Muslims in fatal denial of AIDS

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/stdn/std/Focus/GG18Dh01.html

Few Islamic countries have taken steps to tackle the pandemic as the death toll continues to mount
REUTERS

''I just pray that God ends my life before more symptoms show. I don't want to create problems for my family.''

Before his HIV-positive diagnosis in 2001, the Egyptian engineer who spoke these words thought that AIDS was a faraway disease that afflicted only foreigners. He had no idea that the global AIDS pandemic had reached his country. Now he says he would rather kill himself than be rejected along with his family by neighbors and friends, who regard HIV as synonymous with sin and shame.

To most people, suicide may seem like a disproportionate response to a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. But as the disease spreads across the Islamic world, such stories are not uncommon. In parts of Iran, nearly 60 percent of those infected with HIV kill themselves within a year of diagnosis. In Kerman, in southern Iran, an enraged father not long ago took an axe and chopped his 23-year-old son to pieces for bringing AIDS into his family.
<snip>

[barb162]

1. why does this not surprise me.

[Zorra]

2. All fundies are loony, no matter what "creed" they misinterpret.

[seriousstan]

4. Really? Show me where 60% of another religion commit suicide.

Or do suicide bombings. I agree that the fundie abortion bombers are insane but there are a handful of those. There obviously is something in the teachings of Islam that is being twisted to encourage these lunatics toward suicide. Maybe it's that virgin thing.

[Bill McBlueState]

5. "60% of another religion commit suicide."

60% of Muslims commit suicide? That would be weird. That's probably not true.

[seriousstan]

6. Sorry, I assumed that people would read the original post

before reading the replies. I Guess I was mistaken.

60% of those that were diagnosed with AIDS committed suicide within the year.

For more info read the original post.

"parts of Iran, nearly 60 percent of those infected with HIV kill themselves within a year of diagnosis."

[Bill McBlueState]

18. obviously, I read the original post.

In parts of Iran, nearly 60 percent of those infected with HIV kill themselves within a year of diagnosis.

So in parts of Iran -- no mention of where those parts are or how many people live there -- nearly -- no mention whether "nearly" means 55% or 59% -- 60 percent of those infected -- certainly not everyone, just those who were infected -- kill themselves within a year of diagnosis.

This could mean in a cluster of towns, eleven people got AIDS and six of them committed suicide. There's no evidence in the article to back up this rather vague claim. So you're not unjustified in taking the claim as an indication of a widespread problem within Islam, but it does seem to be a stretch to say that 60% of Muslims commit suicide, as you implied when you said "Show me where 60% of another religion commit suicide."

[ComerPerro]

19. I'm with you

[Zorra]

7. Historically, fundamentalist loonies have done all kinds of nasties.

Crusades, Inquisitions, witch burnings right on down to Jim Jones, Comet climbers, Waco, Fred Phelps, suicide bombers, etc.

If fundies of any kind get too much power they will start their nasty practices en masse. It is generally the fanatical nature of the fundamentalist beast to misinterpret the doctrine they purport to follow and use it to justify their lunatic behavior.

[seriousstan]

10. It is a matter of scale. Jones, Applegate, Koresh and Phelps have

a handful of followers. Jones and Applegate's crews offed themselves (granted Jone's people killed a few before doing it).

No other religious group is CURRENTLY killing at the same rate. History is just that ...history. We need to learn from it but not dwell in it.

[Cronus Protagonist]

11. Actually, Christians are killing at a faster rate than that

since you brought it up. Semper Fi and all that crap about Bush's holy crusade against the infidels. Haven't you been following the war? Is it your contention that the majority of killers in the war are NOT Christians or Muslims? Surely not.

[seriousstan]

12. Is it your contention that this is a holy war?

Maybe in the minds of the delusional.

[slackmaster]

21. IBYM Marshall Applewhite

[ComerPerro]

20. Exactly

[Zynx]

3. AIDS in Muslim country = homosexual or whoremonger

They tend to smoke opium rather than inject it, so needles probably aren't responsible for that many cases.

That leaves risky sexual behavior - which is completely socially unacceptable in those countries. Hence, the stigma and the suicides.

[suneel112]

9. Risky sexual behavior...

...as far as I know is not prohibited in Islam. It is perfectly allowed (and encouraged) by Islam to enjoy non-Muslim women of other countries. Many of the countries that young Muslim men go to for their sexual pleasure are already having problems with AIDS, such as Southeast Asia. In addition, I know that in countries like Pakistan, there is a lot of illicit activities between older men (most of whom have ranking in the local Mosque) and small girls or boys. In Pakistan, they also circumcise pre-pubescent females in very unhygenic conditions (like by using the same tools for many girls without washing them in between). All of these could spread AIDS into the Muslim community.

[otohara]

8. 50% American's in Fatal Denial of Bush

someone, somewhere always in denial about something

[Deja Q]

16. It's worse than that.

Most people who hate * do so out of personal misfortune. Not because of Bush's "beliefs" about society.

[daleo]

13. I seem to recall Reagan felt pretty much the same

As did a lot of Christian leaders - God's punishment and all that.

[Igel]

14. It's not just religion, it's also how they construe honor.

Religion's part of it; part of it is also tradition. Honor may inhere in a person, or in a group; it may be adherence to an internal set of values, or to an imposed set; it may be a strong factor in a culture, or a relatively weak one.

They don't want to stigmatize their families by acknowledging they have AIDS. Or they don't want to be rejected by friends and family. The rejection wouldn't be simply homophobia or fear of contagion, but dishonor.

[newswolf56]

15. Thank you for posting this: another dose of reality. Especially...

the suicide rate among Iranians diagnosed with AIDS, though not just that: the fact too that Tehran is the only Islamic government employing any worthwhile measures for AIDS prevention (which makes me wonder what other important facts we don't know about Iran).

[livinginphotographs]

17. I thought it was interesting that Iran had a very good program

for preventing the spread of HIV. Who would have thought that they'd have a needle exchange program, for instance.

Man, this is going to screw up our rationale for bombing the shit out of them in the future, since they actually seem more progressive than us in some areas.