The first time the Red Ribbon has ever been put on a Surah Yassin! Special one printed by JAKIM for the International AIDS Memorial Day 2009.Many years ago, in the mid-90s I attended a Forum Perdana, the religious discussion panel on TV, which became forever imprinted in my mind because it was so traumatic. The topic under discussion was HIV/AIDS and a mufti said that we should just let those who had been infected die while concentrating on prevention. He didn't know that there were several HIV-positive people in the audience who were there because, like me, they were attending a seminar on Islam and HIV/AIDS at a resort in Melaka organised by ABIM. Naturally we were all very upset by his statement.
I then asked him how do we show the loving and compassionate side of Islam, instead of this cruel and uncaring side that he was expressing? He then said that we are enjoined to visit those who are ill in hospital. BUT we should first ask what they were ill from!
Suffice to say that I have been put off Forum Perdanas since then.
Fast forward to last night at the Masjid Wilayah where JAKIM had organised jointly with the Malaysian AIDS Council a special International AIDS Memorial Day event. There were booths by several NGOs with information about HIV as well as several ongoing prevention programmes including the Needle and Syringe Exchange harm reduction programmes (NSEP). There were special prayers and yassin reading and tahlil with the Minister in PM's Department in attendance.
But to start off the proceedings was a Forum Perdana. On the panel was Dato Noh Gadut, former mufti of Johor, an ustazah and Bakhtiar Talhah, Executive Director of the Malaysian AIDS Council. I missed the first half but the second half of the discussion was very impressive. There was a real recognition of the stigma and discrimination that People Living with HIV have to face on a daily basis, with some encouraging words on how to face them. The former mufti declared that employers who discriminate against people with HIV should be dealt with in the law, because throwing people out of work based on their HIV status will lead to many other problems. It was really a far cry from the attitudes expressed in the Forum Perdana I saw many many years ago. (The mufti in the first Forum Perdana was not the same as the one in the Forum last night.)
What was even more impressive were the many non-Muslims who were also invited to attend the event. People like Dato Vaithilingam from the Hindu Sangam and Pax Tan from Malaysian CARE were seated right at the front with the Director-General of JAKIM. During the prayers, they waited in air-conditioned comfort in the VIP waiting room while watching the proceedings on closed-circuit TV. Afterwards they joined us all for dinner.
It was really an atmosphere of inclusiveness and solidarity. Truly the first time I have seen this in all the time that I have worked in HIV in this country. Hopefully there will be more of this.
Meantime I have to congratulate JAKIM and MAC on a job well done. It was a very memorable AIDS Memorial Day indeed.
13 comments:
"What was even more impressive were the many non-Muslims who were also invited to attend the event. People like Dato Vaithilingam from the Hindu Sangam and Pax Tan from Malaysian CARE were seated right at the front with the Director-General of JAKIM. During the prayers, they waited in air-conditioned comfort in the VIP waiting room while watching the proceedings on closed-circuit TV. Afterwards they joined us all for dinner.
It was really an atmosphere of inclusiveness and solidarity. Truly the first time I have seen this in all the time that I have worked in HIV in this country. Hopefully there will be more of this."
This kind of news should occasionally hit the front pages of our newspapers! :-)
I think this is an important way forward for people of all faiths or persuasions to come together on a common concern and harness our energies into being part of the solution than remaining as part of the problem. And even if there isn't an immediate quick fix, I trust together we can find longer term solutions. The plus point, is at the mean time, in the common journey, we get to know each other as friends and indirectly learn and appreciate each others motivations and insights!
Is there a picture of all these representatives seated in front together?
Sivin, I had to sit in front too so didn't take photos. But will ask around if anyone did.
Hmm, I wonder if this is the mufti who suggested that people suffering from HIV/AIDS and avian influenza be cast away on an island and left to die?
Any idea if he has updated his 'fatwa' to include swine flu sufferers? Surely they deserve to be isolated on a God-forsaken island? It's selsema BABI after all.
Marina,
This and more is possible when we look at all the ills of the world as ills. It is looking at it from any given religious perspective that tends to put people off. Your take and work on AIDS has to have the commendation it deserves whichever religious perspective you want to view it from. It is unfortunate that bigots everywhere often tend to get greater ventilation of their views and therefore theirs become the predominant view.
