UNDP Somalia - HIV/AIDS: religious leaders abandon their ‘holier than thou’ attitude

HIV/AIDS: religious leaders abandon their ‘holier than thou’ attitude

‘We - the religious leaders - are indifferent to the scourge of AIDS and are uncompassionate to the sick. Verily, by doing so, we have failed in our obligations to our people. We need to get involved and take a leading role in responding to the AIDS pandemic’. An Imam was heard saying this on the closing day of the HIV/AIDS Workshop organized in 2007 by UNDP and its partners. This statement is a complete departure from the long-held view by the religious leaders of denial and a ‘holier than thou’ attitude mirroring the viewpoints of their contemporaries in the Islamic world a few years ago. Read more...

Face To Face With HIV/AIDS: From Indifference to Personal Involvement
There was an outpouring of emotions following a poignant story by a young widow who lost her husband to the disease. The story profoundly moved the Imams who immediately established a ‘fund’ to support the young woman. This also inspired a significant number of the Imams to come forward to be voluntarily tested - an activity previously frowned upon by some of them. The Imams pledged their personal commitments, involvement and educating their peers

This workshop was part of a bigger project that has to date sensitized and trained 60 religious leaders on HIV/AIDS across Somalia and advocates for behavioural change towards people who have contracted the virus. Twenty-five of those have become trainers themselves to raise awareness among their peers.
The project addresses the Islamic viewpoint on AIDS, the role of Islam and the religious leaders in tackling HIV/AIDS and compassion for the sick. It is implemented in partnership with the Somali AIDS Commissions and co-funded by UNDP, HIV/AIDS Regional Programme in the Arab States (HARPAS), the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM).

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