people, including the HIV-positive, access medicine free of charge.

Plans are in the pipeline for these health facilities to start distributing the much-needed Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) in their respective catchment areas.

The Muslim umbrella body, Muslim Association of Malawi, has also been obtaining grants from the government through the National AIDS Commission (NAC) to facilitate outreach awareness programs among Muslims across the country.