Visits
Our
Visit To
From 12 to 19 December, 2004 Sudan UNFPA together
with the Sudan government and the government of Uganda sponsored a
study tour to Uganda. Dr. Nimal Heiatrachy, representative of the
UNFPA in Sudan and Professor Mull S. Katende Ambassador of Uganda to
Sudan played a distinguished role in the success of our visit to
Uganda. On the 12th. Of December, 2004 our mission,
consisting of twenty three people, left for Kampala. The mission was
headed by Dr. Ahmed Bilal the federal minister of health and Dr.
Nimal Heiatrachy, representative of the UNFPA of Sudan. Media
people, representatives from the UNICEF and other organizations,
were part of the mission, and in my capacity as UNFPA good will
ambassador I was part of the mission. The purpose of our visit was
to learn about the unparalleled success of Uganda in fighting the
HIV/Aids. Our numerous daily meetings with the different factions in
Uganda proved to be most fruitful. The tour enabled all participants
to know about and adopt some of the measures taken by Uganda to
control the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. Our visits included
the State House, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Education
and Sports, Uganda AIDS Commission, TASCO, Mildmay Health Center ,
Uganda AIDS Information Center and Iganga Moslems’ Community region
in northern Uganda. With great admiration we knew about the
miraculous success achieved by Uganda in her fight against the
HIV/Aids. From the percentage of almost 37 it has been reduced to
just 5 or may be 6 percent. We were also acquainted with the
awareness raising campaigns, the diversified multi media programme,
youth and special programmes and the capacity building programme
that resulted in the quality services and remarkable result in a
very short period. As
has truly been expressed by Dr. Nimal in his farewell speech such a
success was one of the very few marvelous credits won by Africa in
the international arena. Our visiting group admired greatly the
humanitarian work achieved by the volunteering Mildmay Health Center
from G.B.
The Ugandan campaign against the
HIVS/AIDS was seriously started from above by President Mossifini
and the first lady down to the small children of the elementary
schools. The slogan has always been the three letters of a-b-c. The
(a) for Abstinence, the (b) for Be Faithful and the (c) for Condom.
Besides taking notes after every visit and every meeting with our
friends at the different centers our visiting group used to talk
about and discuss what we have heard and what we have seen.
Our hosts were kind enough to give our
touring group the chance of visiting Jinja area and the source of
the White Nile at Lake Victoria and also to watch and enjoy the
Ugandan folklore.
According to our visit schedule of time
one morning at 7 a.m. our group moved by cars to Aganga in the
Northern part of Uganda where most of the population were Moslems.
We reached our destination after about three hours and a half drive.
The weather was fine and the scenery up to our destination was
pleasant and ever green. We were at the wonderfully beautiful belt
of the Rift Valley where the waters and jungles of the African
equator seem to have never heard of the barren Sahara desert with
its dry burning sun. Professor Mull S. Katende and a small number of
Ugandan officials escorted our mission.
We were met at Aganga with
great hospitality and immediately we were taken to the schools where
the teachers were teaching the Qoran in English but reciting the
Qoranic verses in Arabic. I admired their Arabic pronunciation. The
subject in all the classes we have visited was the same. Explanation
of the verses that preached about family purity in the Qoran. Those
verses and teachings which are firmly against adultery and the
illegally sexual relations between man and woman. In Islam very
drastic measures are specified against adultery.
After visiting the schools and talking
to the teachers and few students we were taken to the big conference
place where we met the honourable lady who presided over the
meeting. She was the head of the HIV/Aids campaign in the region of
Aganga and she was very sweet. We were introduced to other
dignitaries. While we were being seated a group of wind instruments
players were playing fine music. Then at the beginning of the
meeting an old Sheikh recited in a melodious voice some verses from
the holy Qoran. The lady president welcomed our visit and many
speakers gave much needed information about their combat with the
dangerous and merciless killer - the HIV/Aids. Some members of our
group asked questions and entered into useful discussions. At the
last moments of that fruitful meeting Dr. Ahmed Bilal, Sudan Federal
Minister of Health and head of our Mission insistently asked me to
deliver a speech on behalf of our visiting group. I adhered
immediately to the unexpected request. In my days I have been
through many unexpected similar surprises. Dr. Ahmed himself is a
good orator and a man of rhetoric and in many occasions I have
admired his speeches but it seemed that he might have felt like
giving me a chance to address that colourful group of people, or
might have been inspired by the music and singing group that have
started earlier. I started by expressing our deep gratitude for the
limitless hospitality shown by our beautiful hostesses and manly
hosts, and how personally I have admired the method and style of the
teachers and their correct pronunciation of the Qoranic verses.
Here, I was talking in my capacity as a poet who is well acquainted
with the beauties of the Arabic language.
Also I praised the old Sheikh
who started the celebration by reciting some verses. I commented on
his melodious voice and his correct pronunciation of the Qoranic
verses. On behalf of our visiting group I truthfully explained to
our friends in Aganga how we are much indebted to the Government of
Uganda, to Excellency Professor Mull S. Katende, Ambassador of
Uganda in Sudan who played a big role in making our visit come true
and to our hostesses and hosts in Aganga. We have learnt very useful
lessons from them about fighting the HIV/Aids which lessons we shall
hopefully apply in Sudan. Then I disclosed to them what we knew
about Aganga as the last responding region in Uganda to the call of
fighting the HIV/Aids. I told them that for every true Moslem such
behavior is well known and would be considered as normal. In a true
Moslem society there is no chance for contracting HIV/Aids through
illegal sexual relations. In Islam a man can marry up to four wives.
