Re: A Muslims Joins the Fight Against AIDS in Hawai'i

Salaams Isa,

I'm really happy that you're raising visibility on this issue and I think that
the message would be even more powerful if it didn't include an implicit
blaming of people who are homosexual or who are drug users. I definitely don't
support iv drug us but I can also see that it's easy for many people to dismiss
these members of our comunity as deserving of HIV . . . NO ONE DESERVES
HIV/AIDS, NO ONE!

In addition many children, faithful wives/partners, doctors and health workers,
police, etc. are homosexual (or bisexual). I think its a stretch of logic to
imply that we are guilty or deserving of this condition because of whom we love
(in consideration of appropriate age and mutual concent). (I'd just like to
reiterate that it in the bedroom - the only realy distinction - ALL
gay/lesbian/bisexual people contract HIV the same way that our hetersexual
counterparts contract . . . unprotected sex habits, NOT selection of sex
partner!)

I hope the ride goes well and that people realize that, like you lift up, this
issues goes so far beyond sexuality or drug use. It's one that really is
already at epidemic proportions.

Thanks
Mudhillun
>
> People may wonder why a Muslim would want to help people with AIDS/HIV. After
> all,
> aren't most people with that disease homosexuals or IV drug users?
>
> In the USA, that is the case. But the number of people living with this
> disease
> also includes children born to infected mothers, doctors and other health
> care workers
> infected due to accidents in laboratories or hospitals, wives infected by
> unfaithful
> and/or drug abusing husbands, police officers infected while subdueing an
> infected
> criminal suspect, etc.
>
> In other words: innocent people who have done nothing wrong, yet found
> themselves
> infected with AIDS/HIV, a disease with no cure and only the promise of any
> early
> death.
>