AIDS and Prostitution in Muslim World

ummziba wrote: Assalamu alaikum, Brother Salman, I think you have to realize that there is a huge gap in the way Muslims are supposed to act (Islam) and the way they actually do act (reality).  While it is comforting and nice to think that all Muslims follow the Qur'an and Sunnah and behave in morally upright ways, the reality of that is that many do not.  Closing our eyes to the spread of H.I.V./Aids in the Muslim world is not the way to stop the spread.  Saying it isn't so won't stop innocent wives (or husbands) from getting this terrible disease from their "straying" spouse.  Education is the key.  People must be made aware of how the disease is spread and what to do if they have it.  And most of all, people must quit closing their eyes to this terrible thing and quit dying of shame in a society that won't accept that the disease is quickly spreading through it. I mean no offense to you Brother, I am only trying to convey a truth that you don't seem to accept yet.  Please forgive me if I have offended you. Peace, ummziba.

Ameen! Many issues are affecting this ummah, which we chose to sweep under the carpet--domestic abuse, racism, poor treatment of women, homosexuality, homelessness...please stop blaming the West!  Even Saudi is running rampant with prostitutes...imagine that fully covered yet selling your bodies...Numerous maids are raped on a daily basis in Saudi as well, by the men...Let's stop pretending the East is a safehaven, and address the issue.

I did not know this! Can you give me some reference pls?

It was on a show on PBS called the Secrets of  the Dead. A brief written synopsis is on their web site.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_plague/

I know it is not the issue under discussion but on MOSQUES this is an interested post which I copied from http://hotcoals.org/?p=56#comments . I just wanted to share it  with you

I think it is relevant to the utility of mosques (generally) in the Muslim world.

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In the Muslim world the Mosque is reduced to a place of worship, which is led by a professional priest. This culture is exported whereever Muslims migrated.

I have some observations below:

� Mosques are run more like an enterprise and rarely serve as a community center for the people of the locality.
� They are reduced to a mere place of worship where rituals are performed.
� The leadership of these mosques does not represent the community but generally imported from somewhere else.
� There is rarely a library, study center, recreation center or social services attached to these mosques.
� They have a negligible influence in resolving the social issues of the neighborhood.

These facts reveal that mosques do not serve as our community center. And in the absence of any other type of community center we can say that Muslims generally have a very low level of social integration; people are not connected; they do not communicate; there is no grass roots level dialogue on our social problem and our leadership is not elected rather imposed; there is no love for learning; there is no concept of common good. This represents our failure as a community.

But imagine for a moment that these mosques could be:

� A community center whose leadership is elected by the neighborhood community;
� A place where people frequently gather and offer gratitude to their creator and help each other in solving their social, political and economic problems;
� A place for learning, where kids and adults participate in learning activities;
� A platform for voluntary work.

Some suggestion on how can this be achieved:

� By promoting community leadership by the people for the people instead of professional clergy
� By educating people about benefits of community, goodness and cooperation
� By developing and executing strategies and programs which promote common good and voluntary participation

Best Regards

Salam,

Eliminating the demand would be spectacular, but unfortunately it's unrealistic. 

And since when is having meetings in Mosques a "guy thing" or an "arab thing"?  Mosques belong to us all . . . if anyone desires to have a meeting, as long as it's for the sake of Allah, it shouldn't be a problem.  In my community, women have many activities at the Mosque.  They are an important part of the community, and sometimes the contributions they have are just as significant, if not more, than men. 

Moreover, it's a generalization to say that it's only men who crave sex and attention.  Provocative dresscodes and behavior -- which is more common in women than men -- is a clear indication of the contrary.  But again, pointing blame gets nowhere.