HIV?AIDS:Group woos South-West clerics

May 18, 2007 :: Zakariyya Adaramola,Lagos Daily Trust,Abuja,

A Lagos-based NGO, Muslim Action Guide Against AIDS, Poverty, Illiteracy and Conflict (MAGA-APIC) said it has been trying to convince the Ulama on the need to support the fight and campaign against the deadly HIV/ AIDS scourge.

Speaking with Oodua Trust in Lagos, the coordinator of MAGA-APIC, Mallam Abdussalam Adetokunbo, said the group has successfully convinced most Lagos Imams on the need for them to support the campaign against HIV by incorporating into Juma at services, madrasah classes and Dawah activities.

According to Mallam Abdussalam, the group is working very closely with some Islamic organisations in the south-west to ensure that Muslims and non Muslims alike are safe from HIV.

His words: "In the past, MAGA-APIC has worked with more than 76 local governments in the south west on HIV/AIDS. We consider this a prolific step for a good relationship with support of prominent scholars, Imams and alasatu women.

 We believe that we can team up with these people to form a strong and indefatigable force to collectively win the war against HIV /AIDS now we have been trying seriously to woo our Islamic scholars to support the fight against AIDS. Our goal is to build the capacity of Muslim scholars in the six states to support campaign against the disease as well as care and support for the affected and infected people"

He revealed that the group has in the past conducted research studies towards the development of training materials for Muslims HIV workers and has been involved in the promotion of mosque to mosque enlightenment on HIV prevention, care and support issues.

He said MAGA-APIC has helped in taking care of children orphaned by AIDS and has been catering for people living with the virus.

MAGA-APIC, it would be recalled, was established in 1998 under the auspices of the South West zone of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs.