Imams and khateebs helping in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Yemen

1 December 2007 was World AIDS Day. Since 1988, 1 December has been a day to commemorate those who have died of an HIV-related condition; stand in solidarity with the 33.2 million people estimated by UNAIDS to be currently living with HIV; and unite in the fight against this disease by providing information and banishing discrimination against those affected or infected by the virus.

One element of Progressio's work is to encourage faith communities to meet the challenges of HIV and AIDS. This World AIDS Day, we and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance invite you to find out more about how you can become involved in raising awareness about HIV and AIDS in your local church community or group.

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, a group of over 100 churches and Christian organisations of which we are a member, will be lobbying world leaders to keep the promise they made at the United Nations Special Session on HIV and AIDS in 2001 to bring universal access to treatment, care and prevention of HIV and AIDS to people across the globe.

Our faith work on HIV and AIDS is not just confined to Christian communities. We currently work in Somaliland and in Yemen, where World AIDS Day fell on a Friday last year. The day of worship across the Islamic world, it provided Progressio and its local partner organisations with the perfect opportunity to highlight HIV and AIDS in the Friday sermons of Islamic religious leaders - the imams and female lay preachers known as khateebs -  to lead HIV and AIDS awareness-raising activities across the country.

Yemeni society is strongly influenced by Islamic religious teaching and beliefs and, as a result, religious leaders have an important and influential role in society. Working on HIV and AIDS in Yemen is a major challenge for organisations such as Progressio and our partners. Yemen has low levels of awareness, high levels of denial and a culture of silence on HIV and AIDS. The issue cuts across a wide spectrum of sex and sexuality, and many consider discussion on it almost taboo.

Therefore in preparation for World AIDS Day activities, Progressio organised a series of workshops with imams and khateebs through our local partner organisations throughout 2006. Progressio's development worker, Irfan Akhtar, worked with our partner organisation Abu Musa to deliver the training: sharing basic, but accurate, information on the spread and prevention of HIV and AIDS and discussing how as religious leaders the imams and khateebs could help address the problem and take key messages to their respective communities. A draft khutba (Islamic speech) regarding HIV and AIDS was debated, reviewed and finalised to ensure it was technically correct and religiously sensitive. These trainings were a breakthrough in this area of work and for the religious leaders involved. Irfan said: 'The participants were open to discuss various issues related to HIV and AIDS and sexuality in detail, without any reservations, which was very encouraging. They were also quoting religious teachings from Islam (Fiqah) on the transmission, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. I had a preconceived notion that they would be reluctant to talk about this sensitive issue of sexuality and HIV and AIDS but I was proven wrong.'

Following this initiative the khutba on HIV and AIDS was given by 26 imams in various mosques around Yemen on World AIDS Day 2006, reaching an audience of thousands. Additionally the speech and training materials are still used in madrasas (Islamic schools), in evening prayers and for lectures by both imams and female khateebs, helping to raise awareness and fight against the spread of HIV and AIDS in Yemen. As Sheikh Hayel Saeed said: 'The training helped me to acquire skills and develop my confidence in breaking the silence about HIV and AIDS. After delivering a khutba, several people came forward and praised my initiative. So I feel that the problem of AIDS is gaining people's acceptance now.'

If the faith leaders and people of Yemen, an Islamic country where discussion on HIV and AIDS was previously considered taboo, are now helping in the fight against the disease, similar approaches may be possible in your own church community or group. Have a look at today's Advent reflection. It may inspire you to take the lead in supporting those with HIV and AIDS this Advent.

David Tanner is Progressio's programme coordinator for Africa, Middle East and Asia. Progressio is an international development agency working with people of all faiths and none to tackle poverty and injustice in 11 developing countries.