Non-Muslims have less risk of HIV/AIDS?

Categories: Malaysia

Muslim couples in all States will soon have to undergo compulsory HIV/AIDS screening before they can marry. This was reported by the 5th July edition of New Straits Times. Although such ruling is welcome, it has however raised some questions.

Premarital sex is now common, given the ample opportunities for couples to be together. Therefore if anyone is inflicted with HIV/AIDS, he/she would have passed his/her disease to the partner even before marriage. Hence, a screening test before marriage maybe too late. Despite this, because of the counselling given as follow-up, there is some merit in this move although not the intended one.

The target population for the screening test and the reasons behind the move - part of measures being introduced to curb the spread of the disease - certainly raised eyebrows. The majority of Malaysians are Muslims and almost all are Malay. Is this target population chosen based on demographics or politics? If it is based on demographics, then screening test may not be the ideal way to curb the spread of disease. Education, inculcating some discipline, and strengthening religious beliefs would probably be more appropriate as the strength of character can better able to withstand temptations. If such measures succeed, then the screening test becomes irrelevant because the risk factors - intravenous drug use and promiscuity - would be minimised, hence the risk of spread.

What about the other segment of the society? Are Christians, Buddhist and believer of other faiths less likely to get HIV/AIDS? I hope and believe that this is not true. If this is so, why aren't they included in the premarital screening test? Although religious teachers may frowned on inter-racial relationship, the truth is, it happens. Love and lust overcomes all barries. Pretending that such relationships do not happen is not going to help this issue. Hence, a non-Muslim is as likely as a Muslim in getting and transmitting the disease. No doubt that non-Muslim will have to convert to Islam prior to marriage, but by the same argument above, by then it may be too late.

Since HIV/AIDS inflicts all people - irregardless of faiths, religions or race - I cannot understand why it is only compulsory for Muslims to be screened. Is this an admission of the scale of this problems involving the targeted population or the lesser importance placed on the other segment of the society, all equally Malaysians? If this is the trend the government is taking in formulating its policy, then I fear for the future of Malaysia; as another artifical demarcation based on religion will complicate an already complicated race-based politics.