Our Visit To Uganda

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 12^th. 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. 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 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 asked if the professor loved his daughter. The professor answered very much. 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.

     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 in the 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.

     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 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 who are not following strictly the proper Islamic steps and are not working for the promotion and implementation of the fruitful rituals and essence of Islam, where adultery and the illegal sexual practices are unfortunately in full practice. 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,

UNFPA Good will Ambassador.