Such practice of polygamy has always been a source of criticism to
Islam by Europeans, Christians and others. In this regard I told
them about an interesting story told by a Sudanese Islamic sheikh
while he was interviewed in a TV programme in Sudan. He spoke about
his debate with a German professor in a German T.V. station. The
topic was about the similarities and differences among faiths. In
spite of the fact that I am not a reference in Islamic matters, I
was drawn to the debate by the logic used by the Sudanese Sheikh.
The Sheikh told that as soon as they started the debate the
professor jumped at the issue of polygamy, considering polygamy as a
source of injustice and violation for the women rights. Then the
Islamic Sheikh said that he asked the German professor if he has
children. The professor answered he has one daughter. The Sheikh
asked how old was she and the professor answered she was twenty
years old. The Sheikh confirmed that the professor loved his
daughter. Then the Sheikh asked the professor about the percentage
of men to women in Germany at the end of the Second World War. The
professor answered about five men against nine women or may be one
against three. Then the Sheikh asked the German professor to take
notes if possible in writing about the fundamental basics regarding
polygamy in the true Islam. The Sheikh started mentioning the basics
of Islam as far as Polygamy is concerned:
a) In Islam polygamy is neither
compulsory nor a must. It is optionally based on acceptance of the
concerned parties. An able man can marry up to four wives.
b) A virgin must speak by her own
tongue to not less than two grown up and honest men famous for their
piety telling them about her agreement or none agreement to the
proposed marriage.
c) A widow or divorcee gives her
consent by her self.
d) A man who is married to more than
one wife is strictly demanded by Islam to treat them equally in
every respect. They must live equally same standard of living. Even,
in true Islam the man who is married to more than one wife, is not
allowed to buy a dress or a piece of gold without buying the same to
the other wife.
e) Declaration and disclosure of the
marriage is conditional. The old wife ought to know about the
marriage. Even, in many occasions when a married woman was unable to
give children she would ask her beloved husband to marry another
woman to satisfy his eagerness for having children.
The Sheikh continued by saying to the
German Professor that such marriage in Islam is looked at as a legal
marriage and the children shall have a father and a mother and
legally admitted known names. The Sheikh added that in Islam which
is considered by true Moslems as a Godly legislation, consideration
has been given to the facts related to the often decrease in the
number of men due to the continuous wars and killings among men as
has happened in Germany during the war and to the weaknesses of the
human nature as far as sex is concerned. The Sheikh continued
addressing the German professor, “Now, my friend, going back to the
equation of five men against nine women or one against three in
Germany at the end of the Second World war, both numbers would lead
to the undeniable fact that in such a situation there shall be a big
surplus in the number of women who have the full right of having
proper and legal sexual life during their youthful lifetime
including the full right of children in bearing their fathers’
names. The share of a woman married by her own will and desire to a
man with one wife shall be the half i.e. half a man. If he is
married to two wives her share would be the third. And if he is
married to three wives then her share would be just a fourth of a
man. This is in regard to the man’s energy and time but not
responsibility. Moreover, in a true Islamic society there would be
no chance for the surplus of women to get married without the
legislation of polygamy. But, let our example be about both the none
Islamic countries and today’s Islamic countries where the proper
Islamic steps are not followed. Where adultery and the illegal
sexual practices, unfortunately, are in full practice. Now, my
friend, going back to the issue of justice and injustice to women.
What would you choose for
your beloved daughter? Is she to go every one or two or three years
with a different man who most probably is married to one of the five
out of nine or one out of three women mentioned above or do you
agree that she legitimizes her sexual life and the children that
might follow by marrying a man who is practicing polygamy?.
Moreover, how would the shape of the society be?. The Sheikh said:”
The German professor accepted polygamy.”
Before stepping down I thanked them and
reminded them that I have been giving my very limited knowledge of
the true old Islamic Societies which are referred to, nowadays by
some Islamic scholars, as unreachable transparences. I added that I
am very happy for the response of the Iganga people to the
miraculous call and the unparalleled success in the fight against
the dangerous HIVS/AIDS.
Our last meeting in Uganda was held at
the Ministry of Education. His Excellency the Minister presided over
the meeting. Many ministers were at the panel and they talked
fruitfully about the strong relation between the two neighbors –
Uganda and Sudan - and about our visit and their wonderful
experience against the HIV/Aids, hoping for the people of Sudan a
peaceful life and continuous progress. Like all members of our
mission I did enjoy the talk of all the speakers especially the talk
of one of the ministers who proved to be highly talented in the art
of comedy. In a most demonstrative and enjoyable way he acted how he
was able to convince his small children by talking about the
dangerous HIV/Aids and about the natural relation between male and
female in many living species giving the domestic female hens and
the male cock at their home as examples. He concluded by the natural
process of creation resulting in either giving birth by a female
animal or laying an egg by a hen. I was about to say to that highly
talented minister that I have enjoyed fully his talk and
demonstration and that I did believe he was very lucky as I wonder
what could he have said to his tots if by chance they were able to
see the cock laying its one long life small egg?.
When our plane left Kampala airport
towards Khartoum airport our mission was loaded with invaluable
information in regard to the proper methods of fighting the
HIV/Aids. We learned from our African friends in Uganda that bravery
is always in need of self denial and moral courage and development
and progress are in need of better love and better understanding.
Now, the said invaluable information and recommendations are in the
hands of the Sudanese Ministry of Health and in the hands of other
concerned units and organizations. Let us hope for self denial and
moral courage.
Abdel Kareim A. El Kabli, 22/12/2004
UNFPA Good will Ambassador.