First Published in Daily “DAWN”,
UNDERSTANDING AIDS FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
By
Prof
Dr Mohammad Munir Hasan
Within a decade since it was first discovered,
AIDS has become the most threatening disease in the world. In
Scientists and researchers have discovered the
virus that causes AIDS. They are aware of various modes of its spread, but they
are not yet sure how this virus originated. Various theories have been
presented, but none has been considered acceptable. In
By taking guidance from the holy Qur’an in which
the bounds of the man-woman sexual relationship are defined, an explanation can
be proposed for the creation of AIDS virus. It may be said that the semens of
different persons are different in a similar way like different blood groups in
the bodies of different persons. AIDS virus originates, or has greater chances
to originate, whenever the semens of two different male persons combine in
effect, directly or through hormonal changes, etc. in a body of hospitable
environment, be it a male or female. However, this explanation has to be
confirmed by thorough research to be carried out.
In a natural sexual relationship a man marries a
woman. While polygamy is allowed in many religions and social set ups
throughout the world, polyandry has never received general acceptance, and has
been restricted as some rare tribal custom for some specific reasons. In
general, no religion and no civilized section of the society in any part of the
world allows the marriage of a woman with more than one man at a time.
Socially, the sexual relation of a married woman with a man other than her
husband is considered an immoral act, while religiously it is a sin. At the
same time, the sexual relation of an unmarried woman with more than one man
makes her a bad woman (prostitute). It is so because the sexual relations of a
woman with more than one man at a time are unnatural, and like any unnatural
act it is likely to have an unnatural result or outcome. So, by defining the
bounds of the sexual relationship of a man with a woman nature has guided us
and has tried to protect mankind from acquiring a disease, such as AIDS, which
could be the result of coalescing the semens of two different persons in a
body.
In the above, the social and religious aspects of
a man-woman sexual relationship have been considered because this type of
sexual urge is natural, and is respected if it is within the legal, social and
religious bounds in the form of marriage. One can easily see that in all
dignified and respectful man-woman relationship throughout the world there is
no possibility of mixing the semens of two different male persons in a female
body, and there is no chance of acquiring unnatural results. And whenever these
bounds are broken, we must expect something unnatural to happen.
So, apparently, the chances of creating AIDS
virus in heterosexuals are as good as in homosexuals, but there are some
natural, medical and social reasons which make an important difference. Before
I describe these reasons, let me propose and explain how the semens of two
different male persons may be combined in effect even if the sexual acts are
carried out days or weeks apart.
During intercourse when the semen of a male is
ejaculated into a female or male body then part of it may be absorbed by the
surface and/or enter the bloodstream or produce some hormonal changes in it.
For the reasons described below, this effect may remain in the body of the
female recipient for a maximum period of 65 days (the minimum period of three
menstrual cycles), while in case of a male recipient this period could be even
longer. And if during this period the semen of another person enters the body
of the same recipient, then this may result in the creation of an AIDS virus. I
have used the word “may” because the reaction of different bodies may be
different, as in the case of any epidemic some persons are seriously affected,
some mildly, and there are persons who are not affected at all.
Then why in USA it is generally considered a
disease of homosexuals? If the process of the semen affecting the recipient’s
body is the same in males and females then why are the chances of acquiring
this disease not the same in different societies and in different parts of the
world? This may be explained in terms of the reasons as described below.
1.
Nature has made the female body such that during every
menstrual period some blood is discharged through the uterus. This bleeding
process may tend to sterilize the body, thus reducing the risk of mixing the
semens of two persons in the following two ways:
(a)
The blood lining thus formed in the uterus may act as
a barrier for the semen or its effect to enter the lining of the uterus or
enter the bloodstream thus reducing the effective area available for the action
of the semen, and consequently reducing the risk from the second intercourse
while the semen or hormonal effects from the first intercourse are already
present in her bloodstream.
(b)
The discharge of the blood from the uterus may have a
flushing effect in the body. One menses may partially sterilize the woman from
carrying these effects in her body and, if no intercourse takes place during
this period, the action of three menstrual cycles may completely sterilize the
woman, thus eliminating any possible risk of mixing the semen of two persons
and creating AIDS virus.
The two processes described
above relate to females only and so, in the absence of such specific functions
in the males the chances of mixing of semens of two male persons are greatly
increased in homosexuals.
It should be noted here that
the chances of mixing two semens in a female body, as described above, are only
decreased and not eliminated completely unless a woman keeps away from a second
male partner for a minimum period of three menstrual cycles (65 days). This
period has been suggested because in verse
2/228 of the holy Qur’an Allah has allowed the second marriage of a widow
or divorced woman only after the expiry of this period which must be medically
a complete safe period.
2.
In USA, Europe and other countries where there is a
higher rate of literacy the persons are more aware about sex and, if not all,
many of them might be using condoms while having sex with the females thus
further reducing the risk of mixing the semens in heterosexuality, and further
keeping the statistics of AIDS down among the heterosexuals.
Thus, the actual chances of mixing the semens of two male persons and
creating AIDS virus in a male or a female body are not the same, and actually depend
on social behaviour of the persons and other factors, as follows:
Social and
cultural background of persons living in a particular area.
Respect of
social and moral values in the society.
Number of
prostitutes present in the society.
Number of
homosexuals present in the society.
Number of
bisexuals present in the society.
Number of
persons having sex during menses.
Sex education
and number of persons using condoms during sexual acts.
Laws
controlling or preventing homosexuality.
Laws
controlling or preventing prostitution.
Degree of
effectiveness of these laws.
Sexual bonds
defined in the religion of the persons living in a particular area.
Number of
persons truly practicing the religion.
As can be seen, the above factors differ from place to place and so, the
picture for each locality, city or country has to be different. However, from
the reasoning as described above, and looking at the environmental, social,
cultural and religious values prevailing in a particular society it should not
be difficult to assess the status of AIDS in that city or country.
Thus, briefly, we can propose that emergence of AIDS in fact is the
result of unnatural sexual acts of the persons living in a society. Nature has
taught us how to keep away from this disease. So, research should be carried
out in the light of the directives and bounds defined in the holy Qur’an. Apart
from making efforts to control its spread through education, vaccines, drugs,
etc. the very basis of creating AIDS virus should also be checked effectively
otherwise even if a cure for the AIDS is found and the AIDS epidemic is
controlled for the time being, which seems quite remote at the moment, persons
will keep on creating the AIDS virus in large numbers with their unnatural
sexual acts. The disease will never disappear and may emerge again and again as
an epidemic at any time. In this case religion can play a powerful role.
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