AIDS union acceptable, say ulemas

JAKARTA (JP): Leading East Java ulemas concluded their two-day deliberations on contemporary social problems yesterday, agreeing that marriage to an AIDS patient is religiously valid, Antara reported yesterday.

They ruled that the marriage is makruh, a technical term in sharia (Islamic law) which means that a deed is permissible, but not preferred.

In addition, those who are already married to people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome may pursue nullification of their marriage, spokesman K.H. Sidqi Mudzhar said.

"The ulemas are of the opinion that AIDS sufferers are still human beings, after all, and that the disease may someday be cured," Mudzhar said in explaining the grounds for the ulemas' decision.

The ulemas are members of the East Java chapter of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Other contemporary social problems they discussed included marriages performed through Internet linkups, which they said are not valid.

"Marriage by proxy is permissible, but if the brides and grooms or their representatives are not in the same forum, then the marriage is not valid," the ulemas said.

The meeting, called bahsaul matsail, was opened by the chief of Brawijaya regional military command, Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo, and was closed by NU chairman Abdurrahman Wahid.

The ulemas also ruled that wiping oneself with toilet paper can be considered "clean" and that the person can then be allowed to pray. Islam teaches its followers to wash themselves with clean water after they go to the bathroom. (swe)