Dr. Ceesay, thanks for your contribution to this discussion.  I concur with
most of your observations and proposed solutions to combating this deadly
disease.  However, I disagree with three of your observations/solutions,
namely: religious solution; cultural practices; and the economics of
HIV/AIDS prevention.

We as Africans need to find solutions for our problems.  We don't have to
lash or stone anyone to combat this disease.  We are always quick to rely on
foreign religions as a cure-all for our problems.  Unless we stop looking to
Mecca or Rome, we will always find our selves scratching our heads for the
obvious.  We cured ourselves of various diseases before Mecca or Rome was
around, what makes us think that we should stop today?

You are right in stating that we need to rid off those aspects of our
culture that contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS and that we should fight
the disease as a community.  However, I disagree with your observation
regarding Jola cultural practices.  I am a Jola and never seen or heard of
that practice.  If you have any facts to support your understanding, please
enlighten me.

Finally, like most things in life, money is not everything but it's part of
everything.  In addition to educating each other and looking into our roots,
we need medications for those who already have the disease, and that costs
money.

My humble opinion.

Chi Jaama

Joe Sambou






>From: Mansour Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: HIV/AIDS
>Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000 12:44:15 +0100
>
>Asalamu alaikum Gambia-L,
>
>The AIDS epidemic has been described in various ways by
>different forums and by different people.  Different as
>they may be be its importance is unquestionable. It is
>undobtedly the most important public health issue of the
>late 20th C. and early (hopefully) 21th C. especially in
>the developing countries.  One fifth of South Africa's and
>a third of Botswana's population are said to be HIV
>positive. Given the current trend it will take a few more
>years before a large part of that productive sector
>succumbs to this disease.  I must say I do not intend to
>dwell on the causality of AIDS here because I do believe it
>will only derail tackling the real issues.  The evidence is
>overwhelming.
>
>What I want to deal with here is Hamjatta's question about
>what has gone wrong?  Why so much AIDS in the world and
>Africa in particular.
>
>I think the first reason is that our world has gone mad.
>1400 years ago Prophet Muhammad (SAW) predicted that time
>will come when people will no longer regard illegal sexual
>intercourse as evil and they will no pay Zakat on their
>properties.  The consequences would be dire: strange
>diseases without cure and lots of natural disasters....  It
>is not surprising that the first cases were discovered
>among homosexuals and main liners in USA but also among
>heterosexuals in Central/Southern Africa.  Allah said in
>the Qur'an:
>
>So our commandment came, we turned (the towns of Sodom in
>Palestine) upside down, and rained on them stones of baked
>clay, in a well arranged manner one after another (11:82).
>
>May be some day I will give the analogy between the stones
>of baked clay and HIV.  Suffice it to say the long period
>during which the people of Lot were warned to stop their
>unnatural act may be likened to the long incubation period
>and the stones to the virus.
>
>Our ancient traditions have also contributed to this deadly
>human tragedy.  I was listening to a radio prog. in which
>a Botswana citizen was describing the sexual orientation of
>his people.  It was clear to me sex can hardly be illegal
>in that society. We do not have to go far though.  I
>understand in the Jola culture it is OK to share wives with
>strangers and during circumcision ceremonies sex is free!
>(stand corrected on this). On the order hand if one looks
>at very religious societies like the Saudi Arabias of this
>world AIDS is certainly not a priority disease.
>
>Our attitudes to HIV/AIDS is also important.  The
>mainstream scientific community holds the view that AIDS in
>Africa is transmitted by HIV mainly through sexual
>intercourse.  This disease is therefore at the fore of
>human existence. However they say don't moralize the issue.
>Why not?  The stigma attached to the disease is perhaps an
>inner subconscious moralization.  The problem is of course
>that some people are innocent victims.  Well we shall come
>back to this in a minute.
>
>Have you ever wondered why the prescribed punishment of
>Zinat is so severe in Islam?  One hundred lashes (24:2) or
>stoning to death for the married offenders (Sahih
>Al-Bukhari Hadith no. 6814, 6833).  Some people say this is
>too severe and ancient and that it has no place in modern
>society!  Well 1400 years later AIDS has come to achieve
>just that as the liberal culture takes hold of the modern
>world.
>
>In the mean time we are refusing to deal with this issue in
>the above light.  Millions of pounds are being spent on
>conferences , researches, ect in the hope of banishing this
>menace once and forall in a disease that is totally
>preventable.  In the mean time millions of people are dying
>in Sub-Saharan Africa of malaria, TB, pneumonia,
>malnutrition.  Perhaps what President Mbeki was hinting at
>was that his government or in indeed no government can
>deal with the problem his country is facing- offering
>treatment to 20% of your population with expensive and
>toxic drugs.
>
>So what is the solution?
>
>1.  We should stop wasting money and time and tackle the
>behavioral problem that AIDS is.
>
>2. Encourage people especially community leaders, imams,
>church leaders to speak up.  Lets break the silence.
>
>3. Changing cultural practices.  This should be approached
>in a sensitive and sensible way.  We should not be enslaved
>by culture especially if it is killing us.  Our marriage
>institution need to be revisted especially with regards to
>wife inheritance.
>
>4.  We should stop glamorizing sex.  This should look at
>what we broadcast on the radio and TV, tourist industry,
>night clubs, etc..
>
>I am affraid this is my humble view.
>
>Have a pleasant day
>
>MMC
>
>
>----------------------
>Dr M Mansour Ceesay
>[log in to unmask]
>
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