The Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) has yet to issue any fatwa regarding the prohibition of providing a drug meant to prevent HIV infection to those engaging in “homosexual lifestyles”.
According to its chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, the matter would be scrutinised by the fatwa committee and the legal section of the council before the prohibition is gazetted.
Abdul Aziz (above) said that Mais rejects providing the Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) drug for free to the LGBt group as engaging in homosexuality is against the teachings of Islam.
"The basic principle remains - not encouraging same sexual relationships as it is against human nature.
"We will study the matter and issue a statement," he told reporters after attending a function at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz mosque in Shah Alam, today.
Earlier this month, the Selangor Mufti Department said providing PReP to those involved in "homosexual lifestyles" is colluding in sin.
However, the drug is permissible to be dispensed to married couples where one of them is infected with HIV, the department stated on its website.
Last December, the Health Ministry dispensed PrEP for free to target groups at selected government clinics, as part of a two-year pilot study funded by The Global Fund, an international body working against HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria.
The initiative received pushback from a group of Muslim healthcare professionals, who said it is against their faith.
The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), meanwhile, stressed that any decision on the government providing PReP to the target group must be based on scientific evidence. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.