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Journalism of Courage
Two shadows appear in the dark, trying to hold hands in what appears to be a bedroom setting. A voice rings out, reminding viewers to be faithful to their partners. ‘‘This is what your faith teaches you and this is what will save you from dreaded diseases like AIDS,’’ it says. Another campaign urges people to keep away from ‘unnatural relationships’ (read homosexuality).
These are the messages that neighbouring Pakistan has been running on its national television to combat AIDS. With about 2,250 reported cases and 80,000 people infected with HIV, it cannot ignore the threat. It’s among the Islamic countries attending the international conference on AIDS in Bangkok.
‘‘We are a Muslim country, we can’t advocate safe sex outside marriage,’’ says Sohail Ahmad, Secretary, Health Department, Government of Punjab in Pakistan. ‘‘So we talk about loyalty to your partner within marriage, which is one of the fundamentals of our religion.’’ According to him, this is an achievement in itself. There was a time when even whispering the word AIDS was taboo. ‘‘I have seen many of my seniors and policy makers dismiss the disease saying it can never happen in an Islamic country,’’ he said. Now, the government is no longer in a state of denial. The drug problem in the frontier area comes with AIDS as an offshoot. The labourers who head for the Middle East account for 70 per cent of the cases. The fact that they can’t take their families along when they head abroad makes them vulnerable, he explained.
While Pakistan started taking note of the disease in 1994, efforts to educate its people met with resistance from some quarters, said Dr Ali Razaque from the Provincial Aids Control Programme Punjab. It was only last year that a full-fledged programme was launched to combat AIDS. There are still hurdles to cross. ‘‘Female literacy is very low and parents and religious leaders oppose sex education in school,’’ explained Razaque. Meanwhile, prostitution is not just alive but it is flourishing in Lahore under the guise of mujras. Aware that the problem cannot be brushed under the carpet, the government has allocated Rs 2,828 million for controlling the disease. Till now, the use of condoms was uncommon, even among married couples. But now condom advertisements are regularly being aired on television. ‘‘These days, you can get condoms even from a paanwala,’’ said Ahmad. Like Pakistan, other Muslim countries have joined the fight against the disease. In Iran, for example, a couple must attend an orientation session on AIDS before they can marry. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is advising its youngsters to marry early instead of succumbing to temptation. To make this convenient, the government even provides loans to young couples and helps to furnish their apartments, said Madani Tariq, advisor to the minister of health in Jeddah. Even so, 6,000 cases have been reported. Most of them are ‘‘outsiders’’, he says. The ‘‘soft approach’’ has been put in place because tough measures don’t work. Even though adultery and homosexuality and punishable offences, nobody gets punished. ‘‘The law requires four adult witnesses. Where will we find them?’’ asked Tariq.
