AIDS

THE RIPPLE EFFECTS OF AIDS

GRIM STATISTICS ON AIDS...

2/13/1992

More than 1 million people contracted the virus that causes AIDS in recent months, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. A WHO report on the "Current and Future Dimensions of the HIV-AIDS Panademic" said by early January, 10-12 million people had caught the HIV. It said an estimated 2 million cases of AIDS had occurred since the disease became known in the early 1980s. The agency estimates that about 1 million people in the United States have been infected with HIV as of early this year. The report projects that by the year 2000, 30 to 40 million people will have contracted HIV.

More than 126,000 Americans have died of the disease since 1980. AIDS in Africa is primarily transmitted heterosexually or from mother to child. As many women are infected as men. In Western nations, AIDS has mainly hit homosexuals and intravenous drug users, although heterosexual transmission is on the rise. It is clear from these statistics that the sexual promiscuity is the main source of panademic of HIV-AIDS.

IS THIS THE FINAL WARNING FROM GOD?

There is no known cure for the AIDS epidemic. Current medications such as AZT can only slow down the devastating effects of the disease. AIDS has become more than a health issue. Some regard it as a moral issue. Others view it as a political issue. God-fearing people may see it as a warning from God against sexual promiscuity and homosexuality. As God tells us in the Holy Quran, a nation is given several warnings, including hurricanes and earthquakes, before God decides to destroy it.

7:133 » So We sent (plagues) on them, wholesale death, Locusts, Lice,Frogs, and Blood: signs openly self-explained; but they were steeped in arrogance, a people given to sin.

Only God knows whether the AIDS epidemic is the final warning and when or whether a cure for or a vaccine against the HIV virus will be found. AIDS has also been transmitted through contacts between doctors and their patients. A case in point is that of Kimberly Bergalis who contracted AIDS from her dentist. Doctors and nurses are at a high risk of contracting the virus from infected patients. The circle of victims is growing, taking innocent, non-risk people in its perimeter. Given all that, it is logical to preach chastity and sex within a marriage as prescribed by God. We also need to pass laws that ban homosexuality and impose harsh punishment for adultery and fornication, the separation of religion and State not withstanding. We may also need to separate the high risk groups from the rest of the society to ensure the safety of the latter.

Don't let the circle of wrong and misery grow!

THE FIRST CASE OF HOMOSEXUALITY

THE QURANIC VERSION

Homosexuality was rampant among the people of Prophet Lot (Lut) as witnessed by the following accounts from the Holy Quran.

7:80 » We also (sent) Lut: he said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you?

7:81 » "For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds."

7:82 » And his people gave no answer but this: they said, "drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"

7:83 » But We saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who lagged behind.

7:84 » And We rained down on them a shower (of brimstone): then see what was the end of those who indulged in sin and crime!

7:167 » Behold! thy Lord did declare that He would send against them, to the Day of Judgment, those who would afflict them with grievous penalty. Thy Lord is quick in retribution, but He is also Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

Let not the circle of evil and misery grow. Aren't there any preachers of Truth left in this country, discharging their duty to God?

SEXUAL PROMISCUITY: THE EVIL WITHIN

Cal Thomas, a columnist for the L.A. Times Syndicate, comments on the subject as follows:
"We have been kidding ourselves that the sexual promiscuity of the last 30 years was without cost. "Free love" turned out not to be free at all, but expensive in the extreme. Open marriages, swingers, no-fault divorce, adultery, condoms in the schools-all regular discussion fare on tabloid TV- turned out to have a big price tag.

"We know the consequences of violating the physical laws of the universe, but we thought we could escape the consequences of violating its moral laws."

Muslims know that the word Islam stands for complete submission to God- that is, submission to His physical as well as moral laws.

MAGIC JOHNSON
THE TWO TRAGEDIES

The entire nation was shocked to hear that Magic Johnson, a basketball superstar and a role model for the nation's children, has contracted the HIV. It is indeed a tragic news. Unfortunately, his declaration that he will devote his life to telling young people that "safe sex is the way to go" is just as tragic. As we have said before, the only "safe sex" is that practiced within a marital bond in accordance with the teachings of the prophets of God. It also means remaining chaste until marriage.

Charleston County School Board trustee John Graham Altman III spoke on the issue:
"Although basketball star Magic Johnson's contraction of the HIV virus is tragic, Johnson is damaging the nation by promoting safe sex instead of abstinence... you've got to realize that what you're doing is coincidental with the lapse of morality in this country."

We need to teach our children that the prophets of God are the best of the role models. Let us put Muhammad, Jesus, Moses and Abraham more into our lives. (May peace and Allah's blessings be on all of them.) We can find true role models throughout history and even in today's world. We just have to look in the right places.

A PLAN OF ACTION

We feel that our nation is heading towards a disaster and there is a need to take some strong measures to avoid the tragic consequences of AIDS and sexual promiscuity. Based on our understanding of the holy scriptures, especially the Holy Quran, we propose the following actions:

1. An educational program should be launched at the federal, state, county and local levels to teach the emotional, relational, spiritual and physical consequences of sodomy, homosexuality and sexual promiscuity in general. A period of ten years may be enough to give time for this educational program to have its effects. After this time period, homosexual acts, adultery and fornication should be made illegal. This will promote health in the society.

2. Churches and other houses of worship should play a leading role in the introduction of this educational program and teach people the consequences not merely from the perspective of a fear of AIDS but also from the perspective of a fear of God.

3. Church groups which tolerate ordaining homosexual priests are shaming and disgracing the nobility of Jesus. They should either get out of God's business or mend their ways and return to the Truth. Hypocrisy is the worst of evil and God promises hypocrites the worst punishment.

4. Muslims have a responsibility to teach the Truth(Islam) utilizing all the legal resources they have.

And finally, let us all pray to God that we will come to our senses and live a life of responsibility and of submission to God and that God will spare us from His wrath. Let us pray that we will be among those to whom He has favored and not among those who have gone astray. Ameen.

by: Muhammad Ishaq Zahid