Promoting reproductive health through religion

Promoting reproductive health through religion

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) executive director
Thoraya Ahmed Obaid recently visited Indonesia to promote gender
equality and equity, as well as reproductive health. Obaid, the
first Saudi Arabian to chair the UN body, stressed the importance
of religious leaders taking part in the effort to improve
reproductive health in Muslim countries during a conversation
with The Jakarta Post's Tb. Arie Rukmantara.

Question: In predominantly Muslim countries like Indonesia,
the mullahs are highly respected by the people. How can they
contribute to improving reproductive health?

Answer: In a Muslim society like Indonesia, a very important
principle of Islam is preserving your health, which supports your
thinking, analytical abilities and knowledge. Knowledge is the
basis on which we make good or bad decisions. The whole society
has to be knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS so that people know how to
act in a responsible way.

All religions are built on the principles of mercy, compassion
and tolerance. So therefore, all religious leaders are
responsible for showing such mercy, compassion and understanding.
They have to play this role by speaking out at every opportunity,
during Friday sermons ... everywhere.

They have to speak about maternal mortality and how women
should be better treated. They have to speak about HIV/AIDS and
how young people should be careful and protect themselves.

They also have to overcome the stigma attached to people
living with HIV/AIDS as they are sick people.

It's not enough to just say that this (promiscuity) is
forbidden. They have to go beyond haram. Yes, there are certain
things that are haram, but things happen in our society. We
should not close our eyes to this.

How can the authorities and the people convince religious
leaders to adopt this approach?

Well, it only comes with dialogue. The authorities and NGOs
and the mullahs have to get together and discuss the issue
openly.

One way of doing this is to provide them with statistics about
the reality of the situation.

We have to say to them, 'Look, so many women die, and they
leave the children orphaned. Not only that, often many children
die after their mother's death.'

We have to show them the number of HIV/AIDS cases and the
danger if we keep quiet. I think that when the authorities talk
to the mullahs and present real facts and evidence of the real
situation, they will be willing to speak out.

They don't speak out sometimes because they don't have enough
facts. We have to give them enough facts and information so that
they can be knowledgeable.

But some mullahs refuse to talk about reproductive health issues,
arguing that they have a different understanding of them,
especially on HIV/AIDS. How should we make them understand?

For those who don't want to speak out, of course it is their
right not to speak out.

What I'm saying is that as leaders of the people, they have a
moral responsibility toward the people.

They have a moral responsibility to point out the basic issue
that women, whom God has created and honored in many ways, are
dying simply because of giving birth.

Now, that's not a controversial issue. I am sure they will
speak out if they understand the problem.

The problem is that, maybe, we don't communicate with them
properly. We don't give the correct messages. That's why the
dialogue between the government, NGOs and mullahs should be based
on complete information about what is happening in Indonesia.

We also have to remember that we can't expect all the mullahs
to give the same messages. We have to respect the fact that
religious leaders have limitations. We have to respect that there
are areas where religious leaders feel free to speak out and
there are some issues about which they do not feel comfortable
talking about.

And this is where the NGOs, the state and the officials come
in. That's why dialogue is important between these parties. Each
of them will do particular things in particular areas.
What does UNFPA do to bridge the information gap?

We have many conversations, dialogues and conferences with
mullahs to present the facts to them. There was an international
conference in Pakistan a few months ago, in which Indonesian
mullahs participated, about reproductive health and population
issues. The mullahs who attended the conference were very
supportive.

Our program here supports visits between mullahs from here and
Egypt for information exchange purposes. We do try to create an
environment for dialogue and discussion with the mullahs so that
they receive the necessary knowledge.

Once they get all this knowledge, they will transmit it to the
people because the people believe in them and trust them.
Can you point to some Islamic teachings that should encourage
mullahs to actively promote reproductive health?

For example, there is a Koranic verse saying it is not the
number that matters, it's the quality of the people. And there
are many examples of the Koran saying that what are wanted are
good and healthy people.

What good would it serve you if you have mosques everywhere
but at the same time you let people with HIV/AIDS die?

There is a hadith to the effect that when the Prophet Muhammad
was asked who is the closest person to a man, the Prophet said
your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your
father.

Mothers have a very special place in Islam. And if you let
mothers die, then you are not giving them the honor that Islam
demands.