Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Islam Resolve All
There are no Qur’anic verses on epidemics, whether of the immune deficient or SARS type. Yet Muslims must address these problems. Furthermore, if a Muslim is efficient at bringing about a cure, or resolving the issue of the spread of these diseases, we might want to associate his or her “Islam” with the consequence of their research or medical findings. If we do make this association, however, it will at best be indirect. Even if the successful researcher makes an explicit or direct statement that the work was accomplished as a result of his or her being Muslim, it will be impossible to refer to a specific Qur’anic verse or prophetic ahâdîth that can stand as the foundation of the technical skills, medical know how or research methods that could actually prove to bring about the solution. In a sense this gives us, as Muslims, the greater freedom in participating fully and responsibly in the search for a cure. If we fail, we cannot be indicted as bad Muslims. On the other hand, if we are successful, we cannot associate our success explicitly to Islam, even as we take inspiration from it.
Likewise, we cannot blame a failure of Islam as the cause for AIDS. If we address shortcomings within family law, as conditional upon the safety and security of those whose lives suffer from existing family structures, then we can help to reconstruct the law to remove those factors which help the spread of AIDS. Although these structural problems may be seen as secondary causes of the spread of the virus, the process of reducing the spread of it has shown the need to address all causes. Furthermore, these structural changes have other positive results in formulating more egalitarian families and society.
As a non-medical person, and one who does not contribute to disease research, I am clear that I cannot propose a solution to HIV/AIDS. My concern here is to address the ways that hollow Islamic theological rhetoric is made hallow or sacred by authoritarian means. Religious leaders, scholars and medical personnel cannot resort to these empty platitudes to excuse them from dealing directly with a problem of this catastrophic proportion ((created by Amina Wadud).
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