The capacity to do good and to do good should need no motivator nor ignition from any devine source. For that matter good should have no rationale to exist just because a devine being or a religious edict says so. But then again if the only way to reach the flock is through the pulpit, I say so be it.
I can only congratulate you for having gotten AIDS recognised for what it was during your Forum Perdana days to to what it is on this Day of Rememberance in a mosque organised by Jakin. That is indeed a great leap which has beenlong overdue.
Dear Sis MM,
In Kuala Lumpur for my vacations and while unwinding at ALAMANDA resort, drop by at MPH to look for your 5o day’s book, browsed the pc booth provided yes show 1 copy. Check shelve, the book even with the help of the workers is no way to be found. On the day of my departure I manage to get a copy. Read the introduction and senses that I kept it during five weeks stay at Lagos. Did not touch it until the fourth day and devour it in three hours. On the day your father admission I am here at Lagos from end Sept until early Dec. I read it on the internet and to me it is just normal to revisit the previous bypass your father had before. But when news of readmission my mind boggle and kept pondering why Almighty God Jehovah whom that you had chosen to accomplished your earthly ministry will soon leave us. After reading your book I have this intriguing question to ask from your father. What is his first impression on seeing the two guys came in to see him?
Guess the Mufti read your book too!
rugi rasanya sebab tak p majlis tersebut...
...anyway;
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hYnJF8gemDc/ShKK4vqOH5I/AAAAAAAAB04/LjDwbpUXtH4/s1600-h/scan0015.jpg
http://warisan-marzuki.blogspot.com/2009/05/kertas-cadangan-tlh-dhntr-kpd-beliau.html
Marina,
I have an HIV positive brother-in-law living with us in our house. Only my wife and one or two sister-in-laws know about this.
I keep it as our secret for fear of him being rejected and boycotted by the public.
Now he is deeply in love with a girl. They are planning to get married. She does not know about his HIV.
We disagree with the marriage proposal because of our fear that she and her parents would reject him and so too are our children and others. He would for sure will also lose his job.
What do you think? What should we do?
Azahar, marriages should be based on truth so I think your brother-in-law needs to tell his fiancee about his status. Even if he doesn't, they would both have to undergo the mandatory HIV test before they can get married so she will find out then.
He should work with his doctor or with a counsellor to determine the best approach to tell her.If he needs a counsellor, call up the Malaysian AIDS Council at 0340451033 and ask them for a referral.
Please leave a message here with your email if you have more questions.
Hi Marina,
I am a fan of your column in The Star and I saw you in two occasions in this month! Must be very lucky.
Caught you "sneaking in" in the middle of the forum at the Int AIDS Memorial Day at Masjid Wilayah. :)
Here's some clips I stitched together from that event.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TELLJEG3ZIM
I am working on the write up for my blog now. Hope to get it and some pictures published by this week.
The other occasion was during Dr. M book launch at Sunway Pyramid. I didn't get to meet him up close and personal (because I didn't buy his book for autograph!!!) but his presence and charisma sure captivated a lot of people that night.
http://runwitme.blogspot.com/2009/05/dr-mahathir-selected-letters-to-world.html
No,they are still friends, very close friends. She is getting serious about marriage and so is he...but he understand well the implications.
Even the counsellor did not give them the right answer, but just "I'm neither forcing you to get married nor preventing you to do so. It's up to you..."
I'm an open-minded person, but looking at what's going on surrounding us as far as HIV positive person, I know there are more harm than good for him to go on with the marriage.
It's sad to see him in such a dilemma.
Azahar, perhaps your bro-in-law might like to speak to another positive person who as been through the same thing? I can connect him. Let me know through this comment box.
It's a case of better late than never and I am thrilled.
A good number of lives (of some of my personal friends) could have been made less miserable if education, positive publicity and the spirit of acceptance had materialized some 20 years ago.
azahar, he must tell his gf. and make sure he knows that hiv positive couple (both or either party) can bare hiv negative babies. (not government hospital of course). then it's up to her. but she must be told of the facts first, about hiv poz people living a normal life with affordable medications available locally. if she's open minded, and learned, and truly in love, then i think she won't care about his status.
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